Janowski-Larsen Variation

In the Janowski-Larsen Variation, Black departs from the classical 4...e6 by developing the queen's bishop to g4. The move addresses the usual difficulty of the c8-bishop, which the classical setup shuts in behind the e-pawn. It also pins the knight on f3, a key defender of d4, so that Black can continue with ...e6 and ...c5 or ...Nbd7 with the bishop already outside the pawn chain. The cost is that the queenside loses a defender. With the bishop gone from c8, the b7-pawn and the light squares around it can become targets once White's pieces are developed.

White regains the pawn with 5. Bxc4 in the great majority of games. The engine also considers 5. Nc3 and 5. h3 to be good moves. The latter asks the bishop at once whether it will retreat and keep the pin or give itself up for the knight on f3. The engine gives White a slight edge. On Lichess, White wins somewhat more often than Black, and draws are rare. The variation appears only occasionally compared with the main lines of the Normal Variation.