Can I ask why you did not suggest Kb8-c6? Would this not open up the ability to castle on queen side, though not a good idea here, it does give me some control over b4 and a few others. Is there a reason not to in this case?
Zebra I wouldn’t have thought about checking him because now it wouldn’t do much good. I did however, for a bit, think about bringing out the queen to check at a5, then if/when he brought out his bishop to bring out mine to b4. I was hoping to trade a queen for a queen and the bishops, but then saw that I wouldn’t be able to.
This looks like a waste of time (develop pieces, don’t make moves lie a2-a3 and h2-h3). However I want to play Bf1-d3 without being harassed by Nd5-b4. Experience shows that in this position the bishop on d3 is a great piece - more valuable than a black knight.
Nothing wrong with Nb8-c6. (No doubt it will happen soon.) I just gave some of the likely moves.
I think the exchange of black-square bishops favours me, and I would like to keep queens on the board at present, because when you castle, I hope to attack your king (as the e5 pawn cramps your defence).
I have a ‘travel chess’ board in my office and I’m following the game on it. It is actually a little choctkey gift for the movie The Last Castle. I’ve never used it but you open it like a book and on one side is a backgammon board and on the other a chess/checkers board.
Now I opened it and with the backgammon board to my left, or my right it wouldn’t matter, the A1 square is white. They put the sticker in there wrong. Now if actually playing one person would need to have the backgammon board between them and the chess board.
Oh well it was free. Now I have to reset my board.
If I might interject and ask some questions about a game I played:
e2-e4 e7-e5
d2-d4 b8-c6
d4-d5 c6-b8
c2-c4 f8-c5
g1-f3 d7-d6
f1-d3 h7-h6
o-o g8-f6
b1-c3 a7-a6
a2-a3 c7-c6
b2-b4 c5-b6
c1-e3 c6-c5
h2-h3 b8-d7
d1-a4 c5xb4
a3xb4 b6xe3
f2xe3
I am white in this game and I am not sure if I have the advantage or not. The middle is clogged to say the least and I do have more pieces in there so it seems I would have the advantage. However my King doesn’t have much pawn protection and it seems like I am vulnerable to an end around. Thoughts?
Your opponent has pretty much castrated all of his pieces. The knights are blocking in the queen and the bishop, such that the bishop can’t move and the queen’s releaged to three safe squares. His a pawn is pinned and can’t protect b5 (if he takes anything, you get his rook). The d7 knight is pinned and can’t move to b6 to attack your queen and free the bishop. You have a pretty good position, but if you don’t turn it into a piece advantage shortly you are more vulnerable in the long run.
Thats what I figured. He ended up offering his pawn up on the rook row and I took it. He used his rook to take my pawn. I took his rook with my queen and then we traded queens. I just used my advantage in pieces to win the game.
White is clearly in the advantage here. He has more pieces developed and better pawn structure to attack the King. Black has severly handcuffed himself by his two pawns blocking his bishops. White’s bishops on the other hand are out and free to harass the opponents. Black needs to remove atleast one of those pawns thereby weakening whites positions. The best way to do is would be to capture e5 with d6. White will probably capture that pawn with its knight. While it is not desirable for black to leave that knight unmolested for any amount of time he will have to weaken his king side pawn structure to do so.
White has many options in front of him but the most likely move will be Nb1-c3. This leaves black with a few options. Trade knights with him which allows white to bring his b pawn closer to the center which will improve whites position. Bring out his queen to pin the knight. Ultimately this will accomplish nothing as white will move b2-b4 forcing his queen back in. Black’s best move in this situation would to be accept that he will lose position and attempt to make the best of the situation by either b8-c6 to threaten the pawn or d6xe5.
If I provided too much detail on possible moves or current situation let me know and I will reign it in.
The central position is blocked, so the only way forward is with pawn exchanges (c4-c5 / f7-f5). Since neither of these is well-supported, nothing will happen for a while.
Neither king is in any danger.
The White bishop on d3 is badly blocked by its own pawns.
A draw is the most likely.
The Black bishop is superior to the White one.
No pieces are ‘castrated’ (whatever that means!).
Blocked positions take time to sort out, but since your opponent has nothing much to do, you can do that. in this case castling will unpin the Black knight on d7, which can then move freeing the bishop and queen.
It’s true the p on b5 is pinned. However White has no way to use this.
There is no way for White to win a piece.
I do have a slight advantage, but this position has been happily played by grandmasters from both sides.
Certainly exchanges are a standard way to free a cramped position. However d6xe5 would be answered by d4xe5. White keeps Black’s pieces out of f6.
Nb1-c3 does exchange the best Black piece. However it weakens White’s pawns (on a3 + c3) after the exchange. I usually play Bc1-d2 first, then recapture on c3 with the bishop.
Yes I suppose I personally am a fan of having pawns as close to each other and to the king as possible. b4 is going to be a good outpost for your bishop and if they are ever traded your pawn structure becomes nearly ideal.
Blacks in a delicate situation here. His llama on c6 doesn’t have anywhere to go and is not seriously threatening any piece. His white bishop (priest in my case I suppose) is blocked by his own pawn one way and whites bishop the other way out. Perhaps Qd8-b6 would be a good way to hold blacks bishop on the backrow for a bit. It would also threaten d4 but would easily be countered by Bd5-e4 or c4. Qd8-a7 also might be a good move allowing Nc7-b4 although there isn’t enough gain for risking a skewer of the knight by the bishop pinning it there until such time the rook can be moved or defended.
Eventually black is going to want to trade his d pawn for whites e pawn. It will open up his pieces a bit while isolating a pawn. If white wants to support that pawn with another he will have to bring up his f pawn weaking the protection around his king.
glee how did you end up with two SDMB games going? Did you run your mouth a bit in another thread? Or are we in the presence of chess greatness?
Or are we in the presence of chess greatness?