Bb4 vs Bb6 in the 5. e5 d5 6. Bb5 Ne4 7. cxd4 line of the Italian

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rychessmaster1
What do you think the positives and negatives are? To me, Bb6 is a better move as it attacks whites center, but it seems like black doesn't get anything if white plays 4 or 5 accurate moves. Meanwhile Bb4+ seems worse but makes the game more imbalanced for longer

pawnsacrifice5

Bb6 is more ambitious, the bishop might get annoying because it attacked d4, but maybe it will get irrelevant after white plays f4 and f5 and steamrolls, but there too, it has fire against the K on the a7-g1 diagonal.

Riley

That's really interesting, I play this line myself as black and I play Bb6 all the time but if white knows his stuff it's hard to get something out of it as black. Imma try Bb4+, think it might be a good move for blitz as it exchanges pieces. Could possibly get black an easier position to play and not waste so much time finding a plan

pawnsacrifice5
1e41-0 wrote:

The "problem" with Bb6 is that if white maintains his center, the bishop on b6 has the potential to become an awful piece. So really you're playing for dynamic counterplay over the next 4-5 moves, like you said.

Don't listen to me, this man is an FM, so its probably the correct verdict.

Chessplayer2093

The negative is that both sides played the Italian and now I'm bored...

AlbAmchess

LOL

AlbAmchess

Don’t listen to me I’m trash but Bb4 looks better long term because of the bishop pair and the bishop being more active, Bb6 looks solid but there isn’t really anywhere it can go unless maybe somehow you can play Ba5 next turn which seems like a waste of 2 moves.

Laskersnephew

For what it's worth, I took a quick look at Chessbase, and it seems that every world class GM (Carlsen, Nakamura, So, Grischuk, Kramnik) chose Bb6 in that variation

Duolingo_is_under_u
rychessmaster1 wrote:
What do you think the positives and negatives are? To me, Bb6 is a better move as it attacks whites center, but it seems like black doesn't get anything if white plays 4 or 5 accurate moves. Meanwhile Bb4+ seems worse but makes the game more imbalanced for longer

 

Mainline? what sort of excuse of an opening is that?! Evan's gambit all day everyday 

AlbAmchess

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Mihai-Stefan

Bb6 is better. Keeps equality, that's what you want with black if you play 1. ...e5.

rock303

If you want help, I wouldn't recommend putting this stuff on the forum. Ur better than like 99% of forum people, so what's the use of having weaker players help u

rock303

🤔

Rockroyal

Bb4+ seems to put more pressure on white because after something like

White is forced to play Be2 to avoid ruining his kingside pawns after Bxf3