Help a beginner think about a position

[tennisjump192]

Hey everyone,

Long time lurker, I used to play chess a bunch when I was young, got up to around 1600 and stopped.

Now 10 years later I'm trying to get back into it. I played this game online and was curious how some of the higher rated players on this forum think about a position like this. Thanks for any responses.


1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.g3 Nc6 4.Bg2 g6 5.Nge2 Bg7 6.O-O Bg4 7.f3 Be6 8.d3 Nd4 9.Be3 Qb6 10.Rb1 Nxe2+ 11.Nxe2 Bxa2 12.Ra1 Be6 13.Rb1

[plastic]

I think white has some compensation for his pawn in the form of a queenside attack and the promise of being able to build a big center plus black is lagging a bit in development. I think black is still better but needs to be accurate. The immediate threat is b4 and I think ...a5 is probably forced here. White can look to push in the center and black should complete development.

It's seems like a shame for white that the pawn is sitting on f3 because that extra bit of long diagonal pressure looks to me like it could be really unpleasant for black. Black should still keep a close eye on it even behind two pawns.

[John_Douglas]

I would at least consider Ba2 here, winning more material by force. It's obviously a risky move because it loses time to grab material when White already has a lead in development.

It's clear that Black can just play a5 and from there just play chess. So I would look at Ba2 - if I calculated it to a forced advantage, I would play it, if not I would go a5. In general, the plan for White is f4,h3,g4 and an advance on the K-side. Black wants to develop Nf6, 0-0, followed by an eventual advance on the Q-side, Qc7,b5,a5,a4

[RoundTower]

I think that if you don't play Ba2, and play Nf6 or a5 instead, White is going to get a big initiative with f4 or d4.

[wlrs]

You could have (and probably should have) taken on b2 already on move 12. Probably Ba2 now to fix that error - seems like the most natural way to go ahead since a5 looks pretty strange and Nf6 seems to allow b4.

[jewbinson]

What does white do after 13...Ba2 14. Ra1 Qxb2 15.Qd2 ?

I think 15... Qxa1 is bad because after 17. c4 black will probably lose one of his bishops (although I'm not sure about this).

Also, if 13...Ba2 14. Ra1 Be6, is that a draw by repetition? Or is, say, Qc1 or c3 an improvement over Rb1?

[Do it Right]

At a drunken now infamous 0.5s glance I like Qc7. Thought process is simple: we're up a pawn and white does not have sufficient compensation. Lock down his counterplay and consolidate for an easy win. White's only immediate threat is b4, Qc7 stops that and puts the queen on a more useful square. Consolidate - win. Simple.

[Do it Right]

I wouldn't even consider Ba2/Qxb2 on principle alone. You already have a decisive advantage so goal number 1 is consolidation and prevention of counterplay. Ba2 may be able to win some more material but it gives white an obscene amount of play. When you are up material but your opponent has a lot of play, the relative value of that material goes down.

[RFW3]

White missed its best continuation on the 13th move with 13. Nf4 Bd7 14. Nd5 Qc6 15. f4 gaining a great outpost for the knight and ample compensation for the a pawn.

As played, 13 Rb1 I think is best met with 13 ... a5 14. b3 Nf6 and a clear advantage for black.

Getting the Q to c7 looks like a good idea, but I would first play a5 and Nf6, meeting either 15. Qd2 or 15. d4 with 15... Qc7, (13... Qc7 still allows 14. Nf4... and equality for white) and from there i'd plan to exploit your pawn majority on the queen side.

[DiggertheDog]

I think most of blacks issues stem from his misplaced bishop on e6. Yes you got the a-pawn but you are going to face significant pressure on the centre as a result of the loss of tempo to reroute your bishop.
I think f4/f5 push is going to be a key plan for white - be6 is preventing the development of your pieces on the kingside.

Yes reposition your queen but you have to look for a plan to organise your pieces for pressure e/f files