Mikenas Defense: Pozarek Gambit

Mikenas Defense: Pozarek Gambit is a chess opening with the ECO code A40, part of the Mikenas Defense family. It goes 1. d4 Nc6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Nxe5 4. Nc3 Nxc4. White opens with 1. d4 (the queen's pawn) and Black answers 1... Nc6. After 8 moves it is White to move. After the last move Black 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. d4 – White plays the pawn to d4
• 1... Nc6 – Black plays the knight to c6
• 2. c4 – White plays the pawn to c4
• 2... e5 – Black plays the pawn to e5
• 3. dxe5 – White captures on e5 with the d-pawn
• 3... Nxe5 – Black takes on e5 with the knight
• 4. Nc3 – White plays the knight to c3
• 4... Nxc4 – Black takes on c4 with the knight

Related openings

• It extends: Mikenas Defense (1. d4 Nc6)
• Related line: Mikenas Defense: Lithuanian Variation (1. d4 Nc6 2. c4 e5 3. d5 Nce7)
• Related line: Mikenas Defense: Cannstatter Variation (1. d4 Nc6 2. c4 e5 3. d5 Nd4)

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