After 3.cxd5 Nxd5 4.e4 Nf3 you can hardly call whites center "massive" since it is fairly easy to attack for black

?? A common blunder. This does lead to explosive positions but not after Nc3?! After cxd5! Nxd5 e4 white easily has the better game. The knight has moved three times and white has a massive center. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- True perhaps but white easily has an advantage, bigger than what black would like to get out of the opening. My comment is based on the fact that white will mobolise easily. Look ofr example at the KID. Black 'sacrifices' forward pawn thrusts to get more pieces out and play for e5/c5. That is the basis upon which black allows white to build a huge center - He has more pieces and can attack it easily. Here is different. It looks like white will develop easier/faster than black AND have the huge center. True that black can play attacking moves like c5/e5 in this and reach equality but white is better than say if black played the QGA/QGD where equality is easier to reach. My thoughts anyways...

In view of 5.Bg5 being a popular choice, ...h6 does have a prophylactic point, but, given this move, White has attractive alternative locations for the Bishop.

Definately not. White wants to use his space to the best effect. This doesnt mean going headlong into a k side attack!!! Perhaps e4! Blasting the center open is far better followed with 0-0. The problem with 0-0-0?! is that it gives counter chances and does white have any chances for a sucessful k-side attack anyways? What tells you a k-side attack is what you want? Surely the bishops point that way but does the Bb2 point towards the k-side? The d4 pawn blocks it in!! And the Bd3 isnt nearly enough to mount an effective attack!!! White is better developed and has more space. e4 certainly looks better here but then again it is better following a dubious plan then following no plan. Credit must still be given to white's positive attitude.

I agree with far1ey this far: 0-0-0 is a risky policy for White. But I wouldn't go so far as far1ey to in casting doubt upon White's overall plan. A K-side attack seems to me a reasonable plan to aim for, though, as the annotator himself seems to be aware, some preparation is required. To that end, e3-e4 is certainly worth considering. If Black doesn't exchange on e4, White has the pleasant choice of e4-e5, or exd5. After exchanges on e4 (9.e4 dxe4 10.Nxe4 Nxe4 11.Bxe4 threatening to exchange on c6 and wrecking Black's Q-side) White is in a fine position at least to think about a K-side attack, whichever side he castles on. However risky, though, I would stop short of saying 0-0-0 is a bad idea.

I think I would have given preference to c2 rather than e2 for the Queen, to give weight to the Bishop's action on the b1-h7 diagonal. Naturally, White would first have had to play a3 to prevent ...Nb4, thus weakening his K position further. On balance 9.Qe2 seems correct.

The best counter to a flank action is to strike in the centre...

Exploiting the pin on the e-file.

! Counterplay is possible for this move. After Ba3 but white can hold after Ba3 by ignoreing the bishop and If Bxb2 Nxb2 Qa3 Nd3 is good. However I think that Ba7 deserves consideration... Perhaps not better as a piece insnt activeated but it deserves consideration...