Move 18
 

There's not a great deal of choice this time, I guess. Our attacked queen must move, and in such a way that Black can't advantageously advance ...d4 or win the e4 pawn.

18.Qc2 was the only reply we were thinking of earlier.

Is 18.Qa4 worth considering instead? I mention the move just in case anyone else sees any merit in it. Black can, if they so choose, immediately drive the queen off that square with 18...Bc6, though that takes their square c6 away from their knight.

18.Qb4 and 18.Qb5 also keep c4 attacked but both moves put our queen on an even more exposed, vulnerable square than a4 and look silly to me.

EDIT: 18.Qa4 dxe4 and if 19.Qxc4+ Bd5 wins a piece. Do we actually have anything to think about this move?

I can't see anything better than Qc2.

Yeah, I think Qc2 is necessary in case they take dxe4.

[QUOTE=Zeta-Flux;327166]Yeah, I think Qc2 is necessary in case they take dxe4.[/QUOTE]

I expect dxe4 even after Qc2.

[QUOTE=henryzz;327179]I expect dxe4 even after Qc2.[/QUOTE]
Yes, and the line you suggested last move and which we all agreed with was 18.Qc2 dxe4 19.Bxe4 Bxe4 20.Qxe4 Qd3 21.Ng3.

This seemed alright to me at the time, but I'm now worrying slightly about Black playing ...Nd5 at some point, with double threats against e3 and f4.

First I looked at 18.Qc2 dxe4 19.Bxe4 Nd5, but then saw that we can play 20.Rbd1 because if 20...Nxe3 21.Rxd8 Nxc2 22.Rxf8+ (not 22.Rxa8 Bxa8 23.Bxc2 exf4 with a lethal extra pawn) Rxf8 23.Bxb7 with a dead draw (opposite coloured bishops, black knight can return safely into play via e3 and f5).

However, I'm not so happy it Black plays ...Nd5 after their queen has come to d3. 18.Qc2 dxe4 19.Bxe4 Bxe4 20.Qxe4 Qd3 21.Ng3 Nd5. How can we avoid losing the f pawn here? Anyone any suggestions?

I'm not sure at what precise point in the last few weeks I started feeling that we have a difficult position and should be happy to fight for a draw, by the way, but that's how I feel about the position now.

I felt the same way, but then tried playing the black position against a much weaker opponent, and he nearly beat me multiple times. So I'm not nearly as pessimistic now.

Another option is:

18.Qc2 dxe4 19.Bxe4 Bxe4 20.Qxe4 Qd3 21.Qf3

[QUOTE=Zeta-Flux;327210]Another option is:

18.Qc2 dxe4 19.Bxe4 Bxe4 20.Qxe4 Qd3 21.Qf3[/QUOTE]
Mmm, but then 21...Nd5 is even worse I think. The only way to avoid loss of a whole piece is then 22.Bc1, but Black has the pleasant choice of taking the exchange with 22...Qxb1 23.Qxd5+ or disdaining it and exploiting our badly uncoordinated pieces.

I'm beginning to think we'll need to let the pawn on f4 go and drum up enough play to try to compensate for its loss. Well, we should go for it! Players who get the best results are the ones who salvage draws from inferior positions.:smile:

I would happily exchange a pawn at this stage to put them on the defensive. Like you two I have been feeling we are playing a losing gave lately. In retrospect maybe rather than pushing the g pawn we should have moved our queen such that we could put a rook on the d file. He has looked like doing d5 even as far back as move 13.

[QUOTE=henryzz;327223]I would happily exchange a pawn at this stage to put them on the defensive. Like you two I have been feeling we are playing a losing gave lately. In retrospect maybe rather than pushing the g pawn we should have moved our queen such that we could put a rook on the d file. He has looked like doing d5 even as far back as move 13.[/QUOTE]
Yes, I agree. At the time I thought pushing the g-pawn was the right punishment for Black's apparently lacklustre opening play, but their position had more resources in it than appeared to me at the time.

Well, for now do we agree that we must play 18.Qc2?

You are right. (I'm trying to work out this position without a board, so make sure to check what I say!)

Consider the following:

18. Qc2 exd4
19. Rbd1 Nd5 (if Bd5, we play 20. Bxd4 Bxd4 21. Qxd4, and now they can't bring the queen down)
20. Bxd4 Nxe3
21. Rxd8 Raxd8
22. Qc1 Nxf8
23. Bxb7 and we are down two rooks to a queen, but there might be better play somewhere in there.

On the other hand:
18. Qc2 exd4
19. Rfd1 Nd5
20 Bxd4 Nxe3
21. Rxd8 Raxd8
22. Qc1 and we actually look like we are in a good position... (Now, find the flaw in my plan.) [Woops found it. 22. ... Bxe4, and now the other rook is in the wrong position.]