Queen's Gambit Declined, Baltic Defense

In algebraic notation, pawn moves use the destination square and B means bishop; therefore 1.d4 d5 2.c4 Bf5 describes White pawns on d4 and c4, Black’s pawn on d5, and Black’s bishop on f5. Black does not capture the c4-pawn. Instead, Black immediately develops the bishop that started on c8. The intuitive point is to solve a familiar Queen’s Gambit problem: if Black first advances the e7-pawn to e6, that bishop is shut behind its own pawns.

Active development comes with a cost. On f5, the bishop can become a target while White gains space on the four central squares. White may play cxd5 to clarify the center, use Qb3 to attack d5 and b7, or advance e4 to hit the bishop while building a pawn center. The Baltic therefore asks Black to calculate early where the bishop can retreat and whether the rest of the pieces can develop without losing time.

What each side is trying to do

• Black wants to keep an active bishop, play ...e6, finish development, and counterattack White's center.
• White often combines pressure on d5 and b7 with an e4 advance that gains space and attacks the bishop.
• Unlike the Janowski Variation, which prepares ...b5 with ...a6, the Baltic commits the bishop first.

This is not an automatic trap or a forced loss for Black. It is an unconventional choice that trades some solidity for immediate activity. If White responds routinely, Black may obtain a comfortable game; if White reacts accurately, the exposed bishop can cost several tempi, meaning useful moves.