Classical Variation, Traditional Variation

The Traditional Variation brings White's queen knight to c3 once both sides have castled, adding a piece to the struggle for e4. Black's most frequent answer, 7...Ne4, offers to trade knights and so lessen White's grip on that square. After 8. Qc2 Nxc3 9. Qxc3, the Main Line, White has more space, but Black's position contains no weaknesses, and counterplay comes from 9...c5, 9...f5 or 9...Be4. This sequence is known for its drawing tendencies and serves Black well when a draw is an acceptable result. White can instead meet 7...Ne4 with 8. Bd2, keeping the knight protected and preparing d4-d5 to retain tension.

Among the other replies, 7...d5, the Nimzowitsch Line, puts a pawn in the center and is played almost as often as 7...Ne4. The third most common choice is 7...d6, while 7...Na6, the Tiviakov Defense, is a rarer alternative. The engine considers the position roughly balanced, and in the Lichess database White scores only marginally better than Black.