Originally posted by ShallowBlueThis looks promising, only we have to consider 23.Qc3!? Ra6 24.Nc4 Rd5!? 25.Nd6+ Kb8
How about Qc7. The queen seems better defensively here and if white plays Nc4, black can play Rxc5 winning a pawn because the white queen can't defend both rooks if he replies to Rxc5 with dxc5. Or am I missing something?
Originally posted by ilywrinIf Qc3 then why play Ra6 - it would be defended by the black queen on c2! Better to reply to Qc3 with ...Nd5 forking the white queen and rook. White can't counter effectively with Rxf2 attacking the black queen because the black knight would take the white queen with check!!
This looks promising, only we have to consider 23.Qc3!? Ra6 24.Nc4 Rd5!? 25.Nd6+ Kb8
Originally posted by ilywrinHmm. Well spotted - I don't like that line. Will have to look at the position some more for alternatives 🙂
Very true. Still I think I found what should be considered in your variant:
22...Qc7!? 23.Nc4 Rxc5!? 24.Rxf6!? Rxc4 /or Black loses a piece/ 25.Rxf7 Qd6 (is there a better move here? ). In whose favour is this position?
Hi, hope you don't mind a newbie butting in on the game: I'm normally too busy with my own games to read the forums but I'm on holiday :-) and found this thread...
It seems to me that ...Qc7 isn't such a good idea, not because of Nc4 but Ng4 which hits the newly weakened f6 square and indirectly the already weak f7 square. The Man is clearly trying to break through on the f-file and I think this helps him. eg 1...Qc7 2.Ng4 Nxg4 3.Rxf7 wins a pawn.
I prefer 1...Rd5. The difference being that after 2.Ng4 Nxg4 3.Rxf7 black has ...Qg5 protecting the knight.
Originally posted by Matt HortinAgreed.
Hi, hope you don't mind a newbie butting in on the game: I'm normally too busy with my own games to read the forums but I'm on holiday :-) and found this thread...
It seems to me that ...Qc7 isn't such a good idea, not because of Nc4 but Ng4 which hits the newly weakened f6 square and indirectly the already weak f7 square. The Man is clearly tryi ...[text shortened]... .Rd5. The difference being that after 2.Ng4 Nxg4 3.Rxf7 black has ...Qg5 protecting the knight.
The results of a shallow and inexhaustive indicates that Rd5 seems to be the only effective method of blunting the effectiveness white's next move, Ng4.
As a final thought (unless this turns into another of those notte in bianco) I'm going to suggest 1...Rd5 2.Nc4 Ra6 3.Nd6+ Rxd6 4.cxd6 Qxd6 as a positional sac to free black's game. One pawn for the exchange and the possibilty of play against the isolated d-pawn. Plus I don't think I'd be able to sit looking at that knight on d6 for too long anyway 😉
Ahhh! More coffee🙄 Or 1...Rd5 2. Nc4 Ra4 with the idea of provoking 3.Qb3 Ra6 4.Nd6+ Rxd6 5.cxd6 Qxd6 when the Rf4 is hanging. If 6.Qf3 then black has gained a tempo to activate the Ra6 compared to my last post and if 6.g3 then ...Rb6 looks ok.
I wouldn't be surprised if IM's immediate idea with Nc4 is to put the black rook out of action on a6, where it has less influence on the K-side, then follow up with g4. Nd6 may still be on the way, but in the meantime I'm struggling to see a promising plan for black. Which means I must pass the baton to someone who has seen their bed in the last 48 hours...
Originally posted by Matt HortinIf we are going for rook vs. knight + pawn exchange 22...Rd5 23.Nc4 Ra4 24.Qb3 Rxc4 25.Qxc4 Nxh5 is another option. OTOH after 26...Qxd6 /in your variant/ we can play 27...Ra5 aiming at the h5 pawn. Needs more investiagtion though. Maybe we can get a rook vs. knight + 2 pawns after all.
Ahhh! More coffee 🙄 Or 1...Rd5 2. Nc4 Ra4 with the idea of provoking 3.Qb3 Ra6 4.Nd6+ Rxd6 5.cxd6 Qxd6 when the Rf4 is hanging. If 6.Qf3 then black has gained a tempo to activate the Ra6 compared to my last post and if 6.g3 then ...Rb6 looks ok.
I wouldn't be surprised if IM's immediate idea with Nc4 is to put the black rook out of action on a6, ...[text shortened]... ck. Which means I must pass the baton to someone who has seen their bed in the last 48 hours...
Originally posted by ilywrinRight on both counts, I think.
If we are going for rook vs. knight + pawn exchange 22...Rd5 23.Nc4 Ra4 24.Qb3 Rxc4 25.Qxc4 Nxh5 is another option. OTOH after 26...Qxd6 /in your variant/ we can play 27...Ra5 aiming at the h5 pawn. Needs more investiagtion though. Maybe we can get a rook vs. knight + 2 pawns after all.
I also think that 22...Rd5 is black's best chance of getting some active play so we ought to play it now unless someone can come up with a reasonable alternative or a good reason not to.
We can discuss if and how we should sac the exchange after we see whether IM does indeed play Nc4. After all he might go in for something like 23.g4 Ra4!? 24.Qb3 Ra5 35. Rd3 (where it is defended by the knight) ie leave his knight as it's already on a nice square and try to bring his R closer to the action.
