winawer77 wrote on 01/07/11 at 10:41:26:


The position I mentioned previously has seen white play 5. b3 instead of 5. Nbd2, which alters it enough. I also didn't write the position I was referring to correctly - 5. b3 c5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. dxc5 Bxc5 8. a3 is the correct one.

7. e4 isn't something I paid much attention to, but it may suffice for something as well even if the fifth move is different. In general 5...c5 just seems to be too slow.

To tell you the truth after having developed quite an experience in these types of IQPs from French and the Tarrasch Defense, i consider this line (b3 c5 or Nbd2 c5) playable for Black. Objectively a bit worse? Maybe, maybe just equal. In practice an experienced in these structures Black player may have the (psycological?) advantage because the initiative is in his side. But a typical Slav player is not of this kind of players!

I like better the Knight on c3 here. So Avrukh's b3 is a better way to deal with the ...c5 issue. Even then, i wouldn't call of the move Nbd2 because of ...c5.

Markovich wrote on 01/07/11 at 03:35:23:


Based on the information I've developed, I feel white should be able to get a small pull after 6. cxd5. Nothing major, but in line with the sort of "+=" that is found throghout the Avrukh repertoire.

6. cxd5 exd5 is very comfortable for white [black, after 7. Bb5+ Nc6 8. 0-0 is playing a Reversed Panov-Botvinnik Attack from the Caro-Kann down a couple tempi where white has the useful b3 and 0-0 for free (compare 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nf3 Bb4), 7. Bb2 is another serious option with play resulting in a reverse QID line where black is down an extra tempo besides just being black] and 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. a3!? finds black quickly pushed back, with white retaining an initiative in the resulting positions despite the symmetrical pawn structure, and what at first appears to be better black development. White's intended set-up with Qc2 (hitting Bc5), Bd3 (hitting h7 after black 0-0, exploiting absence of Nf6), b4 (pushing back Bc5), e4 etc. is not easily countered. Black will only be playing for the half-point, and will have to fight for it.

5...c5 wouldn't discourage me from 5. b3.

Zatox wrote on 01/06/11 at 19:16:19:


If you're dedicated to 4. e3, then why not use Avrukh's 5. b3 approach?

Ametanoitos wrote on 01/06/11 at 12:27:54:


Well, just offhand I would doubt that White should reach a favorable (anti-)IQP, what with that suboptimal-looking knight.  Looking at some theory books, I see that none of them think White should be better.  (I also notice that in NIC's online database, White's score from the position after 5...c5 is 50.4%.) 5...Ne4, on the other hand, receives "?!" in ECO (which seems plausible to me).  There is also the major line with Black playing ...Nbd7 and ...Bd6, meeting e4 with ...e5 (trying to take advantage of Nbd2 again).

I'm a bit confused. You want to find something playable with Black or White? In general it is not so accurate to play ...e6 when White can play Nbd2 because the ideas with dxc4+b5+b4 don't come with a tempo. I like this position for White. Black has to play "a la Stonewall" with ...Ne4+f5. If he plays ...c5 then White as at least a small plus in this IQP