Owen Defense: moves, plans and variations

Key ideas

The usual continuation is 2.d4 Bb7. White then defends e4 with 3.Bd3 or 3.Nc3, or offers the pawn with 3.Nf3, the Smith Gambit.
Black's typical setup is ...e6, ...Nf6, ...c5 and sometimes ...Bb4, reaching structures similar to the French or the English Defense, with pressure on the long diagonal.
With 2...Ba6, the Guatemala Defense, Black aims to trade off White's light-squared bishop instead.
The Matovinsky Gambit, 3.Bd3 f5 4.exf5 Bxg2, is a risky try that opens Black's own king to 5.Qh5+.

Build the centre with d4 and protect e4 with Bd3, Nc3 or f3. Use the extra space, and keep the long diagonal in mind when deciding where to castle.

Pressure e4 with ...Bb7 and ...Nf6, then challenge the centre with ...c5, or with ...e6 and ...d5.

The usual continuation is 2.d4 Bb7. White then defends e4 with 3.Bd3 or 3.Nc3, or offers the pawn with 3.Nf3, the Smith Gambit.
Black's typical setup is ...e6, ...Nf6, ...c5 and sometimes ...Bb4, reaching structures similar to the French or the English Defense, with pressure on the long diagonal.
With 2...Ba6, the Guatemala Defense, Black aims to trade off White's light-squared bishop instead.
The Matovinsky Gambit, 3.Bd3 f5 4.exf5 Bxg2, is a risky try that opens Black's own king to 5.Qh5+.

Build the centre with d4 and protect e4 with Bd3, Nc3 or f3. Use the extra space, and keep the long diagonal in mind when deciding where to castle.

Pressure e4 with ...Bb7 and ...Nf6, then challenge the centre with ...c5, or with ...e6 and ...d5.