Game 643185: Zucc. v. Paultopia: public comments

27 g5
Game 643185

It's never good when one's opponent chooses a move "as per the previous line" that you yourself posted. It makes one a little paranoid, like "is there a sting in the tail that I missed?

Nonetheless, I'm going to have confidence (bravado?) in my calculations.

28 Re7
Game 643185

Black's only undefended pieces are pawns that can be easily defended. My undefended pieces can likewise be defended. I think Black can trade his way to a won game at this point, with the f- and g-pawns advancing. There aren't many options, so trading with some minor advantage may be all I have.

Re7: trading rooks and getting rid of one defender of the f-pawn
h3: prevents g4 advance
Bf1: attacking a6, and providing support to c4
Rd1: adding an attacker to d5, but this, too, seems easy to defend against

Black's only undefended pieces are pawns that can be easily defended. My undefended pieces can likewise be defended. I think Black can trade his way to a won game at this point, with the f- and g-pawns advancing. There aren't many options, so trading with some minor advantage may be all I have.

Re7: trading rooks and getting rid of one defender of the f-pawn
h3: prevents g4 advance
Bf1: at ...[text shortened]... ding support to c4
Rd1: adding an attacker to d5, but this, too, seems easy to defend against
[/b]

27. Nd3 is an error. Nb3 is the correct move I believe (although I have been known to be wrong). I think white needs to watch d4 trading the centre pawn. I think it could have been played instead of g5. (d4 if cxd4 avoiding the seperation of the pawns then Rxd4 winning a tempo on the Knight or trading off the Knights after Re7).

29 Re5
Game 643185

I think I should avoid trading, as this only simplifies into a losing game.

Re8+: ..NxRe8, Rxe8+ ...Rf8 to block leaves me down the exchange
Re5: retreating and guarding the e-file, here the rook is safe from attack but not from trades.

[b]29 ... Kg7
Game 643185


well, I just came back from a week's vacation and I'm brain-dead, haven't touched a chessboard in a week either, so this is probably a blunder.

it doesn't look like I can safely jettison a pawn to simplify with Re6, tempting as it looks, it leaves me, after the fur stops flying, with a bunch of highly vulnerable pawns and inactive pieces.

I'm also not totally satisfied with my position after h5 h4, where he can sac another pawn to cripple my mobile majority.

However, I think activating my king is just what the doctor ordered.

30 Rd1
Game 643185

I think your king move is a good one. You have two unopposed pawns bearing down on my king. I think if you can trade your pieces to simplify this game, you will win easily.

I am looking at attacking d5. Also, I think my bishop is useless where it is, but I will need several moves to place it somewhere better.

Rd1: aiming for d5
b3: supporting c4, aiming for d5
a4: intending b4 to follow

Originally posted by zucchini
30 ... Kf5
Game 643185

The main advantage of this move is that it prevents the immediate Nb4, which would otherwise be highly annoying. It's still not a cakewalk, though. I've been calculating lines (which I don't think I'll disclose), and several seem to lead to the loss of both my extra pawns as the price for trading the wood off. so I'll put the king here, see what he does with it (if Re1, I think I'll play a5 as a prophylactic and keep his knight from troubling me) and gradually improve my position until I can get the wood off without penalty.

31 a4
Game 643185

I have not been able to find a plan.
But I noticed that paultopia has not moved for some time.
This game will die here if he does not return.

a4: Gaining some space, keeping the knight off of b5, intending b4 to follow
b3: Preping for a4

Originally posted by zucchini
[b]31 a4
Game 643185

I have not been able to find a plan.
But I noticed that paultopia has not moved for some time.
This game will die here if he does not return.

a4: Gaining some space, keeping the knight off of b5, intending b4 to follow
b3: Preping for a4
[/b]