Depends. I'm a newbie to the world of 1 b4 and still learning but thumbing through the entire book glancing at the diagrams I see the pawn very often goes to c4 early in games.
Sokolsky Opening. Has anyone had success persisting with the lines
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Jan 29, 2023
0
#203
I am running another ICCF game again with 1. b4.
This time going completely different again, so I will show what has happened so far. Of course no comments on the continuation, please. I am currently contemplating on move 13 for White.
Jan 29, 2023
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#204
Addtional comment: playing7. a3 was not the best move. Better was playing the pawn to d3 instead, I think afterwards.
I think about it to continue on the queenside in my White position, as castling short now is not yet neccessary. But then again... no suggestions for that!
Well, I believe this is the whole fun of this opening. You can create many new moves in numerous positions, that are not layed down in concrete theory!
Jan 29, 2023
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#205
I am also playing another ICCF correspondence game right now (no comments! 
), in which the Exchange Variation is on the board. Where instead of playing my Knight to f3 in move 5, I have now chosen for the other option... 5. e3.
It is still a very young game, but of course involves the c3 move, as mentioned in Hansen's book; the Carlsen method. Let's see where this leads to.
Jan 29, 2023
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#206
aflfooty wrote:
Miguel mentioned this earlier in a post
“”i dont think 4.c4 is dubious although if black begins playing like an engine for 15 moves, whites corridors are more narrow.”
Are there any games where c4 can be a positive move with black playing the correct lines. I struggled with it but if I played it perfectly could it be a good move.
the trickiest line in the old 4.c4 mainline is where black goes for early d5-c5 as white needs to build up d4 to make it worth it, (unlike the nc6 lines where d4 is the reward for the delayed development, if black plays c5 , white should not play d4 without significant build up as it at best leads to an insipid drawn endgame, in fact, black can fight for a queenside majority so not recommended)
https://old.chesstempo.com/gamedb/game/248916/rnbq1rk1/ppp2ppp/5n2/3pB3/1bP5/4PN2/P2P1PPP/RN1QKB1R%20b%20KQ%20-%200%206
this katalymov game shows the interesting crooked ways white gets counterplay in those lines. Thematic is qc2! and sometimes early rc1 to put pressure on both c5 and possibly the c6 knight if b6. (careful , sometimes, qxc5 is a mistake, sometimes it isnt, line must be studied carefully with engine). Qc2 also aims at the kingside, and sometimes, white can play fr ng5, threatening bxf6!, in other lines, white tries to get a tempo with the weird bd3!? since the knight is on d5.
Jan 30, 2023
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#207
aflfooty wrote:
Here is the middle of the game playing the Sokolsky and the exchange variation with white
in no line of b4 should black get a safe pawn on c4! white did something (and more than a couple) things wrong to end up like that!
no line from the c4 main line i mean. you can get it from the c3 lines, but white can usually play e4! as a reply
Indeed that’s true.
Feb 4, 2023
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#211
I was thinking about another continuation in the Exchange Variation, with playing Knigt to c3 on the 4th move.
It looks like a fun trick, but the other way around, it prevents White from playing the c-pawn to c4 and might give Black comfortable play. And White might actually have to continue very carefully.
What are your thoughts? I made some moves to show my case. Perhaps experienced players like @ThillerFan might add their comments!?
Feb 4, 2023
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#212
I am also thinking of another move in the exchange variation on move 4 for White. Again something else than playing pawn to c3. Perhaps trying an immediate move with the c-pawn to square c4. Just to look at the various options.
Feb 4, 2023
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#213
Erwinmk wrote:
I was thinking about another continuation in the Exchange Variation, with playing Knigt to c3 on the 4th move.
It looks like a fun trick, but the other way around, it prevents White from playing the c-pawn to c4 and might give Black comfortable play. And White might actually have to continue very carefully.
What are your thoughts? I made some moves to show my case. Perhaps experienced players like @ThillerFan might add their comments!?
you already answered your own question 4.nc3 is best answered by c6 and the knight just ends up misplaced
Feb 5, 2023
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#215
I was looking a bit further for my other suggestion of playing the c-pawn on move 4 to c4.
Once again there are perhaps easy ways to meet this for Black, by playing Nc6, c6, 0-0 followed by d5. There are exmples when White has to be on guard perhaps and early pressure is on his d-file / d2 square?
And the big thing is that you wil probably loose a tempo by retreating the dark White bishop to b2 again, and no exchange is made on f6. Is that unsound as an idea to play the Sokolsky / Orangutan?
I will post some examples of Black's replies in the next messages. Please comment.
Feb 5, 2023
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#217
Example #2 - pawn to c4.
This is a slightly different version, also pressuring the d-file / d2 square.
FM Carsten Hansen says he has played 1 b4 in blitz games about 350 times (that was as of over a year ago, I assume he has possibly played many more games with 1 b4 by now) against players rated 2200 and above on Chess.com and Lichess. He's scored 70% with it, 3% better than he has with his usual repertoire. (73% score against GMs with 1 b4).
I took a look at FM Carlsten Hansen's last 10 blitz games as white on Chess.com. Those were played in late 2022 and were all 3 minutes time control. His opponents were from 2488 to 2656 Chess.com blitz ratings. (Three were IMs, three FMs, 1 NM, and three not titled). He played 1 b4 every time in those 10 games, scoring 7 wins, 2 losses, 1 draw.
Otherwise I will play c3 always from now on😇😇😇