Two Knights Attack, Mindeno Variation, Retreat Line

By answering 4. h3 with 4...Bh5, Black declines to give up the light-squared bishop for the knight and preserves the pin on f3. The cost is that White's h-pawn is already on h3, so g2-g4 can break the pin with gain of time. The bishop is pushed to g6, and White gains kingside space while loosening the squares around the king. The most common reply is the immediate 5. g4. The second most common, 5. exd5, first fixes the center, as in 5. exd5 cxd5 6. g4 Bg6 7. Ne5, where the knight lands on the bishop's diagonal and 7...Nc6 is the necessary reply. The quieter 5. Be2 aims to unpin calmly and has given Black the best results of the three main moves.

Engines give White a slight edge and also rate 5. d4 among the top choices. In online games, however, Black scores marginally better than White. The positions are concrete and theory-dependent, so a misstep by either side can cost material quickly.