Mastermuzzy wrote on 08/27/11 at 13:28:04:

you ask "better"..for White..I suppose ?

Well, in books, at move 15. White seems compelled to choose between Nf3 and Nb3 (except if hedelayed castling before, another story) and either move gives double pawns, hence choice is not easy.

But, as you know now, Nf3 has been heavily studied, and some players try nowadays the Nb3 move .

There are not so many comments in books, I think, because ideas occured in different variations. After 15.Nb3 Nxb3! 16.axb3 I will happy to know how White will find one good example after the (simple) 16...Be6

Idea of this move is that White queen is so badly placed that Black enjoys free play in center and queenside.

A) 17.Qh4 (only way to escape  ) Qb6 18.Bg5 (18.Qa4 Bc5) e4

B) 17.Bg5 e4 (important to force e2 moving to bad square) 18.Be2 Rc8 19.Rfc1 (19.Rxa7 Qb6 20.Raa1 Ba3 21.Qh4 Bxb2 22.Rab1 Be5=) Rc6=

C) 17.Bd2 Rc8 

but even simpler is:

16...Bf5! 17.Bxf5 (17.Be2 Qb6! instead of 17...Bc5  Povse-Frangez,  Sentjur  2009) gxh5 (Kengis-Moskalenko,Sverdlivsk 1984) 18.Qh3 (18.Bg5 Bc5! and Black is better in sub variations 19.Qh3 g6 ; 19.Qh4 novelty of game 
Kramer-Chernin,Somerset 1986 ...very important game, analysed by Drasko and Psakhis, and given in Short small book about French .23...e4 (d4 was played) 24.Rc1! is Drasko idea in this game) g6 (I don't trust Qd7à 19.Bg5 (19.Bd2 d4 pawnroller is better here with no light square bishops) Bc5 (not 19...Qb6 20.Bxf6 transposing to Schneider-Vaidya,USA, Closed IM2008) 20.Rac1 (transposing) Bb6 Kruttika-Gomes,  2008 and 
Lerch-Bubolz, 2009 

All these lines show it's difficult for White to win: all is based upon a Black blunder, because Black has pawnroller and White has not one)

Thanks for pointing out the variations after 16...e4, now it almost seems like a forced draw to me. I do still believe in white's chances after 16...Bf5.

Is there also a (almost) forced drawing line for black after 15.Nb3 and do you think this move is better?

I agree, I still like Black even in this critical line. Objectively, the position is probably about equal, but Black's play makes much more sense to me. Psakhis seems to think that Black has full compensation for the exchange, but not more, at least in his Complete French . I don't have his book on the Tarrasch to see whether he's changed his mind.

I know it has been a while since the latest post, but this seemed like the best thread to post my question.

In the exchange sac line with 14.0-0 e5 what is the current verdict of 15.Nf3 Nxf3 16.gxf3 ?

I do believe white has some chances for an edge after 16...Nh5 (17.Bxg6+!) and 16...e4 (17.fxe4 Nh5 18.exd5!?) but I have the most problems with 16...Bxf5 after which I am not so sure about the position after 17.Bxf5 gxf5 18.Bg5

Could anyone point me towards the right plans/ideas or perhaps a model game?

That looks more than very nice, S_F, but when I try to download the game the link doesn't work. That's not a reproach; I don't know how to do it either.