I like b3 and b6 because they aren’t that theory intensive and you can get some pretty nice attacks
Advocating for 1.b3 and 1...b6: The Nimzo-Larsen Attack and the Modern Defense
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Sep 2, 2024
0
#63
StickFigures_in_Space wrote:
If you want to play b6, play Queen's Indian or Nimzo (or even Bogo-indian if you're up for it)
Don't play owens. UNLESS you can manage to get a satisfactory setup with a petrosian Queen's Indian--like this one:
its funny you mention this specific line because this is the exact line i think of when people find the owen's set up dubious but accept the QID as gospel to be somewhat hypocritical. In this line ,white gets the big center thats really hard to chip at but with the added issue that the position is not closed so black is much more pressured to 0-0 than in the original owens where castling is like the very last thing you should do
now the line is fine, its close to equal and disbalanced, but that just goes to show why simplifying of the dynamics of positions can often lead one astray in evaluation.
A line I have always wanted to play against 1…b6 was below line:
I was never able to get it to work though.
A real shame to be honest.
Sep 4, 2024
0
#65
Compadre_J wrote:
A line I have always wanted to play against 1…b6 was below line:
I was never able to get it to work though.
A real shame to be honest.
2.d4 3.bd3 4.f3 is actually annoying . often weaker players play it agaisnt me because they are scared but the thing is, while its not theoretically dangerous, its not easy to chip at white's center. c5 is met with c3 and if early d5, white can play e5, and f4, and all of a sudden the harmless f3 turns into a very dangerous f4-f5 threat. Black often has to take his time to build up something worthwhile.
actually agaisnt this, the nc6 idea is more tempting if only due to psychology. the 4.f3 player is not looking for an opening advantage but a very solid center to to limit blacks counterplay, so he may be tempted into error.
the best line is of course d5 right away but black can play nb8, he will continue with moves like c6 bc5 or bb4, and even b5 gambitting a pawn to open lines. One reason i trust this nc6 line more agaisnt f3 but not bd3 , qe2 is that because f3 has been played, white cant attack e5 with nf3, necessitating either the ugly ng6 or the premature d6.
Owen’s is fun to play, I don’t know why it needs to be a particularly great opening, and there are far worse openings people play much more often at lower levels