Panov Attack, Fianchetto Defense

The Fianchetto Defense replaces the solid 5...e6 of the Panov Main Line with 5...g6. Black does not shore up d5 with a pawn. Instead, the dark-squared bishop goes to g7, where it bears on d4, and the queen's bishop is not hemmed in behind an e6-pawn. The cost is that d5 is defended only by pieces, so White can attack it at once. The engine's preferred tries include 6. cxd5 and 6. Qb3, which both target that point, along with the developing 6. Nf3.

6. Nf3 is the most common choice. It keeps the tension and develops, and White often still aims for an isolated-pawn position. 6. cxd5 is the most direct test. After 6. cxd5 Bg7, the Fianchetto Gambit, Black leaves the pawn on d5 for now and puts development and pressure on the long diagonal ahead of the material. 6. Bg5 is a third option and has scored poorly for White in online play. Overall, the engine considers the position roughly balanced, and Black's results in the database are slightly better than White's.