d4...

I think 1. ...Nf6 would now be cosidered the new main line as the older 1. ...d5 is less dynamic than the game move. The point is that even after lets say 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 0-0 5. Nf3 d5. Now white does not want to transpose into the QGD because as invariably there are fundamental differences. In the line above above, for example, White finds his dark-squared bishop locked inside the pawn chain. In a QGD he would have most likely deployed it on g5 or f4 before playing e2-e3.

This is the Modern Benoni main line. But most play into it through 2. ...e6 3. Nc3 c5!?

This still can be the benoni after. 3. ...e6 4. d5 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. e4 g6

That's interesting; 5.Nb5 feels like it's just asking to be kicked back to a3 a little later on, since there's no threat of Bf4.

I saw in the DB that 5.Nb5 is more common. @bwaa: it's probably a similar idea to the Sveshnikov. At least 5...d6 is practically forced to prevent Nd6+.

@jkarp: because the knight is very active there.

Tip: A common plan which a player adopts is to frustrate the opponent by limiting his activity. Frequently under strain, victims with crack and lash out with deadly repercurussions.

agree with elyhim, happens all too often

Maybe a bit overzealous but I would have a look at 7. a3 and now black has a few options a) 7. ...d6 8. b4 Bb6 9. Be3= b) 7. ...a6 8. b4 Bb6 9. c5+/= c) 7. ...a5 8. Be3 Bxe3 9. Nxe3+/=

@jkarp: it's not yet a threat, but it could become a threat to the f2 square in combination with a queen on b6 and possibly a knight on g4. Having said that, I'm not sure that it is really necessary, and I think 7.e4 is a good possibility as well.

@jkarp: 8.Bd2 also blocks the queen... Or do you mean 8.Bd3?

My bishops are more active, but I have a weakie at d6 and the d5 square is nice for you.. You might have a slight edge bu't it's not much.

l-d-j has the more activity position and white is has a more defensive posture at the moment. I would say that black has the very slight edge.

I would absolutely agree. A good reason to play Bd3 instead of Be2 is to prevent black from placing his bishop on f5. However, the bishop on f5 while it is putting pressure on e4 is not that well placed. So as the old saying goes why wake a monster by poking at if you can sneak past it. A possible improvement may be 10. b3 followed up with Bb2.

Here I played 11...Be6 as I was not happy with the position of my bishop after all.. I played 9...Bf5 because it looked like a nice diagonal and because it was in the DB, but I guess 9...Be6 straight away was better.

an interesting idea is 11. e4 Bg4 12. Qe1 Bh5( if 12. ...Bh3 13. Ne3 Nd4 14.f4!) 13.Bg5 and black's centre is under pressure.

@jkarp: when the c6 knight moves, the pawn is really attacked so it's indirectly under pressure now.

@jkarp: here blitzkov means something else. His attack is not really an attack on a piece, but rather an advance on one side of the board to get something going there (probably to get a passed pawn for himself or to win some material in the future.

@jkarp: the same applies here.

@jkarp: you see? Now c4 is really attacked. This was a possibility ever since I played 12...Rac8.