SuperHoop wrote on 04/05/11 at 15:01:37:
Stigma wrote on 04/05/11 at 14:20:23:
SuperHoop wrote on 04/05/11 at 14:16:51:
In the Benoni-Sniper lines, why the hurry to play c4 and deprive the b1-knight of its natural Benoni square, when Black hasn't yet played ...e6 and might still go for ...e5?
You have a point; White could try to keep the c4 square free with something like d5, Nf3, Bd3, 0-0, Nbd2 (with or without h3). But without c2-c4 in it also becomes easier for Black to grab queenside space with an early ...b7-b5. Also, White must figure out how to meet an ...e6 break: dxe6 gives up the center while after ...exd5 / exd5 the d5-pawn might become a big target if White refuses (or is too late with) c2-c4.
I would react to a very early ...b5 with a very early a4 and target the b5-pawn with Na3 combined with the light-squared B. Ask the pawn what exactly it's doing on b5, if it can't capture a pawn on c4.
My idea was to wait for ...e6 then meet it with c4, with a transposition to a main-line Benoni. If Black then wants to play the "Bermuda Triangle vs. the White Arrow" (c5/d6/e5 vs. c4/d5/e4) s/he has lost a tempo on ...e6.
In this "Bermuda Triangle" line, does the knight go to e7 or h6 instead of f6? Otherwise it's just a Czech Benoni with ...g6, and I don't think that's enough of a problem to dictate White's choice of move order.
Maybe we should be more specific about move orders. The delayed c4 also gives Black chances to play ...c4 himself if the e4 pawn isn't overprotected. For example
1. d4 g6 2. e4 Bg7 3. Nf3 c5 4. d5 d6 5. Bd3 Nf6 6. O-O O-O (6... c4 can be considered even here) 7. h3 c4 or 7.c4 Bg4!?. But if your logic is what I think it is, maybe White will play c4 once Black has committed to ...Nf6?
This move order has limited White's choice of Modern Benoni line to basically the "Modern Main Line" (h3, Nf3, Bd3).White has lost the option to play the Bf4 lines, the tricky Qa4+ line, the Classical, the Knight's Tour, the Fianchetto... On the other hand White has gained the chance to meet ...e6 and ...exd5 with exd5, a line sometimes reached from an h3 King's Indian move order, and considered +=.