Blumenfeld Gambit
Encyclopedia
The Blumenfeld Gambit is a chess opening
characterised by the moves 3...e6 4.Nf3 b5 in the Benoni Defence
arising after
or alternatively
, and was later played by World Chess Champion Alexander Alekhine
.
The opening position can also be reached via the Benko Gambit
(1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.Nf3 e6). Possible continuations are 5.dxe6 (Kan-Goldenov, 1946), 5.Bg5 (Vaganian-K. Grigorian, 1971), 5.e4, or 5.a4 (Rubinstein-Spielmann, 1922), with 5.Bg5 being most frequently seen when this gambit is employed.
sorts the Blumenfeld Gambit under:
Chess opening
A chess opening is the group of initial moves of a chess game. Recognized sequences of opening moves are referred to as openings as initiated by White or defenses, as created in reply by Black. There are many dozens of different openings, and hundreds of named variants. The Oxford Companion to...
characterised by the moves 3...e6 4.Nf3 b5 in the Benoni Defence
Benoni Defense
The Benoni Defense is a group of chess openings generally characterized by the opening moves 1. d4 c5 2. d5, although Black's ...c5 and White's answer d5 are often delayed. The most usual opening sequence for the Benoni is 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5...
arising after
- 1. d4 Nf6
- 2. c4 c5
- 3. d5 e6
- 4. Nf3 b5
or alternatively
- 1. d4 Nf6
- 2. c4 e6
- 3. Nf3 c5
- 4. d5 b5
General considerations
Black sacrifices a wing pawn to establish an imposing centre with pawns on c5, d5 and e6. The natural development of the bishops to b7 and d6, combined with the open f-file for a rook, tend to facilitate Black's play on the kingside. White, on the other hand, will typically look to counter in the centre by playing e4 at some point, while his additional queenside pawn also offers him some initiative on that side of the board.Origin
The opening is named after the Russian master Benjamin BlumenfeldBenjamin Blumenfeld
Benjamin Blumenfeld was a Russian chess master.Born in Volkovysk, Belarus , then Russia. In 1905/06, he tied for second/third with Akiba Rubinstein, behind Gersz Salwe, in St. Petersburg...
, and was later played by World Chess Champion Alexander Alekhine
Alexander Alekhine
Alexander Alexandrovich Alekhine was the fourth World Chess Champion. He is often considered one of the greatest chess players ever.By the age of twenty-two, he was already among the strongest chess players in the world. During the 1920s, he won most of the tournaments in which he played...
.
The opening position can also be reached via the Benko Gambit
Benko Gambit
The Benko Gambit is a chess opening characterised by the move 3...b5 in the Benoni Defense arising after:- Origin and predecessors :The idea of sacrificing a pawn with ...b5 and ...a6 is quite old. Karel Opočenský applied the idea against, among others, Gideon Ståhlberg at Poděbrady 1936, Paul...
(1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.Nf3 e6). Possible continuations are 5.dxe6 (Kan-Goldenov, 1946), 5.Bg5 (Vaganian-K. Grigorian, 1971), 5.e4, or 5.a4 (Rubinstein-Spielmann, 1922), with 5.Bg5 being most frequently seen when this gambit is employed.
Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings
The Encyclopaedia of Chess OpeningsEncyclopaedia of Chess Openings
The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings is a classification system for the opening moves in a game of chess. It is presented as a five volume book collection describing chess openings...
sorts the Blumenfeld Gambit under:
- E10 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3