Four Pawns Attack, Exchange Variation

Instead of closing the center with 7. d5, White answers ...c5 in the Four Pawns Attack with 7. Be2, and after 7...cxd4 8. Nxd4 Nc6 9. Be3 the game takes on a Sicilian-like character. White's c4, e4 and f4 pawns face Black's d6-pawn, while Black presses along the half-open c-file and the long diagonal. The usual replies are 9...Bd7, 9...e5 and 9...a6. Engines prefer 9...Bg4 and 9...Ng4 and rate the position roughly balanced. The line is rarely played.