I'm having some trouble with a line in the English - I've been experimenting with a hypermodern variation I see curtains play around with a lot. The line I'm having trouble with goes like this:

1. c4 e5 2. g3 d4 3. cxd4 qxd4 4. Nf3 e4 5. Nc3

Where should both lines continue here?

Which side are you playing? This is a pretty bad variation for black. (assuming you mean 1. c4 e5 2. g3 d5 3. cxd5 Qxd5 4. Nf3 e4 5. Nc3)

For example: Qc6 6. e3 Bd7 7. Nd4 Qg6 8. Bg2 and white is clearly winning the opening.

I'm playing white. You got the line right.

So I maybe wasn't clear with my last post. That's a bad line for black because e4 just ends up being a weak point for white to attack plus white gains a few tempi by developing and attacking the black queen. It just doesn't follow the basic rules of the opening and it's not like black is luring white's center just to undermine it. White is actually doing that to black. I'm not sure what else to say. Maybe post some games where you've had problems with this?

Oh, and you could skip this problem altogether by playing 1. c4 2. Nc3 3. g3 and get the same position without the d5 Qxd5 possibility.

You should never be afraid of such a line as black is losing the e4 pawn by force. If 5...Qc6 then just 6.Ne5 followed by Qa4+ and taking on e4.

There is a sister variation with colors reversed: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4. Qxd4 Nf6 5. Bb5 to take on c6 if a knight shows up. Such a bishop move is something you should take into account in your variation, but being a tempo down I doubt that it gives black anything but trouble.

FWIW, I think after 5. .. Qc6 6. Ne5/Qa4+ is not correct.

There's two ways of looking at the position.

1. Wow, pawn. Yum yum. This is okay, but I think not looking for enough.

2. Black has developed his queen early and has already has a major weakness. The best way to take advantage of this isn't necessarily to immediately liquidate your advantage (and win the weakness, so to speak) but to use it to steadily build your initiative and force black to further weaken his position defending his weakness.

So, for example:

6. e3 a6 7. Nd4 Qg6 8. Qc2

Now black can already easily lose the game with: 8. .. f5?? 9. Nd5 Bd6 10. Nb6 1-0

8. .. Nf6 9. h4 Bg4 10. Bg2

It's already now very difficult to find a reasonable move for black.

10. .. c5? 11. h5! Bxh5 12. Nxe4 1-0
10. .. h6? 11. Nxe4 1-0

Best is probably:

10. .. Nd7 11. Nxe4 O-O-O 12. O-O +- when white will win easily with a crushing attack on the queenside.

White is still better after 6. Ne5 Qe6 7. Qa4+ c6 8. Qxe4 Nf6 9. Qe3 Na6! but oddly enough black is suddenly the one with the initiative and there's a long tough game still ahead for white with no clear path to victory and this is also a position white could easily end up losing if he doesn't play super accurate for the next 30 moves. Compare this to the other position where black has basically no play and white has a crushing attack that plays itself.

I think just a very good example of: the threat itself is much more dangerous than the execution.

I hate the look of 6. e3 because it weakens the light squares so much, Black only needs to hold e4 long enough to play Ne5 or Bg4 an he will have some serious play. I don't see any problems with grabbing the e-pawn, White is far too solid and Black does not have a development advantage.

I think Dire is looking at a totally different position since his "refutation" of 8...f5 seems to drop a piece and 10. Bg2 drops a queen.

eep! I made a mistake writing that out.

I meant 8. Qc2

So eg: 1. c4 e5 2. g3 d5 3. cxd5 Qxd5 4. Nf3 e4 5. Nc3 Qc6 6. e3 a6 7. Nd4 Qg6 8. Qc2 f5 9. Nd5

Can you fix that? Too late for me to edit my post.

I fixed Qc2, is that the only mistake?

I still think your variation is a bit too co-operative, Black gives up the pawn and gets an awful position. Instead of 9...Bg4 he can try 9...c5 which more or less forces 10. h5 Nx 11. Nxe4 and now Nd7 Nf3 or something, when White is obviously better but not crushing yet.

After 9. .. c5 10. h5 Nxh5 11. Nd5 seems very interesting and dangerous if it works. Very complex position though.

But I think you cannot disagree all of these is substantially better than the position when you just grab the pawn immediately.

The evaluation of the position after black plays e4 is clear: White is winning.

It is a matter of taste or technique if you hack off the pawn or play for superior development and win the pawn later as both Nd5 and e3 lead to the same result.