Move 8

Brian-E · 2012-11-20, 14:17

What are the candidate moves now?
8.O-O
8.Be3
8.Bd2
Any others worth considering?

Zeta-Flux · 2012-11-20, 20:42

I would rule out Bd2 in order to leave open the option of putting the queen behind the bishop. We will eventually want to castle kingside, but with the conservative way the other side is playing, I don't know that we want to let them know we are planning on it yet. So my vote is on Be3. (On the other hand, maybe by castling they will commit to the queenside, but move too slowly to make it effective.)

richs · 2012-11-21, 04:59

I prefer Bd3. I think they will respond by O-O since they are playing so conservatively.

Other potential moves for them would be Nd4 or Qb6, both offensive moves.

If we don't play Bd3, then I'd go for O-O.

Thoughts?

henryzz · 2012-11-21, 09:27

Worth noticing Bxc3 from black messing up our pawn structure and swapping the knight. That would imply that Bd2 was better.
What do we gain from Be3 considering where black's pawns are? The ability to swap on d4 if he moves his knight there is the only thing I can see.

Brian-E · 2012-11-21, 10:33

[QUOTE=henryzz;319162]Worth noticing Bxc3 from black messing up our pawn structure and swapping the knight. That would imply that Bd2 was better.[/QUOTE]
Certainly worth noticing, but not, I think, a serious threat right now. Black's g7 bishop is far too valuable for them to consider voluntarily swapping it for a knight. It would at a stroke cede the entire centre to us and leave their K-side, where they are presumably intending to put their king, full of holes.

If we should consider castling queenside, we should indeed we wary of allowing Black to mess up our pawns there. But we are hardly committing ourselves to that at the moment.

[QUOTE]What do we gain from Be3 considering where black's pawns are? The ability to swap on d4 if he moves his knight there is the only thing I can see.[/QUOTE](1) Valuable defence to our king if we castle king side. The a7-g1 diagonal is very dangerous (richs mentions Black's offensive possibility ...Qb6 for example).
(2) It contests the central square d4 as you mention. We may, as a result of this contention, be able to play d3-d4 ourselves later if it seems right to do so.
(3) As mentioned both here and in earlier threads by Zeta-Flux, we can put the queen on d2 forming a battery on the c1-h6 diagonal which can lead to an offensive action against Black's castled king. After the move f5, the move Bh6 may be possible. A similar battery with the queen on c1 and the bishop on d2 would, admittedly, also be possible, but this would hamper the development of our rooks.

***

@richs Do you mean to advocate the move 8.B[B]e[/B]3? (You write Bd3 but that is impossible. Or do you mean Bd2?)

***

I like 8.Be3.
I also like 8.O-O.

richs · 2012-11-21, 14:56

Sorry, that was a typo last night: 8. Be3 was what I meant.

henryzz · 2012-11-21, 18:24

My current thought is Be3 quite possibly followed by O-O

Brian-E · 2012-11-21, 18:35

In that case, it seems we are agreed on 8.Be3, right?

henryzz · 2012-11-21, 23:13

[QUOTE=Brian-E;319219]In that case, it seems we are agreed on 8.Be3, right?[/QUOTE]

Looks like it. I will post.

2012-11-20, 14:17	#1
Brian-E "Brian" Jul 2007 The Netherlands 6316₈ Posts	Move 8 What are the candidate moves now? 8.O-O 8.Be3 8.Bd2 Any others worth considering?

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2012-11-20, 20:42	#2
Zeta-Flux May 2003 7·13·17 Posts	I would rule out Bd2 in order to leave open the option of putting the queen behind the bishop. We will eventually want to castle kingside, but with the conservative way the other side is playing, I don't know that we want to let them know we are planning on it yet. So my vote is on Be3. (On the other hand, maybe by castling they will commit to the queenside, but move too slowly to make it effective.)

2012-11-21, 04:59	#3
richs "Rich" Aug 2002 Benicia, California 2×859 Posts	I prefer Bd3. I think they will respond by O-O since they are playing so conservatively. Other potential moves for them would be Nd4 or Qb6, both offensive moves. If we don't play Bd3, then I'd go for O-O. Thoughts?

2012-11-21, 09:27	#4
henryzz Just call me Henry "David" Sep 2007 Liverpool (GMT/BST) 3×23×89 Posts	Worth noticing Bxc3 from black messing up our pawn structure and swapping the knight. That would imply that Bd2 was better. What do we gain from Be3 considering where black's pawns are? The ability to swap on d4 if he moves his knight there is the only thing I can see.

2012-11-21, 10:33	#5
Brian-E "Brian" Jul 2007 The Netherlands 6316₈ Posts	[QUOTE=henryzz;319162]Worth noticing Bxc3 from black messing up our pawn structure and swapping the knight. That would imply that Bd2 was better.[/QUOTE] Certainly worth noticing, but not, I think, a serious threat right now. Black's g7 bishop is far too valuable for them to consider voluntarily swapping it for a knight. It would at a stroke cede the entire centre to us and leave their K-side, where they are presumably intending to put their king, full of holes. If we should consider castling queenside, we should indeed we wary of allowing Black to mess up our pawns there. But we are hardly committing ourselves to that at the moment. [QUOTE]What do we gain from Be3 considering where black's pawns are? The ability to swap on d4 if he moves his knight there is the only thing I can see.[/QUOTE](1) Valuable defence to our king if we castle king side. The a7-g1 diagonal is very dangerous (richs mentions Black's offensive possibility ...Qb6 for example). (2) It contests the central square d4 as you mention. We may, as a result of this contention, be able to play d3-d4 ourselves later if it seems right to do so. (3) As mentioned both here and in earlier threads by Zeta-Flux, we can put the queen on d2 forming a battery on the c1-h6 diagonal which can lead to an offensive action against Black's castled king. After the move f5, the move Bh6 may be possible. A similar battery with the queen on c1 and the bishop on d2 would, admittedly, also be possible, but this would hamper the development of our rooks. * @richs Do you mean to advocate the move 8.B[B]e[/B]3? (You write Bd3 but that is impossible. Or do you mean Bd2?) * I like 8.Be3. I also like 8.O-O.

2012-11-21, 14:56	#6
richs "Rich" Aug 2002 Benicia, California 2×859 Posts	Sorry, that was a typo last night: 8. Be3 was what I meant.

2012-11-21, 18:24	#7
henryzz Just call me Henry "David" Sep 2007 Liverpool (GMT/BST) 3×23×89 Posts	My current thought is Be3 quite possibly followed by O-O

2012-11-21, 18:35	#8
Brian-E "Brian" Jul 2007 The Netherlands 2×11×149 Posts	In that case, it seems we are agreed on 8.Be3, right?

2012-11-21, 23:13	#9
henryzz Just call me Henry "David" Sep 2007 Liverpool (GMT/BST) 3×23×89 Posts	[QUOTE=Brian-E;319219]In that case, it seems we are agreed on 8.Be3, right?[/QUOTE] Looks like it. I will post.