Is this a decent Paulsen line
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playchessordie19
Feb 16, 2025
0
#1
So I get this line in the French Defense at times and following the Bishop check at b4 when White plays Bd2, I play Nxd5. I vaguely remember seeing this in a book by Solis from the 1970s. Is this a line in the Paulsen Variation that is playable or is there a resource for White to bust it. Game at Rapid control (10 min).
[Event "cheburkoed vs. playchessordie19"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2025-02-16"]
[White "cheburkoed"]
[Black "playchessordie19"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1662"]
[BlackElo "1628"]
[TimeControl "600"]
[Termination "playchessordie19 won by resignation"]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 d5 4. e5 Nc6 5. c3 Qb6 6. b3 cxd4 7. cxd4 Bb4+ 8. Bd2
Nxd4 9. Bxb4 Qxb4+ 10. Nfd2 Ne7 11. Bd3 Ng6 12. O-O Nxe5 13. a3 Qd6 14. Be2
Nxe2+ 15. Qxe2 O-O 16. Nc3 a6 17. Rac1 b5 18. Rfd1 Bb7 19. Nde4 Qxa3 20. Ng5 h6
21. Nf3 Nxf3+ 22. Qxf3 Qxb3 23. Rd3 Qc4 24. Rcd1 Rab8 25. Qh5 b4 26. Ne2 Qe4 27.
Rg3 Qh7 28. Nd4 g6 29. Qe5 Qg7 30. Qd6 Rfd8 31. Qxb4 Bc6 32. Qa5 Bb5 33. h3 Qe5
34. Nf3 Qd6 35. Qd2 Kh7 36. Nd4 e5 37. Nxb5 axb5 38. h4 e4 39. h5 g5 40. Rb3 d4
41. Rb4 Qf4 42. Qxf4 gxf4 43. Rbxd4 Rxd4 44. Rxd4 b4 45. Rxe4 b3 46. Re1 b2 47.
Rb1 Kg7 48. Kf1 Kf6 49. Ke2 Ke5 50. Kd2 Kd4 51. g3 fxg3 52. fxg3 f5 53. Ke2 Rb3
54. Kf2 Kc3 55. Ke2 Kc2 0-1
I used to play the french and In this game you posted 6. b3 feels wrong for white. Both 6. Be2 and 6. a3 would be more common. The idea of a3 isn't to keep the bishop out of b4 but to prepare the space gaining move b2-b4. Also white can allow the check on b4 with 6. Be2 cxd4 7. cxd4 Bb4+ 8. Kf1. White is basically asking what the bishop is doing on b4. white is now threatening a3 and b4 with tempo. Having to put the king on f1 isn't a big deal.
Also with the sicilian move order if black plays d5 then in my experience most white players will go for the isolated queen pawn position by taking on d5. I've played this position a few times. It seems okay for black but you have to be comfortable playing with an isolated pawn.