English opening: Maroczy with White + Fianchetto

I was reading a bit on the Maroczy bind and sometimes it happens that White can go for something like that in the English opening with x.e4. There are some plans published with perfect piece placement of Knights on c2 and c3 and Bishops on e2 and e3 etc. However, in the English one Bishop is normally already on g2 as in the board below.

Now the questions:

What is your "perfect piece placement" for White?

What is(are) your number on plan(s)?

With a piece exchange on d5 what is your best capture? - It appears to me that exd seems better than cxd.

There is a little bit on that written with Soltis "Pawn Structure Chess" but it is not fully clear to men.

Now the questions:

What is your "perfect piece placement" for White?

I don't know about "perfect" but, ideally for me.  knight on e2, and c3.  Bishop on g2, and e3.

What is(are) your number on plan(s)?

Pawn breaks on b4, and f4.

With a piece exchange on d5 what is your best capture? - It appears to me that exd seems better than cxd.

Generally, i capture toward the center, unless capturing away form the center, and changing the pawn structure benefits me.

There is a little bit on that written with Soltis "Pawn Structure Chess" but it is not fully clear to men.

I have the book, but never really read it.  But i do agree with you that it doesnt seem to go "in depth" on the different pawn structures.

I have been poorly playing the Botvinnik system for years, and yet its been a valuable tool for me.

I didn't meand the Botvinnik triangle as there is no White pawn on d3. Here is one game I've played recently:

You are absolutely right that 11.Rb1 is not good. This was one of this moves based on a lack of strategy. However, in the Maroczy the DSB belongs on e3(?) which would block the move e2-e4. Maybe 11. e4 followed by 12. Be3 13. Rc1? Of course Black is allowed to move as well...

Should you be playing e4 at all, with Bg2? For example Fischer in this game didn't http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1044367

Thank you very much! This is indeed a game worth to look into more deeply. I guess it is also a matter of taste as Botvinnik and Smyslov were also top players.

Two more games WITH Maroczy - as covered in the Soltis book:

Botvinnik vs. Golombek 1956

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1032402

Smyslov - Timman 1981 with a different move order:

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1126709

Interestingly: in both cases the bishop is developed to b2 and NOT e3 - which was my thought is a kind of must. Seems, as you need to play b3 to cover c4 (there is no bishop on e2 to do that) this development makes sense. Another reason might be that Bb2 is just more common in the English opening and it oposes the Bg7 also on the long diagonal.

One more game from the book where the structure fails was:

Saidy - Reshevsky 1969 but White develops the Bishop to d2

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1471055

Remark on that one: Once, I asked my coach for a good square for the dark squared bishop.  This is my problem piece in the in the English opening and sometimes I have no idear where to put it. He answered that Bd2 is the way to go. Reason: it is almost never the best square in that opening but it also never loses at once.  Just a save move on amateur level.