1. c4 e5 2. g3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Bb4

In a correspondence game that I am playing I found myself in a postion that seems familar and quite common however it seems to be quite outside of normal theory.

I have looked in the three book set by Mihail Marin and he does not address it even though he played this position back in 2000.

The two main responses for White seem to be 3.Bg2 and 3.Nd5. Bg2 will likely transpose back into some other line but Nd5 seems like it will be completly on its own as a line. Marin in 2000 played the move Nd5. In looking through some other databases it seems that Nd5 is favored slightly by the higher rated players.

I will be playing Nd5 as a chance to explore the variation more carefully but it would be nice if there was some theory to check out.

Please commment with your thought or feelings on this variation.

Neither sides play is particularly accurate, 3Bg2 is more natural with the early g3. Then bb4 makes no sense at all. As played nd5 shouldn't be a problem.

Questionable play on my part but the game is still going on...

http://www.chess.com/echess/game?id=117588616

Looks positionally dubious for black to allow 6Nxb4, normally black would play bc5. Instead of grapping e5, you could have had much easier life by playing bg2, 0.0