Exchange Variation, Modern Exchange Variation

The Modern Exchange Variation, 7. Nf3, puts the king's knight on its most active square instead of the e2 used in the Classical Variation. It defends d4 directly and frees the e-pawn's neighbor squares for quick castling. The cost is the light-squared bishop. If it goes to c4 or elsewhere, ...Bg4 pins the knight and adds pressure to d4, so White usually settles for Be2. The system gained ground from the late 1970s and has been a mainstay of the Exchange complex since.

Black most often strikes at once with 7...c5, hitting d4 with the fianchettoed bishop behind it. Castling first with 7...O-O is the main alternative, and 7...Bg4 is occasionally tried. After 7...c5, Kramnik's Line, 8. h3, takes g4 away from the bishop before White completes development. The Pawn Grab Line, 8. Rb1 O-O 9. Be2 Nc6 10. d5 Bxc3+, sees White move the rook off the long diagonal and push past the c5-pawn, conceding c3 in return for space and time. The engine considers the position roughly balanced, and results on Lichess are nearly even.