I am a newby in the NID, so maybe I am writing nonsense, but imo White has serious problems activating his queen's bishop in the Normal Variation. At least that is the reason I want to avoid it.

A long time ago I wrote that I would switch to 1.d4 when I had solved the NID-problem. I cannot say that is the case, still I gave 1.d4 a try.

MNb-Daróczy
corr WS/H/083 ICCF, 2007

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3
4.a3, 4.f3 and 4.Qc2 are too slow to my taste. I appreciate a smooth development, so I would prefer 4.Bg5 if it were not for 4...c5 and 4...h6 5.Bh4 c5. And 4.Nf3 c5 5.g3 is really not my cup of tea. From a classical point of view Rubinstein's 4.e3 is also a concession, White will have the problem of the queen's bishop, which is usually a burden on Black.

4...O-O
Alas, no Botvinnik Variation 4...d5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 0-0 7.cxd5, which I would love to play as White.

5.Bd3 d5
So I still can play the Botvinnik? The other option, imo somewhat more precise, is 5...c5. In the CL I met this move twice. As we had agreed not to take unnecessary risks and my opponents had respectable ICCF-ratings, I chose 6.Nge2 and got absolutely nothing out of the opening.
6.Nge2 d5 7.cxd5 cxd4 8.exd4 Nxd5 9.O-O Nc6 10.Nxd5 exd5 11.Nf4 Bd6 12.Re1 g6 13.Bc2 Nb4 14.Bb3 Bf5 15.Bd2 Bxf4 16.Bxb4 Bd6 17.Bxd6 Qxd6 18.Rc1 Rac8 19.Qd2 Rxc1 20.Rxc1 Re8 21.Re1 Rxe1+ 22.Qxe1 b6 23.a3 h5 24.Qe8+ Kg7 25.h4 Be6 26.Qb5 draw, MNb-Mamonovas, CL 2007 Fast Track Group 1.
In the other game I am even somewhat worse; Black deviated with 15...a5.
So next time I still might try 7.a3 or even 6.a3, entering the Sämisch.

6.a3 Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 dxc4
No. Black is heading for the Normal Variation and White has only one way to avoid it.

8.Bxc4 c5 9.Ne2 Qc7
Is this inaccurate? Long live the database, I noticed a nice little gambit.
9...Nc6 is sensible.

10.Bd3 e5 11.e4 cxd4 12.cxd4 exd4
This gambit has been played only four times before; only two games are relevant.
Lein-Hjartarson, Reykjavik 1990; White should have played 28.Nf2!
Blees-Langeweg, Dieren 1984.
White obviously has solved the problem of Bc1.

13.O-O Nc6 14.h3 Be6 15.Rb1
It looked like a good idea to bind Black's queen, but maybe it is too slow. 15.Ng3 and 16.f4.

15...h6
Black is going to regret this move, it invites some knight hopping.

16.f4 Rfd8 17.Ng3 Rac8 18.e5 Nd5 19.Nh5 Nc3 20.Qf3 Nxb1
I already had planned this sac at move 16.

21.Qg3 f5 22.exf6 g5 23.Ng7
Not 23.Bxb1? Bf7 24.Ng7 d3! and Bb1 is offside. It does not matter that White is a rook down, Black's pieces are misplaced and his king's wing is ruined.

23...Ba2
23...Bf7 save a tempo, but not the game.

24.Nf5 Nc3 25.Nxh6+ Kf8 26.Qxg5 Bd5 27.Nf5 Qh7 28.Nd6 Qh8 29.Nxc8
Getting back some material is nice, clearing the a3-f8 diagonal is the main goal.

29...Rxc8 30.a4 Nb4 31.Ba3 a5 32.Re1 b6 33.Qe5 Bf7 34.Qe7+ Kg8 35.Re5
White has four pieces in the attack (pawn f6 also counts) and Black three in the defence, including the king. This means that White's attack is irresistable.
1-0.