This looks similar to the way that Duncan Suttles used to handle the Modern.  It might be worth looking at his games...

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Sorry if this sounds superficious. I wanted to point out that my opinion is somewhat splitted: the system looks attractive to play cause it has a clear plan - on the other hand I think its too risky to give the center to a strong opponent. += would also be my assessment, but I would say a clear steady += instead of a normal decent on.

Going for e5 is certainly a serious idea if Black has "forgotten" to play in the center. After e5 playing Ne8 is probably the only way to proceed for Black (he has to crack to White center - otherwise he will be strangled) - taking on e5, White may take back with the knight as was played by GM Flear in this line.

Playing a4 before the knight has moved to d7 is nearly always premature in the KI - there are excellent examples in the Saemisch where White misses the a5! idea from Black and invites Black to b4. Isnt the KI also about cramping Black? - Giving Black the b4-square for one of his pieces seems to be a step in the other direction.

On more venomous idea from White may be playing a3 and letting Black excecute the "threat" b5 - then taking on b5 and follow up with b4: c6 and b5 is weak - I think Mikhalevski tried this.

On the other hand the real scary good idea for me is that the system nearly plays itself if you just be a bit carefull with Black. Probably not enough to hold against a strong opponent, but enough for fast time controlls and selected opponents. A nice surprise weapon - and as every surprise weapon it should be used according to its name and not every time.

Your making me appetite for picking up the KI again ...

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 c6 7.0-0 a6 8.a4 a5 9.e5 looks very scary to me.
I also looked at 6...Nbd7 7.0-0 e5 8.Re1 c6 9.Bf1 a6 10.a4 (arguing that Nbd7 is misplaced) a5 11.h3. Am I right that White has a stable edge, because the future of Bc8 is uncertain?

c6/a6/b5 is one of the standard ideas in the KI - it is even possible against g3, which I think is surprising considering that there may be something hanging along the long diagonal due to the bishop on g2.

I remember three important points about this "universal" system for black:

1) one should not forget about the center - the flank attack is certainly to slow against the 4-pawns-systems - black is simply busted

2) one should not forget about fast king attack - I remember that playing the system "accelerated" (which is without castling ) against the Saemisch would lead to a crushing defeat for Black

3) one should keep the Knight on b8 and start with c6, a6 - the reason is to hope for White playing a4?! when a5! followed by Na6 - Nb4 gives Black good play

Perhaps someone could add more common places ... 

I am not sure if the system is possible against the classical variation - probably White will play e5 or c5 fast and Black may find himself in trouble.

Yeah, Kyle, thx for pointing out that small detail.

After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 0-0 6.Nf3 Black plays 6...c6 and usually foregoes e5 for q-side counterplay.

Hi all!

I've recently seen several games in which Black eschews ...e5 and instead plays 6...c6 7...a6 followed fairly quickly by ...b5.  

I haven't run any stats on this line yet, and suspect that they won't be helpful since it seems like such a new idea.

Does anyone have any clues about the provenance of this plan, and how White should go about tackling it? 
I'll try to provide some game examples in the near future, but I know that it's appeared in a few GM games recently.