Chess Opening Theory/1. d4/1...d5/2. Nc3

The Chigorin Variation (Named after Mikhail Chigorin) is an opening that may often transpose to other lines. It is rarely played by masters and tournament players, as the c-pawn is blocked, disallowing it from contesting the d5-pawn. Nonetheless, this line is considered sound and leads to closed positions involving much slow, strategic maneuvering.

The main lines after this are the 2...Nf6 3. Bf4, the Jobava London System, and 2...Nf6 3. Bg5, the Richter–Veresov Attack (which transposes into the French Defense after 3...e6 or remains in independent lines after 3...Nbd7).

Black can also reasonably play 2...e6 (which likely leads to the aforementioned lines), 2...c6 (likely transposing to the Caro–Kann after 3. e4), 2...g6, 2...Bf5, or even 2...f5!? (the Dutch Variation), 2...c5!? (the Irish Gambit, which is a fairly unexplored option), or the unclear 2...e5!? (the Shaviliuk Gambit).

2...Nc6 transposes to the Nimzowitsch Defence after 3. e4, normally reached by 1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3.

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1. d4 d5 2. Nc3