I was looking through Avrukh's GM Rep 11 on 1 d4 sidelines to try to prepare for the London, and one of the lines he advises is
1 d4 d5 2 Bf4 Nf6 3 e3 c5 4 c3 Nc6 5 Nd2 cxd4 6 exd4 Bf5 7 Ngf3 e6 8 Qb3 Qc8 9 Nh4 Be4 10 Nxe4 and then he considers both recaptures as options.
This line certainly seems playable for Black and doesn't seem like a bad option, but at the same time as I looked at the position more, it seemed like one that makes sense for white to aim for. Playing around with Stockfish, it definitely seems to prefer White (how much depends what depth and lines but between +0.3 and +0.5 seems common). Then checking the database, it looks like both Magnus and Kramnik have won games after 9 Nh4 -- Magnus against Wojtaszek at 2748. Kamsky and Nisipeanu have had the position multiple times as White.
It struck me as a position where Black is very solid but if White is looking to play without a lot of theory and some chances to press for a small edge and grind, he's probably happy.
This got me thinking -- I'm an 1 e4 player, can I use this as an idea against the Caro Kann after 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 exd5 cxd5 4 Bf4 ?
It is definitely possible but Black has some additional options against this move order that I think make life a little easier for him. After, say, something like:
4... Nc6 5 c3 Bf5 6 Nf3 e6 7 Nbd2
Black doesn't have to go Nf6 immediately. With the knight undeveloped, for now, the Queen prevents Nh4 and White can't win the bishop pair. In addition, in some lines ...Nge7 is a possibility, aiming to Nh4 with ...Ng6. With Black's waiting move, he can consider ideas like 7... a6 to meet 8 Qb3 with 8...b5!? which the computer likes but Black prefers something more solid 7... Nge7 8 Nh4 Ng6 looks about equal and slightly "more equal" than Avrukh's line.
So, trying it from the Caro Kann move order is possible but I feel gives Black a slight improvement over Avrukh's version.
Interestingly, Black can often force this position from the London version though too -- i.e. 1 d4 d5 2 Bf4 c5 3 e3 cxd4 4 exd4 -- reaching the same position. This allows 3 e4!? but probably this is something Black wants to allow if he's studied the lines.
Malakhov and Alekseenko both went for this idea as Black last year -- delaying ...Nf6 and reaching the position after 7 Nbd2 above, and both won games as Black, Malakhov playing 7... Bd6 and Alekseenko playing 7... a6
White can try to avoid it with something like 1 d4 d5 2 Bf4 c5 3 c3 with the idea to recapture with the c pawn, but after 3... Nc6 4 e3 Bf5, he's stuck with a bit of a dilemma. He can play 5 Nd2 but now 5... cxd4 is more likely to result in the e pawn recapture, since the Exchange Slav shouldn't be as strong with the Knight on d2 instead of c3 and the pawn on e3. He can also play 5 Nf3 but now Black can play Bd6 soon without allowing the Bxd6, f4 "Stonewall without a Bad Bishop" setup that White often tries to delay the Ng1 development to aim for.
Thoughts?
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