3...bf5 is most often played. moves against it are aggressive lines such as the bayonet attack (4.nc3 e6 5.g4), a popular line in the 1980s and later favoured by latvian grandmaster alexei shirov. a more natural development 4.nf3 e6 5.be2 c5 6.be3, known as the short variation, was popularised by english grandmaster nigel short and was often played in the 1990s.