Pawn Return Variation

With 5. b6 White turns down the second pawn and pushes the first one forward, so it will soon be lost. The point is practical rather than material. The open a- and b-files and the lasting queenside pressure that make up Black's usual compensation never fully appear, and White sidesteps the heavily analyzed Fully Accepted lines. The move was popular among grandmasters in the early 2000s. The b6-pawn cannot be held, so Black can choose when to collect it.

The usual choice is 5...Qxb6, which restores material equality and puts the queen on a square where it eyes b2. Black can also leave the pawn for a move and develop first. 5...d6 prepares the kingside setup, and 5...e6 is an engine favorite that strikes at d5 straight away. In every case the game becomes a Benoni-type middlegame with roughly level material. Black keeps an isolated a-pawn, and the b- and c-files are half-open. Engines judge the position roughly balanced. White scores slightly better than Black, which is somewhat better than White's results after 5. bxa6.