From zefrank

detailed history | current 3d view

	Ze	Us	consensus
1	d4	d5	56%
2	c4	e6	66%
3	Nc3	Bb4	48%
4	Nf3	Nf6	82%
5	e3	Ne4	56%
6	Qc2	f5	62%
7	Bd3	O-O	83%
8	O-O	b6	61%
9	a3	Bxc3	57%
10	bxc3	Ba6	65%
11	Ne5	Nd7	37%
12	Nc6	Qf6	89%
13	f3	Nd6	100%
14	e4	dxc4	100%
15	Be2	e5	100%
16	d5	Nb8	55%
17	Nb4	Bb7	93%
18	a4	a5	100%
19	Na2	Nd7	50%
20	Ba3	Rac8	50%
21	Rab1	Qg5	60%
22	Kh1	fxe4	61%
23	fxe4	Qg6	89%
24	Rxf8+	Rxf8	100%
25	Bxd6	Rf2	100%
26	Rg1	cxd6	100%
27	Qd1	Nf6	73%
28	Bf3	Nxe4	93%
29	Nc1	Rd2	53%
30	Bxe4	Rxd1	100%
31	Bxg6	Rxg1+	100%
32	Kxg1	hxg6	100%
33	Resign	---

Voting CLOSED Until 7pm

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Strategy Discussion

I'm worried about the following line and I'd either like someone to either demonstrate that it isnt as bad as I think it is, it could go a different way, or else suggest a move to defuse it.

19. Na2 ... 20. exf5 Nxf5 21. Bxc4 at which point our supposedly secure middle position is suddenly very tenuous

He may not play that way, but the weakness is there. He who says zonk 01:49, 25 July 2006 (PDT)

• We could respond to exf5 with BxD5 and let him stay at f5, in which case I think our board position actually improves, or we can be suicidal and trade queens. 20.exf5 qxf5 21. qxf5 rxf5. These just came to mind, they may contain massive flaws Wophugus
• There's nothing wrong with or suicidal about a Q trade on f5, though Bxd5 is indeed stronger, in the unlikely event that Ze takes ef. Axl

We have a good position. Ze taking on f5 would be a positional blunder, weakening d5. Long term we should pile up on e4 to encourage him to take ef. For now we need to complete our development by 19...Nd7, threatening 20...Nc5. Instead, 19...c6 would allow unnecessary counterplay and weaken b6. Taking on e4 now would let Ze open the f-file with tempo. Ze has very little he can do to improve his position. He'll probably develop his bishop to a3 or e3 to prevent Nc5. Neither of these is particularly worrisome. Axl

Contents 1 Voting CLOSED Until 7pm 1.1 Voting Instructions 2 Strategy Discussion 3 Suggested Move Summary 3.1 Nd7 3.2 fxe4 3.3 c6 3.4 Na6 3.5 f4

Suggested Move Summary

Suggested Position Suggested Move: c6

Suggested Position Suggested Move: fxe4

Suggested Position Suggested Move: Nd7

Suggested Position Suggested Move: f4

Nd7

This is a solid way to get our knight back out there and open up the backrow. It's also pretty boring. - arc

• c6, followed by dxc, gives us the option to get the knight back out with Nxc6.Shadowcrash 12:06, 25 July 2006 (PDT)
  • It also blocks our bishop from doing anything effective, and our knight can't move forward from that position due to white's pawn at c3. - arc
• This move may be boring but it's essential to get the Knight into a good positions before the sparks start to fly. It supports future Nc5 or Nf6 if the situation calls for it but in the mean time it can also defend the pawn on e5 which will likely soon be isolated on a half open file. Also it lets out the rook. Jeff 12:19, 25 July 2006 (PDT)
  • I never said boring was a bad thing. :) - arc
  • I think that Na6 is a better move. Jes ter23

fxe4

fxe4... aggressive, no? MikeRapin

• The problem that I see with this one is that he will just retake with his pawn and now we are in a queen rook skewer.Jes ter23
• It also lets his bishop into the game. Not to blindly follow positional principles, but he's got the two bishops. Opening up the position gives him considerable compensation for his pawn, and should only be done if we have something concrete to gain by it.--Macgabhain 12:16, 25 July 2006 (PDT)
• I can't help but think this is the wrong move. As others have pointed out, it effectivly lets him have the f file. It is in our best interest to just hold his pawn there, where it's in the way of his bishops. We need to start moving up while we still have momentum. SaintPeter 12:18, 25 July 2006 (PDT)
• I think this move is OK, but I'd rather threaten to get Nc5 in first (i.e. play Nd7 now) so that White will play exf5 and isolate his d-pawn. Jeff 12:24, 25 July 2006 (PDT)

c6

c6... start the pawn exchange from this end and keep our queen out of jeopardy. MalteseFalcon

• I don't see why we are in a hurry to start the pawn exchange when Ze is a bishop up. I think it'd be better to create an opportunity for us instead of giving an opportunity to Ze. arc
  • Ze's not up a Bishop, we're up a pawn. Shadowcrash 12:07, 25 July 2006 (PDT)
    • Yeah, but we have two knights and a bishop, and he has two bishops and a knight. At this point in the game, more pawns (and a more crowded board) tends to favour the knights.64.7.149.152 12:11, 25 July 2006 (PDT)
    • Since you insist on being literal, we're up a pawn and he has two bishops and a knight, and us 2 knights and a bishop. I don't think that us being a pawn up means we need to obliterate the entire center for no practical purpose that I can see, other than giving Ze more mobility. - arc
• I like this. He can either take c6, which means we can get our knight off the back row for free, or do something else, at which point we can take d5, and really mess up the center with all those supported black pawns. delta407 12:13, 25 July 2006 (PDT)
  • I still don't see it as a free move because we have to move the bishop to make her useful again. - arc
• We want to win White's d pawn, not trade for it. Nd7 is a better move for this reason and to a lesser extend so is fxe4. Jeff 12:22, 25 July 2006 (PDT)

Na6

• What about this move? It does the same as Nd7 in getting the knight off the back row, and it allows another place for the knight to move in the next turn.Jes ter23
  • It's not it's a bad move, it's just that moving to the center is more useful as it allows the knight to reach many more squares. The squares that Na6 allows the knight to move to are pretty useless, except for one square which is also reachable by a Nd7 move. - arc
    • That's true, but currently there is only one place for Nd7 to go, and, like you said, it is also reachable by Na6. I just think that the way the board is layed out right now, it makes more sense to move here and have back up the b4 square, just in case.Jes ter23
      • I don't think "just in case" is a valid reason to move the knight onto the edge, but we can just agree to disagree on this point. Arc
      • We already control b4. Nd7 is more flexible and has no down-side. Axl
      • Nd7 also covers f6 and e5 which could be really useful a few moves down the road. Reaching b4 is pointless because that pawn on c3 isn't going away anytime soon. Jeff 12:34, 25 July 2006 (PDT)

f4

• Closes out his white bishop and prevents him from opening the center with exf5, activating his bishops. We follow up with Nd7 and then, perhaps, Nc5. Ze has fewer and fewer moves that don't hurt him.--Macgabhain 12:31, 25 July 2006 (PDT)
  • Also makes it harder for us to attack his pawn chain. This move helps white. Jeff 12:37, 25 July 2006 (PDT)