The idea in one sentence
White pressures the knight that defends e5, then builds d4 with c3 and h3; Black holds e5 with pieces and gains queenside space.
♔ White's plans
- Pin down the defender of e5 with Bb5
- Build the ideal centre with c3, h3 and d4
- Reroute the queen's knight via d2 and f1 to g3, then attack on the kingside
♚ Black's plans
- Ask the bishop with ...a6 and ...b5, gaining queenside space
- Hold e5 with ...d6 and the pieces
- Later strike with ...c5 or ...d5
Pawn structure. A tense centre (e4 against e5) that White wants to support with d4; play goes on both wings.
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
- 3.Bb5 attacks the knight that defends e5: the pressure is on e5, even if it is not yet a threat.
- 3...a6 asks the bishop to decide at once; it can stay on the diagonal with ♗a4.
- 4.Ba4 keeps the pressure on the knight; taking on c6 now would win nothing, since ♘xe5 meets ...Qd4.
- 5.O-O castles before defending e4: if Black takes it (the Open Ruy), White wins it back with d4 and ♖e1 and leads in development.
- 6.Re1 defends e4, which turns ♗xc6 followed by ♘xe5 into a real threat to win a pawn.
- 6...b5 gains space and drives the bishop to b3, where it still aims at f7.
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.