Move 17
 

Now that they've finally played their forced move, I guess we may as well discuss ours in a new thread.:smile:

We will lose our a pawn and need to make sure we have adequate compensation, preferably by rounding up and winning their b5 pawn, I suggest. But the immediate 17...Rxb5 can be answered by 18.e5, blocking the long diagonal and threatening Nxd6, and I think we're in trouble unless anyone can see a way out for us.

Suggestion last move was 17...Nc7 18.Bxa5 (not 18.Nxa5 Nxb5) Qc8.

Other suggestions?

[QUOTE=Brian-E;402524]Now that they've finally played their forced move, I guess we may as well discuss ours in a new thread.:smile:
We will lose our a pawn and need to make sure we have adequate compensation, preferably by rounding up and winning their b5 pawn, I suggest. But the immediate 17...Rxb5 can be answered by 18.e5, blocking the long diagonal and threatening Nxd6, and I think we're in trouble unless anyone can see a way out for us.
Suggestion last move was 17...Nc7 18.Bxa5 (not 18.Nxa5 Nxb5) Qc8.
Other suggestions?[/QUOTE]

I like your suggestion Nc7 Bxa5 Qc8. Where can they retreat their B to? c3? Then 19. .. Rxa5 or Nxa5 and I think we're ahead.

[QUOTE=davar55;402551]I like your suggestion Nc7 Bxa5 Qc8. Where can they retreat their B to? c3? Then 19. .. Rxa5 or Nxa5 and I think we're ahead.[/QUOTE]

What if they 19. Bxc7 instead of retreating B ? Is 19. .. Qxc7 still good for us? Can we still go after b5 ?

Just a curiosity question: on what move did we imperceptibly get into the Middle Game ?

[QUOTE=davar55;402551]I like your suggestion Nc7 Bxa5 Qc8. Where can they retreat their B to? c3? Then 19. .. Rxa5 or Nxa5 and I think we're ahead.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=davar55;402558]What if they 19. Bxc7 instead of retreating B ? Is 19. .. Qxc7 still good for us? Can we still go after b5 ?[/QUOTE]

Either 19.Bc3 or 19.Bxc7 are possible, but I don't see that it's necessary for them to move their bishop from a5 at that point. 19.Bxc7 does have the merit of removing a key attacker of b5 and we'd need some manoeuvring with the other knight to threaten their b5 pawn after that. I hope that they could only hold on to the extra pawn by adopting a passive set-up.

19.b6 Na6 is another possibility for them, but then we have ...Rb7 followed by ...Qb8 and, hopefully, ...Nxb6 to follow.

[QUOTE=davar55;402560]Just a curiosity question: on what move did we imperceptibly get into the Middle Game ?[/QUOTE]
I'd say on about move 11, when the two sides stopped developing pieces.

WMHalsdorf, hope everything is okay with you. We need to hear your ideas too while we still have time to discuss them.

I've been giving Rxb5 a hard look but can't come up with either a favorable position or material gain which leaves Nc7.

Okay. I can't find anything better than 17...Nc7 either. As far as I'm concerned we can play that move.