Hungarian Defense
The Hungarian Defense is a chess opening that begins with the moves:
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| Moves | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Be7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ECO | C50 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Origin | 18th century | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Named after | Paris Chess Club vs. City of Budapest, corr. 1843 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parent | Italian Game | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Hungarian Defense is a line in the Italian Game typically chosen as a quiet response to the aggressive 3.Bc4. With the move 3...Be7, Black avoids the complexities of the Giuoco Piano (3...Bc5), Evans Gambit (3...Bc5 4.b4), and Two Knights Defense (3...Nf6).
White has an advantage in space and freer development, so Black must be prepared to defend a cramped position. According to Harding and Botterill, "The Hungarian Defence can only be played for a draw. White should have an edge in most lines."
The opening is seldom seen in modern play. It has been played on occasion by some grandmasters with strong defensive-positional styles, including Reshevsky, Hort, and former world champions Petrosian and Smyslov.
The variation takes its name from a correspondence game between Paris and Pest, Hungary, played from 1842 to 1845, but was first analyzed by Cozio in the 18th century.