Exchange Variation

Rather than holding the full pawn front with 5. f4, White exchanges on d6 and settles for a smaller but more stable space advantage. Black's main decision is how to recapture. The most common choice, 5...cxd6, keeps a central pawn majority and builds pressure on d4 with ...g6, ...Bg7, ...Nc6 and ...Bg4, the last aimed at removing a knight on f3. The alternative 5...exd6 gives a more positional game. Its structure resembles the Exchange French, but Black can unbalance it with ...Nc6, ...Be7-f6 and an eventual ...d5. The rare 5...Qxd6 has to deal with the threat of c5 and is considered inferior.

The Voronezh Variation, 5...cxd6 6. Nc3 g6 7. Be3 Bg7 8. Rc1 O-O 9. b3, delays Nf3 and the king's bishop so that Black's pieces lack targets. Its main line runs 9...e5 10. dxe5 dxe5 11. Qxd8 Rxd8 12. c5 N6d7, an ending in which Black must untangle carefully. The line pushed many players toward 5...exd6. The Karpov Variation instead plays 7. h3 to stop ...Bg4. Engines give White a slight edge, while practical results are even.