Why Owen's Defense is worth training
1.e4 b6 2.d4 Bb7.Owen's Defense starts with 1.e4 b6. Black lets White build a broad pawn center and fianchettoes the queen's bishop with 2...Bb7, where it presses on e4 from a distance. Black then hits the center with pawn breaks such as ...d5, ...c5, or ...e5 instead of occupying it right away.
Chessmate has an Owen's Defense course for White and an Owen's Defense course for Black. Each course has five lines, and both cover the same main positions from opposite sides: the ...d5 break against 3.Bd3, the early ...c5, the ...e5 center, the 3.Nc3 setup, and the flexible 2.Nf3 move order.
The closed center sample line for White
12.Qxd3, the light-squared bishops are gone and White keeps the pawn chain on d4 and e5.In the White sample line, White defends e4 with 3.Bd3 and develops with 4.Nf3. After 4...Nf6 5.Qe2 d5, White pushes 6.e5 with tempo on the knight. After 6...Nfd7, White supports d4 with 7.c3, and Black strikes back with 7...c5.
White then gains space on the kingside with 8.h4 and 9.h5, which makes ...g6 harder to play. After 9...h6 10.Be3, the bishop eyes h6. Black trades off White's strong bishop with 10...Ba6 11.Nbd2 Bxd3, and White recaptures with 12.Qxd3, keeping the queen active near the center.
The ...d5 break for Black
10...Ba6, the Black bishop offers a trade for White's bishop on d3.The Black sample line follows the same moves from Black's side. Black opens the long diagonal with 1...b6, develops 2...Bb7, and prepares ...d5 with 3...e6. After 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Qe2, Black challenges e4 with 5...d5 and forces White to define the center.
After 6.e5 Nfd7 7.c3, Black attacks d4 with 7...c5, and 8...Qc8 adds a defender to c5. Once 9...h6 stops the h-pawn, Black uses 10...Ba6 to trade off White's active bishop on d3. After 11.Nbd2 Bxd3 12.Qxd3, Black gains queenside space with 12...a5.
Queenside space, the ...e5 center, and Nc3 for White
12.a4, White controls b5 and stops Black's queenside pawns from rolling forward.Against the early 4...c5, White supports d4 with 5.c3 and prepares queenside expansion with 6.a3. After castling and 8.e5, White attacks c5 with 9.b4, puts a rook behind the e5 pawn with 10.Re1, and after 11.bxc5 bxc5 fixes the queenside with 12.a4.
Against 3...d6 and 5...e5, White builds with 6.c3 and 7.Re1, reroutes the knight through f1 to g3, and finally resolves the tension with 12.dxe5. The course also covers 3.Nc3, where White answers 4...Bb4 with 5.Qg4 and later castles long, and the flexible 2.Nf3 order, where White gains queenside space with 5.a4.
Black's ...c5, ...e5, and double fianchetto plans
12...Ng6, both Black bishops sit on long diagonals and the knight watches e5, f4, and h4.In the ...c5 line, Black attacks d4 with 4...c5, adds 5...Nc6, and only then plays ...Nf6 and ...d5. After 9.b4, Black hits the pawn with 10...a5, recaptures with 11...bxc5 to open the b-file, and finishes with 12...cxd4.
With 3...d6 and 5...e5, Black takes central space and adds a second fianchetto with 7...g6 and 8...Bg7. Against 3.Nc3, Black pins the knight with 4...Bb4 and chases the queen with 6...h5. Against 2.Nf3, Black builds a double fianchetto and gains kingside space with 11...g5 before the knight goes to g6.
What to train first
Pick the course for the color you play.
- If you face Owen's Defense as White, start with the Owen's Defense course for White. Learn the closed center sample line first, then the
9.b4plan against4...c5. - If you play Owen's Defense as Black, start with the Owen's Defense course for Black. Learn the
5...d5sample line first, then the...e5center with the second fianchetto. - With either color, watch the bishop on b7 and the pawn on e4. Black's plans depend on pressure against e4, and White's plans depend on keeping that pawn or advancing it to e5.
Owen's Defense gives Black an unusual but sound setup and gives White a free center. Train the lines until you know when the center is a strength and when it becomes a target.