benoni game

Please help me analyze this game. Save my moves 31 and 44 please 😕 I think I did not do very well in the opening...

I didn't even think of 13... h5 but when I saw it I thought it's not that bad even if I lose my strong queenside, because of opponent's weakened kingside. So what about 13.Bd3? And is there a win after 43.Nf3? I think there is but I'm not sure, this is too many moves ahead for me to analyze. The effect of my analysis can be seen a move after :-/

As an equal or inferior player I can't help much but I'll share my thoughts.

Ten moves of top notch theory makes me think the opening wasn't the real problem.

11.a4 - 12.a5 is beyond me.I assume the idea is to prevent black from deploying his normal plan.
To me,unaware of any such plans,it just seems a waste of time.Instead I suggest continue developing.11.Be2 (or Bd3) 12.0-0 seems normal enough.

13.Bd3 can't see anything wrong with it.
13.... h5 don't see why this should be a problem to you.As you said it just seems to weaken his kingposition.

14.Bd2 too meek imo.14.Bg5 pinning the g-knight to the e-pawn is better.Though I would advise to castle first.

20.Nd1? Black threatens to capture on c3?Well,playing white,I'd hope he does.Again 20.Bg5 comes to mind.Or 20.Ra4 as you played a move later

Can't see anything wrong with the rest of the game.Except for your 44th,of course.

Hope it helps.

Originally posted by Ajuin
As an equal or inferior player I can't help much but I'll share my thoughts.

Ten moves of top notch theory makes me think the opening wasn't the real problem.

11.a4 - 12.a5 is beyond me.I assume the idea is to prevent black from deploying his normal plan.
To me,unaware of any such plans,it just seems a waste of time.Instead I suggest continue developing ...[text shortened]... nything wrong with the rest of the game.Except for your 44th,of course.

Hope it helps.

11.a4 - 12.a5 I saw it once when I was black and lost to it in a blitz game, my thought was to create a danger of making my pawn passed. This is why I am so doubtful about the 13.Bd3 move. I wanted my bishop pointed at the black's a-pawn. And this move made my bishop subject to Ns' attack. I'm thinking of 13.Be2 and I suppose it would have been better.

Why I'm saying I must have played the opening wrong is that after move 19. i don't think I'm in an advantageous position. even with your suggestions for the move 20. which are certainly better than what I did.

14.Bg5 seems fine to me, I'll think of it.

Well, the move 31. was certainly wrong. With the other check I would have won a rook.

Thank you very much for looking into it.

Although an early a4, a5 is not necessary, it is a line that is sometimes played to provide a post on b6 for the knight. White wants to keep a knight on c4. By the time black maneuvers Nf6e8, Nd7e5, white has Nb6, and if ...Ne5d7 then Nc3a4 to support. After exchanging one, It is a bit hard for black to challenge the remaining knight's access to b6 and c4.

Be2 is better than Bd3. It keeps the bishop from becoming the N's target, and eyes a6. Besides, Bd3 can be played later if necessary depending on how black plays.


White played well, starting with the aggressive Ra4 and I think white's attack is stronger than black's. But if black played ...Bd7, instead of ...f5, to prevent Ra4 then black might have had a small advantage.

Originally posted by Regicidal
Although an early a4, a5 is not necessary, it is a line that is sometimes played to provide a post on b6 for the knight. White wants to keep a knight on c4. By the time black maneuvers Nf6e8, Nd7e5, white has Nb6, and if ...Ne5d7 then Nc3a4 to support. After exchanging one, It is a bit hard for black to challenge the remaining knight's access to b6 and c4 played ...Bd7, instead of ...f5, to prevent Ra4 then black might have had a small advantage.

i think black's f5 left me with decisive advantage, as it opened king's position, already weakened by h5. But before I was feeling a weaker side. Too bad I'm still uncapable of taking advantage of such positions.

I'm really interested in the question of the position after 43.Nf3. For one reason: I always find it hard to deal with two or even one rook when I have a queen and the opponent's king is vulnerable to checks. Are there any rules that could help organizing my thinking of them or is it always: I check here, he moves here or here, or here? Any would be helpful. I'm not a great one in calculating one million moves ahead, when opponent has many options and often I don't have any clue what do. Or see only small positional improvements. That means for example that I sometimes fail to win pure queen vs rook ending although I know philidor's position. It's still hard to reach it for me.

Originally posted by masniak
i think black's f5 left me with decisive advantage, as it opened king's position, already weakened by h5. But before I was feeling a weaker side. Too bad I'm still uncapable of taking advantage of such positions.

I'm really interested in the question of the position after 43.Nf3. For one reason: I always find it hard to deal with two or even one rook whe vs rook ending although I know philidor's position. It's still hard to reach it for me.

Q and N are a strong combination as they complement each other very well. In this situation, they're particularly good because black's bishop is "out of play" and because white's king is safer than black's exposed king. The knight is not restricted in it's mobility. White also has a passed pawn. Actually, the d5 pawn and it's potential to advance may be the difference maker in particular variations. Even without the d5 pawn, white probably wouldn't be worse.

43.Nf3 most likely wins. It is hard to say definitively without doing a lot of variations, but one does not need to calculate everything with certainty to feel good about a position.

43.Nf3 temporarily breaks rook coordination, puts the knight closer to the center targeting e5 and g5. 43..R1xf3 probably loses to 44.gxf3 (black can't follow with 44..R6xf3 45.Qg2ch) 44...h4 45.Qe4
The idea here is to find checks, simultaneous attacks, set up an advance to d6. White has a passed f pawn as well, and black a weak h pawn.



If black does not take the knight,
43...Rg6 44.Qf5

43...Kg8 44.Ng5

43...Kh6 44.Qd2ch

Basically,
Find relatively safe squares for your pieces combined with maximum mobility.
Attack your opponents pieces and pawns preferrably double attacks, pins etc.
Support the advance of your own pawns

The most important thing in a long sequence, though, is the very next couple moves, making sure you don't fall into a trap situation or a stymied position. The very next possibilities are more important than the distant ones.

thank you very much! is there any good source of puzzles dedicated to queen endings? best would be with both tactical and strategical ones. I have a good collection of puzzles in my Chess Mentor program that are categorized in some ways but unfortunately there's no such category...