Swedish Variation, Central Break

Rather than first completing the kingside fianchetto with the usual 7. Bg2, White plays 7. e4 at once, challenging the d5-pawn before Black can begin expanding the queenside majority with ...b5. The aim is to undermine the c4–d5 chain while it is still loosely supported. White's d- and e-pawns then face Black's d5 and c4, with the c- and e-files half-open. The Central Break is rarely seen even within this uncommon variation.