Exchange Variation, Lutikov Variation

Recapturing toward the center with 4...bxc6 keeps Black's d-pawn at home and hands a rook the half-open b-file, but it leaves Black with doubled c-pawns and an isolated a-pawn. It also changes the tactics around e5. With the d-file closed, the ...Qd4 fork that protects the pawn after 4...dxc6 is no longer available, so 5. Nxe5 can be played at once. In online play it is the most frequent reply, ahead of 5. O-O and 5. d4. Black's best answer is 5...Qe7, pinning the knight against e4. After 6. d4 d6 7. Nxc6 Qxe4+ 8. Qe2 Qxe2+ 9. Kxe2, White keeps an extra pawn, but the lost castling rights give Black some compensation.

The more testing approach is 5. d4 exd4 6. Qxd4, which opens the position and exploits White's lead in development. Engines give White a slight advantage, and White scores well in practice. The line is much less common than 4...dxc6.