02 Mar The position where both 6.Rg1!? and 6.Rb1!? are eminently sensible

Although moving a Rook early in the opening is not very common, there are some known examples of such moves that have become popular, like the 6. Rg1 in Sicilian Najdorf. But how about a position that both 6. Rg1 and 6. Rb1 are sensible candidate moves? And that’s not all. The best part is that both of them practically do the same job on the board!

Obviously, I don't claim that 6.Rg1 or 6.Rb1 are the strongest replies in this position. Nevertheless, those moves look very interesting, they are definitely unexplored, and furthermore, after analyzing the positions either by using an engine or not, i couldn't see how Black gets to equalize. So, if you ever find yourself playing White in this opening, and you don't mind about the Bg5 idea, go for 6.h3 or 6. Be2. Besides, GM Ding Liren - one of the best players in the world - went for h3 too, against GM Liu Qingnan in 2014, when after some serious complications the game ended in a draw. But then again, he didn't have the chance to read this article at that time, did he 🙂 On the other hand, if you want to surprise your opponent and ruin his frustrating, thematic exchange plan, now you know what to do. There is just one question left: Which Rook to move...?