Hi,

I need some help  with the following endgame:

After 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Nf3 c5 8. Rb1 O-O 9. Be2 Nc6 10. d5 Bxc3+ 11. Bd2 Bxd2+ 12. Qxd2 Nd4 13. Nxd4 cxd4 14. Qxd4 Qa5+ 15. Qd2 Qxd2+ 16. Kxd2
Here, 16. ..f5 is criticised as being "premature" because 17. e5 Rd8 18. Ke3 is "good for white".

However, I've taken a closer look at this ending and I do not see how white gets anything at all after 18. ..b6 followed by 19. ..Bb7. It seems to me that white is always tied to the defense of the d5-pawn and it cannot be sacrificed in any promising way at all.

Any suggestions as to how white should proceed?

My instinct is to play 19. Rhc1 Bb7 20. Rc7 Bxd5 21. Rxe7 but this may be an equally hard to evaluate position.

I will look at this some more, because 10. ... Bxc3+ is supposed to just be a mistake, but clearly it's not just a simple win for white.

I looked briefly at that, but it seems to me that black gets the upper hand after 21. ..Re8 22. Rxe8+ Rxe8. You'll have to sacrifice the g2-pawn and it doesn't seem like white gets enough compensation after either f4 or Kf4.

I think I've found a promising continuation in another line:

19. Rhd1 Bb7 20. Rbc1 Bxd5 (here 20. ..Rac8!? 21. Bf3 Rxc1 22. Rxc1 Bxd5 23. Rd1 e6 24. Bxd5 exd5 25. Rc1 transposes) 21. Rxd5 Rxd5 22. Bc4 Rad8 (22. ..e6? 23. Bxd5 exd5 24. Rc7 is an inferior version of the same) 23. Rd1 e6 24. Bxd5 exd5 (24. ..Rxd5?? 25. Rxd5 exd5 26. Kd4 and white wins the pawn ending), thus far Balasz - Isepy 2001, and now instead of 25. Kd4?! Rc8! =+ better seems 25. Rc1! d4+ (else white gets a very nice bind on the position with Kd4) 26. Kd3 and black faces a difficult defense.
I've tried this out with Fritz for a while and it seems that black must prevent a situation with white's rook on the 7th and black's king on e8/f8/g8 because the e-pawn then really becomes a monster.
On the other hand if black tries to keep control of the 7th by playing Rd7, white can place his rook on c6 and assault the black position with a4-a5 and h4-h5 (ofcourse after first playing f4). Also at a favorable moment white can regain the pawn with Rc4 and Rxd4.

It's probably not won for white but it doesn't seem alot of fun to defend for black.

10. ..Bxc3+ is indeed dubious, but I encounter it alot on playchess so it is worth knowing how to deal with it ;-)
Most don't know this line leading into an endgame though and play 12. ..Na5.

Hoi/Hi!

Why ain´t Be2-b5-c6 possible? Would the resulting white pawn at c6 be week? Wouldn´t white have some counterplay if black opts for Bc8-b7xc6? This said after a fast look assuming that the defense against (4.Bb5) Rxd5 should be 5.Bc6 (Rxe5+ 6. Kf4).

 Greetings/"gelj"

P.S. Ik scrhijf graag in het Nederlands als u maar geen bezwaar me heeft, dat ik uw taal niet vloeiend praat. Engels kan ook. natuurlijk. D.S.

Hmm, seems like white would want to avoid those trades if he can -- just thinking out loud here, why not something like this?  Followed with an a pawn push a4-a5 it seems like white should infiltrate on the b or c files, seems very strong for white.

The problem with playing Bb5-c6 is that the passed pawn isn't that much of an asset. Remember that black has his own potential passed pawn with the a7-b6 majority versus white's sole a2-pawn.
It would be a good idea if the pawn is decisive immediately, but as far as I can see black can just blockade it and slowly round the pawn up.

The problem with Kd4 is that black can exploit the king's position with Bxd5 Bxd5+ e6. Rb5 Rac8! then leaves white without sensible moves.

My thought (about Bb5-c6) was to give the pawn at c6 away and as compensation get a rook at the seventh rank. Thereafter - if black so admits - take the pawn at a7 (or the pawn at e7 followed by playing the rook to the queenside). My guess is that black after having captured c6 would play his rook to the second rank. Which rook would then be the strongest - the white or the black? That´s the question.

To be more clear: 4.Bb5 Bb7 5.Bc6 Bxc6 6. dxc Rac8 7. Rhd1 (threatening Rd7) Rxd1 8. Rxd1 Rxc6 9. Rd7. Just a thought.

oops, I missed that pin, yeah the king can't defend on d4.  It just seems like with those pawns and the advanced king position... optically white looks very good.  I guess you guys already messed with it with fritz.  Not as obvious as the annotator thought when he said "good for white" I guess.