TL Chess Match 4 - Page 114

20. Nf1: 11 (jdseemoreglass, keyStorm, wizard944, EnderSword, Malli, sGs.Kal_rA, Bill Murray, Ikari, hype[NZ], shackes, Maixori, LaXerCannon, popzags)
20. Rb1: 0 (hp.Shell)
20. Nf3: 16 (Raysalis, mastergriggy, qrs, SheaR619, EvilNalu, chesshaha, Maixori, dtvu, jdseemoreglass, GenesisX, Chezus, timh, Malinor, hp.Shell, Mash2, Blazinghand, itsjustatank)
20. g3: 0 (qrs)

How is it a good move to give Black our d-pawn for free? After your 20.Nf1 Rb3 21.Ne3 Bd8 22.Bd2 Rd3 23.Bb4 Rxd4 24.Rad1, Black can simply proceed with 24...RxR 25. RxR c6 to keep the pawn that we've handed him. At that point, while we technically are still a pawn up, our extra pawn comes in the form of the doubled, isolated, and essentially indefensible a-pawn, whereas Black has two connected passed pawns.

Re "the a-pawns are in fact very well defended by the bishop," I don't see how we can prevent Black picking up the a5 pawn at any time via the plan ...Re8, ...[a6 Bishop moves out of the way], ...Bxa5.

I should have been clearer about the Bishop on d8. I forgot to mention it because I was working off the line you gave, which starts 20.Nf1 Rb3 21.Ne3 Bd8 22.Bd2 Rd3 23.Bb4 Rxd4 24.Rad1 Rxd1 25.Rxd1 c6 26.Nf5 Bc7 27. g3. From that point on, the Bishop is already off d8, and the Black strategy we're talking about is one move closer to happening.

I agree with you that this plan is, as you say, long-winded, and it's possible that if Black just commits to it immediately, we can take advantage of this to further our position somehow. That's why I carefully said "at any time": while it's true that this plan takes a long time to come to fruition, the flip side of the coin is that it has a long shelf life: I don't see any good way for us to save the pawn. Therefore, Black can take his time about it, play the individual moves of the plan at the best times for him, and then capture the pawn when he's ready to do so.

Having now looked at the position more carefully, I see that Black can't just embark on this plan immediately because we threaten Re1 as soon as he moves his Rook, so I concede that the a5 pawn is not as easy for Black to capture as I'd thought at first glance. Even so, I don't think that we can really count a5 as a full pawn lead either as it remains difficult to either do anything with it or defend it with all of our pieces, and Black holds out the possibility of going after that pawn if and whenever conditions become favorable for that.

20.Nf3 Bd6 21.Be3 Rb3 22.a4

Maybe. However, the characteristic problem I've been finding with a too-early a4 is that it allows Black to easily pick up the a5 pawn and co-ordinate his two Bishops with ...Bb4, ...Bxa5. For example, in your line: 20.Nf3 Bd6 21.Be3 Rb3 22.a4 Bb4 23. Rb1 (either Rook) Rxb1 24. Rxb1 25. Bxa5.

If you're optimistic about this sort of position, then I can't necessarily give you a convincing argument against it, but to me it looks drawish. It's similar to the forced line after 20. Rb1 that had me concerned. Black's two Bishops are working together nicely and controlling a good chunk of the board, and while we are still a pawn ahead, the a4 pawn is isolated, on the wrong color for our Bishop to defend, and far away from our King, and I'm not sure we'll be able to hold it if Black decides to go after it.

that in this position, with all of Black's pieces developed, and ours not, we need to mobilize our pieces without any further delay. In particular, our Bishop currently takes us not one, but two moves to develop to most places, and our Ra1 takes us three, so our top priority is to move the Knight, which gets us three for the price of one in a way, as it enhances the mobility of all three pieces.

Black's thematic way to punish us for not immediately addressing the mobility of our pieces is a fast ...c5.

20. Re3: Here I'd like to play ...c5 immediately, but we have some nice tactics with Rh3, involving the fact that we gain time in taking the ...h2 pawn because of the threat to the King on the second rank, so first Black needs to remove that threat. He has nowhere good to move the King--wherever he goes he'll be blocking something important, so instead
20...h5: now Rh3 is not so effective because the Black King has an extra move of safety. If we try playing 21. Rh3 anyway, Black responds 21...Bb4!, winning a piece if I'm not mistaken.
21. Nf3: I think this is stronger than Nf1, which is especially slow now with e3 occupied. In either case,
21...c5 and I think we're in a tough situation whatever we do, as Black gains a passed pawn supported by active pieces.

I have shown lines at how 22.Rd1 is a perfectly valid move and is probably the best move in the position. The line you suggest fares moderately well, however I have to point out some problems: for one, we drop our d4 pawn which was holding back his d5 pawn but also his c-pawn.

Second, the continuation of 25. Bc5 looks like this:
25. ... Rxd1 26. Rxd1 (Nxd1 Rxe1#) c6 (attacking our forward a-pawn)

From here our candidate moves include:
27. Bb6 Bc7
In this late game scenario, his king is more active than ours though we still hold a slight advantage with our extra pawn, it's not really doing anything for us.

27. Bb4 d4 28. Nc2 d3 and there's nothing we can do about the pawn entrenched in our position.

If you absolutely do not want to go down the lines I showed you, then an alternative could be a4:
22. a4 c6 23. Bd2 Rd3 24. Red1 Rxd4 25. Nc2
Here the d4 pawn still falls but our pieces are far more active as black has no options to stop Nb4, which attacks his bishop and prevents c5 in the short term

Just quickly looking at the position, I think this is a good move. I might have to change my move later, but for now I think it will work.

20. Nf1: 12 (jdseemoreglass, keyStorm, wizard944, EnderSword, Malli, sGs.Kal_rA, Bill Murray, Ikari, hype[NZ], shackes, Maixori, LaXerCannon, popzags, greggy)
20. Rb1: 0 (hp.Shell)
20. Nf3: 16 (Raysalis, mastergriggy, qrs, SheaR619, EvilNalu, chesshaha, Maixori, dtvu, jdseemoreglass, GenesisX, Chezus, timh, Malinor, hp.Shell, Mash2, Blazinghand, itsjustatank)
20. g3: 0 (qrs)

was going to vote Re3 but after reading qrs post, i am convince that Bf4 is probably stronger.

after 21. Re3 Rxe3 22. Bxe3 white has untangled and is still 2 pawns up and i dont think blacks 2 bishop can compensate for that so white is just better

but black can instead go 21. Re3 Beb8 22. Rxb3 Rxb3 black will still be tying us down to some extend

after 21. Bf4 Bxa3 doesnt work since 22. Rxe8 Kxe8 23. Bxc7 and white is definitely better here

if black try 21. Bf4 c6 we can now play 22.Re3 and black doesnt have Reb8 anymore so 22. ... Rxe3 23. Bxe3 white has completely untangled here and is still two pawns up

This was pretty expected and part of the reason I switched from Nf1 to Nf3 is so we can play this move. If we play 21.Re3 here we will probably transpose into the line that I initially showed were we to play Nf1

i.e. 21.Re3 Reb8 22.Nd2 Rd3 23.Rxe3 Bxe3

pgn viewer

there's further analysis by qrs on this position here: http://www.quicktopic.com/46/H/eKPb7EhFUqRC

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I prefer to liberate the bishop first, so if black wants to play Reb8 then the pawn on c7 is pinned by the bishop and we can put huge pressure on it.

eg if 21.Bf4 Reb8 22. Rec1 then black might have to play 22...Bd8

position

so instead black might play:

21.Bf4 c6 22.Re3 Rxe3 (22...Bc4 23.Nd2) 23.Bxe3 Bd8

Dont see anything better. Brilliant move actually.

From the analysis that has been posted, this seems like a very strong move for us to play. Connects our rooks and develops our bishop.

From what I've read, the only two prosposed responses from Black are c6 or Reb8 correct? And Re3 looks like a pretty good response to both of these.

Although, and please correct me if I'm wrong, if the moves continue as Bf4 Reb8, Re3 RxR, PxR Rb3, aren't we in position to lose a pawn?