9.Qc6
8...b6 does seem like your best option. However, the exchange isn't going to force my bishop to retreat; I would have moved there in the first place if I wanted to move it there. Actually, that defeats the purpose of my moving the bishop at all. If I had moved there only to retreat, why not develop something else in move 8???
I kind of obviously don't want that exchange to take place because it leaves my Queen all frightened and pressed up against the side of the board with only limited options. Here, I'm playing pressure into your space and threatening two pieces simultaneously. This play also allows tempo for my bishop to escape unscathed.
Game 672803
9...Rb8
The bishop is lost or will have to move no matter what...
Actually there's a reason for me going for the exchange and that's the active rook that I've not acquired who's planning on taking your b2 pawn.
The advantage in material and the active rook might hurt your position a little bit.
I feel a change in the winds...
10.Qe4
The rook will definitely put pressure on the back court there once he's out in the open. But basically, it all comes down to the question I pondered in "What do you do when you can't find a good move?" (<domain>/board/showthread.php?id=14242). Do I value a bishop more than a knight or a knight more than a bishop? Well, me being not-too-excited about any questionable exchange, I considered falling back with the Bb4 to save my bishop for the time being, since that's the only safe spot along my little clergyman's diagonal. But you'll probably instantly threaten my queen there with a defended bishop and push me back and push me back and push me back until I got nothin' left. So I'm gonna take your knight before I lose the opportunity.
11.Qc2
At first I wanted to march my b2 pawn to b3 making him my b3 pawn, but your fianchetto'd bishop threatens my exposed rook behind, granted, a guarded center piece. And all this still leaves open to you the possibility to wreak havoc on my center d4 pawn with a challenge at c5. All things considered, with the gaping hole in my defenses at c-file, I think my best bet is to retreat my queen out of the center where you can no longer threaten her with a bishop fianchetto to b7. Now she simultaneously guards c-file and my b2 pawn.
Congratulations, you've sent my queen reeling in defense. 🙂
12.e3
Defending Mr. d4. It's the only thing I can do that seems to be very effective at all. I'm sure you're already anticipating this move. Hard to tell where you'll go from there though. You seem to have one or two or more options. If I take the c5 pawn now, I expose b2 to your fianchetto'd bishop and could lose a lot of ground and maybe even my queen. I also don't want you to take d4 without the double reinforcement. The e3 pawn prevents the possibility of me losing a knight in that exchange.
13.b3
Your move Qb6 isn't bad. But your target won't be b2. See, he's protected now. What you failed to mention though is the now triple coverage of the diagonal to increase pressure on d4. Right now, I'm mostly just wondering if you value your bishops more as a pair or if you think you can afford to lose one in an exchange.
Game 672803
14.Nd2
(*ahgm* Your annotation should have been the second half to move 13 and should read 13...Bb7 and not 14.Bb7)
The double fianchetto. Jeez, the possibilities here are just a bit overwhelming. Trying to figure out what you might do in this scenario... as white, I need to consider some basic things. Firstly, am I still okay in the middle with the d4 exchange? Running through a quick scenario or two on the analyze board, I think I'm okay just so long as my rook isn't threatened at a1 in the completion of the pawn trade. However, your second bishop fianchetto to at b7 threatens my white knight on f3. Somehow I know that if I don't move my queenside knight to d2 to defend him, then he's a goner and you'll take advantage of the suddenly less-defended d4. This way, if you capture my knight, there's a knight right back in his place, only the board is minus one of your bishops and minus one of my cavalrymen.
Originally posted by mindbuzzRight...sorry...my mistake...
(*ahgm* Your annotation should have been the second half to move 13 and should read 13...Bb7 and not 14.Bb7)
14...cxd4
An exchange...but using the analysis board things look positionally promising for Black after a lot of swaping (by lots I mean swaping until move 17!) I'm planning to get my queen out on d4 which will hurt White.
Other choices I could have done:
14...0-0: Okay...this doesn't look too bad...but White will take the pawn (15. dxc5) and I'll take it back with my knight (15...Nxc5) and that doesn't seem very aggressive...the last thing I want to do is put Black on defense.
14...Bxf3: I like my bishop on b7! That's the best square for it right now...
And it's 14. Nbd2, mindbuzz...as there are two knights who can reach the d2 square...😉
And it's 14. Nbd2, mindbuzz...as there are two knights who can reach the d2 square...😉Touché, my friend.
15.Nfd4 🙂
Just kidding. I know... shouldn't be an f there.
Okay, seriously, what I'm betting you'll do (since you mentioned it) is a fairly aggressive exchange between here and move seventeen. Or maybe only half seriously, because if you are really planning on offering up a bishop sacrifice to the table gods in return for a mere dead horse, I'm not sure where that will land us both. But one thing I know is that your queen will finish the sequence all alone in the middle, which will look cool for a second and be a great reply to my opener. I'll have to defend my rook in the start of move 17 or retreat him from the ol' steak sauce square. Beyond that I still may have to dodge and parry one or two more thrusts, but overall, I should be in the clear. And then... uh... whatever.
Observationally though, I think the sacrifice of your bishop for my knight will be slightly to my advantage, theoretically, because the tactical advantage of one bishop guarding only half the tiles is much increased when the two operate as a pair. I mean, you can go ahead with the exchange if you want to. I'm just saying.