The Karpov Variation arises after 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 (ECO B17). The knight goes to d7 to prepare ...Ngf6, so that after an exchange on f6 Black can recapture with the knight and leave the pawn structure unharmed.
It is an extremely solid, reliable system: Black keeps a healthy structure and finishes development gradually. The drawback is temporary passivity and the need to sidestep tactical lunges (sacrifices on e6 and f7) carefully.
The variation is named after Anatoly Karpov, who handled it masterfully. A model of solid, structurally impeccable play with Black.
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