Spock wrote:I'm off to work soon, so let's leave the vote open for another 12 hrs and I'll see what has happened when I get home. I PMd Wael and Swami to see if they can vote
I'd probably play Nd2. There's absolute need to control the center via e5, f4 etc since we have majority pawns there, and Black's e6 square is weakened.
Feel free to remind me next time via pm when there's another tie...
playjunior wrote:a5 is a pointless move. It puts the pawn on a less protected square where it can potentially be attacked. What is your follow up? What is the plan?
We have nothing to do in the Q-side. We have blocked black's counter-play there, now we need to push in the center and kingside and take advantage of our space and better piece placement.
As soon as we push f4, e4 and put the knights into, say, e3 and f3, c1 rook on d1 or e1, we will have a decisive advantage.
Agreed wholeheartedly. However, we have to respect that everybody will have their own thoughts, so as a team we have to take the bad with the good and vice-versa.
Indeed, I do not mean any offense to anyone. Hope this was clear from my post that I was critical to the move and not to the people.
Also - I think discussing our moves, bringing up plans behind the moves etc. is not only helpful but also interesting. Frankly, I'm having a lot of fun with these games
In the meantime I doubt that 17.a5 which was also my proposal would have been a good move. Maybe BL would have replied with 17...b5!, attacking c4, threatening 18...b4, getting a passed pawn on a7 after 18.axb6 Nxb6, or destroying the white center after 18.cxb5 Nxb5.
Therefore I now think that 17.Nd2 was a good choice, even if it does not follow my idea to bring the Nf3 to f4.
It may become important whether white can create additional pressure on e6, or black can remove its weakness on e6 via Rfe8 followed by e6.
playjunior wrote:
Also - I think discussing our moves, bringing up plans behind the moves etc. is not only helpful but also interesting. Frankly, I'm having a lot of fun with these games
Yes..the Game seems to be moving along swimmingly
about 250 views per day
5-6 players voting each day
a very smart choice of engine as an opponent which is playing very defensively allowing several different plans to be suggested with players passionately defending their particular plans
what more can we ask from a forum chess game?
Steve B wrote:Yes..the Game seems to be moving along swimmingly
about 250 views per day
5-6 players voting each day
a very smart choice of engine as an opponent which is playing very defensively allowing several different plans to be suggested with players passionately defending their particular plans
what more can we ask from a forum chess game?
Regards
Steve
I'm very happy with how things are going. Good participation, and I think the opponent choice was good too. It was important not to choose an uber-strong engine, so that the forum could have a decent chance of winning without using engines themselves. The excitement will really build if and when we get to a position when we smell victory
I also hope that people enjoyed the initial chess960 openings phase, especially those that haven't played it before. With no book, and having to think hard right from the very beginning with the pieces in different places, I hope that was an interesting challenge.
