Move 14. Conditional Move Thread

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andrewlong

I think the most likely moves for him are:
Bb5
Bd3
Rb1
Rd1
h3

By no means exhaustive, of course.

For either bishop move (Bb5 or Bd3), I think Ne7 is the right reply.

Rc1 is also a good candidate move regardless of what he plays (well, almost regardless). 

andrewlong

f@!#... my comment was eaten... ill try again

andrewlong

@VegetableMan - I admit I was too hasty suggesting Ne7 (I was gone for 2 days, needed time to get my head around the game again). However, with Bd3 and Bg5, I would ask the same question, why Na5? We no longer need to move the bishop if we want to play c4, and it doesn't seem to be doing anything but defending the pawn since the fork at b3 is also gone.

 

I think 14. Bd3 14... e5 is the best response. He is going to move his bishop again to avoid the bishop/knight fork, or if he takes he doesnt have much of a center left after Nxe5.

I think if 14. Bg5 this may be a good time for Ne4 (definitely not Ne7, why take away the possibility of them trading off LSB for knight?!). e5 probably wont work since he doesnt have to waste a move with the bishop to avoid the fork. Instead he just gets closer to liberating his DSB by taking a pawn.

Regarding Na5 -- I am fine with the move in general, but I'd like to look further into if he can do any damage along the a3-f8 diagonal (essentially making Bb2 a temporary decoy move to get us to  make moves to make Ba3 more viable). If he can get the bishop to convert to the king side via Bd6, that would be bad. I also do not see that happening.

So then so far our conditon moves table is:

Anything other than whats below and obvious blunders - 14... Na5

Bd3 - consensus not reached -- candidate moves e5 and Na5

Bg5 - consensus not reached -- candidate moves Ne4 and Na5 (ill also add Ng4 as a possibility)

[edit]

Ba2 - Ne4 also looks good

[end edit]

e4 - cxd4

dxc5 - bxc5