Steinitz Variation

The Steinitz Variation, named after Wilhelm Steinitz, arises from the Classical French when White meets 3...Nf6 with 4. e5 Nfd7 rather than pinning with 4. Bg5. Black loses the knight's natural square but gains a target, and counters at once with ...c5 and ...Nc6 against d4. The main line is 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Be3, the Boleslavsky Variation. Black can then add pressure with 7...Qb6 or 7...cxd4 8. Nxd4 Qb6, start queenside play with 7...a6 8. Qd2 b5, or develop with 7...Be7 or 7...cxd4 8. Nxd4 Bc5. White chooses between Qd2 with O-O-O, which gives sharper play once Black castles short, and Be2 with O-O. Careless moves are punished: 7. Be2? cxd4 8. Nxd4 Ndxe5 9. fxe5 Qh4+ wins a pawn for Black. Other fifth moves include 5. Nce2, the Shirov–Anand Variation, which prepares c3 and f4; 5. Qg4, the Gledhill Attack; and 5. Nf3, which transposes to the Two Knights Variation.

The position shown here, reached via 3...a6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. e5 Nfd7, is a less common relative. White most often continues 6. Bd3, with 6. Bg5 next. The engine gives White a slight edge, though Black scores marginally better in online games.