Mind your b-pawn, MNb ...

6...a6 surely looks like an inferior version of the old standard line 6...Rb8.  I doubt that 7. a4 deserves an exclam, and I wouldn't think White should rush into playing e5.  I agree with MNb that a3 is a thought (since Black would generally like to play ...a5 and ...b4 in such a position), or just something like 8. Nge2 b4 9. Nd1 is presumably worse for Black than the ...Rb8 version.

Hello.

Today I had the black side of a Closed Sicilian, that started:

1 e4 c5 2 Nc3 g6 3 g3 Bg7 4 Bg2 Nc6 5 d3 d6 6 Be3 a6?! 7 Qd2 (a4!) b5!?

The move was essentially a slip, I played it too quickly, without realizing my knight was hanging.  But on a second glance, 8 e5 Bb7 doesn't seem to amount to much for white. 

The game continued:
8. e5 Bb7 9. exd6 exd6 10. Nge2 b4 11. Nd1 h5!?  With the idea of preventing Bh6, white's only plan at the moment.
12. h4?   Missing the idea and handing the advantage over to black, white now has no productive plans for the rest of the game.
12 ... Nge7 13. f3 Ne5 14. O-O Nf5 15. Bg5 Qb6 16. Kh2 O-O 17. Ne3 Nxe3 18. Bxe3 Rfe8 19. Ng1 Qc7 20. Rae1 a5 21. c3 Ba6 22. c4 Nc6 23. Bh6 Bb7 24. Bxg7 Kxg7 25. Rxe8 Rxe8 26. Re1 Rxe1 27. Qxe1 Ne5 28. Qd2 Qd8 29. b3 d5 30. f4 Ng4+ 31. Kh1 Qd7 32. Nf3 Kf8 33. Ne5?? Nxe5 34. fxe5 dxc4
35. Qh6+   White's lost - 35 bxc4 Qh3+ 36 Kg1 Qxg2+! and black will queen a pawn on the queenside
36 ... Kg8 36. dxc4 Qh3+ {White resigns} 0-1

There were probably mistakes in there, but what does everyone think of b5?  Or of the game?