Answers.Body: <p>I found an explanation of this move in Jon Speelman's <em>Modern Defence</em> book (published 2000):</p>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/z1sfJ.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/z1sfJ.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
  <p>So my intuition was correct; <code>4...Qb6</code> does seem to be the more accurate move.</p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2021-07-31T03:53:36.567Z
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Answers.UserDisplayName: James Ko
Answers.Body: <p>Most likely 4...d5 is a little bit better. Why do you want your queen to b6 at all? Usually developing the queen early in the opening is not recommended (for various different reasons) and I think this is no exception. Queen is offsides on b6. It's premature developing, you don't yet know where the queen belongs. After 4...d5 5.e5, the most common moves for Black are 5...h5 and 5...Nh6. It seems 5...h5 has been more popular lately (at least in my database) and I have to say that I personally like it more as well. Pawn to h3 would be a positional mistake by White. White most likely will (and should) develop his knight to f3 during the next few moves after which Black can play Bg4.</p>
  <p>Anyway, both moves (4...Qb6 and 4...d5) are definitely playable. I think you should vary your openings and use both, even though I believe 4...d5 to be theoretically slightly better (and more in accordance with the chess principles).</p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2021-07-13T17:25:23.937Z
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Answers.UserDisplayName: nyymi
Body: <pre><code>[FEN &quot;&quot;]
  1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 c6 4.f4 d5 (4...Qb6 5.Nf3 d5 6.e5 Bg4 7.Be2) 5.e5 Qb6
  </code></pre>
  <p>According to the Lichess Masters database, both <code>4...Qb6</code> and <code>4...d5 5.e5 Qb6</code> are sidelines for Black that score quite well. Which is the more accurate move order here?</p>
  <p>To me, it seems like <code>4...Qb6</code> is better / more forcing since it comes with a double attack on the d-pawn, forcing White to play <code>5.Nf3</code> and giving our light-squared bishop a clear path to develop on <code>g4</code>. (<code>5.e5</code> seems premature to me-- we haven't committed our d-pawn, so we can start undermining the center with <code>5...d6</code>.) On the other hand, I don't really see the point of <code>4...d5 5.e5 Qb6</code>-- White can play pretty much anything he wants for his 6th move, ie. he can question your queen immediately with <code>6.Na4</code> and then consolidate his pawn chain with <code>c3</code>, or make it harder for our bishop to develop with <code>6.h3</code>. Is my intuition that <code>4...Qb6</code> is better correct?</p>
  
Tags: <opening><modern-defense>
Title: What's the accurate move order for this line?
ThreadText: # What's the accurate move order for this line?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2021-07-13)
  
  ```
  [FEN ""]
  1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 c6 4.f4 d5 (4...Qb6 5.Nf3 d5 6.e5 Bg4 7.Be2) 5.e5 Qb6
  
  ```
  
  According to the Lichess Masters database, both `4...Qb6` and `4...d5 5.e5 Qb6` are sidelines for Black that score quite well. Which is the more accurate move order here?
  
  To me, it seems like `4...Qb6` is better / more forcing since it comes with a double attack on the d-pawn, forcing White to play `5.Nf3` and giving our light-squared bishop a clear path to develop on `g4`. (`5.e5` seems premature to me-- we haven't committed our d-pawn, so we can start undermining the center with `5...d6`.) On the other hand, I don't really see the point of `4...d5 5.e5 Qb6`-- White can play pretty much anything he wants for his 6th move, ie. he can question your queen immediately with `6.Na4` and then consolidate his pawn chain with `c3`, or make it harder for our bishop to develop with `6.h3`. Is my intuition that `4...Qb6` is better correct?
  
  **Tags:** opening, modern-defense
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_0 on 2021-07-31. Score: 1 | Accepted answer
  
  I found an explanation of this move in Jon Speelman's *Modern Defence* book (published 2000):
  
  [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/z1sfJ.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/z1sfJ.png)
  
  So my intuition was correct; `4...Qb6` does seem to be the more accurate move.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2021-07-13. Score: 3
  
  Most likely 4...d5 is a little bit better. Why do you want your queen to b6 at all? Usually developing the queen early in the opening is not recommended (for various different reasons) and I think this is no exception. Queen is offsides on b6. It's premature developing, you don't yet know where the queen belongs. After 4...d5 5.e5, the most common moves for Black are 5...h5 and 5...Nh6. It seems 5...h5 has been more popular lately (at least in my database) and I have to say that I personally like it more as well. Pawn to h3 would be a positional mistake by White. White most likely will (and should) develop his knight to f3 during the next few moves after which Black can play Bg4.
  
  Anyway, both moves (4...Qb6 and 4...d5) are definitely playable. I think you should vary your openings and use both, even though I believe 4...d5 to be theoretically slightly better (and more in accordance with the chess principles).
  
  
  ---
  
  