Ponderchess / Openings
Play the guided film, or select a scene to pause and study its position.
Opening
The Blackmar-Diemer Gambit in 3D
1.d4 d5 2.e4. White offers a central pawn for quick development and an open f-file, usually following with Nc3 and f3 to aim at Black's king.
Rebuild the sequence yourself. The board responds to each move, and hints are available.
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Your turn · white to play
Select a piece, then its destination. Switch to 2D for a clear overhead view or rotate the 3D board to explore the position.
Blackmar-Diemer Gambit: Zeller Defense, Soller Attack, move by move: d4 d5 e4 dxe4 Nc3 Bf5 f3 Nf6 …
The white pieces
Develop fast with Nc3, Nf3, Bd3 or Bc4 and castle, then aim the f-file, the bishops and a knight on e5 at f7 and the black king. Slow play lets Black consolidate the extra pawn.
The black pieces
Accept the pawn, develop quickly and return material if it breaks the attack. Plans with ...e6, ...c5 or ...c6 and ...Bf5 or ...Bg4 trade off attackers and free the position.
Look a little deeper · 01
The main gambit runs 2...dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3. White is a pawn down but has a lead in development, the half-open f-file and attacking chances with Bd3, O-O, Ne5 and Qe1-h4.
Look a little deeper · 02
Black's main defences after 5.Nxf3 are named: 5...Bg4 (Teichmann), 5...e6 (Euwe), 5...g6 (Bogoljubov), 5...c6 (Ziegler) and 5...Bf5 (Gunderam).
Look a little deeper · 03
Black can also sidestep the main gambit. 3...e5, the Lemberger Countergambit, strikes back in the centre and can lead to an early queen trade after 4.dxe5 Qxd1+ 5.Kxd1, while 3...Bf5 (the Zeller Defense) develops the bishop before White plays f3.
Blackmar-Diemer Gambit: Zeller Defense, Soller Attack, move by move: d4 d5 e4 dxe4 Nc3 Bf5 f3 Nf6 …
Keyboard: Space pauses, the arrow keys step. Gold arrows are White's moves, violet are Black's, red rays are threats, green shows support, blue shows plans.
