We investigate the possibility to detect the scalar Higgs boson decay H → bb in the associated Z and bb production at the LHC using the k T -factorization QCD approach. Our consideration is based on the off-shell (i.e. depending on the transverse momenta of initial quarks and gluons) production amplitudes of q * q * → Z H → Zq q , q * q * → Zq q , and g * g * → Zq q partonic subprocesses supplemented with the Catani-Ciafoloni-FioraniMarchesini (CCFM) dynamics of parton densities in a proton. We argue that the H → bb signal could be observed at large transverse momenta near the Higgs boson peak despite the overwhelming QCD background, and we point out the important role of angular correlations between the produced Z boson and b-quarks.In 2012, during the search performed by the CMS and ATLAS Collaborations at the LHC, the scalar Higgs boson H with a mass m H near 125 GeV has been discovered [1,2], giving us the confidence in the physical picture of fundamental interactions which follows from the Standard Model Lagrangian. Some time later, the ATLAS Collaboration has reported first measurements of the Higgs boson differential cross sections in the γ γ decay mode [3]. The measured cross sections were found to be a bit higher than the central next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) expectations [4][5][6][7][8][9] and those matched with a soft-gluon resummation carried out up to next-to-next-to-leading logarithmic accuracy (NNLL) [10,11], although no significant deviations from the theoretical predictions are observed within the uncertainties [3]. The significant signal was detected also in channels where the Higgs boson decays into the Z Z or W W pairs [12,13]. The interaction of the Higgs particle with the massive Z and W bosons indicates that, as expected, it plays a role in electroweak symmetry breaking. However, a e-mail: lipatov@theory.sinp.msu.ru the interaction with the fermions and whether the Higgs field serves as the source of mass generation in the fermion sector still remain to be established. Since the Higgs boson with mass m H ∼ 125 GeV decays mainly into a beauty quarkantiquark pair [14], the observation and study of the H → bb decay (which involves the direct coupling of the Higgs boson to beauty quarks) is therefore essential in determining the nature of the newly discovered boson.The most sensitive channel for the H → bb events at the LHC is the production of a Higgs particle in association with the Z boson [15]. Despite the largest branching fraction (∼58 %), the H → bb final state is more difficult for the experimental observation compared to the signatures provided by the diphoton or diboson decay modes due to the small signal over background ratio. One of the main backgrounds for the associated Higgs and Z boson production is the associated production of Z boson and two b-quark jets. The corresponding cross sections, calculated at the NNLO level (see [14]), are several orders of magnitude larger than the Higgs boson signal. However, recently the CMS Collaboration reported [16] an excess o...