Friday, May 20, 2011

Blue or Red Pill IX

Have I really not done one of these since January 2010? Time to fix that.


White to play


White's a long way ahead in development, but his knight's out on the rim and, more immediately, his bishop is attacked. So, what to do?



Exchange on d5,



or retreat to b3.


Think carefully: the championship of the world is at stake.



Blue or Red Pill? Index






4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bb3 precludes the pawn move to b3 and what is White to do about ... Bd7 and ... Qa5?

1. Bxd5 Nxd5 2. Nf5 hinders the development of Black's dark-squared bishop and White can follow up with Rhe1 with a possible threat of Qxd5.

Those are my initial thoughts...


Angus

ejh said...

Or indeed 2.Rhe1.

Jonathan B said...

EJH may be on the right track. You recognise the position Justin?

Myself, I think I'd probably have played 1 Bb3 had I not known how the game went. I suspect I over value static advantages - like the bishop pair - and underestimate dynamic advantages - like the initiative and development and such.

J

ejh said...

Personally, I value not playing the Sicilian.