SniperOnG7 wrote on 09/28/06 at 09:22:57:


True, white will then have all the time to build up his threat of c5 (like Qb3 followed by Rfc1) while black has nothing convincing on the kingside without that light-squared bishop. 

Thanks for your reply.

Hi everyone. I have recently looked at a game where black played a rare setup against the Mar del Plata variation. It goes like this:

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.Ne1 Nd7 10.Be3 b6!?

I only managed to find two games on this rare continuation and both white players won by playing 11.b4 straightaway followed by pushing c5. However, I am not so sure if 11.b4 was so convincing because in one of the games black played the immediate 11...a5 and after 12.a3!? axb4 13.axb4 Rxa1 14.Qxa1 Bb7?! white was already much better. But then I was wondering what will happen if black plays instead 12...Ba6 preventing white from playing Nd3 followed by c5? Sure, this plan involves giving up the light-squared bishop for black, which is an important piece for a kingside attack in the Mar del Plata for him. However, it does slow white's queenside attack for a moment and black nevertheless can achieve the f5 break anyway in the future without this bishop. So I wonder how one can respond to 12...Ba6. Is 13.g4!? anyway good? And is 11.b4 really the way to punish black's weird setup? Any ideas will be appreciated.