Belgrade Gambit: Main Line, 5...Be7 (C47)

The Main Line, 5...Be7 is a variation of the Belgrade Gambit, catalogued as ECO C47. The line runs 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nd5 Be7 6. Bf4, reaching the position shown below after 11 half-moves.

Both sides have pawns in the centre (White on e4, Black on d4). Development is level at three minor pieces each, and Black is up a pawn of material. It is Black to move after six moves. Black has doubled pawns on the d-file.

On the Belgrade Gambit generally: A gambit in the Four Knights where White plays Nd5 instead of recapturing the d4 pawn. Creates immediate complications.

You can play through this variation move by move in your browser — Learn mode walks the line with an explanation at each step, and Drill mode replays it from memory so you find out whether you actually know it. No account is required.

Belgrade Gambit: Main Line, 5...Be7 — position after Bf4 a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
Position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nd5 Be7 6. Bf4

Move order

#WhiteBlack
1e4e5
2Nf3Nc6
3Nc3Nf6
4d4exd4
5Nd5Be7
6Bf4

ECO: C47

Stockfish: -0.30 at depth 18

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Position characteristics

Related Belgrade Gambit lines

Frequently asked questions

What are the moves of the Main Line, 5...Be7?

The Main Line, 5...Be7 goes 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nd5 Be7 6. Bf4. It is a variation of the Belgrade Gambit and is catalogued as ECO C47.

What is the ECO code for the Main Line, 5...Be7?

The Main Line, 5...Be7 is ECO C47. ECO codes group openings by their move order, so nearby codes cover closely related lines of the Belgrade Gambit.

Is the Main Line, 5...Be7 good for White?

Stockfish evaluates the position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nd5 Be7 6. Bf4 at -0.30 at depth 18, which is a slight pull for Black, within normal opening margins. Engine evaluation is only a starting point — at club level the practical value of a line is mostly about whether you know its plans better than your opponent does.

What kind of position does the Main Line, 5...Be7 lead to?

Both sides have pawns in the centre (White on e4, Black on d4). Development is level at three minor pieces each, and Black is up a pawn of material. It is Black to move. Black has doubled pawns on the d-file.