Position of the day-25.9

Hi,

Use all stages of evaluation (opponent's threats, positional, tactical- in that order, you can find some more info here if you are new to it) to suggest a plan and a move in this position:

I will say that I hate this kind of positions. We have a knight on a very nice place, but i can not see how to use it. I am never going to get control of e2 to fork rook and king. The next obvious move for white is Qxb7. I have to defend b7. The only solution I see is Qb6 with a sharp continuation 2. Nd5 Qxb2 3. Nxf6 exf6 4. Rb1 Qc3 I don't see much more on this position.

Hi gfaq,

Your last sentence "I don't see much more on this position" is exactly the reason why I teach my students to constructively aproach each position and apply all stages of evaluation by their order. 

Check them out at the provided link above, and please try again this time going through the suggested steps.

 

By the way, in your suggested variation 3.Nxf6 allowes 3..Rc8xRc1, so tactically it's not working. Also, instead 3. Nxf6 look at 3. Rb1 and tell me your opinion about it.

I see i lose the knight with 3. Rb1 as my Queen has to "hide".

The two movements I see causing me a big problem are Qxb2 or Nd5. Thinking about it twice, maybe not enough but I am goingto try...

1. ... Qd7

If 2. Nd5 I cannot move my bishop or I loose e7 so I would think 2. ... e5 to protect the knight in d4

3. Nxf6. Rxf6.

I would think that black position is clearly better. The plan is to move the central paws up taking advantage than the d pawn is a passed one.

Threats:

 

The only tactical threat I see is Qxb7 No other moves appear to be a problem we can't deal with. I'm a bit nervous about white's ability to force a piece into the hole on e6, but that isn't an immediate threat. 

 

Positional Analysis:

 

Space: neither side has any pawns in the center. White contests 9 squares in blacks' camp. Black contests 5 squares in white's camp. White has a space advantage right now. 

 

Development: both sides can be said to be developed with the exception of the black queen, which can develop to a useful square in one move.  White has the slightest advantage in development. 

 

Piece Quality: 

Queen side rooks -- equal, they are both placed on the only fully open file, they are both fighting for key squares

King side rooks -- while they both sit on the F-file, that file is half-open for black, advantage black. 

           knights -- white's knight is on a solidly defended square attacking key central squares, it can easily be maintained on this square. Black's knight is not on a similar outpost (though it can move to one easily enough) it attacks central squares and if it can be maintained on this outpost would be stronger than white's knight. Slight advantage black, could be a significant advantage if black can establish d4 as an outpost. 

            Bishops --- black's bishop is on a long diagonal attacking the center, white's bishop is centralized and attacks a key diagonal as well. equal. 

           Queens -- white's queen is centralized and active. black's queen is not developed and has no significant squares it can attack immediately. advantage white.

   

 

So for piece quality we can say black has a slight advantage. 

 

Material: black is up a pawn advantage black 

 

 

So, for plans we are looking for moves that will do at least one or more of the following: 

1) create a space advantage for black from an equal position

2) contest white's development advantage

3) increase black's piece quality advantage

4) maintain or increase black's material advantage

 

So ideas (looked at without doing calculation of the move's outcome):

 

1) e5 is one idea, it makes an outpost for the knight, attacks space in white's camp with a pawn. but it also decreases the quality of the bishop and appears to give up the b pawn. 

2) Rxc3 is another idea, it takes away some of white's central square control but appears to give up too much, still worth looking at. 

3) Qb6 defends the material advantage

4) Be5 attacks key squares on white's queen side and improves the piece quality

5) Qc7 to defend the material advantage 

6) Qd7 to defend the material advantage

7) Rc6 brings the rook up preparing to double heavy pieces on the open file and blocks the attack on the b7 pawn

 

So, let's calculate each of those moves:

 

 

1) 1. … e5 2. Qxb7 Rb8 3. Qxa7 Rxb2 then what? maybe  4. Ne4 -- at which point black is better in terms of space, equal in terms of development, better in terms of piece quality and equal in terms of material, but white will have the initiative. 

 

2) 1. … Rxc3 2. bxc3 d4 3. Qe3 Nc6 when black is better in terms of space about equal in terms of development and piece quality and behind material. This probably favors white slightly but might be playable. 

 

3) 1. .. Qb6 2. Nd5 Qxb2 3. Rb1 and white probably has a winning advantage due to piece quality

 

4) 1. … Be5 2. f4!! seems to favor white after Bf6 and all black did was give white space and piece quality without doing anything for himself

 

5) 1. .. Qc7 and I'm really not sure what white does. Looks equal but I have a hard time finding a clear plan for either side. maybe 2. Qe3 Qa5? and now maybe 3. … Rxc3 works to black's favor a bit more? This looks slightly arguably ok for black. 

 

6) 1. … Qd7 2. Nd5 screams to be played, and after Rxc1 Rxc1 white comes out winning the piece quality and space battles

 

7) 1. … Rc6 2. Ne2 d5 3. Qe3 Nxe2+ 4. Bxe2 e5 -- and white's gained significant space improved piece quality, white's piece quality is decreased, and material balance is still in black's favor. 

 

 

My choices are going to be either 1. … e5, 1. .. Qc7 and … 1. .. Rc6 

 

I'm leaning towards 1. … Rc6 but the other two lines I"m not sure I've found the best follow up moves for either side yet, while in the Rc6 line it looks pretty forcing to me, as, for example, doing something other than Ne2 will allow moves like e5, or d5 anyway . ..

 

 

Hi David,

I enjoyed reading your analysis.

Some points to note here:

1) there is a mix up between positional and tactical evaluation, which is sometimes ok when the goal of the tactic is positional, like Rxc3. however, keep an eye on that, so you dont forget going through that stage as well.

2) regarding the move e5, we saw it has a very bad effect on our quality of the bishop. is there another way to fight for the squares in the center and at the same time rid ourselves of the swiss cheese of light square weaknesses we have?

3) You've mentioned the quality of both queens the same. I think they are uncompareable, white's queen dominates many central squares.

4) The "threat" on b7- we must decide whether it's really a threat. what happens if it's not attended to, and he takes Qxb7. you discussed it in the e5 variation, it's not enough, we also need to look at it if nothing changes as well (2nd move in a row for the opponent).

 

so think about these points, especially the 2nd one. because we must cover all options, even the not-so-much intuitive ones, as sometimes it's exactly where the truth of a position is

I have been looking at this 1. ... e6 2. ... d5 I don't see clearly white moves maybe Qxb7.

This is for your remarks of the swiss cheese....

Hello all :)

yes may be e6 followed by d5 to keep the N on the center

Qxb7 is not realy dangerous because of Qxb7 Rb8 (or Rc7)

guys can you try and find a better response to Qxb7 after e6 then Rb8 (or Qa5)?

the theme here is how to exploit concentration of pieces around the opponent's king position when left less guarded (by moving the queen away to b7).

think about it and share your opinions with me.