Fianchetto Variation, Uhlmann-Szabo System

The Uhlmann-Szabo System arises when Black, after 6...Nc6 7. Nc3, follows up with 7...e5 instead of the Panno's 7...a6. Black is not preparing ...b5. The knight on c6 and the e-pawn together attack d4 directly, forcing White to decide about the central tension straight away. Engines give White a slight edge, and online results are fairly close, with White a little ahead.

The most common reply is 8. d5. It gains space and drives the knight from c6, producing a closed center in which the g2-bishop's diagonal is blocked and play turns on pawn breaks on the wings. Almost as frequent is 8. dxe5, which releases the tension and opens the d-file. This leads to a simpler, more open game where the fianchettoed bishops and control of d5 and d4 matter more than a pawn storm. 8. e4, keeping the tension in the style of the Classical lines, is much rarer, and Black scores well against it. Engines also consider 8. Be3, adding protection to d4.