Fianchetto Variation, Nimzowitsch Variation, Nimzowitsch Attack

The Nimzowitsch Attack, 5. Qa4, deals with the threat to c4 by defending the pawn along the fourth rank while attacking the bishop on a6. Black's most common answer is 5...Bb7, which returns the bishop to the long diagonal it had first bypassed, and results after it are close to even in the database. The alternatives 5...c5 and 5...c6 score well for White. The line is seldom played, and the engine rates the position as roughly balanced.