LinearUnlock Your Genius April 2009 (Problems)
by tapestry 
, Hampshire, Monday, April 20, 2009, 21:28 (5840 days ago)
Another straight forward position - thanks Tony
My initial take:
White's Positives:
Bishop against knight.
More space in the centre.
White's Negatives:
Blocked centre hindering the bishop.
Central pawns on same coloured square as the bishop.
3 pawn islands.
Black's Positives:
Knight in a closed position.
Black's Negatives:
No accessible outpost for the knight.
More cramped central position.
Weakness of a5 pawn (fixed on black square).
Looking at what could be played, I can find lots of reasons not to play certain moves, but am having more difficulty finding an actual plan. For example, if white plays 1. e5xf6 black can reply with 1...g7xf6 after which black will have the break ...e6-e5.
One move that springs to mind is 1. Rc1-c7 with the idea of trying to double rooks on the c file. However, after 1...Rc8xc7 2. Bd6xc7 b7-b6 3. Rf1-c1 Re8-c8 I think white has difficulty unpinning the bishop.
Another try would be to centralise the white king which would be possible as long as the white bishop controls the f8 square preventing a rook check (For example, 1. Kg1-f2 f6xe5 2. d4xe5 b7-b6 (aiming to play ...Nd7-c5-e4) 3. Kf2-e2 Nd7-c5. I think this position is favourable for black.
I'm starting to run out of moves for white now. The white bishop needs to protect the e5 pawn, so maybe the move is 1. Bd6-c7 (attacking the a5 pawn and planning to double rooks on the c file). Black now has the possibility of exchanging on e5 before playing ...b7-b6. I think that black should exchange the pawns on e5 as this gives the knight a square on c5. So now, 1...g7xf6 2. d4xe5 b7-b6 3. Rc1-c3 (3. Rc1-c2/c6 loses a pawn to 3...Nd7xe5). Black's options seem to be rather restricted now as the knight defends b6 and the rook on c8 is limited in scope, so I would imagine that black would need to play 3...Re8-f8. Now if white were to exchange rooks on f8, the bishop pin could be quite irritating. (i.e. after 4. Rf1xf8 Nd7xf8 black could move their king across to attack the bishop, and white would have to spend some time trying to free up his pieces.) That then leaves doubling rooks on the c file with 4. Rf1-c1.
From this position, I'm not sure what white would try to plan - maybe playing Rc1-c6 to attack the e6 pawn.
Overall I think that the position is quite balanced and that the winning possibilities lie with white but black should be able to defend.
Unlock Your Genius April 2009
Looks right to me! Black's Knight is on the wrong square... if it were on e4, we'd be looking at a very different game, but right now it can't get anywhere without opening the position in a way that favor's white's bishop. I like 1. Bc7 as the first move, forcing Black to make a crappy choice: passively defend his pawns, or open up the position a bit to free his knight.
First, the passive option:
1. Bc7 b6 (or 1... Ra8 2. Rc3 followed by Rfc1. If Black plays dxe5, recapture with the pawn) 2. exf6 gxf6 3. Rc3! (not Rc2. Rc3 tactically covers the e5 move: 3... e5 4. dxe5 fxe5 5. Rd1. In this spot, if White's rook were on c2 instead of c3, Black would have 5... Nf6 with a pretty even position. With the rook on c3, White can meet Nf6 with Bxe5.) 3... Black moves whatever, perhaps Kf7, 4. Rfc1. Black's pieces are all tied up, and White is ready to play something like Bd6 or Rc6.
Slight edge to white with ownership of the c-file. He'll be able to get a rook in to c7 with a nice advantage, if Black isn't careful.
The not-so-passive option:
1. Bc7 fxe5. White has two moves, both look good: Bxa5 and dxe5. If dxe5, you're planning the same ideas as the first lines: Rc3, Rfc1, Bd6, get a rook in to c7, etc. Bxa5 opens the position a bit more, highlighting White's bishop vs knight advantage Black's terrible remaining pawn structure:
2. Bxa5 exd4 3. exd4 e5 4. dxe5 Nxe5 5. Rxc8 Rxc8 6. Rd1 and Black's weak pawns are in a lot of trouble, or:
2. Bxa5 Nf6 3. dxe5 Ng4 4. e4 dxe4 5. Rxc8 Rxc8 6. Re1 reaches a similar position. Wide open, weak black pawns targeted.
Unlock Your Genius April 2009
by tapestry , Hampshire, Sunday, April 26, 2009, 19:02 (5834 days ago) @ dlwyatt
? Rc3 tactically covers the e5 move: 3... e5 4. dxe5 fxe5 5. Rd1.
Nice move!
? 2. Bxa5 exd4 3. exd4 e5 4. dxe5 Nxe5 5. Rxc8 Rxc8 6. Rd1 and Black's weak
? pawns are in a lot of trouble, or:
?
? 2. Bxa5 Nf6 3. dxe5 Ng4 4. e4 dxe4 5. Rxc8 Rxc8 6. Re1 reaches a similar
? position. Wide open, weak black pawns targeted.
The only alternative I can find for black is, after 1. Bc7 fxe5 2. Bxa5, 2...b6 with the plan of playing ...e5-e4. But after 3. Bb4 e4 4. Bd6 and white looks in control again. Not sure if there's anything else I can add.
Unlock Your Genius April 2009
by Tony Kosten 
, France, Monday, April 27, 2009, 11:57 (5833 days ago) @ tapestry
Very good! How should White continue after, say, 1 Bc7 fxe5 2 dxe5 Rf8, and what about 1 h4, any thoughts?
Incidentally, do either of you know the famous Karpov-Unzicker game with Ba7 ?
Unlock Your Genius April 2009
? Very good! How should White continue after, say, 1 Bc7 fxe5 2 dxe5 Rf8, and
? what about 1 h4, any thoughts?
? Incidentally, do either of you know the famous Karpov-Unzicker game with
? Ba7 ?
After Rf8, White should definitely play Rfd1 (intending e4), though I'm not clear what the strongest continuation is after Black plays Rf7 to address the e4 threat. The endgame after Bxa5 Rxc1 Rxc1 Nxe5 h3 looks promising.
As for 1. h4, I have no clue what the plan is there. White's king isn't in any danger on the back rank, and g5 doesn't appear to be that important of a square to take away. Plus it gives Black time to activate his knight via 1... fxe5 2. dxe5 b6 and 3... Nc5, with what should be enough activity to at least draw without too much trouble (and perhaps win if White messes up).
Then again, the more I look at this position, the more I wonder if these little advantages for White are enough to win anyway. I've played through a lot of the ideas, and haven't been able to reach a forced winning endgame that I know of. If the minor pieces get traded, Black can usually draw even if White managed to win a pawn in the exchanges (this usually happened when Black played b6 and Nc5, inviting Bxc5 bxc5 Rxc5, leaving white a pawn up, but all rook endings are drawn, as they say. :) )
Unlock Your Genius April 2009
by Tony Kosten , France, Tuesday, April 28, 2009, 13:10 (5832 days ago) @ dlwyatt
? After Rf8, White should definitely play Rfd1 (intending e4), though I'm
? not clear what the strongest continuation is after Black plays Rf7 to
? address the e4 threat. The endgame after Bxa5 Rxc1 Rxc1 Nxe5 h3 looks
? promising.
Good, but why is it promising?
? As for 1. h4, I have no clue what the plan is there.
Simply to stop Black playing the positionally desirable ...g5 - compare with the Anand-Kramnik game, where Black played ...g5 and then brought his king to g6.
Unlock Your Genius April 2009
by tapestry , Hampshire, Tuesday, April 28, 2009, 21:45 (5832 days ago) @ Tony Kosten
? ? After Rf8, White should definitely play Rfd1 (intending e4), though I'm
? ? not clear what the strongest continuation is after Black plays Rf7 to
? ? address the e4 threat. The endgame after Bxa5 Rxc1 Rxc1 Nxe5 h3 looks
? ? promising.
?
? Good, but why is it promising?
I wonder if it is promising for white because of the queenside pawns and potential for a passed pawn and the bishop against a knight with pawns on both sides of the board. Also black's kingside pawns could be vulnerable. I think black has good chances to hold though as the black knight could settle on e4 and the black king could defend in the centre, but the black squares in black's position look a vulnerability.
I wonder if rather than h3, white should play Rc8. My reasoning is that in order to activate the white king the black rook needs to be pushed off the f file. So if, after 1. Bc7 fe, 2. de Rf8 3. Rfd1 Rf7 4. Bxa5 Rxc1 5. Rxc1 Nxe5, 6. Rc8 either forces the black king to the edge of the board or the exchange of rooks.
So after 6...Rf8 7. Rc7 Rf7 8. h3 with a view to using the king to hold the centre and pushing the queenside pawns.
Alternatively, if 6. h3 black could try an 6...Nc6 (blocking the c file). After 7. Bc3 Rf5 with a plan for black to play ...Kf7, ...e5 and ...Ke6.
Thanks for the prompt to Karpov - Unzicker. I remembered something along those lines somewhere but it was very hazy. Looking through some of the books lining my shelves, I now see that Gelfer (Positional Chess Handbook), Tisdall (Improve Your Chess Now) and Kotov (Play Like a Grandmaster) all quote this game. Hopefully, seeing this idea again now will mean it'll stick in my memory more vividly.
Unlock Your Genius April 2009
by Tony Kosten , France, Wednesday, April 29, 2009, 10:20 (5832 days ago) @ tapestry
? I wonder if it is promising for white because of the queenside pawns and
? potential for a passed pawn and the bishop against a knight with pawns on
? both sides of the board.
Yes, exactly. 
Unlock Your Genius April 2009
by Tony Kosten , France, Tuesday, May 12, 2009, 13:50 (5818 days ago) @ Tony Kosten
I guess that's it, then? Shall I put the answer online?
Unlock Your Genius April 2009
? Good, but why is it promising?
Sorry :) I had a much longer reply all typed up, and when I clicked Submit, apparently my session had timed out and it was all lost. What I actually posted was the quick summary version! The main endgame advantage I was looking at is having a bishop versus knight with pawns on both wings, plus a rook that can penetrate the back ranks much easier than Black's.
Unlock Your Genius April 2009
by tapestry , Hampshire, Wednesday, May 13, 2009, 16:59 (5817 days ago) @ Tony Kosten
I think so.
Unlock Your Genius April 2009
by tapestry , Hampshire, Friday, July 17, 2009, 14:05 (5752 days ago) @ tapestry
? I think so.
Is it time for a new position?
Unlock Your Genius April 2009
by Tony Kosten , France, Thursday, July 30, 2009, 11:42 (5739 days ago) @ tapestry
? ? I think so.
?
? Is it time for a new position?
OK, I'll put my thinking hat on!
