Markovich wrote on 06/08/12 at 01:28:44:
Dear sloughter, leaving aside the specifics, something is wrong with your chess judgment if you would consider playing into this. When I said "too slow," I was expressing my view that b2-b4 does not answer White's urgent need for activity.
I think Markovich has hit it on the head, why just are you laying such considerable effort trying to make such a dud line work?...and perhaps even worse are you really suggesting that Queen to f3 to c6 to c4 to b3 to b2 in the space of seven moves in one case and Queen to f3 to c6 to c4 to d3 in the space of six moves in another case is playable let alone sound? I really have to wonder because….
sloughter wrote on 06/08/12 at 05:05:26:
8.Qf3 Be7 9.Bxc6ch Nxc6 10.Qxc6ch Bd7 11.Qc4 O-O 12.b4 Rc8 13.Qd3 Bxb4 14.Ne4 with about an equal position.
Is an equal position? White has to move his queen at least two more times after say 14.Ne4 Nxe4 15.Qxe4 Bc5 16.0–0 (6.Ba3 Bc6 17.Qe2 Bd4) Bc6 17.Qg4 f5 18.Qh3 for argument sake. Any good chess coach should be able to tell you “Under development or a complete lack there of is often fatal” but even so my opinion is 12... Rc8 is not the only option in dealing with your idea, what about 12… Rb8 ?
12.b4 Rb8 13.a3 (13.c3?? Bb5 14.Qb3 Bd3–+; 13.Ba3?! Nh5 14.Nf3 Bb5 15.Qg4 Nf4 (15...Nf6) ) 13...Bb5 14.Qh4 (14.Qa2?! Nd5 15.Ne4 (15.c4? Bxc4 16.Qxc4 Rc8; 15.Nf3 Bxb4) 15...Bxb4! 16.Bb2 (16.axb4?? Nxb4 17.Qb2?? Bd3) ; 14.Qb3? Qd4 15.Bb2 (15.Nc3 Bc4 16.Nf3 (16.Qb2 Bc5! ) 16...Qg4 17.Nxe5 Qxg2) 15...Qg4!) 14...h6 15.Ne4 Nd5 16.Qg3 f5
And finally, I don’t won’t to dent your enthusiasm for opening investigation and all that but there is a reason Bogoljubow’s variation has been considered largely unpopular since the 1980's and this thread does rather illustrate why. You simply can’t thrash your Queen around the board in this day and age and with out good reason and expect to get away with it, the modern dedicated player is simply to good for that sort of thing. Of the 3 pre-internet and 3 post-internet books I have on the Two Knights, they all infer the same thing, 8... Be7 is little more than an historical curiosity, interesting in another words, and should not provide to much for worry Black. Sorry 8O(
Thanks
HTH