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04-14-2014 , 09:07 PM
#1
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We don't have a general positional exercise thread, so I might as well start one. This thread should operate sort of like a hybrid between "Chess Etudes" and TexAg06's trademark planning threads.

Unlike studies or tactical puzzles, positional exercises often don't have unequivocal answers, so feel free to suggest moves and ideas you find interesting even if they might not be "correct."

Calculation-intensive problems are fine as long as their objective isn't mate or a gain of material.

I'll start. This one shouldn't be too hard.

Last edited by Rei Ayanami; 04-14-2014 at 09:25 PM.
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04-14-2014 , 09:40 PM
#2
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Spoiler:
If you can entomb the white bishop on b1 you have to be easily winning, so 1. ... Be6 seems like the natural idea. Then probably cement the bishop in place with something like 2. Ke3 d5 3. exd5 cxd5? Or maybe white is actually better off tryin to give up a pawn to avoid that position, with 2. c4 Bxc4 3. c3?
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04-15-2014 , 05:40 AM
#3
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Spoiler:
This is more a reply to BJJ: in your given line 1.. Be6 2. Ke3 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 white plays 4. Kd4 followed by Ba2 and it might be you fighting for a draw I think the initial idea is correct, 1.. Be6, but then after 2. Ke3 probably 2.. Bc4 (threatening Bf1).

After that we will probably play d5, and then:

1. if white pushes e5, we will be able to defend both c6 and a4 pawns with Bb5 down the road if white king goes there, while we will grab his king side pawns with our king.

2. if he takes, that will open a fast route for our king via f6--f5, and even though we will lose the a4 pawn if white wants to take it, we will be much much faster with the extra bishop.
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04-15-2014 , 05:26 PM
#4
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Spoiler:
Be6 Ke3 Bc4 g3 (or g4, h4, whatever, Kd4 Bf1 is no good for white) c5 and his K path is stuffed and you're playing 5 on 4 from the d-file over and you can trade the d-pawn for the e or f pawn and just walk home.
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04-15-2014 , 06:25 PM
#5
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Spoiler:
I think Be6 c4 must be best play, and Black wins but it's not trivial
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04-15-2014 , 07:13 PM
#6
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Spoiler:
Huh, the line I actually wrote out is very different from my thought process. When I talked about "cementing the bishop in place" with d5, I meant cementing the bishop in place *on c4*, but apparently I forgot to actually include Bc4 in the text of my line. That was definitely my second move in my head.
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04-15-2014 , 08:38 PM
#7
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Spoiler:
1. ... Be6 (preferably with the idea of Bc4) is the correct idea.
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04-16-2014 , 05:08 AM
#8
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Spoiler:
was thinking along the lines TomCowley presented, surprised to see YKW following up Bc4 with d5 Is that what they teach you at the Soviet school of chess
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04-16-2014 , 05:33 AM
#9
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Spoiler:
both of you are right, c5 is even better.
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04-16-2014 , 02:57 PM
#10
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Spoiler:
actually on second thought, I still think d5 wins as easily as c5 but I guess if we go by general principles then maybe c5 looks "nicer".
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04-16-2014 , 04:10 PM
#11
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Spoiler:
yes yes, was just busting your balls for taking the calculation route instead of going Soviet style "c5, old positional rule, always put pawns on opposite color of bishop. easy win *handwave*"
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04-18-2014 , 02:14 AM
#12
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New problem. White to move.

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04-18-2014 , 10:11 AM
#13
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Spoiler:

Qc1 Bxe3 Qc6+ Kf8 fxe3 followed by pressure on the c7 pawn.
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04-18-2014 , 08:43 PM
#14
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Spoiler:
re:lkasigh I think Black should avoid trading on e3, maybe meeting Qc1 with h6...
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02-16-2015 , 04:06 PM
#15
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Let's reignite this thread! Black to play

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02-16-2015 , 09:57 PM
#16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by goldaxe
Let's reignite this thread! Black to play
I'm thinking about castling queenside.
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02-16-2015 , 11:41 PM
#17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by goldaxe
Let's reignite this thread! Black to play
Spoiler:
if black plays a quiet move such as 0-0, white is going to put a lot of pressure on black's position by playing nc3 and nd5. if we ever take the knight then white can take with the c-pawn and our c-file will be weak. to prevent this, i think black should play 1...nb8

on 2.nc3 c6 3.d4 nd7, and i think black's position can hold well. this is kinda like a philidor opening pawn-structure
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02-19-2015 , 05:47 AM
#18
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Spoiler:
Correct! The theme of the puzzle is prophylaxis, with White's threat being Nc3-d5. I think ...Nd8 is also a reasonable move, with the same idea of meeting Nc3 with c6, but 1...Nb8! feels most natural.

Castling queenside looks a bit risky. One point is that White has a hook for his pawn storm (a6) whereas Black doesn't, which will make his attack a lot slower.
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02-19-2015 , 05:51 AM
#19
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Spoiler:
A couple of moves later in the same game(don't ask why White played a4). Black to play.
Last edited by goldaxe; 02-19-2015 at 05:53 AM. Reason: spoiler
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02-19-2015 , 09:28 AM
#20
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Na6 looks better than Nbd7 to me. I don't see any other moves. If white does nothing, then the plan of an eventual f7-f5 and f5-f4 if uncaptured looks like the break through black should go for.
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02-19-2015 , 09:29 AM
#21
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Ofc he should prepare for f7-f5 for as long as he needs and shouldn't rush it.
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02-19-2015 , 11:22 AM
#22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by goldaxe
Spoiler:
A couple of moves later in the same game(don't ask why White played a4). Black to play.
Spoiler:
na6 and 0-0 seems like the most intuitive since they're natural developing moves.

i'm assuming white's last move was qf2 so it appears like the threat is nh4-f5 at some point. i'll have to give up the bishop by then anyways and that'll fix white's pawn structure/offer him a potential attack, so bxf3 now seems like the best candidate. i don't mind giving up the bishop since the center is and will always be locked.

by the time white's other knight tries migrating from c3 to e2 to g3 to f5, i'll probably go nfd7 and g6.
Last edited by tiger415; 02-19-2015 at 11:31 AM.
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02-23-2015 , 02:31 PM
#23
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Spoiler:
Bxf3! also seems to me to be the best move. Once the f3 knight moves, our bishop has absolutely no role in this pawn structure. Also we can aim for a good knight vs bad bishop in the future.
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02-23-2015 , 03:26 PM
#24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by goldaxe
Spoiler:
Bxf3! also seems to me to be the best move. Once the f3 knight moves, our bishop has absolutely no role in this pawn structure. Also we can aim for a good knight vs bad bishop in the future.
Dunno how I forgot about that...

Spoiler:
Not sure if there is anything serious for black though. White can play gxf3, Kh1 etc and play either d4 or f4 at some pt (a4 looks ugly as hell). I suppose black has some way to improve his position and is the only one pushing for an advantage.
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