I researched (NCO) a line of the QGD that goes:

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Nf3 0-0 7. Rc1 h6 8. Bh4 a6 9. cxd5 exd5 10. Bd3 c6 11. 0-0 Ne4 12. Bxe7 Qxe7 13. Bxe4 dxe4 14. Nd2 f5 15. d5! +=.

A friend of mine, who plays the QGD quite a bit, said that this is "a typical position" that is "basically equal." Does this sound like the right assessment? What about the same position but with black NOT playing h6 and a6, for instance after 7. ...c6, White can aim for the same position with 8. cxd5. Is this the right way to go? My understanding of the position is that white is going to make every possible useful move before developing the light square bishop, because black will just reply dxc4. When white has run out of useful moves he just plays into a sort of delayed exchange variation, with cxd5. Is that a correct summary of this variation? Is there a way for white to play for more, by playing Bd3, and allowing the sequence dxc4, Bxc4? It seems that when I have played this in blitz, my friend is just able to play b5, Bb7, Rc8, Nc5, etc. with a good/better(?) game. Am I missing something, or is entering into this particular line a bad idea for white?

Also, can anyone outline some of the normal plans, & typical variations that result after 15. d5! (original variation).

Thanks,

Kevin