In the following game I'm playing black and to move. Stockfish suggest ...a5 as the best, but black pawns is pointing at the white king side. Is playing on the king side bad, or should black play the engine suggested move?
We can't give advice about an ongoing game.
The game was played in my local club 2 weeks ago.
[Date "2018.10.16"]
[Result "1-0"]
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Be7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 d5 6. cxd5 exd5 7. O-O c6 8. d3 Bf5 9. Nh4 Be6 10. a3 Nbd7 11. b4 a6 12. Bb2 Re8 13. Rc1 Rc8 14.Qc2 Qc7 15. e4 c5 16. Nxd5 Bxd5 17. exd5 Qb6 18. Nf5 Bf8 19.Rfe1 Qd8 20. d6 cxb4 21. Rxe8 Qxe8 22. Qxc8 1-0
The idea to play on the side of the board where your pawns are pointing really only applies to positions where the pawns are fixed. Some examples would be the main lines of the French and King's Indian. In your game the pawns are still fluid so there is no definitive side you should be playing on. The engine likes 11. a5 because if White takes or allows you to capture on b4 then White will be left with an isolated pawn and you'll have a open file for your Rook. If White instead pushes on with b5 then you can counter with d4 to attack the Knight that defends b5.
The idea to play on the side of the board where your pawns are pointing really only applies to positions where the pawns are fixed. Some examples would be the main lines of the French and King's Indian. In your game the pawns are still fluid so there is no definitive side you should be playing on. The engine likes 11. a5 because if White takes or allows you to capture on b4 then White will be left with an isolated pawn and you'll have a open file for your Rook. If White instead pushes on with b5 then you can counter with d4 to attack the Knight that defends b5.
Thanks for your input. I wasn't aware the pointing-pawn rule only applies in locked centre. Probably I have heard this sometimes before, but I forgot. Even so, I played the passive ...a6.
The game was 1 hour/all moves, and I got in time trouble, and lost the game.
In the following game I'm playing black and to move. Stockfish suggest ...a5 as the best, but black pawns is pointing at the white king side. Is playing on the king side bad, or should black play the engine suggested move?