Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e6/2. d4/2...d5/3. exd5/3...exd5/4. Bd3

Exchange Variation
a b c d e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a b c d e f g h
Position in Forsyth-Edwards Notation (FEN) rnbqkbnr/ppp2ppp/8/3p4/3P4/3B4/PPP2PPP/RNBQK1NR b
Moves: 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. Bd3

Exchange Variation

The easy way for Black to keep the balance, and also the main line, is maintaining the symmetry: 4...Bd6.
If Black wants to unbalance the game and reduce the chances that the game ends in a draw, they can try 4...c5. Although this allows White to give Black an isolated d-pawn (5.dxc5), Black gets a space advantage and some initiative as a compensation.
Black can also try to go for queenside castling and unbalance the game this way: 4...Nc6, followed by development of Bc8 and Qd8.

Theory table

For explanation of theory tables, see theory table and for notation, see algebraic notation..

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4. Bd3
	4	5
Main Line	... Bd6	Nf3 Nf6	=
1	... c5	dxc5 Bxc5	=
2	... Nc6	Nf3 Bg4	=

References

• Kasparov, Garry, & Keene, Raymond 1989 Batsford chess openings 2. ISBN 0-8050-3409-9.

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