Please help analyze this position

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iforkyou

This was a position one of my players was in.  He didn't make the best move, not seeing the bishop waiting for the pin against the king.  Which move is going to keep him at least even.  If you can, please go through some progressions. 

White to move.

Thanks in advance.

Neil

zkman

1. Qd2 Bb4

1. Bd2 Qb6 seems pretty strong

I would recommend 1. Ke2! which seems to hold everything together

fissionfowl

What makes you sure there's a move that will give White an even position?

nameno1had

I decided, I wanted to see what chessmaster has to say. It doesn't look good, no matter what I am calculating with my brain. So I will get a second opinion.

Crazychessplaya

Kd1.

nameno1had
Crazychessplaya wrote:

Kd1.


This is the move that Chessmaster gives as the best reply. The game ends in a draw. If anyone wants I will make a pgn file for a board, so they can look through the moves.

iforkyou
fissionfowl wrote:

What makes you sure there's a move that will give White an even position?


I've worked through a few scenarios, but I'm not sure I've covered them all or have seen all the progressions.  I was thinking a king move on a white square would be best, but getting the queen pinned is obviously bad. 

waffllemaster

Instead of being so surprised at the odd looking move, look at the alternatives.  Obviously blocking with the queen loses the queen.  Blocking with the bishop loses the d pawn.

I calculated Bd2 Nxd4 Qd3 Qb6 which amazingly my computer says is =

Oh, I see black is missing a pawn on g7, so white didn't lose a pawn.

So yeah, Kd1 keeps the material and is only bad if black as a strong attack.  This kind of king move isn't uncommon in certain openings, the french being one of them... the center being locked points to the correctness of this move, as it's harder for black's pieces to find open lines to white's king.  It's a good training position to play out with a student (or computer I guess) to see how there is no winning attack (if you feel there should be).

If you don't think there's a winning attack after Kd1, then you understand the position :p  It's just annoying for white as the king is in the way of the rooks.  For that reason Ke2 is worth considering (although this time it blocks the bishop of course).

iforkyou

@ wafflemaster, thanks for the reply.  It's obviously better not to block with the bishop or queen.  I'll have to try to work out Ke2, as that's what I was thinking.  Blocking the bishop is bad, but at least it could fianchetto...

Best

Neil