Ragozin Defence

The Ragozin Defence is characterized by the moves

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Bb4

The QGD Ragozin Defence offering Black active play from the start, has enjoyed a resurgence in recent times. It is at the forefront of chess theory. With the surge of 3.Nf3 as an answer to Nimzo-Indian set-ups and with the difficulties that the black players have suffered with the Queen’s Indian, it was natural to turn to the Ragozin as a solid and reliable way to counter white’s set-ups. The Ragozin is being played by every top grandmaster in the world.

Viacheslav Vasilyevich Ragozin (8 October 1908 – 11 March 1962) was a Soviet chess Grandmaster, an International Arbiter of chess and a World Correspondence Chess Champion. He was also a chess writer and editor. His contributions to opening theory mainly concerned the development of systems by which Black could achieve equality in the Queen’s gambit and Nimzo-Indian complexes.

You can find more Openings by Ragozin in ‘Search Openings‘