TL Chess Match 4 - Page 64

jdseemoreglass wrote an excellent analysis on possible variants for the upcoming moves thereafter, demonstrating the power of this move and how a more favorable match for white would develop. I also feel that 0-0 can be delayed for a little longer.

... Cxd6 10. d5!
- 10. ... a6 11. Ba4 [this is advantage for white with two pieces attacking a pinned knight]
- 10. ... 0-0 11. dxc6 [material advantage for white with no real compensation]
- 10. ... Qb6 11. Qe2! 0-0 [knight is no longer pinned but falls to the d pawn the move after]

... Nxd6 10. Bxc6+ bxc6 11. Qa4!
- 11. ... Bxd2 12. Bxd2 [white queen still eyes down the weak pawn on c6 plus castling in this position allows maximum space to develop rooks (Qe7+ is met by Be3)]
- 11. ... Rb8 12. 0-0! [white is better developped as black's queen and bishop are still on the home rank and are not accomplishing anything, the pin on the d2 knight is also gone]

Why would black play 9...cxd6, when he can play 9...Qxd6, which develops the queen and threatens d4 (pinning the knight on f3), plus preventing 10.d5 altogether?

However, currently I don't see any problem with Qxd6 or Nxd6. Our knight is still pinned here so black's knight isn't immediately threatened, but we can still likely force the doubling of c-pawns. I will look at it again.

the doubling of c-pawns

1. e4 d6
2. d4 Nf6
3. Nc3 g6
4. f4 bg7
5. Nf3 0-0
6. Bd3 na6
7. e5 nd7
8. Ne4

He's playing as black.

9. bxc6 10. 0-0 with ideas of Qc2 threatening the fork on c6, a3 then b4 chasing the bishop away, and then Nxe4 winning a pawn. Or black exchanges his attackers giving us a time advantage one or the other really.

at first glance at the position I would like to get our king out of this pin so we can develop more freely. Then we can proceed with our plans on the queen side without having to worry about our king being potentially stuck in the center.

For no apparent reason, 9. e6 first came to my mind. The idea is quite neanderthalic: clear e5 for a Knight with tempo, then play 11. Qa4, pressuring both Nc6 and Bb4. Obviously it's a dubious move, but can you guys tell me how the refuting line goes? ATM, I have no time analyzing.

9. Bxa6 >.> don't want to confuse people. I was contemplating exd6 but I don't have to time to figure out that move order, but it was my gut feeling to play it.

Seems like the best move in this position, although I wouldn't mind playing 9. O-O either. Thanks for the people who analysed these lines.

I'm not happy that the main line in jdseemoreglass' analysis involves trading queens, since it basically allows black to trade down to a (probably) drawn endgame with opposite coloured bishops

ie after 9. Bxc6+ bxc6 10. Qa4 Rb8 11. Qxc6+ Qd7 12. Qxd7+ Bxd7 (or even Kxd7) 13. a3 (as shown by jdseemoreglass, but then)
Nxd2 14. Nxd2 (taking with the bishop loses our b pawn) Bxd2+ 15. Kxd2

and blacks position is a lot more active and I think we won't be able to win at all from this position even though we are up a pawn.

If we play 9.O-O then we don't actually have to trade our light square bishop on move 10, which may not be a bad thing since if we end up playing a3 most of our pawns are situated on dark squares anyway.

Perhaps something like:
9. O-O O-O (if black plays something like 9... Bg4 then we can play 10.Qa4 or Qc2 to further pressure the knight on c6 and to remove the pin)
(if 9...Bd7 then we can play 10.Nxe4 dxe4 11.Ng5 and we should win the pawn, or at least something like Nxd4 12. Qxd4 Bxb5 13. Qxb4 Bxf1 14. Kxf1 which could be interesting (edit: probably bad for black)



10. a3 (Nxe4 doesn't really work here I think since after 10...dxe4 11.Ng5 Nxd4 and our bishop is being attacked by the knight) Nxd2 11. Bxd2 (11. Nxd2 fails to 11...Nxd4 attacking our light square bishop) Bxd2 12. Qxd2