King's Gambit Declined: Panteldakis Countergambit, Symmetrical Variation is a chess opening with the ECO code C30, part of the King's Gambit Declined family. It goes 1. e4 e5 2. f4 f5 3. exf5 exf4 4. Nf3 d5 5. d4 Bd6 6. Bd3. White opens with 1. e4 (the king's pawn) and Black answers 1... e5. After 11 moves it is Black to move. 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... f5 – Black plays the pawn to f5
3. exf5 – White captures on f5 with the e-pawn
3... exf4 – Black captures on f4 with the e-pawn
4. Nf3 – White plays the knight to f3
4... d5 – Black plays the pawn to d5
5. d4 – White plays the pawn to d4
5... Bd6 – Black plays the bishop to d6
6. Bd3 – White plays the bishop to d3
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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