I was playing in the same event. The analysis session was a hoot. Gump thought he was winning in every line, while Jim just kept crushing him while claiming he did not know what he was doing.

Nice one! You mentioned a great IQP defender, but I couldn't quite get the name from the video. Who is this player again?

Pobble: Trying to start trouble on behalf of Tony Miles' ghost?

Freelix: Maxim Dlugy.

These creeping queen moves always catch me out! I found Bxd5 and Rxe6 within seconds, but spent 5 minutes on the last move and couldn't figure it out at all :/ Maybe I need some puzzles on this particular theme...

Very nice vid Dennis! I never had any success with the Panov Botvinik when I played it, and it's interesting to see some of the ideas of IQP positions in greater depth. Thanks!

Initiative: No trouble intended. I guess you could not understand the common view we have of our Nigel up North in the UK.

Nice video by the way. This line is popular with the what are now 60-70 generation here. I guess they played it a lot back in the 60s. For example; I have never seen Paul Bielby play anything else. He was a first A rank back then - 220 bcf. Great guy.

Thanks for another great video! I've been trying to decide if I want to buy the book and this definitely helped me to make a decision. The positions look fun to play.
Now I'm considering adding the c3 Sicilian to my repertoire for twice the IQP fun.

In the main line with 10. Be3 Nb4 11. Bb1 b6. 12. Ng3 there is the possibilty Ba6 for black. Would would be the plan for white after 13. Re1 Rc8 14. a3 Nbd5?

@kinghunter: Looks like a good suggestion. I haven't found anything terribly convincing - for White, that is - so I'd recommend deviating on move 12 with 12.Nxf6+, 12.Ne5 or the immediate 12.a3. Or, of course, one can stick with Plaskett's 10.Nc3.

I'm curious, what is this common view you speak of?

Likening your Olympiad's perrenial board one to Forest Gump seems grossly disrespectful to me. Miles had his motives, mainly payback for years and years of being crushed by Nigel dating back to when Nigel was a junior and Miles was already a seasoned GM.

What are your motives?

BTW: I think it was Geoff Crawley that first popularised this line in the UK, many of his brilliant games in this line cannot be found in the Databases.

Regards,

Tops

I have had this line in my repertoire for some time now, but only for use in Rapid and Blitz events as I do not have complete faith in it. Therefore I was pleased as punch when Yevseev's book came on the scene, hoping he could convince me that the line was good for more than Rapid chess.

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Nf6 6.Bd3 cd4 7.cd4 8.dxe4 9.Nxe4 Be7 10.Nc3 0-0 11. 0-0 b6 12.a3 Bb7 13.Re1 Rc8 14.Bc2 Nd5 [Denis Yevseev fails to consider the position after 14...Nd5 in his book Fighting The French A New Concept, nevertheless it could well be that this is one of the best continuations here. For e.g.] 15.Qd3 g6 16.Bh6 Re8 and black is a tempo up on a position already considered ok for Black. Normally in this position the useful move Rad1 is already in, and that makes a difference.

Thoughts and further insights welcome.

Toppy

Postscript: Considering testing the waters by doing my very first video here. Coming soon.

@Toppy: I agree that lines where the bishop goes to e7 in one move rather than two (via b4) are critical. A note about the move numbers - you goofed up on move 7 above, so the move numbers are off by one. Anyway, I also agree that 13...Nd5 is a very sensible suggestion and Black should be fine. But just for fun I'll offer three little points on White's behalf.

First, I wouldn't agree that the position where White already has Rad1 is "considered ok for Black". Black's score there is pretty awful after both Ba4 and h4. So even without that tempo White should at least be okay.

Second, the extra tempo might help sucker Black into a nice trick. After 13...Nd5 14.Qd3 g6 15.Bh6 Re8 White could "blunder" with 16.Ne4, when 16...Ncb4? 17.axb4 Nxb4 18.Qb5 Nxc2 19.Qe5 is quite bad for Black. (Of course, this same trap is available in the tempo-up position too, but with the rooks looking forkable on a1 and e1 it becomes even more tempting for Black.)

Third and finally, Yevseev's main line is 10.Be3 rather than 10.Nc3, so if you're unhappy with the latter you've at least got an alternative!

Thanks for your reply Dennis. I more or less agree with the points you made, indeed I pulled off the trap you mentioned after 16.Ne4 in a recent tournament game against an unwary FM. Objectively though I consider the position after 16.Ne4 to be just equal after 16...Bf8 or the clever 16...Bb4!? which attempts to trap the trapper
The alternatives 16.h4 and 16.Ba4 have indeed scored well in praxis, but in reality here too black is comfortable as long as he avoids the traps, 16.h4 is best met by Bf8! and after 16.Ba4 a6 17.Nxd5 Qxd5 18.Qe3 Bf6 19.Bb3 Qd8 leaves White a tempo down on the line given in Yevseev's book, where the useful Rad1 was already in.

But as you say Yevseev does give 10.Be3 as his mainline and admittedly I haven't taken a close look at this option yet. All in all though I think this line is at least good for occasional use as a means of avoiding the heavily trafficked mainlines and surprising unwary opponents.