Steinitz Attack

The Steinitz Attack pushes the e-pawn to e5 on the second move, before d2-d4 has been played. The pawn gains space and takes f6 from Black's king knight, but nothing supports it yet, so Black can attack it at once with ...d6, ...Nc6 or ...c5. The move is mainly a practical choice that steers the game away from the theory of 2. d4 d5. It is generally regarded as less sound than the main line and has seen little serious tournament use.

The main point for White is the en passant capture. If Black answers with ...d5 or ...d6, either immediately or a few moves later, as in 2...c5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. c3 d6, White can reply exd6. This trades the e-pawn for Black's d-pawn and leaves an asymmetrical structure, unlike the Exchange Variation, where the symmetrical pawns tend toward a draw.

The most common reply by far is 2...d5. White can transpose to the Advance Variation with 3. d4, or capture with 3. exd6 and avoid the familiar Advance structure. The second most popular choice is 2...d6, which hits e5 straight away. That reply is considered to give White no advantage. Next comes 2...c5, keeping options open on the d-file and challenging d4 before White has occupied it. Black has scored best with 2...c5 in online play. The engine's preferred moves are 2...c5, 2...d6 and 2...Nc6, and it rates the position as roughly balanced with a marginal tilt toward Black. Overall results slightly favor Black.

Wilhelm Steinitz introduced the move at the Vienna tournament of 1882, where he used it six times. One of those games was against Szymon Winawer, who replied 2...f6. Steinitz played it now and then afterwards, including against Blackburne in 1883, but never adopted it as his main line and later called it an experiment. Albert Heyde's Die Französische Partie (1891), the first book devoted to the French, judged that the move could catch an opponent off guard but was clearly weaker in theory than 2. d4. Heyde recommended 2...d5 regardless, accepting either the transposition with 3. d4 or the en passant capture.