Completely is too harsh, they are probably pretty close.

I don't see a viable alternative to Bb4, and I just found a line I don't like in one of the four replies to it that I've been looking at.

Anyways, if nobody comes up with an alternative to Bb4 soon I'm going to play it

6...Bb4

d4 looks like a good move

That's one of the replies I considered for white

I don't know what your thought process was, but I think you overlooked a check like 12. Qe2+ in your mainline. 11. Qe2+ might also be better for white

I'm gonna wait for just a few other people's suggestions before I play.

I think d3 is safer

Ne5 looks interesting lol

stupid but interesting

You want to give me knight? I have no problem with that :)

d3 doesn't seem like a bad move at all, perhaps not the best but it's definitely quite solid

11...c6 12.Qe2+ Be6 and I see nothing wrong for black.

The more I look at this position, the more I see that black has the edge, if only miniscule. For the record, each move by white is followed by Bxc3.

d3- solid

d4- active

qe2-is bad i think- a tactical probe that fails. It prevents Nxd5 for one or two moves maybe, but after 0-0 black is fine. Black can even consider

Bb3- this is also bad. Black will play 0-0, Re1 and win the e pawn with no threat to the f7 pawn. and lay claim to the e-file. Bg4 will add more pressure to the position.

In every line black has a miniscule edge.

activity is king. d4

8.d4. Let's do it.

Did I overlook something or did you overlook Bxb7 ? I cant see much past Bxc3,perhaps castling but i can always do that afterward

Anyways, I think Bb3 might have been better for white. Maybe even the simple a3. Though, like its been mentioned d4 gives more immediate activity so maybe white has some move somewhere

I'm pretty sure I'm gonna take the knight unless somebody comes up with something else that looks good in, oh..., lets say the next 10 hours. Since bxc3 is pretty much white's only reply I'd like to see suggestions for what to do after that. The two options that look best to me are capturing the bishop and castling. I'm probably leaning towards castling. 8... Bxc3 9. bxc3 O-O 10. Bxf4

10... Nxd5 11. exd5 Qxd5 is a possibility that I think is likely

yeah oops, I overlooked it in calculating, thought the B was still on c8 lol