Only Chess
28 Feb 08
28 Feb 08
1 edit
I reached this position in OTB game against an player clearly stronger than me, rated about 1800 FIDE. The game was played under 15 min per player time controls. I was in time pressure so I offered draw to my opponent and he accepted.
If I wasn't in time pressure I would have tried to play it out because I think white is a little bit better here , my king is more active, I have a bishop which is better then knights if there are pawns on the both side of the board... However I started to panic that I wont be able to win here.
It is black to move here. What do you think ?
28 Feb 08
Originally posted by ivan2908And his knight is also misplaced to start with. I don't think a win would be easy for white but it definitely looks highly probable.
I reached this position in OTB game against an player clearly stronger than me, rated about 1800 FIDE. The game was played under 15 min per player time controls. I was in time pressure so I offered draw to my opponent and he accepted.
If I wasn't in time pressure I would have tried to play it out because I think white is a little bit better here , my ki ...[text shortened]... ck to move here. What do you think ?
[fen]1k6/1p4pp/p5n1/2B5/5PP1/5K2/PP6/8 b - - 0 28[/fen]
If I were white I'd for the kingside with the king and let the queenside pawns and bishop take care of themselves. But I don't know if this the right approach.
28 Feb 08
1 edit
Originally posted by ivan2908it seems there's nothing black can do against the Bd4 threat (and later taking on g7). so white should be winning.
I reached this position in OTB game against an player clearly stronger than me, rated about 1800 FIDE. The game was played under 15 min per player time controls. I was in time pressure so I offered draw to my opponent and he accepted.
If I wasn't in time pressure I would have tried to play it out because I think white is a little bit better here , my ki ...[text shortened]... ck to move here. What do you think ?
[fen]1k6/1p4pp/p5n1/2B5/5PP1/5K2/PP6/8 b - - 0 28[/fen]
28 Feb 08
1 edit
Originally posted by ivan2908I think White is winning based on tactics.
I reached this position in OTB game against an player clearly stronger than me, rated about 1800 FIDE. The game was played under 15 min per player time controls. I was in time pressure so I offered draw to my opponent and he accepted.
If I wasn't in time pressure I would have tried to play it out because I think white is a little bit better here , my ki ...[text shortened]... ck to move here. What do you think ?
[fen]1k6/1p4pp/p5n1/2B5/5PP1/5K2/PP6/8 b - - 0 28[/fen]
White is threatening Bd4 which wins the g7 pawn, as it can't move nor be defended. Black needs to get his knight out of the way so he can either move the pawn or defend it. But his options are both rubbish.
Any N move other than to h8 or h5 loses the knight immediately.
Nh8 fails to Bd4 and the g7 pawn is pinned and therefore lost.
Nh5+ fails to Kg4, when the knight has to go back to g6, and Bd4 picks up that g7 pawn.
So white wins a pawn, and gets a protected passed pawn well supported by the king and the black king miles away. With all the other advantages you mention, this should be a fairly clear win, if you have the time to play it out.
Edit: this is just a long hand way of saying what Diskamyl is saying, I think. We posted at almost the same time.
28 Feb 08
Originally posted by ivan2908Black's g-pawn looks to be in serious trouble. How can he stop white's threat of Bd4 and picking up the g-pawn? White's passed f-pawn is probably enough to win then.
I reached this position in OTB game against an player clearly stronger than me, rated about 1800 FIDE. The game was played under 15 min per player time controls. I was in time pressure so I offered draw to my opponent and he accepted.
If I wasn't in time pressure I would have tried to play it out because I think white is a little bit better here , my ki ...[text shortened]... ck to move here. What do you think ?
[fen]1k6/1p4pp/p5n1/2B5/5PP1/5K2/PP6/8 b - - 0 28[/fen]
29 Feb 08
Originally posted by ivan2908Easy win for white. Black can't defend the pawn on g7; even if he pushes it to get Be7 wins the pawn. Even without this weakness your bishop is much stronger than his knight since you have pawns on both sides of the board. Your bishop can switch from one side to the other quickly while his knight is left to defense.
I reached this position in OTB game against an player clearly stronger than me, rated about 1800 FIDE. The game was played under 15 min per player time controls. I was in time pressure so I offered draw to my opponent and he accepted.
If I wasn't in time pressure I would have tried to play it out because I think white is a little bit better here , my ki ...[text shortened]... ck to move here. What do you think ?
[fen]1k6/1p4pp/p5n1/2B5/5PP1/5K2/PP6/8 b - - 0 28[/fen]
March your king down the h-file; there's nothing he can do.
I'm just glad to see that you got to this position with a stronger player.
29 Feb 08
Jeremy Silman does a good job of explaining this type of position in How to Reassess Your Chess.
We will get to this later in our study too. You will remember this game; it will be very special to you. Most of the time draws that you should have won or draws where you saved the game from a loss are more meaningful than weaving your best mating net. You will always wonder what could have been.