Openings
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Gunderam Defense
The queen guards the pawn and blocks the bishop
- Offbeat
After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Black replies 2…Qe7. The queen guards the e5 pawn, but takes a square the f8 bishop needs. The opening is rare and a little awkward. People choose it to take the game out of theory and play a position with castling on opposite wings.
4…d6
Moves
(8 plies • 4 moves)- 1–4moves
- 1.
- 2.
- 3.
- 4.
Defining move
2…Qe7 — the queen out early
The move the whole opening is built around
The queen on e7 defends the e5 pawn and denies White an easy gain. But it stands in the way of the dark-squared bishop on f8. So Black usually builds the position in a different way: …g6 and …Bg7, or the pawn break …f5.
Tabiya
White takes the centre, Black builds with patience
White holds the centre with e4 and d4 and has a knight on c3. Black has closed things up with d6 and prepares a familiar set-up: …g6, …Bg7 and castling, perhaps long. The position is cramped but safe; White must use the extra space without overreaching in the attack.
White’s plan
- Take the centre with e4 and d4 and develop.
- Use the extra space and the trouble with the f8 bishop.
- Castle short and attack on the kingside.
Black’s plan
- Set up a fianchetto: …g6, …Bg7, …Nf6.
- Castle long while White castles short and attacks.
- Strike with …f5 once the pieces are in place.
History
The opening is named after Gerhart Gunderam.
Games in the Atlas
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