[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2014.05.14"]
[Round "?"]
[White "QG 3...Bb4"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "E51"]
[PlyCount "24"]
[EventDate "2014.??.??"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 $5 {This obscure move may not be as bad as it
seems. The motivation for playing it is to allow a Ragozin QGD player to avoid
the exchange varition. This allows him to play fewer lines of the NID and
vastly simplifies his repertoire against the English which he can now meet
with 1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.d4 Bb4.} (3... Nf6 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 Bb4 {As
discussed by Flear in Dangerous Weapons. If black is aiming for a mainline
Manhattan position in the Ragozin, it seems to give white a great position.} 6.
e3 (6. Qb3 c5 7. dxc5 Nc6 8. O-O-O {Imprecise play by black, but demonstrates
one advantge of delaying Nf6. Compare to the analagous 3...Bb4 4.Qb3}) 6...
Nbd7 7. Bd3 c5 8. Nge2 $3 {Black's plan in the Manhattan of c4 and queenside
expansion is too slow when white is poised to break with f3/e4 very quickly.})
4. a3 (4. Nf3 Nf6 {Transposes to the Ragozin}) (4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3 (5. Bf4 c6
6. Qc2 (6. e3 Bf5) (6. Nf3 Bf5 7. Qb3 Qb6) 6... Nf6 7. e3 Nh5) 5... Nf6 {
Transposes to the Ragozin}) (4. e3 Nf6 {Transposes to the Rubenstein or main
line below}) (4. Qa4+ Nc6 5. e3 Nf6 6. Nf3 {or 6.a3 both Transpose to the
Ragozin}) (4. Qb3 $6 {This not as effective as the analgous move in the
exchange with Bb4 where white has black's knight pinned on f6. Black develops
with tempi due to the pinned knight, weakness on d4 and the misplaced queen.}
c5 5. cxd5 (5. dxc5 Nc6 6. a3 (6. e3 d4) 6... Qa5 7. Rb1 (7. Bd2 d4) (7. e3 d4)
(7. Nf3 d4) 7... Bxc5 8. Qb5 dxc4 9. Qxc4 Qb6) 5... exd5 6. dxc5 Nc6 7. a3 Qa5
8. Rb1 (8. Nf3 d4) (8. e3 d4) (8. Bd2 d4) 8... Bxc5 9. Qc2 d4 10. b4 Bf5 $3 11.
Qxf5 (11. Ne4 Nxb4 12. axb4 Bxb4+ 13. Rxb4 Qxb4+ 14. Bd2 Qa3) 11... Bxb4) 4...
Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 Nf6 6. e3 (6. f3 c5 {Transposes to the Saemish NID}) 6... O-O 7.
Nf3 (7. Bd3 dxc4 8. Bxc4 c5 9. Ne2 Qc7) 7... c5 8. cxd5 (8. Bd3 dxc4 9. Bxc4
Qc7) 8... exd5 9. Bd3 Bg4 10. O-O c4 11. Bc2 Ne4 12. Qe1 Bf5 {This position
shares themes with the Manhattan. Black aims for queenside expansion while
holding back white's e4 break.} *

