CCC Forum vs BigLion chess960

[gerold]

14.a4

Matthias.

a4.

Best.

Gerold.

[Graham Banks]

Well two can play at this "Petrosian-Like " backwards moving game
14.Nce1...
J/K

still not too late to play 14.a4 and if BL responds with 14..b6 i like 15.a5

i guess Rfd1 is also playable

sdrageR evetS

I'm still not convinced there's a lot in it for us on the queenside. After 12.a4, b6; 13.a5, Bb7; Black then puts the queen on b8. If we find no decent follow-up and have to switch our attention to the kingside, we could have weakened our queenside unnecessarily.

[Steve B]

Well two can play at this "Petrosian-Like " backwards moving game
14.Nce1...
J/K

still not too late to play 14.a4 and if BL responds with 14..b6 i like 15.a5

i guess Rfd1 is also playable

sdrageR evetS

I'm still not convinced there's a lot in it for us on the queenside. After 12.a4, b6; 13.a5, Bb7; Black then puts the queen on b8. If we find no decent follow-up and have to switch our attention to the kingside, we could have weakened our queenside unnecessarily.

our only weakness is the isolated "a" pawn
by advancing it we will eventually exchange it and eliminate the weakness and perhaps even created one.. if not two.. isolated pawns for BL
which could mean the difference if we reach an endgame
we can try to attack on the king side but BL moving all of its pieces back to the First Rank makes it very hard to initiate an attack against anything

what do you suggest as a move??
Steve

[Matthias Gemuh]

BL moving all of its pieces back to the First Rank makes it very hard to initiate an attack against anything

Steve

Strategy of clueless engines

Matthias.

[Graham Banks]

Well two can play at this "Petrosian-Like " backwards moving game
14.Nce1...
J/K

still not too late to play 14.a4 and if BL responds with 14..b6 i like 15.a5

i guess Rfd1 is also playable

sdrageR evetS

I'm still not convinced there's a lot in it for us on the queenside. After 12.a4, b6; 13.a5, Bb7; Black then puts the queen on b8. If we find no decent follow-up and have to switch our attention to the kingside, we could have weakened our queenside unnecessarily.

our only weakness is the isolated "a" pawn
by advancing it we will eventually exchange it and eliminate the weakness and perhaps even created one.. if not two.. isolated pawns for BL
which could mean the difference if we reach an endgame
we can try to attack on the king side but BL moving all of its pieces back to the First Rank makes it very hard to initiate an attack against anything

what do you suggest as a move??
Steve

Still thinking about it. I'm preferring Ne5 with the intention of following up with f4 at present.

[Graham Banks]

14.Ne5

I prefer coming up with a plan in which we can safely organise a kingside pawn storm. Even if we're unable to do so, I think that Ne5 and possibly f4 as a follow up move have their advantages.

[Steve B]

BL moving all of its pieces back to the First Rank makes it very hard to initiate an attack against anything

Steve

Strategy of clueless engines

Matthias.

not such a bad strategy
do nothing but do it well
actually i have participated in other forum games where i have seen the engine we played against adopt the same approach
it kept its pieces all along its 7th and 8th Ranks and it was impossible to gain an advantage
that game fizzled out to an early draw
this type of position is frustrating because the natural impulse is to attack as a way of punishing the backwards moves(Bc8,Ne8 Bc7) but unless there is some clear attacking plan i opt for solidifying our position first and then letting BL hopefully make a mistake or two along the way
Steve

[tano-urayoan]

Rb1

[Spock]

Clear majority for a4, this is the forum's vote
This is a ponder hit, and BL responds immediately with Nd7

[d] q1brnrk1/ppbnpppp/8/2p5/P1P5/2BPPN1P/2N1BPP1/Q1R2RK1 w - -

The forum's move again

[tano-urayoan]

d4 idea of Bd3