MNb wrote on 03/01/18 at 09:40:25:
A few points regarding Brabo's analysis.
1.d4 e6 2.c4 f5 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 O-O 6.O-O d6
-because of my next remark the transposition 6...Ne4 7.Nc3 d6 is to be considered, avoiding 7....Bf6 8.Nxe4 fxe4 9.Ne5 . That means 6...Ne4 7.Nbd2 d5 too, a Stonewall, except that Black still may play ...Nc6 iso ...c6.
I know you already advertised that line. Unfortunately that is why I said that the critical position of the Classical Dutch can be reached via different move-orders. I get the position via 1.Nf3 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.0-0 0-0 6.Nc3 d6 7.d4
This means I never get the chance to use your idea as 6...Ne4 doesn't make sense here.
MNb wrote on 03/01/18 at 09:40:25:
7...Ne4 8.Nxe4 fxe4 9.Nd2 d5 10.f3
-10.e3 allows c5. I am not saying this is easy peasy; the Classical Dutch never is, not even when play is equal. That's sort of the point of this defense.
11.dxc5 Nc6 12.b4! leads to a very nice advantage for white. Yes I did check those +1700 games as mentioned in my article.
MNb wrote on 03/01/18 at 09:40:25:
10...Nc6
-perhaps 10...exf3 immediately to avoid the next note. However Black will have to work on 11.Nxf3 Nc6 (Bf6 12.e3 Nc6 13.Qc2 and Brabo is right that White is better) 12.b3 and especially 12.Be3.
I have 12.Qd3 Bf6 13.Be3 which is very similar and again white is better.
MNb wrote on 03/01/18 at 09:40:25:
11.e3
-11.fxe4 Rxf1+ 12.Kxf1 dxc4 13.Nf3 b5 14.Be3 looks like Black's biggest problem.
See my notes in which I refer to some very recent (2015, 2017) correspondence draws which were achieved by 14...Qf8.
MNb wrote on 03/01/18 at 09:40:25:
11...exf3 12.Nxf3 b6
-excellent point that Black must get in the queen's fianchetto first.
13.Bd2 Bb7 14.Rc1 Qd7
-I think this better than 14...Qd6. The plan Brabo gives doesn't work that well anymore:
15.Qc2 Rae8 16.cxd5 exd5 17.b4 Bf6 18.b5 Nd8
-Pawn b5 is hanging and with a quick Rf7 Black will protect the 7th row. A sample line is 19.a4 Rf7 20.Qd3 c6 21.Bb4 Ne6, which is a bit similar to the Tartakower. Black optimally exploits White's weakling on e3. So I think 11.fxe4 still critical.
14...Qd7 is a novelty. I checked it with Stockfish 9 without contempt
and Komodo 11. After 15.Qa4 there is still a nagging edge for white. Komodo even plays 15...Qd6 which would transpose but that is of course not forced.
MNb wrote on 03/01/18 at 09:40:25:
"This was breathtaking chess. This level of modern correspondence-chess can not be achieved by us mortals in otb."
Again that's sort of the point. White can't either, hence Black has winning chances.
I am looking to the opening from a scientific point of view. For OTB we can just refer to any recent published work available as I did in my article.