Harrwitz Attack, Fianchetto Defense

The Fianchetto Defense is one of the quieter answers to the Harrwitz Attack, alongside the Orthodox Defense with 6...c6 and the Two Knights Defense with 6...Nbd7. Instead of the immediate central strike 6...c5 of the main line, Black plays 6...b6 to develop the light-squared bishop on b7, the piece that is usually hardest to activate in the Queen's Gambit Declined. From b7 the bishop supports d5 and e4. A later ...c5 remains possible once development is complete. With the bishop on f4 rather than g5, White has no immediate pressure against the f6-knight, so the play tends to revolve around the central tension and the c-file.

The most common reply is 7. cxd5. It resolves the tension in the center and can leave a black pawn on d5 that blunts the fianchettoed bishop. White has scored well with it in practice. The developing moves 7. Bd3 and 7. Be2 are the main alternatives and give more balanced results. The engine regards the position as roughly level and prefers 7. Be2, 7. cxd5 and 7. Rc1. The line is a moderately common sideline with little forcing theory.