trw wrote on 05/21/08 at 11:25:09:


I meant 6.Nc3 indeed, sorry. Also after 6.Nc3 exf3 7.Nxf3 g6 I think the knight is better on f6 than on f6. White has still that extra tempo (Bf4) and my instinctive reaction is something like 8.Qd2 Bg7 9.0-0-0 0-0 10.h4 and I am not sure if Black is that fine; it looks like White has dangerous prospects for the pawn.
Just my opinion; if you disagree try it in a game.

I don't see much compensation for Black after 17.Ke1. The king will feel good on e2 and Black cannot prevent White from untangling his pieces.

1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 Ne4 3.Bf4 d5 4.f3 Nd6?! 5.e4 dxe4 6.f3 and why should the knight be better on d6 than on f6? True, f7 is not weak, but h7 will after castling kingside. And how to activate that bishop on f8?

Kramnikaze wrote on 03/22/08 at 19:14:41:



Well, if Black plays into 4...Qb6 5.Nbd2 Qxb2?? 6.Nc4 Qb4† 7.c3! +- then it's great 

Seriously though, 4...cxd4 is generally held to be pretty comfortable for Black.  Worth a try though.

Quote:

11.Bg3! indeed looks like an improvement on Hauke-Appel that saw 11.Bf4 which could have been answered by the strong 11...e5! instead of the lame   11...e6.
Then Black should pursue in the same counter-gambit style with 11...e5! 12.d5 0-0-0 because d2 is not protected 13.Rd1 Na5 14.Qb5 only square Qc7! 15.Qe2 exf3 (15...e3!?) 16.Nxf3 Bd6 with an interesting lead in development and e5-e4 in the air without any material deficit.

As for 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 e6 3.Nd2 I indicated 3...h6! is annoying there (rather then 3...c5 4.Ne4!?) intending 4.Bh4 c5! 5. e3 (5.c3!? cxd4 6.cxd4 Qb6 7.Qc2 Nc6 8.e3 d5 9.a3 Bd7 10.Nge2! Rc8 11.Nc3 does not give much but looks playable) 5...exd4! opting for the better structure without waiting 6.exd4 Be7! preventing Ne4 followed by b6, Bb7, d6, Nbd7 like in a so-so Torre for White with that sensitive f4 square.

I reckon 3.c3! intending to transpose into a Hebden Torre after 3...c5 4.Nf3 is the best for White which on the other hand does not solve the general problem of that white set-up as seen in March...  

I disagree.

With Nd2 white "threatens" to play e4 without having to exchange on f6. Secondly, if black replies d5, white has the option of playing a stonewallsystem with a later f4, but with the bishop already outside the pawnchain. So white does have possibilities besides a Torre.

Now even if these positions are theoretically equal, it's still not the type of play that a KI or Grunfeld player ( for instance) wants to play.

Meat wrote on 05/05/07 at 13:20:28:


2...e6 is perfectly fine against the tromp, particularly if you play the nimzo. However I'm not sure you can label it an easy equaliser, for one thing the hardly mentioned 3.c4 deserves consideration and was recommended in one of those S.O.S articles in NIC magazine. Secondly 3.Nd2 is a lot more flexible than the oft quoted 3.e4 and offers White interesting possibilites as outlined by Eric Prie.

Topster 

I play 2...e6 against the Trompovsky. 
Not really consistent with my usual Kings Indian, but that line offers black simple equality, imho.
I often end up getting a typical french advance structure where I have the bishop pair and a target at d4 to attack. Usually white gets frustrated because he was not able to create complications and just blows up at some point  .

You're right of course. It's a Steinitz French which is actually nothing like the Steinitz French. Apologies. as you were.