nestor wrote on 01/23/22 at 09:27:27:

I see that also ECO-B1 (2020) had that as its main line and as leading to equality.

Bibs wrote on 01/23/22 at 01:47:00:

I'd like to, but unfortunately don't own the 2010 (or is it 2011?) Schandorff book. I borrowed it for the reasons mentioned above: those lines with opposite castling are very interesting. I would take up Black's cause without any doubts. Then I checked the chapter on the 6.Bc4 variation. saw the note "White doesn't have enough compensation for his piece" (or something like that). This has been my anti-Capablanca weapon for several decades.
So I have to rely on memory, which become more dubious and unreliable the older I grow. Please don't flame me if it fails me.

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.Bc4 e6 7.N1e2 Nf6 8.O-O Nbd7 9.f4 Nb6 10.Bd3 Bxd3 11.Qxd3 g6 12.f5 gxf5 13.Nxf5 exf5 14.Bg5 h6 15.Bh4 Be7 16.Ng3 and Black is in deep trouble.

Black can do better of course (14...Be7 or rather a main line with 9...Qc7 or 9...Qd7), but needs some good defensive skills. That's something I don't have, being the primitive attacker I am, so 6.Bc4 is a big reason for me (entirely subjective, I know) to not play 4...Bf5 and certainly not 8...Nbd7. After 14...Be7 White has permanent and sufficient compensation for the sacced material. In the KG White can only dream of getting play like this these days.
My bet is that in the new edition GM Schandorff has reworked this chapter considerably.

Bibs wrote on 01/22/22 at 07:28:04:


I am about 2000 other.
Thanks for the info all,some I threshing ideas you guys mentioned, I will look into them.
Any book or video reconmendations that I can start with?

Bibs wrote on 01/22/22 at 07:28:04:

Never really understood this either. Lines with N1e2 and f2-f4-f5 are like some of the sharper lines of the King's Gambit. Fun fact for those who own GM Schandorff's old book on the CK: that piece sac in this line is a forced win for White.

Bibs wrote on 01/22/22 at 07:28:04:

Heh heh. Perhaps not that bad; only "like 4...Qh4 against the Scottish" bad, perhaps even "like the Classical Dutch" bad.
Against the Panov the most aggressive lines begin with 5...g6. It's also dubious.
Against the Advance indeed 3...c5 as I couldn't find anything interesting against the Short setup.

To help people help you - what level are you playing at?

Yes, it is an unbalanced pawn structure. Plenty of dynamism there. The old caro reputatioin of being rather dull likely derived from the ...Bf5 line - both castling q-side back in the day, and the stodgier play of the ...Nd7 line. 

Now ...Bf5 has opposite side castling. Fun! And sound enough too. And the ...ef6 line has been revived thanks to ...h5 rather than ...h6.

Yes, it's all dynamic enough. Don't play the bad ...gf6 line.

Expect lots of people to play the advance nowadays, particularly the Short line. The Tal Advance h4 line is dying down just a bit due to the immediate ...Qa5+ reply.

But again, what level are you?