Double Fianchetto

The Double Fianchetto arises when Black answers 1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 with 2...g6, mirroring White's kingside setup instead of committing a knight or a c-pawn. Both king's bishops head for the long diagonals, which gives Black an even contest for the center squares. Black keeps the e-pawn at home, so the c8-bishop is not shut in, which avoids the problem that recurs in the ...e6 structures of the parent system. It is one of the rarer replies to 2. g3, and play tends to be maneuvering rather than forcing.

White almost always continues 3. Bg2, completing the fianchetto and keeping the flexible KIA plans with d3 and e4 in reserve. The alternatives are uncommon. 3. d4 stakes a direct claim to the center with the queen's pawn, and 3. c4 attacks d5 at once, steering the game toward Réti-type positions. Engines rate the position as roughly balanced. White scores somewhat better than Black in online games, and draws are rare.