Symmetrical Variation

The Symmetrical Variation, 1. b3 b6, has Black copy White's first move and prepare ...Bb7. Black does not stake out the center with pawns. The bishop goes to the long light-squared diagonal, where it can watch e4 and White's kingside, while White's own bishop on b2 will bear on e5 and g7. The reply is considered fully playable for Black, though it accounts for only a small share of games after 1. b3. White keeps the extra tempo that symmetry implies, and engines judge the position as nearly level.

In practice 2. Bb2 is played in the overwhelming majority of games, completing the mirror image of the setups. Alternatives such as 2. Ba3 and 2. e3 are rare. Engines prefer to use the tempo differently, listing 2. e4, 2. Nf3 and 2. g3 as the strongest moves. Of these, 2. e4 takes the center at once, before Black's pawns contest it. Results in the database are close to even, with White scoring slightly better. Play tends to be maneuvering rather than forcing, and there is little established theory.