King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Fianchetto Line, with .. d6, h6

This line arises when Black meets 6. Bg2 with 6...h6, a prophylactic move that keeps White's knight and bishop off g5 while Black's compact setup with the bishop on c5 and pawns on d6 and e5 stays intact. White most often castles with 7. O-O. The main alternative is 7. a3, which prepares b4 against the c5-bishop. The engine rates the position as roughly balanced, and Black has scored well in practice.