So I take it that we are going to ignore the mate in 3 here and we imagine pieces and positions around this structure.
The answer to your question varies by position. It really does depend on the structure of the position. For instance, is the a1-h8 diagonal open? There may be tactics involved with Bxg7 and then Qd4+.
Sometimes black will take on h6 if it deflects the queen away from something useful on the queenside.
There is not really a fast and easy answer to your question.
your right its bad for black to exchange bishops but it doesnt matter becuz black is lost all you can do is cross your fingers and hope for a draw
which isnt going 2 happen
I'm asking about what you're supposed to do in a fairly equal position where the pieces in the diagram are arranged as shown. There are other pieces. I just felt it wasn't neccessary to place them. Especially since there are thousands of different positions where this could happen. Please assume that there are other pieces on the board and the position is relatively equal.
RobKing: In every master game I've seen that comes to this type of position, the move black plays is Bxh6. I would be very interested in seeing a master game in which black ignores the white bishop. Thanks!
I understand where you're coming from. Such positions often arrive in, say, the Dragon defense in the Sicilian complex. In such situations, black often takes on h6 in order to prevent forks by the queen along the a1-h8 diagonal. Sometimes it's furthermore, with an unopenable h-file, the queen may find itself out of position on h6. Of course, there are also situations where leaving the bishop on g7, like you suggest, is correct, certainly if black is far behind in development this is more likely, though if black is far behind in development at this point, he's probably in trouble. The other option you'll see a lot is moving the g7 bishop, often to h8, which is made much more palatable is there's no rook on f8, but is sometimes correct (saccing the exchange) even if there is.
ok to answer your question. its bad for black to exchange bishops because it positions whites queen unless black can attack the queen with another peice in the next few moves and chase the queen off while developing a peice like nc5 or qf8 qg7 etc.
Put a Rh1 in your diagram and then you will see why BL will often make the exchange himself.
If he plays 1....Bxh6 2.Qxh6 then BL would now have a tempo to defend with something like ...Nf6 if possible, or whatever useful defensive move he might have to guard h7.
But suppose instead BL played something unrelated like 1...a6 whatever, allowing WT to make the exchange 2.Bxg7 Kxg7 3.Qh6+ Kg8 4.Qxh7+ etc ... he doesnt get a defensive tempo to use and WT's attack comes as a Forcing sequence instead.
There are both times when it is better to initiate such an exchange, others to allow the other side to do it. But another alternative often exists, which is to avoid that B exchange altogether if need be. Such as a move like Bh8 sometimes played in this type position in some Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack games, for instance.
Often too WT would want to have his h-file already open before making the B trade himself, for the tempo reason mentioned. To be Forcing. Otherwise if he traded Bg7 but still had to play a move like h5 push to get the h-file open, then again BL has a tempo to try to defend that. And might use it for a move that either attacks h6 to keep the Q out or a move that would let the Qh6 happen but cover the h7 pawn from being taken. Etc.
As suggested above ... it depends on the actual position. You would likely Not want the Qh6 to be allowed if his next move were going to be Ng5 and there was no way to defend h7 then against that Q+N attack on it. Position relative, as so many choices are.
Thanks for the great responses! I think I understand now.
Hmm There's a problem in replying to that. The correct reply actually varies from position to position.
It depends on the rest of the board. In some positions Bxh6 is correct and anything else would lose the game, in others Bxh6 would lose. in some you can choose... You're really going to have to give a specific position becasue there is no one answer that fits all such positions (or even most of these positions).
I have a question about mid games in general and I was wondering if someone could help me out. In the position, I only show the pieces that are important to my question. NOTE: The white king's location is unimportant.
I find positions in games in which the pieces are used just like in the sequence I show. However, I think that after white plays Bh6, black should ignore the bishop and play something unrelated (develop a piece, push a pawn, etc.). Later, white plays Bxg7 and black plays Kxg7 and avoids having white's queen so close to the black king.
So why, whenever I see a game that reaches this type of position, black plays Bxh6 instead of my suggestion, which to me seems better? Anyone know?