@g3g6

As 7.Nf3!? is quite new, I have not done much analysis yet. I do think though, that Black has to try to keep his extra pawn. Otherwise White is simply doing too much pressure along the central files (which he can occupy faster) and the diagonal a2-g8. And Black has to play very accurately! A good example is Chandler - Botteril, London 1976. I do not say that White gets an advantage by force, but the positions are uncomfortable to play for Black (or at least that would not be my dream of a position to play with). 

@MNb

5...e5 surely has to be taken into consideration. I propose 6.dxe5 dxe5 7.Nf3 with the following branches:

a.) 7...Nc6 8.Bg5 0-0 (8...h6 may be better) 9.Nd5 Be6 10.0-0-0 with a nice position for White in Regan - Mednis, New York 1977

b.) 7...Qe7 8.a4! (with the idea b3,Ba3) c6 (8...Nc6 9.Bg5 Bg4 10.Nd5 Qd6 11.Rd1 +/= Torre - Bachtiar, Melbourne 1975) 9.b3 Nh5 10.Ba3 Qf6 11.Qd2 Nf4 12.0-0-0 +/- Schmidt - Reinhardt, Bad Neustadt 1988

Against 4...c6, I would play 5.e5 as in Djurhuus - Hickl, Biel 1993 which continued 5...dxe5 6.dxe5 Qxd1+ 7.Nxd1 Nd5 8.Ne3 when White got a slightly better position. Of course, 5.Bb3 is possible, too.

Interesting line 6...Ng4 7.Nf3!? dxe5 8.dxe5 Nxe5 9.Nxe5 Nxe5 10.Bb3!? 
White have maybe compensation for pawn, but hardly can provide more than equality.

For Caro kann move order 1 e4 g6 2 d4 c6 3 Nc3 d5 i have tendency play 4.h3 /or 4.Nf3 + 5.h3/ with small but stable advantage for white in this main line. 4.exd5 cxd5 5.Bf4!? Bg7 6.Nb5 Na6 is probably +=, but how about 6...Kf8!? /7.Nc7 e5/ with idea 7.Nf3 Bg4 - we are back in Vorobiov-Komliakov 1995/ mentioned in Modern defence by Speelman, p.33/ - my database show as first game Karpov-Botvinnik Moscow 1964(!!) with this position on the board.

@tracke

Please clarify your concerns why exactly you rejected this line. Maybe I am able to convince you to at least look at it again, hehe.

I am aware of the move orders you specified. However, I am not frightened by them either!

I must admit that I have not taken the SOS1 move order into account - I simply did not take it seriously enough. NCO for example gives 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d5?! 4.exd5 Nf6 5.Bc4 Nbd7 6.Bg5 +/= ... ok, ok, that would be too easy, I am not inclined to leave it just that. A quick scan showed that White scored 57% (+80=82-49) out of 211 games; not as much as I expected. Maybe you could provide me with some critical lines? I will conduct some research as well...

As for the Caro-Kann move order, 4.exd5 cxd5 5.Bf4!? Bg7 6.Nb5 Na6 followed by c3 is the idea. Now we have reached a position similar to the Caro-Kann Exchange - With the difference that Black has difficulties to make any progress on the queen side. A nice example how White could proceed can be seen in Prasca Sosa - Villegas Corona, 2000.

@kevinludwig

6...Ng4! is undoubtedly one of the main variations of this system. I concur that in your lines, Black could be able to resist the white ambush.

However, there could be an improvement in 7.Nf3!? which rather forces 7...dxe5 8.dxe5 Nxe5 9.Nxe5 Nxe5 10.Bb3!?

This position is quite interesting. Black is a pawn up, but White may be able to seize control of the central files, while the Bb3 is looking at f7, the Qe2 is looking at e7 - and the Ne5 is a bit shaky so Black needs to commit some time to redeploy it.

All in all the white position is quite appealing to me. I don't know how much compensation White has for the pawn, as practical examples are rare. 

There could follow: 10...Nc6 11.Be3 Nd4 12.Bxd4 Qxd4 13.0-0 when it is not that easy for Black to keep his extra pawn. But of course, I am interested in further analysis.

@Taljechin

For the moment I removed my website for two reasons:

I have changed my ISP and haven't had the time to upload everything. Much more important is that I simply do not have the time to make any developments; and I'd hate to have a site online that is not updated for ages...

Thanks for pointing out the title of this little broschure; I am in possession of this little pamphlet, but the first page is missing so I was never able to obtain the title and the name of the author.

As for your proposal 9...e6, I think 10.h4! is interesting then. The move has multiple purposes, for once it prevents ...Qh4 so the "threat" Bh6 is renewed, but it also enables White to open the h-file (unless Black plays ...h5, but I can't believe in this). I analysed 10...d5 11.Bb3 c6(11...Rxg7?! 12.Bh6 Rg8 13.0-0-0 when Black has difficulties to prevent 14.Ne4 as 13...Qe7 runs into 14.Bxd5! +/- (13...Bd7 14.Nf4-> Nd3 and the dark squares are terribly weakened)) 12.Bh6. White then has managed to protect g7 and can continue with 0-0-0 and possibly h5. I think this is clearly better for White.

@Mohassi

I opened this discussion just to see how dangerous (or not) this little system is for Black. I agree that you probably picked the most reliable system for Black. However, I am not inclined to give in that Black can comfortably equalize just yet.

I am not aware of the lines Chernin mentions; a role model of how White could play is the game Soltis - Quinteros, Lone Pine 1979. Perhaps you can provide me with more details or concrete games or lines in order to get this conversation going.

In the mean time, if anyone has questions, feel free to ask!

I actually have a good little book (48p) called Pirc Defence - A Line for White by M. Thomas (The Chess Player Ltd 1980) that recommends this idea against the Pirc/Modern/Gurgenidze

Quote:


Here M.T. recommends 9...e6 as 'possibly the best move in this position. Black intends to form a hedgehog of pawns on c6, d5 and e6. White probably cannot support his pawn on g7 because of ...Qh4 forking two pieces.'

However, despite its title, it didn't deal with the move order: 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Bc4!? - so I never tried it, as I worried too much about the fork trick...


By the way, Christoph, what's happened to your website? Have you moved it or deleted it permanently?