The Process of Decision Making in Chess Volume 2: Practice positions and solutions. Position 10.5

You can get the books series and apply for a free lesson here: https://www.strongerchess.com/

Solve the challenge below:

Diagram 10.5- being a pawn down but with a more active king (the conclusions from the observation stage), white decides to go for maximal activity by creating targets to attack in black’s camp: b5! This gives white a dynamically equal position, since now the king marches deeper into black’s queenside.

Challenge: going through observation white also noticed the weak c6 pawn, should he go for it with Bd7 instead of the suggested idea?

Bd7 would be met with Be8:

- If White decides to back off, then Black gains a more favorable position in defending the queenside, and with tempo

-If White decides to capture, Ke8 will favor Black just as well.

However, b5 forces the queenside pawn island to break:

- If Black moves c5, it will be met with dxc5, and bxc5 leaves the b-pawn for an uninterrupted march to promotion

 - If cxb5: 1.Kb5 Be8 2. Bf1 Ke7 3. Bxb5 Bxb5 4. Kxb5 Kd6 5. Kxb6... After Kxb6, g4 must be activated to prevent the Black king to move to f5. But, in the case where he does move to f5, White K must move to c6.

I agree with you here. My only thought to add is if b5, then be8 and black is ok. Right?

If Black plays Be8 after b5, White can advance his king Kb4, and White is still winning. Then if cxb5, Bf1, and then a random move, does not matter much, 1.Bxb5 Bxb5 2. Kxb5 then Black's move doesn't matter much and then White plays 3.Kxb6

No, white should not target the weak pawn c6 for Bd7 can be met with Black Be8. However b5 will create either a strong passed pawn or black to double up his pawns on the b-file and White's king can easily recapture them both with the help of the bishop if need be since white's king's advancement is far superior to that of the black king. White's king will also be better positioned to attack d5 which eventually will fall

I agree wih drichervon, but would play Kd7 instead of Kd6. After Kxb6 black plays Kd6 and has the opposition.

If Be8, then Kb4 and Bc8 is needed for the Bishop to go a6 or b7 depending on Black's move with the c-pawn.

 Because in the case that Black does not capture with the c-pawn, the Bc8 can attack it from b7. Whereas it would be impossible if it were on the Bf1 square.