After O-O the main line is:
7... Nc6
8. a3 Bxc3
9. bxc3 dxc4
10. Bxc4
But black can also play:
7... dxc4, forcing white to waste some time
8. Bxc4 Nbd7
9. Qe2, planing to push the e-pawn b6, planning to fiancheto the bishop
10. Rd1 cxd4
11. exd4, gets white an isolated pawn but gets control of the e5 square...
7...Nc6 is main line. Black exchanges DSB when needed giving white an inferior pawn structure, also plays dxc4, frees up his LSB by an ultimate e5.
After 7...dxc4 8.Bxc4, black gives up the center by cxd4 also, develops his knight to d7, bishop to b7 after b6. White gets an IQP, but may push it to d5.
They are two completely different styles of games - I am OK with both.
I have nothing against dxc4, but I'd feel safer with the gameplan that follows Nc6. I'm not familiar with IQP positions and I'd prefer to stay into somewhere I know.
But, if you prefer 7...dxc4, I'll consider it a great opportunity to learn how to play an IQP middlegame.
so ill have comments on moves later tonight, instead I wanted to pose something to the group and continue something laskerfan said in the move 6. forum.
I've been running some statistics on this specific game's voting, and found an interesting statistacally significant finding in a multiple regression analysis. The chess.com database (as can be well guessed) accounted for about 80% of variance in voting, and almost all of the remaining 20% was accounted for by support of the move (# of comments for the move pre-voting, but could not factor in strenght of the commenter since i have no objective way to assess that).
Essentially, this means that our discussions in the main forum do matter and about 20% of the voters are currently voting based on the overall discussion. However, this won't matter too much until we are out of book or two book moves have roughly equal support (as they do in 7. 0-0).
Basically, what is the best way to translate our hopefully more focused discussion in here to the people out there in the most convincing way? I think I will start posting summaries of our discussion here in the main forum repeatedly over time (adding new info, and trying to keep it on the first page, and trying to not look like a spamming asshole).
Liburkin - that is exactly the plan. Right now, 6... c5 is our move. 7. 0-0 is going to be the response. If it isn't I think what I said in the first post carries through. If you want to do some in depth analysis of 7... Nc6 or 7... dxc4, both, or something else, please do and illuminate the discussion.
just a thought, but how many drive-by voters look at the database after move 5? I would assume if you are paying for this site then you put a little more time into your opening than clicking "Explore" (which only goes up to move 5 for free membership if I remember correctly), and if you are taking the time to look at outside databases, I would also assume you would read some comments. I am sure this is faulty logic though.
Anyway, I am with you, Estragon, in being happy with either. I would probably prefer Nc6 in this game since it is a little slower, and I am not sure how well the team will be able to handle a IQP middle game with all 8 minor's on the board.
@pauix - there are some IQP positions that arise out of Nc6 as well, so you may get to learn regardless (they are not the norm, however). A quick primer: try to force white to keep a piece defending the pawn, try to force white to keep pieces defending the squares around the pawn that you could otherwise exploit. Also the rule of thumb I learned when I was starting playing was an IQP is an advantage (for the player with the IQP) when you have all 4 minor pieces, equal when you have 3 minor pieces, and a disadvantage with 2, 1, or 0 minor pieces.
Also, an underappreciated aspect of playing IQP games is the importance of keeping the queens on. Because you're going to tie the defender to the pawn, and then run off and attack something else.
The ideal piece setup is a knight the color of the square in front of the IQP, the queen, and one or two rooks vs a bishop the color of the square the IQP is on, the queen, and one or two rooks.
@VegetableMan: Can I assume you meant, "The ideal setup is a bishop the color...?" Or did you mean, "The ideal setup is a knight on the square in front of...?" If we want to saddle the GM with an IQP, then we will need to retain our l.s.B if you meant the first. Not so important if you meant to blockade the IQP with a knight.
Assuming 6... c5 continues its lead, it looks like we are looking at 7. 0-0, and then we have options. Please discuss your preferences.
Other moves he can make are 7. a3, where we capture the knight; or capturing one pawn or the other (perhaps some short discussion is due here on our response, despite the low probability of either move); 7. Bd2 or 7. Qc2 will result in the same move we decide on for 7. 0-0.