Key ideas
- After 3.e5 (the Advance) or in many main lines, the centre locks. Black then attacks the base of White's pawn chain with ...c5 and the head with ...f6.
- Main lines: the Winawer (3.Nc3 Bb4), the Classical (3.Nc3 Nf6), the Tarrasch (3.Nd2), the Advance (3.e5) and the Exchange (3.exd5).
- The bishop on c8 is Black's problem piece. Plans such as ...b6 and ...Ba6, or ...Bd7-b5, try to trade it or bring it outside the pawn chain.
Plans for White
Use your extra space on the kingside. Attacks with Qg4, h4 or f4-f5 are common.
Plans for Black
Hit the pawn chain with ...c5 and ...f6, and pressure d4 with ...Nc6, ...Qb6 and ...Nge7-f5.