linksspringer wrote on 01/04/11 at 10:12:04:
(1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d6 3.c4 Nc6 4.Nc3 e5 5.d5 Ne7 6.e4 Ng6 7.g3 Be7 8.h4 Nf8 9.Be2 Nfd7 10.Be3)
Regarding 10...Ng4 11 Bd2, I was reasoning that after something like 11...0-0 12.h5 a5 13.Nh4 Ngf6 14.Be3 White achieves a nice setup anyway, but that rather begs the question if that is a problem for Black with light-squared bishops still on as you say. Perhaps Black is just fine here! I'm also just exploring!
10...c6 11.g4 Ne8 12.g5, I was thinking Black could play on the queenside with eg a5/Nc7/Na6/Ndc5/Bd7 and if White plays f4 at some point, then exf4 and f6.
This and what topandkas and Michael Ayton have given early and later on too is quite interesting. But what is g2-g3 about? Yeah I know, covering f4 keeping the Knight away. But is that really so threatening? Is White yet in such a bad shape that he has to take measures against the fifth Knight-jump? Are there no other say more normal ways to play?
To be clear: to me 7.g3 looks not bad but a bit artificial.
I have my doubts that normal chessplayers will walk this way.
What about simple 7.h3 first followed by Be3 and Nd2? And when Black rides the horse in, White is prepared to chase it away with g2-g3.
What is Black's plan? Will he allways resort to Be7 and Nf8?
Of course there is the usual plan with h7-h6 and Nf6-h7 with Be7-g5 or something like that.
I admit that the closed center is a little plus in comparison with the classical old indian. But on the other hand Black rode his horse to g6 where it may have a future - or not.