Englund Gambit Complex: Englund Gambit

Chess is a game that revolves around controlling the center of the board. Hence, it's no surprise that white wants to play d4 in their opening move, which immediately asserts control over the important central squares. By doing so, white gains more space and opens up opportunities for their pieces to develop quickly and with purpose. With d4, white aims to dominate the center, restrict black's mobility, and gain an advantage in the opening phase of the game.

Playing e5 as black after white has played d4 is a way to challenge white's control over the center. By pushing the pawn to e5, black aims to gain some counterplay and free up their pieces. This move also opens up diagonals for their bishops to come into play and increases mobility for their knights. However, it's important for black to be careful and ensure that they're not overextending themselves and leaving any weak points in their position. Hence, playing e5 requires a lot of calculation and positional awareness from black.

White captures the e5 pawn with dxe5 to gain a material advantage and to further reinforce their control over the center. With the pawn on e5 gone, black's pawn structure is weakened and they'll have to waste time repairing it. Capturing on e5 also creates two open lines for white's queen and bishop to potentially enter the game. However, playing dxe5 also places the white pawn on an undefended square, which might lead to tactical opportunities for black, especially if white doesn't take necessary precautions to protect it. In sum, dxe5 is a natural response to black's e5 push, which allows white to develop their game aggressively.

In the Englund Gambit Complex: Englund Gambit, Black often follows up their e5 push with Nc6. The knight move attacks the white pawn on e5 which forces the white queen to move. This, in turn, would lead to more piece development opportunities for black. Furthermore, Nc6 prepares for a potential pawn push to d4, which would once again try to disrupt white's control over the center. Additionally, by putting the knight on c6, black can keep an eye on the d4 and e5 squares, which are strategically important in the center of the board. In sum, Nc6 is a useful move in the Englund Gambit to increase the pressure on white and to open up opportunities for black.

By playing Nf3 in response to black's Nc6, White develops a piece, prepares to castle and also attacks the black pawn on e5. If black decides to capture the knight with their queen, white can continue their development with Bf4. Nf3 also protects the pawn on d4, which was under attack from the black knight. Additionally, Nf3 creates a strong and stable presence in the center. However, it's worth noting that Nf3 blocks the f-pawn and prevents the pawn from advancing, which could potentially limit white's attacking options in the future. In sum, Nf3 is a solid move that helps white to consolidate their position while posing a challenge to black.

In the position reached after 3. Nf3, Black's queen move to e7 has a couple of purposes. Firstly, the queen eyes the pawn on e5 which is attacked by the white knight on f3. Secondly, the queen prepares to castle kingside. Additionally, Qe7 also develops the queen and is one of the best squares for the queen in this opening, as it doesn't obstruct any of the other black pieces. However, the queen might end up being vulnerable on the e-file and could be subjected to attacks from the white bishop or queen. In sum, Qe7 is a reasonable move that helps black to consolidate their position while putting pressure on white's central pawn.