1.b4
d5
2.Bb2
Qd6
An interesting move if you like a big center. White must stop to save his b-pawn which allows Black time to play ...e5. If you believe Fritz, Black is already slightly better. Chessbase's online database supports Fritz's appraisal with White only scoring 47% against this move (131 wins, 153 losses, and 80 draws).
3.b5
Thematic. [ White can also consider 3.a3
e5
4.e3
( 4.Nf3
e4
5.Nd4
c6
) 4...Nf6
( 4...c6
5.Nf3
e4
6.Nd4
Qg6
7.d3
Nf6
8.Nd2
Bd6
( 8...exd3
9.cxd3
Bd6
=+) 9.c4
dxc4
10.Nxc4
Bc7
11.Qc2
exd3
12.Qxd3
0-0
13.Qxg6
hxg6
14.g3
Nbd7
15.Bg2
Nb6
16.Nxb6
Bxb6
1/2-1/2 Skalazubov-Bhat, Oropesa del Mar 2000.) 5.d3
Nbd7
6.Nf3
c6
7.Be2
a5
( Another interesting method for Black is 7...g6
8.c4
Bg7
9.cxd5
cxd5
10.0-0
0-0
11.Nc3
a6
12.Rc1
b6
13.Qc2
Bb7
14.h3
d4
15.Nd1
Rac8
16.Qb1
Nd5
17.Re1
dxe3
18.fxe3
b5
19.Bf1
N7b6
20.Nd2
Na4
21.Qa1
f5
22.Nb3
Rfe8
23.Na5
Ba8
24.Nc3
Nxb2
25.Qxb2
e4
26.d4
Nxe3
27.Ne2
f4
28.Rxc8
Rxc8
29.Rc1
Rf8
0-1 Lalic-Uhlmann, Sarajevo 1980.) 8.bxa5
Be7
9.Nbd2
Rxa5
10.0-0
0-0
Diagram # This is exactly what Black hopes to achieve in this opening. Black was clearly better in Saradjen-Kozul, Ljubljana 1993.]
3...Qb4
4.Be5
White has no other move that does not lose a pawn. [ Very passive is 4.Qc1
Qxb5
5.e4
Qd7
6.exd5
Qxd5
7.Nc3
Qa5
8.Bc4
Nf6
9.Nge2
c6
10.0-0
b5
11.Bb3
e6
12.d3
Be7
13.Ng3
0-0
14.a4
b4
And White did not have compensation for the pawn in Mueller-Berg, EU-ch GT189 corr 1981.; 4.Bc3
Qxb5
5.e4
Qd7
6.exd5
Qxd5
7.Nf3
Nf6
8.Be2
e6
9.Be5
Qd8
10.0-0
Bd6
11.d4
0-0
Again White is not have compensation for the pawn. Schmid-Feist, FRG-chT qual corr 1991.]
4...Qxb5
5.Bxc7
Qc5
A slight improvement over 5...Qc6. [ 5...Qc6
6.Be5
Nd7
7.Nf3
Nxe5
8.Nxe5
Qc7
9.Nf3
e5
10.e4
dxe4
11.Bb5+
Bd7
12.Bxd7+
Qxd7
13.Ng5
Nf6
and Black was clearly better in Vasii-Vladila, Calimanesti 2000.; 5...Nd7
Not as good as the main line, but still affective. 6.Nc3
Qc5
7.Bg3
e5
Black has a beautiful center. 8.e3
a6
9.Be2
Ngf6
10.Nf3
Bd6
11.Na4
Qa3
12.Nc3
b5
Black was clearly better in Tidemalm-Bergljung, SVE-chS corr 1987.]
6.Be5
Nc6
This move is the key difference over 5...Qc6 and 5...Nd7. Black gets to develop his queen knight to a more active square.
7.Bb2
Bf5
8.Na3
[ White prefers not to play 8.d3
White still hopes play in thematic Sokolsky fashion with e3 followed by d4 and eventually c4.]
8...e5
Black has his big center! Black is already clearly better.
9.e3
Nf6
10.Nf3
Qa5!
Diagram # White's knight on a3 is embarassed.
11.Qc1
A sad move for White to make. [ 11.Nb5
a6!
12.Nc3
Bd6
13.Be2
0-0
14.0-0
b5
looks dominating for Black.]
11...Rc8
With an x-ray attack on the queen. White is in deep trouble.
12.Nb5
Nb4!
13.Bc3
Rxc3
Obvious, but pretty nonetheless.
14.Nxc3
Nxc2+
15.Kd1
Ba3!
Diagram # White's queen is trapped!
16.Bb5+
[ 16.Qb1
Nxe3+!
]
16...Ke7
17.Qxc2
Bxc2+
18.Kxc2
Rc8
19.Kd1
Rxc3
0-1