Reti System, 8...d3.

Is there a reason I can't find this move in theory? I don't think there's anything wrong with it...

I think the pawn on d3 can't be defended.

Aye, the pawn is way to weak and is perfectly fine on d4 holding the b1 knight off.

@Pfren: Please excuse the stupid question, but could you elaborate on white's long-term plan?

I think the idea is to restrict white's development and center control (cannot even play d4 or even d3).

However, as Pfren pointed out black's strategy is flawed, and white punches out of the cramp just fine. 

@ scorpion
Well IMO the idea of a cramp was being played when the pawn was left on d4 where besides d4 it took away c3 and e3.

I agree with pfren, what's it doing on d3?  Is it making c4 weak by restricting white's d pawn?  That's the only possible logic I could see but it is just not true.  "Taking away" the useless c2 and e2 sqaures?  White could care less.  As pfren said white can just develop calmly and ask black what he's thinking.

It may be one of those positions where the computer finds an amazing defensive resource to be able to claim white is just equal or very barely ahead.  But this is not how a human would want to play... again IMO.

All sounds reasonable. Not sure where the talk of computers came from. I remembered reading an article here about a strong pawn on the 6th rank blocking its adversary on its initial square. Was wondering why that didn't work here.

It just depends on the position.  Perhaps paradoxically, the extra space isn't helping black at all and it isn't hurting white at all.  If white were unable to, say, develop his remaining minor pieces in a useful way then this would be a great move.  Or if black could exploit c2 or occupy d4 with a piece then again it's a great move.

Leaving the pawn on d4 though it occupies a center square and restricts white's knight from it's most natural square on c3.  Plus it's very strong, being supported by a pawn, so it makes sense to leave it on d4.

It just depends on the position.  Here it seems black can't coordinate with the pawn and white can simply ignore it.  In addition I have to think as the middlegame goes on it will simply became a target black has to babysit.

Yes, that's another good point to make, it wastes a move you could otherwise spend on development.

My houdini says it's = at 0.00 too, so here's a fun game when computers do this.  I only let it think about 20 seconds a move, but I let it play itself to move 20 where it's changed it's mind and white suddenly jumps to 0.30  I let it try different moves and right around move 20 it keeps suddenly changing its mind (sometimes as high as 0.40) heh.  Pretty common for computers to do actually.

Thanks for the input. I have 8...Bd6 as the book move. I'll stick to this.