1.d4 — the closed and Indian games
Chigorin Defence
1.d4 d5 2.c4 Nc6ECO D07
Black develops a knight to c6 and plays for piece activity and …e5, defying the classical rule against blocking the c-pawn. Romantic and provocative, it leads to unbalanced, bishop-versus-knight fights.
Key ideas
- …Nc6 and …Bg4 pressure d4 and prepare …e5, trading structure for dynamic piece play.
- Black is often happy to give up a bishop for a knight to damage White's structure or seize the initiative.
- White's classical setup (Nf3, cxd5, e3) keeps a small pull, but Black's activity makes it a real fight.
Who it suits
Players who prize piece activity and imbalance over textbook structure.
Add it to your repertoire.
Drill the Chigorin Defence move by move against the board until it's second nature.
Open the trainer