Abstract This paper investigates the time–space fractional classical Boussinesq equation, a nonlinear partial differential equation that describes long-wave propagation in shallow water. The modified extended tanh function formalism yields bright and dark solitons, breather-type waves, and periodic waves. The dynamical behavior of these solutions is revealed with bifurcation theory and phase-plane analysis: stable and unstable wave profiles change, and there may be chaotic interactions among them.