TL Chess Match 4 - Page 51

I am glad we didnt 0-0 . I believe cxd is stronger personally, but I could be wrong about that as well . One thing though about cxd4 is for sure; These lines are very well known, and since database searching is allowed, he will be playing the most successful, and or agressive moves from this position, until at some point he will spring a novelty on us trying to suprise us I'd wager.
This is why I wanted to play something a little less known, most of these positions we're approaching are hundreds of years old, and exhausted in practice. As a result there will be no shortage of positional examples for him to examine, and look for improvements. I Hope we can keep up in this line theory-wise once he deviates .

edit: to elaborate why 8.Nbd2 is superior to 8.Bd2:

Basically what we should aim to do is maintain the pair of bishops, which can be beneficial to us in the endgame. Hence we shouldn't allow black to trade his knight on e4 for our bishop.

Primarily because I support trying to hold on to our bishop pair unless there's a definite advantage to trading one away. This move could easily transpose into 8. Bd2 but that isn't a certainty.
I also agree with qrs re. our dark bishop. It could be argued that it is currently not active (I disagree), but it is hardly bad, and the influence it has been applying down the c1-h6 diagonal has been quite important for the last couple of moves.
However, I do think the Black knight on e4 is irritating and active. e4 is not an outpost, nor does it look to become one any time soon, but it does restrict our space within our own pawn structure. If we must trade (and I think after 7. cxd Bb4+ we must at least offer one), then let's trade off that knight for one of our own then get back to the plan. I stated what I thought the plan was earlier as this:



Thoughts?

Seems to be a safe response, but I'd be willing to change to something else if anyone has any ideas.

I agree that from e4 Black's Knight is irritating and active; the reason I called it "much less dangerous than it appears at first glance" is simply that we can easily force Black to move it or exchange it.

You, Knight, OUT!

Was looking at Nd2(which is most likely goingt o be my vote) and I got worried all of a sudden about this line . Bb4 nd2 nxd4 nxd4 qh4 .
Edit ; But,now I think I see the defense, someone correct me if I am wrong here, but if he tries this I believe white gets a winning position from this defense. Bb4 nd2 nxd4 nxd4 qh4 0-0 nxd2 nf5!? qg5 and bd3. Winning for white as the knight is trapped . Any one see anything wrong with this ? Can the knight get out, looks trapped to me . Gonna look at it a little longer then vote
P.S. There are some interesting bd2 lines as well .

...Qe4 instead of ...Qg5 in your line

This is clearly the best move in this position. I keep in touch with a lot of Grandmasters and they all say this is the new uber-modern standard at the highest levels of competition. We give up our queen in exchange for black's minor pieces. After the exchange is over, we will have a minor piece majority, which is more powerful than a single queen, especially with our immobile center. Honestly I think it would be a mistake for black to accept this gambit, because the initiative we gain is too dangerous.