What would YOU have done?

vivify

Only Chess

12 Jan '13 08:59

vivify
rain
Joined
08 Mar '11
Moves
12351
12 Jan '13 08:591 edit
I'm not posting the whole game, I just want to discuss a position that came up. In this game, was going up to minor pieces at the beginning, worth not only giving up the center, but having a poor defense for my king? I did go on to win the game, but what do you think?

DATE ????.??.??
RESULT *
FEN rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1
Invert Board PGN Headers Comments
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Result "*"]
[FEN "rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1"]

1.d4 Nc6 2.d5 { Yes, this move is way out of theory. I get bored with the same old positions sometimes, and like to experiment. } 2...Nb4 3.e4 e6 4.c4 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.a3 Nf6 { For whatever reason, black is daring me to give up control of the center, by sacrificing his knight. Should I capture the knight? } 7.axb4 { I take it, because I can pin his knight in the next move. Seems worth it to me, because I'll be up two minor pieces, and the game just started. However... } 7...Nxe4 8.Qe2 { Think about if you were black. How could you really punish white right now? Does white really have anything to fear? } 8...f5 9.f3 Qh4+ { My position is ugly. } 10.g3 Qe7 11.fxe4 fxe4 12.Bg2 { Look at this position. Was giving up my center for two knights worth it? }
*
SwissGambit
Caninus Interruptus
2014.05.01
Joined
11 Apr '07
Moves
92274
12 Jan '13 09:15
Originally posted by vivify
I'm not posting the whole game, I just want to discuss a position that came up. In this game, was going up to minor pieces at the beginning, worth not only giving up the center, but having a poor defense for my king? I did go on to win the game, but what do you think?

[pgn][Date "????.??.??"]
[Result "*"]
[FEN "rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBN ...[text shortened]... { Look at this position. Was giving up my center for two knights worth it? }
*[/pgn]
I don't see where you gave up the center or had a weak king defense.
paulbuchmanfromfics
Joined
24 Aug '07
Moves
48477
12 Jan '13 09:45
Invert Board PGN Comments
1.d4 Nc6 {Playable but not common} 2.d5 {an aggressive attempt at refutation} Nb4 {already a minor mistake ... e5 or even b8 are better ... The knight is just exposed on b4.} 3.e4 {Nice move} e6 4.c4 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 {A blunder, allowing a tactic - 6.Qa4+ wins the exposed b4 knight.} 6.a3 {Missing Qa4} Nf6 {He had to play Na6 here. There just isn't enough compensation for a piece.} 7.axb4 {That looks best. He is playing very risky, and I don't see compensation.} Nxe4 {If that pawn weren't on b4, Qa4 would win that knight too. Talk about exposed pieces! It's a shame that doesn't work.} 8.Qe2 {Not bad ... 8.Nc3 looks safe too. 8.Bd3, gaining time looks good too. I like Qe2 though.} f5 {Qe7, unpinning the knight and defending it was best. Then, you can still play f3. His knight moves to safety and you trade queens. Then, he will have an even tougher time showing compensation for a piece. Based on this tradedown idea, Qe2 is very strong.} 9.f3 {Great move ... He's busted.} Qh4+ {Firing blanks ... You can't attack a white army with one piece.} 10.g3 {Another nice move ... Black loses more time.} Qe7 {Too late now} 11.fxe4 {Without a serious oversight, you are coasting now.} fxe4 12.Bg2 {Another nice one ... That e pawn is doomed (Bf5 Nc3). He not only has to watch that, but Qxe4 would force a queen trade too. It's virtually over now. Well played}
Wilfriedva
Joined
21 Jan '12
Moves
3516
12 Jan '13 11:29
When you can trade 2 pawns for 2 knights while keeping your king safe and not allowing any killer passed pawns,you shouldn't worry about the rest of the position.

The real questions here are:
why do you think your king is unsafe?
why do you think you gave up the centre?
vivify
rain
Joined
08 Mar '11
Moves
12351
12 Jan '13 13:55
Originally posted by Wilfriedva
When you can trade 2 pawns for 2 knights while keeping your king safe and not allowing any killer passed pawns,you shouldn't worry about the rest of the position.

The real questions here are:
why do you think your king is unsafe?
why do you think you gave up the centre?
By allowing black's knight to capture the E pawn, didn't I give it up? Because as a result, I just have one lone, unprotected pawn in the center. Yes, it can be defended with the B knight; but that would keep me from using it. My queen is in the center, but Greenpawn has said that the queen (typically) shouldn't be used for defense, only attacking.

The king seems unsafe, because it doesn't have any pawns nearby to protect it. Meanwhile, black's king has a neat row of pawns nearby, especially on black's queen-side. I can still castle, but even then, it won't be as tucked-away as castling typically makes it.

Basically, just looking at white's pawn structure, vs. black's, white looks terrible. And if black castle's queen-side, he has a lot of pawns protecting his king. Maybe I just have to get out of my head, that pawns aren't the only pieces that should protect the king.
vivify
rain
Joined
08 Mar '11
Moves
12351
12 Jan '13 13:58
Originally posted by paulbuchmanfromfics
[pgn] 1.d4 Nc6 {Playable but not common} 2.d5 {an aggressive attempt at refutation} Nb4 {already a minor mistake ... e5 or even b8 are better ... The knight is just exposed on b4.} 3.e4 {Nice move} e6 4.c4 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 {A blunder, allowing a tactic - 6.Qa4+ wins the exposed b4 knight.} 6.a3 {Missing Qa4} Nf6 {He had to play Na6 here. There j ...[text shortened]... t, but Qxe4 would force a queen trade too. It's virtually over now. Well played} [/pgn]
Wow, Qa4. That's burned into my head now.

Thanks for pointing that out. I'm positive I won't ever miss that again. Thanks.
ViktorN
Joined
11 Nov '12
Moves
1327
12 Jan '13 14:04
Black compensation: White think he already won, and think nothing can prevent him from winning.

White compensation: Material advantage, slightly more active pieces, extreme pressure on the black centre.

Remember, piece activity helps defending the king. It's easy to have more piece activity if you are 2 pieces up.

DATE	????.??.??
RESULT	*
FEN	rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1

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What would YOU have done?