Hate the Exchange Variation? An easy defense to the Spanish Game (Ruy Lopez)

Although the Exchange Variation isn't aything to worry about, some players just don't like to suffer under the pawn structure. There is an easy way to avoid this, and it doesn't require knowing much theory. I'm tralking aout Cozio's 3...Nge7. The idea is to use the knight to support its colleague at c6, then move to g6 for both defense and attack.

The "authorities" rarely pay much attention to the line. White scores well in databasesm so it is dismissed. But computers find it quite acceptable for Black. It is so easy to learn that I use the line in my First Chess Openings book and it is clearly useful in scholastic chess. Master chess, too, as the following game shows.