Dream position

[Hans Jung]

https://www.chessbomb.com/arena/2020...ia-Krush_Irina On move 55 a dream position for Black. What would you play?

[Wayne Komer]

Dream Position

October 23, 2020

US Woman’s Championship
Online, Round 6, Oct. 22, 2020
Cervantes Landeiro, Thalia – Krush, Irina
A41 Old Indian Defence

1.d4 d6 2.c4 e5 3.d5 Be7 4.Nc3 Bg5 5.e4 Bxc1 6.Qxc1 a5 7.Be2 Nf6 8.Nf3 Na6 9.O-O Bg4 10.Nd2 Bd7 11.Bd1 Nc5 12.Bc2 O-O 13.b3 c6 14.a3 Qb6 15.Rb1 cxd5 16.exd5 Na6 17.b4 axb4 18.axb4 Rfc8 19.Qb2 Qd4 20.Rbd1 Qh4 21.Bd3 Qd4 22.Be2 Qb6 23.Rb1 Bf5 24.Na4 Qd8 25.Rbc1 Nd7 26.Qb3 Nb6 27.Nb2 Nd7 28.Bd3 Bxd3 29.Nxd3 Qb6 30.Rb1 Qd4 31.Rfe1 Nf6 32.Rbd1 e4 33.Nb2 Re8 34.Nf1 Qb6 35.b5 Nc5 36.Qg3 Ra2 37.Rb1 Qa5 38.Qe3 g6 39.Qd4 Nfd7 40.Nd1 Qxe1 41.Nc3 Qxf2+ 42.Qxf2 Rxf2 43.Kxf2 Ra8 44.Ne3 f5 45.g3 Kf7 46.Nc2 Nb6 47.Ne3 Ra3 48.Ncd1 Ra2+ 49.Kg1 Kf6 50.Nc3 Ra3 51.Ncd1 Ke5 52.Kf2 Ra2+ 53.Kg1 Kd4 54.Rc1 Nd3 55.Rc3 Na4 56.Rb3 Ra1 57.Kg2 Ke5 58.h4 h6 59.Kh2 g5 60.hxg5 hxg5 61.Kg2 f4 62.gxf4+ gxf4 63.Ng4+ Kd4 64.Ndf2 Ra2 65.Kf1 Nac5 66.Rb1 e3 67.Nxd3 Nxd3 68.c5 e2+ 69.Kg1 Nxc5 70.Nf2 Rd2 71.Kg2 Kxd5 72.Kf3 Nd3 73.Nxd3 Rxd3+ 74.Kxe2 Re3+ 75.Kf2 Kc5 76.Rd1 d5 77.b6 d4 78.Rb1 d3 79.Rc1+ Kxb6 80.Rc4 Re2+ 81.Kf3 Rh2 82.Rxf4 d2 83.Rd4 Kc5 84.Rd8 b5 85.Ke3 Kb4 86.Rd5 Ka4 87.Rd4+ b4 88.Rxd2 Rxd2 89.Kxd2 Ka3 0-1

Position after White’s 55.Rc3

[Aris Marghetis]

https://www.chessbomb.com/arena/2020...ia-Krush_Irina On move 55 a dream position for Black. What would you play?

Morning Hans, yes, interesting, thanks, been looking at it for a while. What would YOU play?!

[Hans Jung]

Well Aris thanks for asking (and Wayne thanks for putting up the diagram). I was hoping someone else would respond (or someones). I find the position fascinating! Why? The computer says 55...Na4 with a huge numerical evaluation (something like -7 or -8) Thats an encouragement to stop thinking and imo not so clear. Far simpler is 55...Nf2 (remove the defender) so then 56.Rc1 Nxd1 57.Nxd1 Nxc4 with an easy win. I also looked at 55...Nb2 but didnt like 56.Rc2 Nxd1 57.Rxa2 Nxe3 58.Ra7 with counterplay but now I see that may be winning for Black as well. Theme - remove the defender.

[Aris Marghetis]

Well Aris thanks for asking (and Wayne thanks for putting up the diagram). I was hoping someone else would respond (or someones). I find the position fascinating! Why? The computer says 55...Na4 with a huge numerical evaluation (something like -7 or -8) Thats an encouragement to stop thinking and imo not so clear. Far simpler is 55...Nf2 (remove the defender) so then 56.Rc1 Nxd1 57.Nxd1 Nxc4 with an easy win. I also looked at 55...Nb2 but didnt like 56.Rc2 Nxd1 57.Rxa2 Nxe3 58.Ra7 with counterplay but now I see that may be winning for Black as well. Theme - remove the defender.

EDITED: OK, it took me a while, but I can now see that Nf2 survives Nc2+, as Black ends up with 3-4 pawns for the exchange. I gotta look FURTHER ahead!

Thanks Hans!

[Hans Jung]

Yes I didnt give that line: 55...Nf2 56.Nc2+ Rxc2 57.Rxc2 Nxd1 58.Rd2+ Kc3 59.Rxd1 Nxc4 and Black should corral the other queenside pawns. All you have to see is that the rook cannot get behind the black position because the passed pawns will go in. (and I think thats an easy endgame to play)

[Aris Marghetis]

Yes I didnt give that line: 55...Nf2 56.Nc2+ Rxc2 57.Rxc2 Nxd1 58.Rd2+ Kc3 59.Rxd1 Nxc4 and Black should corral the other queenside pawns. All you have to see is that the rook cannot get behind the black position because the passed pawns will go in. (and I think thats an easy endgame to play)

Oh I agree (well, I agreed after trying it out on a board)

[Lucas Davies]

A dream position from one of my own games (black to play): https://old.chesstempo.com/gamedb/game/2088047

[Hans Jung]

Well Aris thanks for asking (and Wayne thanks for putting up the diagram). I was hoping someone else would respond (or someones). I find the position fascinating! Why? The computer says 55...Na4 with a huge numerical evaluation (something like -7 or -8) Thats an encouragement to stop thinking and imo not so clear. Far simpler is 55...Nf2 (remove the defender) so then 56.Rc1 Nxd1 57.Nxd1 Nxc4 with an easy win. I also looked at 55...Nb2 but didnt like 56.Rc2 Nxd1 57.Rxa2 Nxe3 58.Ra7 with counterplay but now I see that may be winning for Black as well. Theme - remove the defender.

Actually best is 55...Nb2 (threatening 56...Nxd1 57.Nxd1 Ra1) if 56.Rc2 Nxd1 57.Rxa2 Nxe3 as given above. or 56.Nc2+ Kc5 57.Nd-e3 to avoid exchanges Na4 58.Ra3 (if 58.Rb3 Nxc4) Rxa3 59.Nxa3 Nb6 and all the white queenside pawns will fall.

[Hans Jung]

Good one Lucas!

[Hans Jung]

So is Rg8 what you played Lucas?

[David Ottosen]

To be honest, my first instinct in the position is to pursue a plan of Nd7-e5-f3. Seems like it would make it very tough to survive for white.

[Lucas Davies]

So is Rg8 what you played Lucas?

Yup, after Rg8 pretty much all white can do is drop some pieces or shuffle back and forth. He played Rf3, and I was up a rook and a piece a couple of moves later.

[Hans Jung]

That follows the maxim: Improve your worst piece. Its hard to find a bad piece for Black but the Rb8 wasnt doing enough all on g8 all of a sudden its a star.

[Hans Jung]

To be honest, my first instinct in the position is to pursue a plan of Nd7-e5-f3. Seems like it would make it very tough to survive for white.

Thanks David. Thats a wonderful plan (also improving the worst piece) and White cant survive long after that.

I just wanted to add that in a lot of positions blindly following the computer evaluation can stop one from doing critical thinking.
Also I dont know the game situation but Irina Krush did allow the position to get away from her so much so that her opponent missed an incredible resource two moves later.