The idea in one sentence
Black's bishop on g7 breathes fire along the long diagonal towards White's queenside; races of opposite-side attacks decide the game.
♔ White's plans
- Castle long and storm the kingside with h4-h5 and g4
- Trade off the dragon bishop with Bh6
- Keep the knight on d4 to control the centre
♚ Black's plans
- Fianchetto the bishop on g7, aimed at the long diagonal
- Counter-attack on the queenside with ...Rc8, ...Ne5-c4 and pawn storms
- Keep the bishop on g7 at all costs
Pawn structure. Black's kingside fianchetto against White's f3-e4 wall; the c-file is open for Black's rooks.
How to learn it
- Read the idea and the plans: every move below serves one of them.
- In the story, ask of each move: what does it do, what does it stop, what does it prepare, why not the other one?
- Drill your side. At the key moves you name the idea first, then play the move.
- Missed moves come back first next time, and in your journal.
The defining moves
- 5...g6 prepares the fianchetto: the bishop on g7 will aim at White's queenside along the long diagonal.
- 7.f3 stops ...Ng4, which would hit the bishop on e3, and supports g4 for the attack.
- 8.Qd2 connects with ♗e3 for ♗h6, to trade Black's best bishop, and prepares long castling.
The line follows the moves masters play most (Lichess masters database), each checked by Stockfish 19 at depth 22; where the book move is not Stockfish's first choice, the story says so. Scores are in pawns from White's side: +0.30 is good for White, −0.30 for Black.