3rd Move Suprise
Carl Friedrich Jänisch (1813-1872) developed an aggressive style of play against the Spanish Game with 3...f5, which also became known as the Schliemann Defence. In the style of the King's Gambit, the follower boldly attacks the e4-pawn with his f-pawn, even though they are a piece down. Scepticism that this is a sound concept is widespread, but since 2007, thanks to Teimour Radjabov, the variation has occasionally been seen again, even at grandmaster level. At least at amateur level, White initially faces the practical problem, which should not be underestimated, of whether he wants to get involved in the tactical complications after 4.Nc3 fxe4 5.Nxe4 d5 (the more modest 5...Nf6 was Radjabov's choice) 6.Nxe5 dxe4 7.Nxc6.
Those who play this with Black usually know the variations very well, and in order to gain an advantage in the chaos that ensues after 7...Qg5 or 7...Qd5, White should ideally know a little more. A much-played alternative for White is therefore the modest 4.d3, which only aims for a small positional advantage.
If Black wants to avoid the much-analysed main systems of the Spanish Game, there are several other, sometimes quite solid options available to him on the third move. Vassily Smyslov, for example, was quite successful with the move 3...g6, which Steinitz already played a good 130 years ago and which Gata Kamsky and Boris Spassky also took up. The Cozio Defence 3...Nge7 has the advantage of eliminating the exchange variation, because now Black would no longer be left with a double pawn after 4.Bxc6. Bent Larsen played the move successfully several times in the 1970s, and Levon Aronian surprised his opponents with it at the 2009 World Blitz Championship. 3...Nd4 is the Bird Variation, but after 4.Nxd4 exd4 it is considered favourable for White, who can build up with 0-0, d3 and f4.
3...Bc5, the Classical Defence or Cordel Variation, has a better reputation.
After 4.c3, which intends d4 and wants to exploit the position of the bishop on c5 as in the Italian, Black can choose the double-edged 4...f5 or the more reliable 4...Nf6.
All the options presented in the third move have the advantage of pre-empting the often theory-heavy main variations of the Spanish Game and surprising the opponent. From the sharp gambit game to the positional system, there is something for everyone.