Which would you rather play as Black?

1. White to move

2. White to move

Both positions occur after seven moves. The difference is that in position 2, Black is telling White that b3 is so useless that he is happy to grant it for free. The first position is more normal and development continues. Which would you rather play as Black and why?

Originally posted by exigentsky
2. [fen]rn1qk2r/1bpp1ppp/1p2pn2/p7/1bPP4/1P3NP1/P2BPPBP/RN1QK2R w KQkq a6 0 7[/fen] White to move

Both positions occur after seven moves. The difference is that in position 2, Black is telling White that b3 is so useless that he is happy to grant it for free. The first position is more normal and development continues. Which would you rather play as Black and why?

I would rather play the second one because IF the game makes it to the endgame white has moved a lot of pawns a created a lot of weaknesses.

I would probably favour the first situation, because I prefer it when my opponent keeps their pawns as far away from the midfield as possible, especially when im playing black. Hard to pick one though, both situations very similar.

B.

Originally posted by tomtom232
I would rather play the second one because IF the game makes it to the endgame white has moved a lot of pawns a created a lot of weaknesses.

the weaknesses apply to the midgame also plus delaying castling could be bad for white.

Originally posted by exigentsky
2. [fen]rn1qk2r/1bpp1ppp/1p2pn2/p7/1bPP4/1P3NP1/P2BPPBP/RN1QK2R w KQkq a6 0 7[/fen] White to move

Both positions occur after seven moves. The difference is that in position 2, Black is telling White that b3 is so useless that he is happy to grant it for free. The first position is more normal and development continues. Which would you rather play as Black and why?

wouldn't it be black to move in the second one if white took the time to play b3 instead of castling because blacks position looks as if he made one less move than in the first position.

It does look like that, but here's how it happens:

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. b3 Bb7 6. Bg2 Bb4+ 7. Bd2 a5

What's so interesting about this position is Black's audacious claim that b3 does so little for White that it actually benefits him to give it to White for free.

Bump!

In the first situation there'd follow 7. O-O O-O and now white can play 8. Bf4 where black can't play 8... d5 well because of 9. c5! 8. Qc2 is not that good as black has 8... Be4! and white's queen doesn't have a better square than b3, from where it has little scope. Another good move for white is 8. Bg5

In the second position after 8. O-O O-O black can respond to 9. Bf4 with 9... d5! Better is 9. Qc2 where 9... Be4 is not good because white now has 10. Qb2. 9. Bg5? is met by a4! where the weakening effect of b3 shows.

So both positions have their own possibilities and subtleties, I personally slightly prefer the second position with black, but both are completely playable for either side. It's a matter of taste more than anything.