Orthodox Defense

The Orthodox Defense, also called the Classical Variation, arises when Black develops the queen's knight with 6...Nbd7 without first inserting ...h6. That omission separates it from the Neo-Orthodox systems such as the Tartakower and Lasker. Play revolves around the timing of Bd3. White wants to make every other useful move first, so that ...dxc4 does not win Black a tempo. The Main Line 7. Rc1 is typically met by 7...c6 8. Bd3 dxc4 9. Bxc4, after which Black is somewhat cramped but has gained that tempo. Capablanca's freeing plan, 9...Nd5 10. Bxe7 Qxe7 11. O-O Nxc3 12. Rxc3 e5, simplifies through central exchanges. It was once common enough to earn its own ECO code, D69, but its lack of counterplay has since made it a backwater. Black can also try 9...b5 with ...Bb7, or 7...a6.

7. Bd3 is the most frequent reply in online games, although it lets Black play ...c5 without first spending a move on ...c6. Other options are the Rubinstein Variation, 7. Qc2, and 7. cxd5. The latter usually leads to Exchange structures after 7...exd5, though 7...Nxd5 is also possible. The engine rates the position as roughly balanced.