LinearUnlock your Genius April (General)
Well lets say this is the last round of a chess congress and,as W I need to win.This is going to put my mind in fight mode since I will need it to try
to squeeze a win out of this position
If the Rs were not there this is a dead draw with all the pawns on the same side so DO NOT EXCHANGE Rs first principle.
Then the Kn is somewhat better than B if the pawns are close to each other that gives me some hope.The same principle goes DO NOT EXCHANGE THE MINOR PIECE or a draw will be inevitable.
The Rs position is fairly even yes the BR is on the 2nd rank but there are files open for my R to do the same.The K position is also even.The pawn structure has no weaknesses,but the more advanced position of B pawns can be
a small problem.Exchanging pawns will favor the side that wants to draw so
AVOID EXCHANGING PAWNS unless you create weak ones in the B camp.
This is for the theory, not much to calculate not direct danger.Should I be worried of g4 ? certainly not after hxg the h pawn is isolated and therefore weak. So lets improve the position of my pieces and try to CREATE weaknesses
in the B camp. My Kn is OK for the moment the R should go to c1 to get to the 7th rank and maybe cohordinate some activity with the Kn (e5) the King could find g3 as a good square defending the pawns and getting closer to the B ones,those being more advanced are closer to be attacked.
I am trying to think of lines that I could use to penetrate with my K B has a whiteB so the black square seem more available.
I stop here for the moment. At this stage I am confident that I have a slight advantage. I am also aware that my chances of winning are small,
it is going to be a long struggle get some water,some sugary snacks for my brain if he offers me a draw is a sign of weakness and I will refuse with a smile 
Unlock your Genius April
by tapestry 
, Hampshire, Sunday, April 20, 2008, 19:40 (6207 days ago) @ giorgio
I agree with giorgio about activating white's pieces and the general prinicple that if you want to play for a win try and avoid exchanging any of the pieces - unless by doing so I can create a weakness/advantage.
From white's perspective, the white rook needs to be moved to a more active square. Black's rook on the second rank suggests to me that white would need to play g2-g4 and Kg1-g2-g3 in order to move the king to a more active square.
Black's seems to be aiming for ...e6-e5, so the moves ...f7-f6, ...h6-h5, ...g5-g4 (to chase away the white knight) and then ...e6-e5 spring to mind. Black's f7 square is quite weak and can be attacked by both of white's remaining pieces.
My plan for white would be to play 1. Rc1. Black has several options now:
1...f6 2. Rc7 h5 3. Rb7 with the onus on black to try his chances with 3...g4.
1...Kg7 2.Rc7 (black is tied down to the defence of the f7 pawn.) 2...Kf6 (interposing 2...Ra1 3. Kh2 Ra2 4.Kg3 looks like it helps white as then I would be thinking of advancing the h pawn.) 3. Ne5 Bg6 4. g4 with the plan of advancing the king to g3. However, with black's pressure on the f2 pawn, I can't see a way of making further progress.
1...Ra7 (this seems quite passive but does relieve the pressure on the f7 pawn.) 2. g4 Be4 3. Kg2 (aiming for Kg3 and h3-h4) 3...f6 4. Kg3 Kg7 (I think that black can just sit back here and wait to see what white plays.) If white tries 5. h4, black can respond 5...Bxf3 6. Kxf3 gh. I'm not sure what happens here!
1...Bc2 2. Ne1 Bg6 and I'm not sure how white can make any progress. For example, 3. g4 Kg7 4. Kg2 h5 5. Nf3 Be4
I suspect that the position is probably drawn. However, after all that I wonder if 1. Rc1 is white's best bet as 1...Bc2 seems to be okay for black. I reckon the danger is more how white (or black) overreaches and loses the game rather than somebody winning the game.
Please do shoot holes in the above analysis!
Unlock your Genius April
by Tony Kosten 
, France, Monday, April 21, 2008, 13:10 (6207 days ago) @ tapestry
Wow! Excellent so far!!
Unlock your Genius April
Well after Bc2 W is allowed Kh2-g3 that improves the K position and in view of the W squares weakness the B will have to go back and then the WR will be free to move.Again little moves nothing extraordinary.
Unlock your Genius April
by tapestry , Hampshire, Monday, April 21, 2008, 21:12 (6206 days ago) @ giorgio
? Well after Bc2 W is allowed Kh2-g3 that improves the K position and in
? view of the W squares weakness the B will have to go back and then the WR
? will be free to move.Again little moves nothing extraordinary.
So what about after 1.Rc1 Bc2 2. Kh2 Kg7 3. Kg3 f6.
The black king can cover the white squares from g6.
If now 4. Ne1 Be4 5. Rc7 Kg6 and I don't think white can make progress.
If 4. h4 Kg6 and again I think the white king is blocking the advance of his own g pawn.
I wonder if better for white would be 1. Rc1 Bc2 2.g4 Kg7 3. Kg2 f6 4.Kg3 Kg6 5. h4.
Unlock your Genius April
After 4 h4 Kg6 5 Rh1 ! (idea h5 making the g6 square unavailable for the BK )Ba4( 5..h5 6 hxg5 fxg5 7 Ne5) 6 h5+ Kg7 7 Rc1
I am not sure what B can do after h5, also the Nh2-g4 for W could keep pressure on h6 .
Unlock your Genius April
by Tony Kosten , France, Tuesday, April 22, 2008, 12:29 (6206 days ago) @ giorgio
I should perhaps mention that I was watching this game as it was played, and a little earlier White had offered a draw that Black had refused! Furthermore, Black went on to win!
Needless to say White played a worse move than suggested here!
Unlock your Genius April
Do you agree Tony that W has a slight advantage for the reasons we said or
not ? I understand you like to play with small,minimal, advantages. A great
skill to acquire.
Unlock your Genius April
Hi Tony
eagerly awaiting for the April solution !
Unlock your Genius April
Thanks Tony !
It was difficult to see W on the defensive, but you give convincing reasons for that.
Lively discussion on the forum more please
Unlock your Genius April
by tapestry , Hampshire, Sunday, May 25, 2008, 18:24 (6172 days ago) @ giorgio
Thanks Tony. An interesting position to look at and some interesting points from the forum. I look forward to the next position.
Unlock your Genius April
by tapestry , Hampshire, Tuesday, April 22, 2008, 21:25 (6205 days ago) @ giorgio
? After 4 h4 Kg6 5 Rh1 ! (idea h5 making the g6 square unavailable for the BK
? )Ba4( 5..h5 6 hxg5 fxg5 7 Ne5) 6 h5+ Kg7 7 Rc1
? I am not sure what B can do after h5, also the Nh2-g4 for W could keep
? pressure on h6 .
I like white's idea of h5. What about if, after 1.Rc1 Bc2 2. Kh2 Kg7 3. Kg3 f6 4. h4 Kg6 5. Rh1, black tries 5... Kf5 (the idea being to support the advance of the e pawn)? Now if 6. hg hg white could try 7. Rh8 or 7. Rh6. Black can then respond with 7...Bd1 (aiming to cover the g4 square from the knight if white tries Nh2-g4).
Unlock your Genius April
BK seems to be unsafe there.
7 Rh6 Bd1 8 Nh2 now W wants to play f3 with the idea of Ng4-Rf6 mate.
Not too easy to defend from.
Unlock your Genius April
by tapestry , Hampshire, Wednesday, April 23, 2008, 13:58 (6204 days ago) @ giorgio
? BK seems to be unsafe there.
? 7 Rh6 Bd1 8 Nh2 now W wants to play f3 with the idea of Ng4-Rf6 mate.
? Not too easy to defend from.
Just a recap of the moves so far: 1. Rc1 Bc2 2. Kh2 Kg7 3. Kg3 f6 4. h4 Kg6 5. Rh1 Kf5 6. hg hg 7. Rh6 Bd1
OK. How about if after 8. Nh2 e5. Now, if 9. f3 e4 10. Ng4 Rxg2 11. Kxg2 Bxf3.
If instead of 10. Ng4 white plays 10. fe, black can reply with 10... Kxe4 11. Rxf6 Kxe3 12. Rf5 Kxd4 13. Rxg5 Kc4
Unlock your Genius April
8.. e5 9 dxe5 fxe5 10 Rd6 and again B has to find very good moves if Ke4 11 f3+ Kxe3 12 Rxd5 +/- both Bb3 and Ra5 allow f3.
Unlock your Genius April
by tapestry , Hampshire, Wednesday, April 23, 2008, 19:26 (6204 days ago) @ giorgio
? 8.. e5 9 dxe5 fxe5 10 Rd6 and again B has to find very good moves if Ke4
? 11 f3+ Kxe3 12 Rxd5 +/- both Bb3 and Ra5 allow f3.
Can't black play 9... Kxe5 rather than 9...fxe5.
Now, after 9...Kxe5 10. f3 f5, and if 11. Rh5 Kf6.
Unlock your Genius April
Yes B has defended well. At this stage of the game W has a better pawn structure but the Kn will probably be exchanged,has to go back to f3 from the passive h2 so I would not play f3, and B has the more active K.
I am happy that B had to find a couple of only moves and that can be difficult in a real game where time is limited and we can not move pieces about, but it also shows that with good play this game is most probably
draw.
Unlock your Genius April
Apologies if there is any repetition as I wanted avoid reading any other comments before posting this. This sort of analysis is very new to me so please feel free to pull it apart as you see fit...I can only learn!
Here we go:
I think the poistion offers white a slight advantage because the knight should prove better than the bishop here with all the pawns on one side and with blacks d,e & f pawns are restrict the light squared bishop a little. Therefore I don't want to trade knight for bishop at the moment.
e5 looks like a good spot for whites knight influence on the 7th rank although black can play f6 to chase it off this would weaken e6.
Rc1 followed by Rc7 might be of interest but first I want to examine weather I can make anything from the knights current influence on g5 and f4 when combined with a pawn move.
At first I couldn't seem to make anything of any move by the g or h pawn but when I look at playing 1.g4 it seems to have a couple of benefits. It moves the black bishop from the c8 h3 diagonal making h4 a possible future move and it clears a path for my king to walk into the battle up the g file. I'd be happy to exchange pawns on the g and h files so I could bring my rook onto them.
But I still don't like 1.g4...Be4, 2.Ne5 because of 2...f6
So I'll choose 1.Rd1 planning Rd2. I'd be happy exchanging rooks because I think it might just improve my knights advantage over the bishop by taking away the prospect of the rook and bishop co-operating....the dark squares will be mine.
So following 2.Rd2 and with or without a trade of rooks I would activate my king with Kh2 and my intention is to get my king into the battle to either win a pawn down the g or h file or at least clear a file for my rook if they're still on board.
Now I'll go and read the other posts
Unlock your Genius April
So I seem to have started off on a similar track to other posters by but the idea of allowing the rook trade suggests I would have been heading for a draw
Unlock your Genius April
by tapestry , Hampshire, Friday, April 25, 2008, 13:33 (6203 days ago) @ Mahout
? So I seem to have started off on a similar track to other posters by but
? the idea of allowing the rook trade suggests I would have been heading for
? a draw
I wonder with 1. Rd1 Kg7 2. Rd2 Rxd2 3. Nxd2 f6 black can then aim to play ...e5 when most of his pawns are on black squares and the bishop is quite active. I presume that white would try and block the position and restrict the freedom of black's bishop. The c5 square looks like an outpost for the knight from where it could leap to d7 if given the opportunity to attack the e5 and f6 pawns.
With pawns on only one side of the board, and the kings in postions to defend, I reckon neither side will be able to make much progress.
