Berlin Defense, Winawer Attack

The Winawer Attack is a branch of the Rio de Janeiro Variation (5...Be7) of the Berlin Defense. After 6. Qe2 Nd6 7. Bxc6 bxc6 8. dxe5 Nb7, White plays 9. Nd4. This differs from 9. Nc3, the move seen in nineteenth-century practice. The knight goes to a central post while Black's knight stands passively on b7. White can count on the advanced e5-pawn and on Black's doubled c-pawns and isolated a-pawn. In return Black has the bishop pair and the half-open b-file.