Chevalier wrote on 05/09/08 at 21:51:07:




This is one of the lines I've planned to study and crush () when university semester is over. At the moment I haven't found anything good enough. Btw it doesn't seem to be played that much.
According to my quick analisys 8.Rg1 does seem the most interesting.
If in a month's time my exams will be over (hopefully!) I'll try and post my foundings.
Cheers

What is your opinion of the variation 8.Bd2 dc4 9.Bc4 b5 10.Be2 Bb7 11.e4 Be7 12.g5 hg5 13.Ng5 Qb6 and now the pawn sacrifice 14.000? This position has only occured twice in practice, but White's compensation seems very good after 14...Qd4 15.Be3 Qb4 16.f4. 

Vigorito also suggests 13...c5, although I don't think Black obtains full compensation for the pawn.

Thanks for your suggestion Semko!

I looked at 8.Rg1, but I couldn't find a route to advantage after 8...e5! (Black's most common move; this is mentioned both in your book and Vigorito's, although S/S cover the variation in more detail) 

For example: 9.cd5 (9.h4 dc4 10.Nd4 Ne5 is fine for Black) 9...cd5 (9...Nd5 10.Ne4 is good for White - S/S) and now Gelfand played 10.Nb5 Bb8 11.Bd2 against Leko in the World Cup ACP Rapid 2007 (Gelfand-Lautier, 2002 continued 10.g5, but White gained no advantage out of the opening) 11...0-0 12.Bb4 Re8 13.g5 hg5 14.Ng5 Nf8 and Fritz claims a slight edge for White; I disagree, since although White's pieces are more active at the moment, Black can push back the b5-knight with ...a6, whilst a future ...e4 would leave the g5-knight a little offside (14...e4!? was also possible). The game continuation 15.de5 Be5 16.Nf3 Ng6 17.Bd3 Bg4! certainly didn't give White much to brag about. 

Unless there is some major improvement for White, I think Black fully equalises after 8...e5.

Indeed, you cannot order improvements.

However, the positions are often very complicated, which can make the positions quite difficult to understand at first. However, I suppose the other side of the coin is that it would be easier to find improvements in such a complicated variation. Still, I will do my best to find an improvement!

As a starting point for analysis, in the position after 8.Bd2 (This is the strongest move, preparing queenside castling and also not commiting to any particular plan) 8...dc4 (8...Qe7 is also possible, but I find the text more difficult to play against) 9.Bc4 b5 (Black prepares to fianchetto his queen's bishop on the long diagonal with tempo) 10.Be2 (White retreats the bishop here to protect the f3-knight) 10...Bb7 and now:

a) 11.Rg1
b) 11.g5
c) 11.e4

Which move do you think is better and why?

Hello,

The position I am talking about arises after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.g4 and now the prophylactic move 7...h6(!). 

How does White obtain an advantage in this line? I have both Sakaev/Semkov's Anti-Meran book and Vigorito's Play the Semi Slav (both very good, by the way), but unfortunately they both say that Black has very good chances of equalising! Can anyone find any improvements for White over the variations given in these books?