By playing b3, the player enters the French Defense: Horwitz Attack, a setup within the French Defense complex. While b4 is the consensus choice, b3 offers a fresh perspective. It succeeds by maintaining a similar objective evaluation while altering the flavor of the game. This move aims to control the long diagonal.
In the resulting middlegame, players must focus on how to prioritize piece activity and king safety as lines open quickly. Data analysis shows a 39% win rate for White, indicating White advantage.
Also known as: French: Reti (Spielmann) Variation, Reti (Horwitz) Variation, French, French: Reti (Spielmann) variation
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