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The Hungarian Defense is a chess opening that begins with the moves
- 1.e4 e5
- 2.Nf3 Nc6
- 3.Bc4 Be7
The Hungarian Defense takes its name from a correspondence game between Paris and Pest, Hungary played from 1842�1845. The Hungarian Defense usually leads to solid positions for Black, and it has been played by some grandmasters with strong defensive-positional styles including Reshevsky and Hort, and former World Champions Petrosian and Smyslov.
With the move 3...Be7, Black avoids the complexities of the Giuoco Piano (3...Bc5), Evans Gambit (3...Bc5 4.b4), and Two Knights Defense (3...Nf6). However, White has an advantage in space and freer development, so Black must be prepared to defend a cramped position.
White's best response is 4.d4 when 4...exd4 5.Nxd4 would transpose into a variation of the Scotch Game that gives White a spatial advantage. (Weaker is 5.c3!?, hoping for 5...dxc3? 6.Qd5! when Black must play 6...Nh6 7.Bxh6 0-0 to keep playing. However, 5...Na5! forces White to give up the bishop pair with 6.Qxd4 or sacrifice a pawn.) Instead Black should be content to try to hold the center with 4...d6. White then has a choice of plans, each of which should be enough to secure a slight advantage. White can simplify to a slightly better endgame with 5.dxe5 dxe5 (5...Nxe5? 6.Nxe5 dxe5 7.Qh5! and White's double attack on e5 and f7 wins a pawn) 6.Qxd8+ Bxd8 7.Nc3 Nf6. White can also close the center with 5.d5 Nb8, followed by Bd3 and expansion on the queenside with c4 resulting in positions resembling those from the Old Indian Defense. Finally, with 5.Nc3 White can retain tension in the center and obtain active piece play.
References
- Hooper, David and Kenneth Whyld (1996). The Oxford Companion To Chess, Oxford University. ISBN 0-19-280049-3.
- De Firmian, Nick (1999). Modern Chess Openings: MCO-14, Random House Puzzles & Games. ISBN 0-8129-3084-3.