I got this variatian as white in a league game this weekend. I had already spent quite some time looking at it at home and I didn't go for any line one could consider critical. White's terrible score is not actually due to the variation being superb - black's average Elo is about 100 points higher and white often played unsound moves, probably intending to punish black.

After a couple of natural, boring moves we reached a Carlsbad position which scores exactly 50% and which is quite similar to other Carlsbad positions which arise from the e3-Nimzo. White can try for a couple of moves and Black has fully adequate resources. That's fine with me since I don't even try for a sizeable advantage against the Nimzo.

The critical (at least rather fresh) positions are probably those in which white maintains the central tension and aims for a Semi-Slav type position with his knight either on f4 or g3.

fling wrote on 01/12/17 at 17:44:10:


Yes, he recommends it. It seems like a cool line. I hope I get the chance to try it out!

Incidentally it is also not mentioned in Sokolov's 4. e3 book, which is about the same age as the Watson book.  I knew of it from Chess Publishing a couple of months ago ...

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 00 5.Ne2 c6

This move c6 is not even mentioned in the strategic opening book Watson book, however when I checked my database I see there are 160 master games with a very high score for black.
  It looks very logical for black as a good escape route for the bishop and in many games white played e4 and ended up over extending.  The most common follow up is 6.a3 Ba5 7.b4 Bc7 8.e4 and the white Knigt on e2 looks more of a weakness than a strength, just blocking whites development
    Might start playing the move myself, after an opponent surprised me with it, seems decent.  Any reason it is not more popular, because like I say black has a hige plus score