From zefrank

Voting CLOSED Until 7pm

Today's Suggested Moves have been posted, and the voting polls will open Monday @7PM EDT and close at Tuesday 12AM EDT (Monday Night), in order to give time for enough deliberation before the votes are cast. Don't have a username/Id yet? Get one here! and take some credit for your contributions!

Remember to check back even if you've already cast your vote! .. there's still some disagreement between potential moves .. and analysis will most likely continue up until Sunday night when the polls close. It's also not too late to submit a vote for another move that has not been evaluated yet .. (although it looks like we have most of the best move options available, people can always miss things).

Use the following tags to help suggest moves, and remember if you want to throw up an example speculative board in the discussion, please refer to the Edit Guide on how to properly format it.

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Just follow the instructions, and completely delete those lines .. and don't forget to replace 'Speculative Move' with the actual move name. Also bear in mind that anything after the clear tag won't be visible, so don't enter any text underneath it (unless you're adding another section)

Voting Instructions

Cut and paste the following to vote

# '''VOTE''' by ~~~~: add a comment! 

• You may vote for many moves as you like, but only one vote per move.
• When voting closes, the move with the most votes wins.
• If there is a tie, whoever tallies the votes breaks the tie.

Strategy Discussion

Contents 1 Voting CLOSED Until 7pm 1.1 Voting Instructions 2 Strategy Discussion 3 Suggested Move Summary 3.1 Rf4 3.2 Qg6 3.3 Nc5

Please take the time to familiarize yourself with some common middlegame tactics.

Suggested Move Summary

Suggested Position Suggested Move: Rf4

Suggested Position Suggested Move: Qg6!

Suggested Position Suggested Move: UPDATE THIS

Rf4

Releases our knight from being pinned, attacks the e4 pawn and gives us the option to put our other rook on the open f line. TtT

• Also looks like it allows him to hold it together a little better with 24. Bf3. I think this is squandering our initiative a bit. With 23. ... Qg6 we're threatening an immediate Bxd5 which Bf3 can't defend against. Jeff 10:42, 31 July 2006 (PDT)

Qg6

Threatens an immediate Bxd5 to which white must respond.

• (condensed from my analysis last move) 23. ... Qg6 24. Bxd6 cxd6 25. Rxf8+ Rxf8. He can win the c-pawn but 26. Bxc4 Nc5 and we're going get his e4 pawn and have a protected passer in the middle. After that 27. Rxb6 Rf4 28. Kg1 we initiate a trade-down with 28. ... Qxe4 29. Qxe4 Rxe4 after which I don't see any way for white to avoid losing. Jeff 10:30, 31 July 2006 (PDT)
  • This looks bloody but good. Are we sure this is the line Ze will take? PTWhipplebang 11:03, 31 July 2006 (PDT)
  • it doesn't matter if he takes this or antoher line, this move is solid. There's nothing Ze can do here that nets him a gain. He has a few choices that he can go with: Qb2, Bxd6, Bf3, Rb2, Rbc1 . . . but none of them really hold. This line is simply devistating to white. Kingpatzer 11:09, 31 July 2006 (PDT)
• I haven't been able to find a move for him that gains him any advantage after this move. This is an excellent move. Otis 11:10, 31 July 2006 (PDT)
  • Cool...cool. I like anything devastating. PTWhipplebang 11:14, 31 July 2006 (PDT)
• I personally think white's best defense here will look something like: 24. Rbc1 Rxf1+ 25. Bxf1 Nf6 26. Bxd6 cxd6 27. Re1 when black should seriously consider Bxd5!?
  • If 24. Rbc1 Bxd5 25. exd5 Qxc2 - and we trade queens. Otis 11:22, 31 July 2006 (PDT)
    • Why would we play 24. .. Bxd5? that doesn't net us nearly the return that Rxf1+ does. Kingpatzer 11:34, 31 July 2006 (PDT)
    • Yep, you're right. Otis 11:44, 31 July 2006 (PDT)
      • In fact, Rxf1+ is so devastating and so obvious that I wonder why white would choose 24. Rbc1 at all? I guess because he's hosed anyway :-) Jeff 11:43, 31 July 2006 (PDT)
        • Well, I think it looks bad sooner compared to Bxd6. However, I think white actually is better at the end of this than at the end of Bxd6. It's just the end of this line (where the forcing moves end) comes sooner. But in either case, white's in his death throws after Qg6! Kingpatzer 13:25, 31 July 2006 (PDT)
• Please count this move as my vote when the polls open. Good night, everyone. Otis 11:46, 31 July 2006 (PDT)
• How do we respond to 24. Rb5?
  • Maybe ignore it and still go for Rxf1+ ? PTWhipplebang 12:43, 31 July 2006 (PDT)
    • Followed by 25. Bxf1 Nxb5. 24. Rb5 is a bit of a blunder. Jeff 13:09, 31 July 2006 (PDT)
• I have not seen any discussion of what think would be his most likely move, Bf3. While this gives up the his attack on the c4 pawn it shores up the his defense of g2 and e4 BitBender 13:41, 31 July 2006 (PDT)

Nc5

Also releases knight, puts pressure on e4 salmancini

• I wonder if he will follow with Bf3 Sal Smancini 11:21, 31 July 2006 (PDT)
  • 24. Bxc5 bxc5 25. Bf3 . . . somehow I don't see this as being that much in our favor. Kingpatzer 11:37, 31 July 2006 (PDT)