Available to Black are other plans than freeing the c-Pawn. The logic behind 9.h3 Bb7, called the Zaitsev Variation and shown in the diagram, is that once White has prevented ...Bg4, Black can immediately develop the Bishop to its other diagonal.
10.d4 Re8 (or 10...Na5 11.Bc2 Nc4, but 9...Re8 10.d4 Bb7 is the same as the main line) 11.Nbd2 (11.Ng5 Rf8 12.Nf3 Re8 repeats the position after Black's 10th move. If the players are seeking an early draw, it can lead to triple repetition. 11...Bf8. Once again, White has a choice of several plans: 12.a4 h6, 12.Bc2 Nb8 (or 12...g6), 12.d5 closing the center, and 12.Ng5 Re7 13.d5.
