Black has doubled pawns and cannot castle, so how can black be better in the final position? My stockfish engine rates the final position as half a point better for black. I am learning how to defend the Maroczy Bind as black and could use some help because all the resources I check seem to write off the e5 push as simple foolishness - what am I missing?
Critical Line in the Maroczy Bind, Gurgenidze Variation
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That's an interesting question. Here's a game where white plays the suggested line from game explorer. Of course black is a pawn ahead, despite being doubled and it is a central one. Black does well if white doesn't trade in the other two games...viz taking the pawn on e5
Will have to look at from the white side !
Transform the position!
What do you see now?
I see a king that is centralized ready for the endgame.
I see a 7 vs 6 pawn favor in black.
I see whites only chance for winning is to use his queen side 3 to blacks 2.
However, I see a black king in the right spot to stop that from happening.
I see blacks chance for winning is to use his king side majority vs whites minority.
