Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation

After 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3, White holds back d4 to see how Black sets up. 3...e5 exploits that hesitation by taking the d4-square away for good. The pawns on c5 and e5 give Black a firm hold on d4 but leave d5 permanently weak. The play therefore turns on White's pieces converging on that square and Black's efforts to cover it. With d4 no longer possible, White generally adopts a closed setup built around d3.

The most common reply, 4. Bc4, leads to a position resembling an Italian Game in which Black has somehow gained the move ...c5. Because ...e6 is no longer available, the bishop on c4 cannot easily be blunted. The usual continuation is 4...Be7 5. d3, after which Black chooses between 5...d6 and 5...Nf6. In the Kharlov-Kramnik Line, 5...d6 6. Nd2 Bg5, Black brings the dark-squared bishop to g5, a piece that is otherwise hemmed in by its own central pawns, and seeks to exchange it. 4. Bb5 and 4. d3 are the main alternatives, and the engine also rates 4. Nd5 highly. Results in the database are almost even, while the engine gives White a slight edge.