Regarding the Snow/Rudel discussion
1.d4,d5 2.Nf3,Nf6 3.e3,g6 4.c4,Bg7 5.cxd5,0-0The oldest game reaching this position is Bird-Blackburn (New York 1889)
so perhaps we could call this the Blackburn variation
6.Be2,Nxd5 7.e4 (Here the 1889 game diverges with 7.Nc3)
7...Nb6
8.0-0 This is perhaps Whites best but certainly most practical answer if only to avoid massive theoretical discussions, as 8.Nc3,Nc6 9.Be3,Bg4 or 8.Nc3,Bg4 9.Be3,Nc6
(by transposition) leads to a well know grunfeld position
involving Korchnoi and Dorfmann(among other GMs on the white side, and Kasparov, Svidler, J.Polgar and Vallejo Pons in the Black camp.
8.Nc3,Nc6 9.Be3,Bg4 10.d5,Na5 11.Bd4,Bxf3 12.gxf3,Qd6 13.Bxg7,Kxg7= as Korchnoi-Kasparov, Wyk aan Zee/Corus, 2000
8......Nc6 (8....Bg4 and 8...c5 have also been played)
9.Be3, (9.d5,Ne5 10.Nxe5,Bxe5 11.Nd2,Qd6 is playable for black Roessel-Baerman, corr. 2000)
9.......Bg4
10.Nd2,f5
11.d5,fxe4 (with lively pieceplay)
The following game from this position is interesting
Vunder-Kopasov, St.Petersburg (RUS), 2007::
12.dxc6 exf 13.Bxf3,Bxf3 14.Nf3,Qxd1 15.Raxd1,Bxb2 16.cxb7 (imo an inaccurate moveorder: better
16.Rb1,Ba3 17.cxb7)16......., Rb8
17.Rb1 ,
17...... , Ba3 (1
7...Na4!? 18.Bxa7 Rxb7 19.Be3,c5= which is why 16.Rb1 is more accurate)
18.Rb3 ,
18........, Bd6! (only move)
19.a4! , a5 (I definitely preferr white here)
20.Rb5 , Rxb7 =
(I like
20.Nd4 with the idea
20...Rxb7?! 21.Nc6 and how is black to get his b7-rook into play again)