IncrediBill vs zrylam (with kibitzers)

I also would like to know if you start up a game.

I think this is a good initiative, it helps understand a lot of thoughts behind the moves.

If this were a tournament game, or one where the loser buys the beer, then playing Qc7 would leave Black no choice but to initiate the perpetual checks and force the game into a Draw situation.

I have been in a number of games where I had a clear upper hand, only to have my opponent force the game into a Draw.  It almost felt like a loss, because I allowed my opponent to escape when I was so close to victory.  We all watch out for that accidental Stalemate situation, but what about the one where your opponent can thwart your victory by forcing a Draw.

As long as @zrylam has his Queen lurking just above my King, he has that option of forcing a Draw.  Now that I have played Qc3, I have eliminated that possibility.  The only thing that can happen now is that we exchange Queens if he puts my King in check.

Do you wanna be black or white? White opens the thread (with the first move in the first post) :)

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/game-analysis/mainlinenovelty-vs-stubbornd0nkey--with-kibitzers

This is getting popular!!!

Yea, I'd play if anyone is interested :D

@zrylam's last move, 35...Rd6 in Post # 228, has just put me down a pawn.  Not the end of the world, but I would certainly like to even things up again, considering that we are coming to the end of the game.

I could play 36.Qh8+ and force his King off the back rank, and then follow that up with the capture of his h7-pawn (evening things up) and saving tempo by putting him back in check again.

However, I do not like the idea of his doubled up Rooks bearing down on my singular Rook.  One slip up from me, and I could end up losing both of my Rooks in a lopsided exchange. 

Also, I do not like the idea of taking my Queen off of the third rank and leaving myself in the situation where my opponent could force a draw through a series of perpetual checks.  (See Post #221 and then Post #223)

I think the best option for me right now is to exchange his d6-Rook with my d1-Rook.  After that, I can worry about evening up the pawn situation.  Unless someone can come up with a different option, then I will make the Rook exchange my official move tomorrow.

As I pointed out in Post #230, I did not like the idea of his doubled up Rooks bearing down on my one lone Rook.  I will therefore do an exchange with him before worrying about evening up the pawns.

My official move is . . . . . . .36.Rxd6

@zrylam had a 50-50 choice as to whether to recapture the Rook with either his Queen or his other Rook.  Between the two choices I think he made the better one.  If he had captured with his Rook, then the game could have unfolded as follows:

Of course, @zrylam is a lot smarter than to let the above sequence unfold exactly as I have suggested above (I was just rushing through some quick moves and scenarios).  However, I think that it does show that capturing with his Rook was the weaker of the two choices.

As far as the choice of capturing with the Queen . . . . . . . . ?

Well that is what we are about to find out.

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Prior to the Rook exchange we just did, my plan was to even things up by avenging my pawn.  (I am currently down one pawn)  I don't see any other lines of attack, so I think the best option would be to avenge my pawn and get my Queen in behind the enemy lines.  I think it puts me in a better position as well.  So my plans are to move my Queen onto the h8 square and give check, followed by capturing the h7-pawn and giving check again.  Unless someone has a different strategy, then that is what I will make as my official move later tonight.

I've had 24 hours to run through some different scenerios, and the best move I seem to keep coming back to is the idea I expressed in Post #234.

Therefore, my official move is . . . . . 37.Qh8+

@zrylam is once again left with two possible choices, either moving his King to the e7 or f7 square.  In either case, I will be responding with 38.Qxh7+, creating the positions below.

If @zrylam just wants to jump straight to his move #38, and continue from the above position, then that is fine with me.

With the exception of @zrylam playing 38...Ke6, I had already planned on playing 39.Rg1, whether he moved his King to the e8, f8 or f6 squares.  I actually expected him to move to one of the back rank squares which, I think, would have ultimately cost me my b6-pawn.

Now that he has decided to move his King to the f6-square, I think that moving my Rook to the g1-square is warranted, now, more than ever, because it will allow my b6-pawn to live.

Here is how the game currently stands:

Unless someone has a different idea than 39.Rg1, I will make that my official move later tonight.

As I outined in Post #238.  My official move is . . . . . . 39.Rg1

Here is where the game stands:

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That is a very good move. I did not see that one. It will be interesting to see what @zylam is answering.

perhaps Qh5

I think that @stubborn_d0nkey meant to suggest Qh6 instead of "5".  If he did mean Qh5, then I wouldn't mind seeing what lines he was thinking of.

I would agree with @stubborn_d0nkey, though, that Qh6 is the move to make.  It leaves Black with only two (realistic) choices and then I can capture the g5-pawn, while zrylam follows up by capturing my b6-pawn . . . . . and we are all even again.  Of course, my Queen and Rook are linked up nicely together, so there is a definite advantage.

I am exploring another option, and that is to push my b-pawn up to the b7 square, and then follow that move up with the Qh6 move.  This sequence is a bit more "grey" for me to try and predict as to what @zrylam will do.  Its hard to be objective when I am playing against myself. 

I've tried to do a couple of scenarios to see how "pushing the pawn" would work out, and for the most part I am pleased with the result.  But am I making honest moves for @zrylam or is it just wishful thinking.

So what do I do?  The straight forward and direct move, 40.Qh6, or the unexpexted plot twist move, 40.b7.

Here is how the game looks from White's persepective:

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I did mean Qh5, but I didnt do much analysis, the reason behind that move is that the queen also defends d1 (as well as attack the g pawn) which means the rook doesn't have to guard from mate anymore and can possibly get involved in the action sooner.

I'm wondering did you consider Qf8 as a reply to b7?

If I played 40.b7, then I assumed that he would respond by pushing up his pawn with 40...g4.  That way my Rook would be blocked from advancing.

Here is what I envisioned for the response of 40...Qf8

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