I haven't checked  this message for a long time, so my apologies, Glenn, for the seeming neglect.  I was referring to WHITE playing Bxc6, not Black.  When black takes back with the b-pawn, he/she has to spend another move putting  the c6-pawn on c5, if that is his/her plan.  That's all I was trying to say.  Again, I am not nearly presumptuous enough to think I know as much as others do who are stronger players, but  I can only come from my level of understanding, and as a US Class B player, it's probably lower than yours...   

My teacher (who is a strong IM) told me that the only time an early c4 is called on is when Black retakes on c6 with the b-pawn.  Then White creates a Maroczy-Bind type position with the added benefit of Black having to spend another move to play ...c5.  One may argue that the pawn on c6 benefits Black because it somewhat neutralizes the "hole" on d5, but since Black will, most of the time, fianchetto the KB, the pawn on c6 contributes better to controlling/influencing the center (or d4 at any rate) if it is on c5.

What do y'all think?

I guess I'd agree that the position is equal; I hadn't really been looking at variations, but figured that after b3, Qf5 would keep White occupied long enough for Black to arrange some kind of b5/d5 break.  But it doesn't seem all that easy to arrange, and play might instead continue 12. b3 Qf5 13. Re1 13...Be7 (not 13...Ng4 as 14. Qe2 e3 15. f3 is strong). 14.Ngxe4 Nxe4 15.Nxe4 0-0 16.f3 Qg6

Black doesn't have anything immediate, but can poke around on the f-file, and still has the potential to do something on the queenside.  On the other hand, d6 will eventually be a target.

Alternatively, in Dzhumaev-Laxman (with 11....Be7 12.Ngxe4 Nxe4 13.Nxe4 0-0) 14.b3 should be met by 14...d5 immediately; White has some problems coordinating if he takes the pawn, and if 15.Rd1 d4 seems nice for Black.  So instead white should use move 14 to prevent d5; Rd1 or Nc3 both work.

All things considered, I still prefer Qc8, though perhaps the alternatives deserve a closer look.  I think Black has a nice game, but maybe no more than equality.  That's about the most one can ask for, I guess.

In Dzhumaev-Gallego Jimenez, 2000, 12.b3 looks equal to me.

Hi guys!

I recently came home from a tournament where I faced this "unusual" variation not once, but twice! And both times I had already written Nxd4 on the scoresheet only to see the opponent take the pawn with the damned queen!

Through time I have dabbled in many different lines against various Anti-Sicilian lines including the Nc6 and f5 lines discussed here, but now I'm trying to follow Rogozenko's book so that I can master certain lines. To this end, I replied 4...a6 in both games.

But as somebody noted earlier in this forum, why not play 4...Bd7 instead if you're gonna play Nc6 later anyway? I don't see any disadvantage with this move at all, regardless of how white treats the position (with 5.Be3 Nc6 Qd2 for example, or with 5.c4)

Any thoughts?

<An amusing line runs 10.Qe3 Nf6 11.0-0 Be7 12. Ne6 Qd7 [ok Qc8 is much better here but just watch] 13. Qh3 Qxe6! 14. Qxe6 Bd7 and the queen is trapped.  Obviously this is not best play, but cute.>
That is probably why Dzhumaev preferred 12.Ngxe4 (see above). It is a pity, that nobody has commented on this game until now. Is it right, to conclude that this game is critical for the 7.c4 line?

Wow, as the original poster of the topic, I'm flattered that my little line has ascended into the realm of theoretical physics and statistical analyses... I'm just a plain ol' college dropout who majored in music and whose greatest claim to fame is a coherent idea or two in the approximately 30 years I've played chess... 

Since I posted the original question, I've played Qxd4 a few more times.  In my humble experience (around USCF 1700 rating), I tend to beat the weaker players and lose to the stronger ones.  So I suspect that Qxd4 is pretty much the same as most other opening lines: the player who understands it better will have the better chances.