04-04-2012, 02:18 PM
[pgn]1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 Be7 7. Re1 O-O 8. h3
d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. Rxe5 Nb6 12. Nc3 c5 13. a3 c4 14. Ba2 Bf6 15. Re1 Bxc3 16. dxc3 Qxd1 17. Rxd1 Bf5 18. Rd2 Na4[/pgn]
Spoiler here>> Rd2 looks a bit silly to me. It does a job and all, but doesn't quite cut the mustard (probably results in a draw).
My previous plan of Na4 seems adequate here... however an immediate b3 is possible now for white. In further consideration it's possible for white to go b3 regardless of my next move. I've lost my small advantage and I think this is going to be a draw. Sad times.
An example line to show how this is a drawn end-game is:
18... Na4 19. b3! Nxc3 20. bxc4 Nxa2 21. Rxa2 Be6!
Be6! is a lovely move for me at the end of most combinations here pinning the pawn to the piece/rook on a2. It allows me to not split the queen side pawns and give me a slightly better end-game - but still drawn!
...22. a4 Bxc4 23. Ra1 Rfd8 24. Rxd8+ Rxd8 25. Be3. At this point I'll probably offer a draw (Not sure how draw offers work in correspondence chess, but there's nothing left to play for).
On the other hand, if after 19. b3! Nxc3 20. Bb2?
Black has some chances: 21. Nxa2 Rxa2 22. Bxc2!! (White cannot take back as rooks are forked with cxb3) This is pretty much winning for black. As you can see, if he goes b3 immediately the moves are virtually forced to a drawn end-game, unless he blunders with a move like Bb2.
<<Spoiler here
d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. Rxe5 Nb6 12. Nc3 c5 13. a3 c4 14. Ba2 Bf6 15. Re1 Bxc3 16. dxc3 Qxd1 17. Rxd1 Bf5 18. Rd2 Na4[/pgn]
Spoiler here>> Rd2 looks a bit silly to me. It does a job and all, but doesn't quite cut the mustard (probably results in a draw).
My previous plan of Na4 seems adequate here... however an immediate b3 is possible now for white. In further consideration it's possible for white to go b3 regardless of my next move. I've lost my small advantage and I think this is going to be a draw. Sad times.
An example line to show how this is a drawn end-game is:
18... Na4 19. b3! Nxc3 20. bxc4 Nxa2 21. Rxa2 Be6!
Be6! is a lovely move for me at the end of most combinations here pinning the pawn to the piece/rook on a2. It allows me to not split the queen side pawns and give me a slightly better end-game - but still drawn!
...22. a4 Bxc4 23. Ra1 Rfd8 24. Rxd8+ Rxd8 25. Be3. At this point I'll probably offer a draw (Not sure how draw offers work in correspondence chess, but there's nothing left to play for).
On the other hand, if after 19. b3! Nxc3 20. Bb2?
Black has some chances: 21. Nxa2 Rxa2 22. Bxc2!! (White cannot take back as rooks are forked with cxb3) This is pretty much winning for black. As you can see, if he goes b3 immediately the moves are virtually forced to a drawn end-game, unless he blunders with a move like Bb2.
<<Spoiler here