Hmmmm that's very unusual. I think my options now are 6.d5, 6.e3 and 6.e4.
6.d5 would actually be similar to a QGA 3.Nf3 c5 with an extra a4 for White. Unfortunately I think in the analogous variation 6.d5 exd5 7.Qxd5 Qxd5 8.Nxd5 Bd6 (or Na6) a4 might be more of a disadvantage :/ and the line's pretty boring anyway.
6.e3 is likely transpose to another QGA with an extra tempo for white, often reached via 5.-e6 in the Slav nowadays. It's a reasonable option, White is supposed to have a little something there.
However, 6.e4 tempts me the most as it seems like a logical reason to why no one plays like this as Black. (and it doesn't look like a transposition to something more familiar) Not sure what the Black plan is then, most likely not the 6.-cxd4 7.Nxd4 e5 since he is pretty badly behind in development after, for instance, 8.Ndb5 Qxd1+ 9.Kxd1. 7.-Bc5 can be met by 8.Be3. Looks like my development in general seems to flow pretty naturally after 6.e4. --> decision made.

6.. Nc6 7. d5 exd5 8. Nxe5 Nf6 9. Bxc4 looks good for bill as well. Blacks central king will cause more problems than the pawn is worth after 9..Nxe4 imo.

5. ... c5 is definitely unusual. I only see 9 cases of it in the 2010 Mega Database, including four games from the 1930s (with white doing pretty well against it, +4-2=3). To my Class E mind, it seems to lose a tempo for no real reason (why play c6 if you plan to play c5?), but I'm not really in position to analyze an IMs moves accurately, lol. Presumably there's a reason why it's so rarely played, though, and so it will be interesting to see if Bill can exploit it effectively. 6. e3 seems to be the more popular try, but that's based on a meaningless sample size, and e4 did score 1.5/2 in 1930, lol. That was two games by the same players, Regedzinski-Makarczyk, with black trying cxd4 both times (he drew the first, lost the second, and then apparently abandoned the line.)

e3 is probably a case of people playing more cautiously in a system they know.

The point is that the extra a4 move might hurt white, because b4 becomes an outpost for Black's pieces. But this may be an inferior version for Black. Typical and currently fashionable among GMs is 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 e6!? (instead of the usual Bf5) and now 6. e4 is a pawn sac because of Bb4 (not possible here because the Pc5 is in the way) and 6. e3 is answered by c5 with the aforementioned QGA and the extra a4 for white. This is the Slav variation Bill mentioned in his spoiler.

Very disappointed not to see the Noteboom. Love the imbalanced game that results.

I think my opponent knows more of this line so I am trying to find a deviation as fast as possible. The complicated, the better.

Very devious strategy by the Anon IM, I like it!

++

Although this position also looks neat. It looks like black is going to suffer. 7. d5 ed 8. ed Nb4 9. Bxc4 Bf5? loses to 10. Bb5+ Bd7 11. d6

or 9. .. Bd6 10. Qe2+ Ne7 11. Bb5+ Bd7 12. Ne4 Bxb5 13. Qxb5+ Kf8 looks very nice for white.

even something like 10. Bg5 Ne7 11. Nb5 O-O 12. O-O looks really annoying for black as well.

Just because its a devious strategy doesn't necessarily make it a good one! :P
7.d5 looks like the most testing line, though not sure who its good for

It seems like he's giving his opponent tons of undeserved credit though (undeserved bc he's an IM playing a random!), but it is very interesting that all he wants to do is head for something weird bc he knows he's a favourite in all unmapped territory. Weaklings like me should do more of this when we are saying "oh, well, that's probably his pet line but I'll just play into it anyway, know how's it go?"

Playing this sort of the position is the opposite of giving your opponent tons of credit. He, as black, is voluntarily taking on a bad position in order to outplay white in the complications. If he felt white was strong, he would be incredibly unlikely to play so provocatively.

Oh, I see what you are saying. That makes sense. It's just that whenever I've played against IMs (only in blitz games) they've always just happily let me play into whatever pet line I want and then crush me a move or two out of the book. What I was trying to say was that he seems to be "giving some credit" by allowing the possibility that he's not going to be happy just letting white do whatever it wants.

imo it's best to play theoretical lines against stronger players. Of course, they're going to know more theory than you, but still theory levels the playing field and the longer you can stay in theoretical realms, the better.

Of course, when i face an IM i sometimes think "if i play my sicilian he might crush me", but playing black against stronger guys is never going to be easy, no matter what you do.

I said I liked it, I didn't say that I thought it was a "good" strategy.

I liked his strategy cuz it should make it an interesting game as he's taking on a slightly inferior position to play through complications.

Completely agree with this. Even if they know more theory than you, you're at least getting a sound position. Yermolinsky puts it very well in his book "The Road to Chess Improvement". He says there's nothing more he loves than seeing someone 200 points below him intentionally take the game out of theory. He knows he has the advantage at that point.

I'm not running good guessing Black's moves so far, not too worried tho as I think this has to be at least a little suspect for him. 7.Be3 is probably good enough for a small edge after mass trades on d4, but 7.d5 feels like the right move, pushing Black around. Here's the lines I looked at:
7.d5 exd5 8.Nxd5 (there might also be something after 8.exd5) Nf6 9.Bxc4 Nxd5 and now both p and B recaptures look promising
7.d5 Na5 8.Nd2 exd5 9.Nxd5 Nf6 10.Nxf6+ and 11.Nxc4 looks nice with the development lead

so 7.d5 it is. Still not sure what Black's plan is I see many spoilers after Black's last, maybe they are about the same subject

or maybe you just took longer to move :P

So cruel!

d5 definitely looks like the most principled line.

In the line "7.d5 exd5 8.Nxd5 (there might also be something after 8.exd5) Nf6 9.Bxc4 Nxd5 and now both p and B recaptures look promising" maybe something simple like 9...Bg4 first is better. Black needs to worry a little about being able to develop quickly enough.

Normal-looking moves continuing from smilingbill's line 10.exd5 Nb4 11.Bb5+ Bd7 12.0-0 and Black is probably going to lose the right to castle...this looks ugly.

So I predict 7...Na5 instead. "7.d5 Na5 8.Nd2 exd5 9.Nxd5 Nf6 10.Nxf6+ and 11.Nxc4 looks nice with the development lead" and Black might even have time to move the knight again with 11...Nc6 as the queen is pretty active on f6 and the knight eyes some nice squares (b4/d4 and to a lesser extent e5). It doesn't seem as if White has anything here (although 12.e5 is critical, I can't tell whether it's strong) which makes me think 8.Nd2 may be too slow.

I also find the "with the development lead" comment a little odd, since White doesn't have one in those lines -- after four consecutive knight moves(!) it's basically gone, compared with, e.g., 8.Bf4 when White's developmental lead looks more menacing.

Shaping up to be an interesting game!

too much porn

Basically forced. Now if white develops slowly (Be2, 0-0, Be3) then I should be able to consolidate. Therefore, I am expecting to see Ne5 or Nd2 to immediately target the pawn. 8. Ne5 exd5 9. Nxd5 (if 9. exd5 Qe7!? looks interesting 10. Qe2 f6 11. Nxc4 Nxc4 12. Qxe7+ Nxe7 13. Bxc4 Nf5 looks like a complex endgame; even more complicated is 10. f4?! f6 11. Nb5 ?! fxe5 12. d6 Qf7 13. Nc7+ Kd8 14. Nxa8 exf4.



Tough position to evaluate but I think black is ok because black king is surprisingly well defended and if black succeeds in developing with b6 + Bb7 then Na5 will also be defended. The knight also has ideas of Nb3-d4. However, now that I think about it 14. fxe5!



is very strong as suddenly black’s king and queen are in trouble after Bg5+ and the rook is still hanging. Remember, 12…Qd7 is not an option because 13. Qh5+ Kd8 14. Qg5+ Nf6 15. fxe5 and I think white should be better. Anyway, I always have an option to just play 9…Bd6 and avoid this insanity.)

Returning to main line:



9…Nb3 now doesn’t work because simple 10. Bxc4 with a Bb5 killer check looming and making the rook taboo. 9…Ne7 is an option since 10. Nf6+ gxf6 11. Qxd8+ Kxd8 12. Nxf7+ Ke8 13. Nxh8 Bg7 is good for black. However, 10. Bg5 Be6 11. Nxc4 looks better for white.

9…Nf6 - white seems to have three options: Nxc4, Nxf6 and Bg5.

10. Nxf6+ Qxf6 11. Nxc4 (Nxc4 is bad because after 12. Bxc4 the check on b5 is a real bother.) Nc6 12. Be3 and I think white is comfortable for time being but after Be7 and 0-0 for black and suddenly Rd8 black is controlling a very important d4 square.

10. Nxc4 Nxd5 11. exd5 where black could go play Nxc4 or Qe7+ for equality. Weak pawn in the endgame for white though.

10. Bg5 Be7 11. Nxc4 Nxd5 12. Bxe7 Qxe7 13. Qxd5 Be6 and black’s better.

After 8. Ne5 lines, 8. Nd2 looks like a child’s play so I won’t even bother calculating.

open kings weeee

Proceeding as planned. I guess I could also play 8.Ne5 but this feels more natural to me. Those huge spoilers worry me a little

Heh.

Nothing new yet, but I do think smilingbill will need to improve on his original line...and I think Black is out of any immediate danger now.