Queen's Knight Variation

In the Queen's Knight Variation, White answers 1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6 with 3. Nc3 instead of the customary 3. g3. The knight develops at once and adds to White's grip on e4, the square Black's first move was meant to contest, as well as on d5. White keeps the kingside setup flexible. The fianchetto remains available, but other arrangements stay possible too. The trade-off is that the knight on c3 becomes a target for a pin from b4.

3...e6 is by far the most popular reply. It opens the way for ...Bb4, pinning the knight and reducing its influence on e4. It can also lead to a Stonewall formation with pawns on c6, d5, e6 and f5. The second most common choice is 3...g6, which fianchettoes the king's bishop in Leningrad style. 3...d6 is played less often, and 3...b6, preparing a queenside fianchetto, is rare. Results in the database are almost exactly even and draws are uncommon. The engine gives White a slight edge and favors the same three main replies.