Steinitz Variation

{{Short description|Chess openings}}

A Steinitz Variation is any of several chess openings introduced and practiced, or adopted and advocated by Wilhelm Steinitz, the first officially recognized World Chess Champion.

{{AN chess|pos=toc}}

Openings

  • Steinitz Variation in the Caro-Kann Defence: 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7Also called the Nimzowitsch Variation or the Smyslov Variation.
  • Steinitz Variation in the Evans Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Bc5 6.d4 exd4 7.0-0 d6 8.cxd4 Bb6 9.Nc3 Na5 10.Bg5 f6 11.Be3
  • Steinitz Variation in the Evans Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.0-0 Qf6
  • Steinitz Variation in the French Defence: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.Bxe7 Qxe7 7.f4
  • Steinitz Variation in the French Defence: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5
  • Steinitz Variation in the French Defence: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.dxc5
  • Steinitz Attack in the French Defence: 1.e4 e6 2.e5
  • Steinitz Defence to the Giuoco Piano: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.0-0 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bh4 g5
  • Steinitz Variation in the Giuoco Piano: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nxe4 8.0-0 Bxc3 9.bxc3 d5 10.Ba3
  • Steinitz Variation in the King's Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Bc4 Ne7
  • Steinitz Attack in the Petrov's Defence: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4
  • Steinitz Variation in the Petrov's Defence: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 exd4 4.e5 Ne4 5.Qe2
  • Steinitz Variation in the Philidor Defence: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Be7 4.c3
  • Steinitz Variation in the Ponziani Opening: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 d5 4.Qa4 f6
  • Steinitz Variation in the Queen's Gambit Accepted: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.0-0 cxd4
  • Steinitz Countergambit in the Queen's Pawn Game: 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 c5
  • Steinitz Defence to the Ruy Lopez: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 d6
  • Steinitz Defence Deferred to the Ruy Lopez: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 d6
  • Steinitz Defence Doubly Deferred to the Ruy Lopez: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 d6Also called the Russian Defence.
  • Steinitz Variation in the Scotch Game: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Qh4Steinitz favored this move and it is commonly identified as a Steinitz Variation in books; however, it originated with English player Wellington Pulling in the 1830s and is named the Pulling Counterattack. 5.Nc3
  • Steinitz Variation in the Sicilian Defence: 1.e4 c5 2.g3
  • Steinitz Variation in the Three Knights Opening: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 g6
  • Steinitz Variation in the Two Knights Defense: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Be2 h6 9.Nh3
  • Steinitz Variation in the Vienna Game: 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5 4.d3
  • Steinitz Gambit in the Vienna Game: 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 exf4 4.d4

Illustrations

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{{Chess diagram small

|tleft

|Steinitz Variation
in the Caro-Kann Defence

|rd| |bd|qd|kd|bd|nd|rd

|pd|pd| |nd|pd|pd|pd|pd

| | |pd| | | | |

| | | | | | | |

| | | |pl|nl| | |

| | | | | | | |

|pl|pl|pl| | |pl|pl|pl

|rl| |bl|ql|kl|bl|nl|rl

|1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 (also called the Nimzowitsch Variation or the Smyslov Variation)

}}

{{Chess diagram small

|tleft

|Steinitz Variation
in the Evans Gambit

|rd| |bd|qd|kd| |nd|rd

|pd|pd|pd| | | |pd|pd

| |bd| |pd| |pd| |

|nd| | | | | | |

| | |bl|pl|pl| | |

| | |nl| |bl|nl| |

|pl| | | | |pl|pl|pl

|rl| | |ql| |rl|kl|

|1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Bc5 6.d4 exd4 7.0-0 d6 8.cxd4 Bb6 9.Nc3 Na5 10.Bg5 f6 11.Be3

}}

{{Chess diagram small

|tleft

|Steinitz Variation
in the Evans Gambit

|rd| |bd| |kd| |nd|rd

|pd|pd|pd|pd| |pd|pd|pd

| | |nd| | |qd| |

|bd| | | |pd| | |

| | |bl| |pl| | |

| | |pl| | |nl| |

|pl| | |pl| |pl|pl|pl

|rl|nl|bl|ql| |rl|kl|

|1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.0-0 Qf6

}}

{{Chess diagram small

|tleft

|Steinitz Variation
in the French Defence

|rd|nd|bd| |kd| | |rd

|pd|pd|pd|nd|qd|pd|pd|pd

| | | | |pd| | |

| | | |pd|pl| | |

| | | |pl| |pl| |

| | |nl| | | | |

|pl|pl|pl| | | |pl|pl

|rl| | |ql|kl|bl|nl|rl

|1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.Bxe7 Qxe7 7.f4

}}

{{Chess diagram small

|tleft

|Steinitz Variation
in the French Defence

|rd|nd|bd|qd|kd|bd| |rd

|pd|pd|pd| | |pd|pd|pd

| | | | |pd|nd| |

| | | |pd|pl| | |

| | | |pl| | | |

| | |nl| | | | |

|pl|pl|pl| | |pl|pl|pl

|rl| |bl|ql|kl|bl|nl|rl

|1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5

}}

{{Chess diagram small

|tleft

|Steinitz Variation
in the French Defence

|rd|nd|bd|qd|kd|bd|nd|rd

|pd|pd| | | |pd|pd|pd

| | | | |pd| | |

| | |pl|pd|pl| | |

| | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | |

|pl|pl|pl| | |pl|pl|pl

|rl|nl|bl|ql|kl|bl|nl|rl

|1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.dxc5

}}

{{Chess diagram small

|tleft

|Steinitz Attack
in the French Defence

|rd|nd|bd|qd|kd|bd|nd|rd

|pd|pd|pd|pd| |pd|pd|pd

| | | | |pd| | |

| | | | |pl| | |

| | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | |

|pl|pl|pl|pl| |pl|pl|pl

|rl|nl|bl|ql|kl|bl|nl|rl

|1.e4 e6 2.e5

}}

{{Chess diagram small

|tleft

|Steinitz Defence
to the Giuoco Piano

|rd| |bd|qd|kd| | |rd

|pd|pd|pd| | |pd| |

| | |nd|pd| |nd| |pd

| | |bd| |pd| |pd|

| | |bl| |pl| | |bl

| | | |pl| |nl| |

|pl|pl|pl| | |pl|pl|pl

|rl|nl| |ql| |rl|kl|

|1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.0-0 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bh4 g5

}}

{{Chess diagram small

|tleft

|Steinitz Variation
in the Giuoco Piano

|rd| |bd|qd|kd| | |rd

|pd|pd|pd| | |pd|pd|pd

| | |nd| | | | |

| | | |pd| | | |

| | |bl|pl|nd| | |

|bl| |pl| | |nl| |

|pl| | | | |pl|pl|pl

|rl| | |ql| |rl|kl|

|1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nxe4 8.0-0 Bxc3 9.bxc3 d5 10.Ba3

}}

{{Chess diagram small

|tleft

|Steinitz Variation
in the King's Gambit

|rd|nd|bd|qd|kd|bd| |rd

|pd|pd|pd|pd|nd|pd|pd|pd

| | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | |

| | |bl| |pl|pd| |

| | | | | | | |

|pl|pl|pl|pl| | |pl|pl

|rl|nl|bl|ql|kl| |nl|rl

|1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Bc4 Ne7

}}

{{Chess diagram small

|tleft

|Steinitz Attack
in the Petrov's Defence

|rd|nd|bd|qd|kd|bd| |rd

|pd|pd|pd|pd| |pd|pd|pd

| | | | | |nd| |

| | | | |pd| | |

| | | |pl|pl| | |

| | | | | |nl| |

|pl|pl|pl| | |pl|pl|pl

|rl|nl|bl|ql|kl|bl| |rl

|1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4

}}

{{Chess diagram small

|tleft

|Steinitz Variation
in the Petrov's Defence

|rd|nd|bd|qd|kd|bd| |rd

|pd|pd|pd|pd| |pd|pd|pd

| | | | | | | |

| | | | |pl| | |

| | | |pd|nd| | |

| | | | | |nl| |

|pl|pl|pl| |ql|pl|pl|pl

|rl|nl|bl| |kl|bl| |rl

|1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 exd4 4.e5 Ne4 5.Qe2

}}

{{Chess diagram small

|tleft

|Steinitz Variation
in the Philidor Defence

|rd|nd|bd|qd|kd| |nd|rd

|pd|pd|pd| |bd|pd|pd|pd

| | | |pd| | | |

| | | | |pd| | |

| | |bl| |pl| | |

| | |pl| | |nl| |

|pl|pl| |pl| |pl|pl|pl

|rl|nl|bl|ql|kl| | |rl

|1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Be7 4.c3

}}

{{Chess diagram small

|tleft

|Steinitz Variation
in the Ponziani Opening

|rd| |bd|qd|kd|bd| |rd

|pd|pd|pd| | | |pd|pd

| | |nd| | |pd| |

| | | |pd|pd| | |

|ql| | | |pl| | |

| | |pl| | |nl| |

|pl|pl| |pl| |pl|pl|pl

|rl|nl|bl| |kl|bl| |rl

|1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 d5 4.Qa4 f6

}}

{{Chess diagram small

|tleft

|Steinitz Variation
in the Queen's Gambit Accepted

|rd|nd|bd|qd|kd|bd| |rd

|pd|pd| | | |pd|pd|pd

| | | | |pd|nd| |

| | | | | | | |

| | |bl|pd| | | |

| | | | |pl|nl| |

|pl|pl| | | |pl|pl|pl

|rl|nl|bl|ql| |rl|kl|

|1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.0-0 cxd4

}}

{{Chess diagram small

|tleft

|Steinitz Countergambit
in the Queen's Pawn Game

|rd|nd|bd|qd|kd|bd|nd|rd

|pd|pd| | |pd|pd|pd|pd

| | | | | | | |

| | |pd|pd| | | |

| | | |pl| |bl| |

| | | | | | | |

|pl|pl|pl| |pl|pl|pl|pl

|rl|nl| |ql|kl|bl|nl|rl

|1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 c5

}}

{{Chess diagram small

|tleft

|Steinitz Defence
to the Ruy Lopez

|rd| |bd|qd|kd|bd|nd|rd

|pd|pd|pd| | |pd|pd|pd

| | |nd|pd| | | |

| |bl| | |pd| | |

| | | | |pl| | |

| | | | | |nl| |

|pl|pl|pl|pl| |pl|pl|pl

|rl|nl|bl|ql|kl| | |rl

|1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 d6

}}

{{Chess diagram small

|tleft

|Steinitz Defence Deferred
to the Ruy Lopez

|rd| |bd|qd|kd|bd|nd|rd

| |pd|pd| | |pd|pd|pd

|pd| |nd|pd| | | |

| | | | |pd| | |

|bl| | | |pl| | |

| | | | | |nl| |

|pl|pl|pl|pl| |pl|pl|pl

|rl|nl|bl|ql|kl| | |rl

|1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 d6

}}

{{Chess diagram small

|tleft

|Steinitz Defence Doubly Deferred
to the Ruy Lopez

|rd| |bd|qd|kd|bd| |rd

| |pd|pd| | |pd|pd|pd

|pd| |nd|pd| |nd| |

| | | | |pd| | |

|bl| | | |pl| | |

| | | | | |nl| |

|pl|pl|pl|pl| |pl|pl|pl

|rl|nl|bl|ql| |rl|kl|

|1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 d6

}}

{{Chess diagram small

|tleft

|Steinitz Variation
in the Scotch Game

|rd| |bd| |kd|bd|nd|rd

|pd|pd|pd|pd| |pd|pd|pd

| | |nd| | | | |

| | | | | | | |

| | | |nl|pl| | |qd

| | |nl| | | | |

|pl|pl|pl| | |pl|pl|pl

|rl| |bl|ql|kl|bl| |rl

|1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Qh4 5.Nc3

}}

{{Chess diagram small

|tleft

|Steinitz Variation
in the Sicilian Defence

|rd|nd|bd|qd|kd|bd|nd|rd

|pd|pd| |pd|pd|pd|pd|pd

| | | | | | | |

| | |pd| | | | |

| | | | |pl| | |

| | | | | | |pl|

|pl|pl|pl|pl| |pl| |pl

|rl|nl|bl|ql|kl|bl|nl|rl

|1.e4 c5 2.g3

}}

{{Chess diagram small

|tleft

|Steinitz Variation
in the Three Knights Opening

|rd| |bd|qd|kd|bd|nd|rd

|pd|pd|pd|pd| |pd| |pd

| | |nd| | | |pd|

| | | | |pd| | |

| | | | |pl| | |

| | |nl| | |nl| |

|pl|pl|pl|pl| |pl|pl|pl

|rl| |bl|ql|kl|bl| |rl

|1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 g6

}}

{{Chess diagram small

|tleft

|Steinitz Variation
in the Two Knights Defense

|rd| |bd|qd|kd|bd| |rd

|pd| | | | |pd|pd|

| | |pd| | |nd| |pd

|nd| | | |pd| | |

| | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | |nl

|pl|pl|pl|pl|bl|pl|pl|pl

|rl|nl|bl|ql|kl| | |rl

|1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Be2 h6 9.Nh3

}}

{{Chess diagram small

|tleft

|Steinitz Variation
in the Vienna Game

|rd|nd|bd|qd|kd|bd| |rd

|pd|pd|pd| | |pd|pd|pd

| | | | | |nd| |

| | | |pd|pd| | |

| | | | |pl|pl| |

| | |nl|pl| | | |

|pl|pl|pl| | | |pl|pl

|rl| |bl|ql|kl|bl|nl|rl

|1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5 4.d3

}}

{{Chess diagram small

|tleft

|Steinitz Gambit
in the Vienna Game

|rd| |bd|qd|kd|bd|nd|rd

|pd|pd|pd|pd| |pd|pd|pd

| | |nd| | | | |

| | | | | | | |

| | | |pl|pl|pd| |

| | |nl| | | | |

|pl|pl|pl| | | |pl|pl

|rl| |bl|ql|kl|bl|nl|rl

|1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 exf4 4.d4

}}

{{Div flex row end}}

Notes

{{reflist|group=note}}

References

  • {{cite book

|last=Barden

|first=Leonard

|author-link=Leonard Barden

|title=The Ruy Lopez • Winning Chess with 1 P-K4

|publisher=Pergamon Press

|year=1963

|isbn=0-08-009997-1}}

  • {{cite book

|last1=Botterill

|first1=G. S.

|last2=Harding

|first2=Tim

|author-link2=Tim Harding (chess player)

|title=The Scotch

|publisher=B.T. Batsford Ltd

|year=1977

}}

  • {{cite book

|last1=Harding

|first1=Tim

|author-link1=Tim Harding (chess player)

|last2=Botterill

|first2=G. S.

|title=The Italian Game

|publisher=B.T. Batsford Ltd

|year=1977

|isbn=0-7134-3261-6}}

  • {{cite book

|last1=Hooper

|first1=David

|author-link1=David Vincent Hooper

|last2=Whyld

|first2=Kenneth

|author-link2=Kenneth Whyld

|title=The Oxford Companion to Chess

|publisher=Oxford University Press

|edition=2nd

|year=1996

|orig-year=First pub. 1992

|isbn=0-19-280049-3}}

{{Chess}}

{{Set index article}}

Category:Chess openings