kylemeister wrote on 09/05/15 at 15:50:32:



I'm never sure whether leaving out h3 is an advantage or not. There's an extra tempo if something useful can be found to do with it. Equally if you want to play Nh2 and f4, you need to play h3 anyway. But otherwise, yes, it's a normal Breyer position, or normal for lines where White doesn't try c4. 

Defending these positions as Black, threatening a Marshall will often provoke White to play h3, d3 and c3. Without any immediate threats to worry about, Black is relatively free to regroup as he pleases. Perhaps Breyer style plans with Nb8 are better than Chigorin style with Na5. White will usually eventually play d4  though.

In a recent game, I was faced with an unusual move order.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 and now 8. .. Nb8 9. d4 Nbd7 I continued normally with 10. Nbd2 and after 10. .. Bb7 spotted that I should have considered 10. Bxf7. It certainly doesn't work at move 11 because the Queen now has squares. 

According to engines and a handful of games, the King has to go to g6 and then White plays f4, followed by e5 after Black takes it. Engines anyway seem to think the resulting position slightly favours Black.

The subtle point of the move order is that on the regular 8. .. O-O an alternative move is to leave out h3 and play d4 immediately, something defused by this move order.