Queen's Gambit Declined, Cambridge Springs Defense
In chess, the Cambridge Springs Defense is a variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined that begins with the moves:
Black breaks the pin on the h4–d8 diagonal and forms a pin of their own on the c3-knight. If Black later plays dxc4, there may be threats against the g5-bishop. Note that 5.cxd5 cannot win a pawn because of the Elephant Trap. The main line continues 7.Nd2 Bb4 with the threat of...Ne4 and pressure along the a5–e1 diagonal.
The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings code is D52.
Background
The first recorded use of the Cambridge Springs was by Emanuel Lasker in 1892. The name derives from a 1904 tournament in Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania, in which the defense was used several times. Practitioners of the opening have included Efim Bogoljubov, Vasily Smyslov, Garry Kasparov, and Magnus Carlsen.The line remains popular among amateurs because there are several traps White must avoid. For example, 7.Nd2 Bb4 8.Qc2 0-0 9.Bd3?? dxc4! 10.Bxf6 cxd3! 11.Qxd3 Nxf6 and Black has won a piece.
Continuations
White has several choices on his seventh move. The most common are:- 7.Nd2 immediately breaks the pin on the c3 knight and defends e4; 7...Bb4 is answered by 8.Qc2, defending the c3 knight and covering e4.
- 7.cxd5 avoids complications by clarifying the situation in the center. Black's strongest is the recapture 7...Nxd5, continuing the attack on c3.
- 7.Bxf6 avoids tactics involving discovered attacks on the g5-bishop.
Example games
- Capablanca vs. Alekhine, World Championship Match, Buenos Aires 1927:
- Gelfand vs. Carlsen, World Chess Championship Candidates Tournament, London 2013: