The Process of Decision Making in Chess Volume 2: Practice positions and solutions. Position 9.11

Solve the challenge below:

I like a4 followed by Ba3 - it can't be attacked easily, has influence over a strong diagonal and could be played with a tempo. e4 can't be readily played because of the knight on f6, and even if it's prepared by Bd6 it's not clear that either f4 or g5 are good squares for bishop.

The other advantage is that black's light squared bishop has similar development issues so rapidly developing the bishop followed by opening the center with cxd5 and c4 seems like it should favour white (not to mention white has more queenside space).

you give away your doubled-pawns

It depends on my plan. If I plan to exchange the double pawn, I can do Bb2.

e4, dxe, Ng5 and after taking the e-pawn, i have a nice position.

@O_Wrapper what if Nxe instead of dxe?

I have the same opinion as immense010.

 a4-ba3 seems like the best plan any other place seems pretty good for the bishop and if it has a better place to be it can rerout trought c1 and d6 possibly later I do not any other move that places the bishop on a good square

a4 aslo prepares to attack the b pawn after b6 since black will most likely want its bishop on b7

On peut jouer a4 et Fa3 ,attaquant la tour f8 et évitant également les poussées vers c5

it is funny position