BladezII wrote on 07/25/13 at 18:17:57:


1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nc6 3.Nc3 g6 4.e3 Nf6 5.d4 still looks good for white, but it isn't as easy as I thought at that point in time. I've done a considerable amount of research on the newly popular lines for black that will be covered in "Play 1.Nf3!", and believe I have found the most precise way to deal with them. 

Since I made that last post my opinion on the Double Fianchetto Defense has drifted further in white's direction, and the Hedgehog has as well, but for different reasons in both cases. That said, in practical play they're still very dangerous. It's difficult to memorize everything.

In my opinion, the critical continuations in the 1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nc6 3.Nc3 complex are definitely those after 3...e5. 4.e3 has been tamed, sadly, and the typical treatments beginning with 4.g3 run into that ...Nb6 idea mentioned above. I've opted for a rare treatment of the position that is poisonous, and more importantly, is also challenging theoretically.

Even in the case white gets a genuine Reti-Catalan, ie: 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 I don't feel the positions after 4...dxc4 are anything better for white than the Open Catalan with 5...Bb4. White has to be willing to deal with it, or take up Fischer Random. Ultimately black is okay, and white needs to do his best to set him problems regardless of the first move of the game.

BPaulsen wrote on 07/27/13 at 06:51:48:


But against 1... d5   why not stick to 2.c4   ?
1.Nf3   d5
2.c4    e6
3.g3

Black has a much harder time there if he's aiming or trying to reach a Catalan.

What move order do you have in mind when talking about the 5... Bb4 open Catalan?

What are you recommending for move order for white after 1.Nf3 which would reach the open Catalan 5... Bb4 line ?

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that's a pretty authoritative and aggressive answer from a 2200. Kramnik never got anywhere with this approach and usually just transposed to the Grunfeld.