1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e6 7.g4 h5
a) 8.g5 101 games, White scoring 63%.
b) 8.gxh5 37 games, 51%.

Also Pelletier writes in his (CB) annotations of Senff-Pelletier, 2000 that 8.g5 is better than 8.gxh5.
Anyhow, this thread is about the Scheveningen. Then 8.g5 looks inferior exactly because of that Be7.

MartinC wrote on 02/19/12 at 13:06:25:
Interesting thought that can be reversed: if after 6.Be3 Be7 7.g4 h5 Black is going to play ...a6 anyway the quesion is if Be7 hasn't limited his/her options.
Comparing is tricky anyway. With the pawn on a6 the critical response seems to be 8.g5, which might not be the case after 6...Be7.

Gilchrist is a legend wrote on 02/18/12 at 08:31:46:


I also have the impression that white players simply assume that the scheveningen wont be played because of g4, but they arent really prepared for it, and it could be a good practical choice for a prepared black player.

One of my questions about the Scheveningen move order is whether, after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Be3, the move 6...Be7 can be played. I am sure that the new book will recommend 6...a6, that being a la mode, but I want to be able to play the Scheveningen without this move so early. 6...Nc6 is one way, but one then has to defend the Sozin/Velimirovic. It would be nice to avoid that.

Yet 6...Be7 7.g4 h6 is regarded by some as worse for Black than 6.  g4 h6. I would like to know if that is true, and why. For the reason I said, I don't expect to find the answer in this book. If some good soul would address this question, I would appreciate it.

Oh no. There's also being committed to a6 or not. Or if via e6/Nc6/d6 instead then commited to Nc6 or not

Heaving a6 in makes Bc4 markedly harder (if still OK) and Be2 much sharper. Having Nc6 in makes Bc4 trickier and is notably restrictive vs the English attack etc.

Up to some level the lack of preparation is no doubt true. Although if they're used to stuff like the English attack unsure quite how different the quieter approaches to the Keres are.

Gilchrist is a legend wrote on 02/18/12 at 01:09:42:


The Keres Attack is challenging, but not a refutation.  There are plenty of strong GMs willing to play the Scheveningen move-order.   

      

 

I think trending towards being viewed as a bit less critical recently? Maybe part of that due to the English attack.

Of course the book itself would be very useful even if the Keres happened to win by force There's so many other ways to get these positions and they really are fundamental to the Sicilian.