Saduleto Variation

The Saduleto Variation, also called the Central Variation, meets the capture on c4 with 3. e4, putting two pawns in the middle before recovering the gambit pawn with Bxc4. In the 3. Nf3 lines Black's early ...Nf6 often obliges White to spend a tempo on f3 before e4 can be achieved. Here the advance comes for free, and the c1-bishop keeps an open path. The price is that d4 has no knight behind it, so Black has to challenge the center straight away rather than develop quietly. The move is regarded as one of the critical tests of the opening.

The classical reply is the McDonnell Defense, 3...e5, which hits d4 at once and is also the engine's first choice. The standard continuation 4. Nf3 exd4 5. Bxc4 Nc6 6. O-O Be6 has been examined in great depth. White gives up the d-pawn for quick development and play against Black's king, while Black tries to hold the extra pawn on d4 or return it under favorable conditions. The Rubinstein Defense, 3...c5, attacks from the flank instead and can produce Benoni-type structures.

The Alekhine System, 3...Nf6, invites 4. e5 Nd5 5. Bxc4 Nb6, with Black's knights targeting an extended pawn chain as in Alekhine's Defense. The Modern Defense, 3...Nc6, takes advantage of the missing knight on f3 to pile up on d4. On Lichess the most frequent answer is 3...e6, a more restrained setup without a name of its own. The Schwartz Defense, 3...f5, is a rare attempt to undermine e4 directly.

The Greco Variation, 3...b5, tries to keep the pawn. After 4. a4 c6 5. axb5 cxb5, the long light-squared diagonal becomes vulnerable to discovered attacks and queen-and-bishop batteries, and older analysis judged that White has ample compensation. The engine nevertheless lists 3...b5 among its top choices, and after 6. Nc3 the reply 6...Qb6, frequently involving exchange sacrifices, attracted new adherents in the 2020s.

The engine regards the position after 3. e4 as roughly balanced, consistent with the view that Black is no worse here than in the classical lines, provided the central counterattack is timely. It is among the more commonly reached named positions, and in online games White scores well.