Fianchetto Variation

The Fianchetto Variation is White's most common way of meeting the Dutch Defense after 1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6. Instead of the Rubinstein Variation, 3. Nc3, which puts the knight on e4 at once, 3. g3 prepares Bg2. From g2 the bishop covers the long diagonal, helps control e4 and guards White's own king, while the queen's knight can still choose its square later. ECO code A86 covers the position before Black has chosen a setup, so the next move largely decides which kind of Dutch follows.

The usual reply is 3...e6, which leads to the ...Be7 systems: the Classical Dutch with ...d6, or the Stonewall with ...d5. The second choice, 3...g6, enters the Leningrad Variation. Here the bishop goes to g7 and faces White's bishop on the opposite long diagonal. The move 3...d6 is played much less often and keeps the bishop's square open for a move. The engine gives White a slight edge, and White scores somewhat better than Black in the database. Black does best after 3...g6.