Very curious to see how people evaluate this position.

Thanks guys.

Long story short, this was a casual game and I voluntarily entered a "some pawns for a piece" situation because I had this nagging feeling that it might be interesting or instructive.

I avoided the queen trade here, but the computer thought I should take it and that I easily held the draw if I did.

ITG:

I was surprised by this since the analysis by me/John_Douglas/Sholar seemed pretty solid. So I verified it with the engine I had at hand (Houdini 1.5 on an old comp). Seems winning for Black after 1.Qxg4 hxg4 (now -1,94 at depth 26/73). I helped it a little bit by giving Sholar's a5, it did not want to play it at first but is convinced now. Get a better engine and be suspicious of comp endgame evals imo

edit: The position could still turn out to be a draw but I want proof

Yeah, I was using a super-bad engine. That's why I was more curious about what you guys had to say about it.

Interesting. I looked at this a bit earlier on my lunch and came to the conclusion that black was a bit better but the
passed pawns would probably give white enough to hold on for a draw.

Also thought that white was much better playing 2.a4 over Kg3 and it gave him a good chance to hold for a draw or even win if black didn't play accurately. Then I thought that I was perhaps on loopy juice and decided not to post as i wanted to look at it properly and now sholar beat me to the punch

Never even considered a5 as a response though and I still don't see why it gives such a strong eval for black. Meh I have a lot to learn..

It's because Black can later play Bc2xa4 and have the potential q-side passer, which would no longer be there if white gets to play a5

Yeah a5 is a good move I hadn't considered. I guess Kg3 Bc2 Kg4 Ba4 Kg5 Kf8 and the Bishop can come back via e8 and Black's queenside pawns will be faster. Though just analyzing blindfold at the moment so I'm still not 100% clear. In such positions, a computer evaluation of +1.7 is not always a guarantee of a win.

Yep, the line involved white giving his e-pawn though so I assumed it was a win. Verified now with variations since the position was bugging me here are some lines showing that the position after 1.Qxg4 hxg4 is -+ and Black even has a little wiggle room (analysis courtesy of me + houdini):

2.Kg3 b5?!
(2.-Ke7/Kf7/a5 all seem to win more easily, for example
2.-Kf7 3.Kxg4 Bxg2 4.h5 Be4 5.a4 a5 or
2.-a5 3.Kxg4 Bxg2 4.h5 Be4 5.a4 Kf7 6.Kg5 Bc2 7.h6 Bxa4 8.e6+ Kg8)
3.Kxg4 Bxg2
4.Kf4 Kf7! (not 4.-a5 5.a4! and draws)
5.a4 b4! 6.cxb4 Bh3! heading for d7 with a win

2.a4 a5!
3.Kg3 Bc2 (3.-Bf5 is maybe even simpler and was what I looked at earlier, the engine wants to play 4.Kf4 Bd7 5.e6 Bxe6 but this looks pretty easy for Black to win)
4.Kxg4 Bxa4 5.Kf4 (not 5.Kg5 b5) Kf7
6.Ke3 Kg6
7.g4 is close to a fortress but not quite: 7.-Bd7
8.Kf4 b5
9.a3 Kg7 (probably there are quite a few winning squares for the king)
10.Kf3 a4!
11.Kf4 Bxg4
12.Kxg4 b4
13.h5 and now both bxa3 and bxc3 win for Black

Solid analysis imo. So the last question to answer then is whether the same queen-side break works after Qf2, if not then white should hold the draw pretty easily. But after a very shallow and quick calculation of some lines seems that the same break should win after Qf2 too..

Don't see a way out for White after 1.Qf2 b5 threatening a5 and Qxg2+ (2.g3 Qf3). Looks like the original position (good one btw) is -+

More fun with endgames. Super-easy for many of the players here, but I found it fascinating.

White to play and draw:

I enjoyed that too, thanks. Knights move funny.

nice geometry, you could definitely make it into the end of a study.

but does Black just miss a free knight earlier? 28...Kd7 Na7 Bb7 followed by Kc7-b6-a7, if White goes a4 or c4 in desperation you just take it.

mm nice.

Yes. I remember thinking "that knight looks trapped" and then I gave it like half a glance and decided he could probably get away or something. Lazy.

Here are some good tactics problems from recent games. Nearly every different tactical theme is represented.

http://chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=7846

It's a Multi-Beat Wednesday!

Beat: I'm getting my tail handed to me on FICS the last two days. +0 -5 =1 in the last two days.

Beat: Only one other person showed up to chess club last night. Two months ago we were drawing a dozen.

Beat: Wijk aan zee is on an off day.

and yet another beat: wrong thread

It's really not my day.

Black to move. What's black's plan, what's white's response, who is better, and why?

ITG: