LinearUnlock your genius discussion No 2 Moderator Tony GM (General)
The position has just come out.Tony will be our moderator as always .
I have just lost a game on one of those so called "draw" endings.One of the skills that I have to develop here is to spot those " small advantages" that could make a difference.
Following that idea I can see that WB is better than BB (lots of BPawns are on W squares) so his B squares are weak possibly avenues for my King. I would like my K to get to d4 a dominating black square from where it could invade those B squares so the first move I would consider is Qe5+ but it is forcing so needs to be calculated.It seems that after 1.. QXQ 2 dxQ f6 3 exf6 Kxf6 4 f4 Bf5 5 Bf1 g5 6 g3 gxf4 7 gxf4 W wins the " battle" of the
BSquares.
I have not moved the pieces so at this stage my brain is a bit foggy.
Is this enough for W to be better ?
Sorry for possible blunders,I checked the position mentally as well as I could.
To make it more realistic I gave myself 30 min,it would be far too much in a real game where usually we have 30 min for an entire endgame.
Tony,by the way, in Glenn new position No 6 f4 seems to be winning for B with a different kind of mate.
Thanks for reading 
Unlock your genius discussion No 2 Moderator Tony GM
by Tony Kosten 
, France, Friday, September 28, 2007, 11:45 (6413 days ago) @ giorgio
? Tony,by the way, in Glenn new position No 6 f4 seems to be winning for B
? with a different kind of mate.
White would play 35 Rxf4 Bxf4 36 Kxg4 and struggle on with lots of pawns for the piece, I suppose.
Unlock your genius discussion No 2 Moderator Tony GM
? first move I would consider is Qe5+
? but it is forcing so needs to be calculated.It seems that after 1.. QXQ 2
? dxQ f6 3 exf6 Kxf6 4 f4 Bf5 5 Bf1 g5 6 g3 gxf4 7 gxf4 W wins the " battle"
? of the
? BSquares.
? I have not moved the pieces so at this stage my brain is a bit foggy.
? Is this enough for W to be better ?
I agree with your reasons for thinking white is better, and my first thought is to swap queens. Its a critical descision, if you don't do it now black plays f6 and its not on anymore. I haven't moved the pieces either, but I would worry that you have given black a passed d pawn and a passive bishop on f1 defending h3 pawn and none of blacks pawns is fixed on a white square. Black can maybe play Kg6-h5-h4 attacking h3 and also d4-d3 threatening to queen. Maybe instead of Bf1, white should play Ba6 and if g5, fxg5 Kxg5 and then Bb7 attacking the pawn ? then after Bd7 to defend, white has the more active bishop and the potential of a passed pawn on the king side. But even then, after Kf4 Kf2 blacks king is going across to the queen side.
The other idea is to put pressure on c6 with Bc2-a4 and Qc3. If we could then play Qc5, we'd be hitting the a7 pawn as well but black would be able to occupy the e file and play Qe1+ winning the f2 pawn and probably getting perpetual check.
Unlock your genius discussion No 2 Moderator Tony GM
by tapestry 
, Hampshire, Sunday, September 30, 2007, 15:42 (6410 days ago) @ malcolm
Like the previous posts, I would prefer to be white in the given position. White has the open file for the queen, and the pawn structure favours white's bishop.
My first reaction is that I wouldn't want to swap queens yet as 1. Qe5 compromises white's control over c5 and e5 and, as pointed out, gives black a passed d pawn. However, if the situation arose that black offers the exchange of queens I would strongly consider it. I think that white's king would be better off on the queenside where it would be able to attack black's pawns if the queens were swapped off.
As for black's plans, I am not sure what black can try and do other than try and exchange bishops and wait and see what white will do. I suppose ...a5 is a possibility for black, but Qe1 or Qd2 defends for white.
My plan would therefore be to move the white king to the queenside, exchange queens and then attack black's queenside pawns.
More concretely, I would be thinking of playing 1. f4 (1. Kf1 allows 1...Qh2. I would be happy as black to exchange queens on e5 if 2. Qe5+ from here.) 1... f6 (if 1...a5 2. Qe5). 2. Kf2 a5 3. Qd2 (defending b4 and f4) Qe7. This gives the following position, but I'm not sure how white can make progress and cross the e-file with his king.
Unlock your genius discussion No 2 Moderator Tony GM
by Tony Kosten , France, Wednesday, October 03, 2007, 11:42 (6408 days ago) @ tapestry
I guess the black a-pawn is really on a7 in the last diagram.
Unlock your genius discussion No 2 Moderator Tony GM
by tapestry , Hampshire, Wednesday, October 03, 2007, 17:05 (6407 days ago) @ Tony Kosten
? I guess the black a-pawn is really on a7 in the last diagram.
I hoped the diagram would reflect the position after:
1. f4 f6
2. Kf2 a5
3. Qd2 Qe7
A Freudian slip perchance? If the black pawn should be on a7, then perhaps there is a better second move for black and the first moves are along the right lines... 
PS I am finding the site a great resource of information and training. Keep up the good work!
Unlock your genius discussion No 2 Moderator Tony GM
Well time is passing by anybody else has any opinion ?
Tony will give us the answer in few days,maybe there are prizes
Unlock your genius discussion No 2 Moderator Tony GM
by Tony Kosten , France, Monday, January 07, 2008, 20:53 (6311 days ago) @ giorgio
? Well time is passing by anybody else has any opinion ?
? Tony will give us the answer in few days,
Sorry for taking so long to get the reply online. 
I hope it wasn't too difficult?
? maybe there are prizes
No prizes I'm afraid! 
Unlock your genius discussion No 2 Moderator Tony GM
by tapestry , Hampshire, Thursday, January 10, 2008, 19:12 (6308 days ago) @ Tony Kosten
Thanks for the update Tony.
I found it a very useful position to look at.
