Opening Overview: White Early Center Advance

The opening is starting with the moves: 1.d5 e6 2. e5.

While not one of the common openings, this opening does occur relatively frequently. White rush to take control over the center squares, and black must catch up immediately. Neutral moves like 2… Be7 will be answered by 3. d6, which leads to a lack of space for the black pieces.

2… e:f5

While not being the most popular move for black, this move is my personal favorite. This capture is commonly done in the mainline and playing it now forces white to recapture with the g pawn.

3. g:f5 (White can also try the gambit 3.d6?!. After 3… f:g4 4.h:g4 White keeps holding the limiting d6 pawn in exchange for the lost pawn) 3…d6 4. c:d6 c:d6 5. e4 (5.e6 Qe7 with f:e6 and B:e6) 5… d:e5 6. f:e5 Be7 7.f4 h6

Now black will try to attack on the kingside, as done in the game HordeMafia-Yes_Indeed. White will try to stabilize the kingside and attack on the queenside.

2… d6

The most popular reply. Black threatens on the f5 and c5 pawns, forcing white to exchange pawns in the center to avoid material loss.

3. c:d6 c:d6 4. e4 a5 (4…d:e5 5.f:e5 Ne7 is also an option) 5. f:e6 f:e6 6. d4

White kept a significant presence in the center, while black is freer to attack either side. Possible scenarios are a black attack on the queenside,

2… e:d5

The idea here is similar to 2… e:f5.

2. c:d5 d6 3. c:d6 c:d6 4. e4 a5 5. b:a6 N:a6

I believe white is slightly better in this position, although the statistics of 89% black wins on Lichess. Having no immediate problems allows white to advance with c4, d4, and c3. Alternatively the popular choice 6. e6!? Qe7 7. e:f7+ is also a decent continuation. Black can attack the queenside, leveraging the already-open column, or open the kingside with moves like h6. See the game Malesuurmeister – Turkishdraughts for example.

Other responses

Other responses to that opening were rarely tried and with little success. White’s threat of 3. d6 does not leave much room to creativity.

2… b6

Other responses are doomed to fail. For example, 2…a5 3.d6 b6 4.d4 and black’s center pawns are locked in an uncomfortable position.

3. d6 b:c5 4. b:c5 e:f5 5. g:f5 c:d6 6. c:d6 B:d6 7. e:d6 Qb6

Black sacrificed a bishop for two pawns, and his position is not bad.