Curtains vs PoG

[shortline99]

[junkmail3]

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Be7

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Why not Bd6?

[TimM]

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Be7

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Why not Bc5?

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FYP

[ScottHoward]

i voted for bastard

[chuckleslovakian]

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i voted for bastard

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[David Ottosen]

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Nb4 is not a 1-piece attack because it forces Curtains to move his Q to a worse square, allows us to develop Bf5 with tempo, and creates at least two additional threats, as well as slowing down his K-side development.



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This statement is utterly untrue. The problem with your move "with tempo" is that if you play Bf5, the response of Nd4 leaves you essentially planning to play Bg6. g6 is completely the wrong square for your bishop in this kind of position. As such, you are "gaining time" to put your pieces on bad squares where they will have to be moved again in the future. If you plan to play Be4 instead, you are committing yourself to exchanging on g2, which gains you nothing - you are simply exchanging minor pieces which is the goal of the player who doesn't have the isolated pawn.

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our plan with ...Bf5 prevents at least 2 of these moves as far as I can see, and we can take his fianchettoed bishop most likely if he insists on playin o-o anyway, thus lessening the pressure on our d5.

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Your "plan" is just a one move threat that is easily dealt with - it doesn't prevent anything; it just delays his plans a move, and then you will have to regroup your pieces anyways (the knight on b4 is going to have to do something someday), leading to an overall *loss* of tempo.

[shortline99]

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Be7

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Why not Bc5?

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FYP

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i'll consider Bc5, not Bd6. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Bc5 is basically admitting that Nb4 was a mistake [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[checkmate36]

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i voted for bastard

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[DMBFan23]

it will be interesting to read Najdorf's, xorbie's and ChrisV's thoughts about next steps since they (I was convinced as well but I suck) were advocates of this move

[TimM]

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Be7

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Why not Bc5?

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FYP

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i'll consider Bc5, not Bd6. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Bc5 is basically admitting that Nb4 was a mistake [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

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How's that? At least ...Bc5 covers d4, so that ...Bf5 may be possible later. That doesn't sound like admitting ...Nb4 was a mistake; I'd say it's making the best of it. There is also a ...Qb6 possibility, and maybe even bringing the f6 knight in to attack f2 as well. It also supports a ...d4 push, which is especially nice in the event he ever plays e3, as we can trade off our weak pawn. ...Be7 does none of this, and after ...Bc5 we can still just castle next if we want. Bg5 does not look scary, we have at least ...h6 forcing him to break the pin if there is nothing even better.