doefmat wrote on 12/19/17 at 18:23:31:


The most logical move (at least for me) is to play 4...Bb4+ (as a Ragozin player myself maybe it's more natural to me than for a strict QGD player). If White plays 5.Nc3 to cover the check (the best move) you are in a pure Ragozin. If not, 5.Bd2 is answered by 5...Be7 and you are back in your territory (White will spend another tempo moving his bishop from d2 sooner or later), and 5.Nbd2 can be met by 5...dxc4.

I think in that move order, Nbd7 is more natural to me if you don't want to play the Ragozin. You are safe in case of Bxf6 and there is no way to punish this (no e4, no Nxd5...). But, as Rene and Eric pointed before, usually it will transpose to the same. You play Be7 next move (if White don't get crazy) and the game moves on to known QGD waters.

Salut,

doefmat wrote on 12/19/17 at 18:23:31:


Is that move order not covered in the book...? 

I finally ordered a copy myself, I was waiting for some Amazon gift card money before buying it, but it hasn't arrived yet.

I have this and also the one about the French. It's a mix of sensations. I am reading a book which teaches the principles of the opening at a very basic level but at the same time feeling that the ideas, and plans are proved and used at maximum level, I am confident that my options following their recommendations are the better ones in the positions.

Very good way of presenting the openings. Thx, Nikos.

A good idea with a separate thread for this 4...dxc4 discussion, mn. Perhaps a helpful moderator will move the relevant posts over there?

fjd wrote on 11/26/17 at 22:01:48:

http://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1511733073/0#0

Stigma wrote on 11/26/17 at 21:25:49:


4. e3 0-0 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5 7. 0-0 dc 8. Bxc4 cd 9. ed Nc6 10. Bg5 Be7.

Re the IQP, Ivan Sokolov in his 4. e3 Nimzo book thought that the position after  1.  d4 d5 2.  c4 e6 3.  Nc3 Nf6 4.  Bg5 dxc4 5.  e3 c5 6.  Bxc4 cxd4 7.  exd4 Be7 8.  Nf3 O-O 9.  O-O Nc6 "does not promise White anything special."  His main line involved 10. a3 a6 (I'm aware of old stuff considering the approach with ...b6 as leading to +=), and ended up with "a double-edged position." 

Ostensibly it's a case of White being slightly disadvantaged by having Bg5 in (not being able to hold the bishop back, as he can in e.g. the Nimzo move-order Sokolov was considering).

Stigma wrote on 11/26/17 at 13:19:48:


If you enjoy the Black side of the Exchange QGD and decide to play the Vienna, then 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 dxc4!?  seems logical.  If you choose to play the Ragozin, then I'd strongly consider 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4!? in that position.

Anyway, we're getting pretty far from discussing Ntirlis' book, so maybe this should be moved to another thread.