King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Rubinstein Variation is a chess opening with the ECO code C31, part of the King's Gambit Declined family. It goes 1. e4 e5 2. f4 d5 3. exd5 e4 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. Qe2. White opens with 1. e4 (the king's pawn) and Black answers 1... e5. After 9 moves it is Black to move. After the last move White is a pawn ahead in material. The lesson on the board explains every move of the line and lets you play it yourself; it is free.
The moves
1. e4 – White plays the pawn to e4
1... e5 – Black plays the pawn to e5
2. f4 – White plays the pawn to f4
2... d5 – Black plays the pawn to d5
3. exd5 – White captures on d5 with the e-pawn
3... e4 – Black plays the pawn to e4
4. Nc3 – White plays the knight to c3
4... Nf6 – Black plays the knight to f6
5. Qe2 – White plays the queen to e2
About the King's Gambit Declined
After 1.e4 e5 2.f4, Black refuses the pawn, usually with 2...Bc5 or 2...d5. This avoids White's main attacking lines.
The bishop on c5 stops White from castling short easily.
2...d5 (Falkbeer) hits back in the centre right away.
Black develops normally and watches the f-file and the a7-g1 diagonal.
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