Curtains vs PoG

[TimM]

[ QUOTE ]
Those all put us on the defensive. With 33...Qc3, 34. Rd1 Rc8, we wind up in a better position, preventing Bg5 while still threatening b3 and protecting a7. This is going to be a very tough endgame and it's probably a must to keep both pawns on that side.

[/ QUOTE ]

33...Qc3 34.Rd1 Rc8 35.g5 is awkward for us. Our rook is tied to defending the back rank, our queen is tied to defending the rook, and he will play g6 next sacrificing a pawn to open our king position.

I would still like to find something better than what I've suggested since 33...Qd5 34.Bxa7 Rc1 35.Qe3 is very drawish, and I think if we can consolidate a bit in some other line we might be able to regroup our pieces towards exploiting white's weakened kingside. This is why I don't care much about the a7 pawn, although it would help to hang on to it since it would limit the type of exchanges white could allow. But right now this ending is a long way from being decided by pawns, it will be about king safety and piece play for a while.

Perhaps 33...Qe6. If 34.Bd2 Qd7, or 34.Rd1 Rc8 this time stopping both 35.g5 and 35.Bxa7 since 35...Nc3 is very strong for us there. Yes, I think I like 33...Qe6 better now.

[ QUOTE ]
(BTW 33...Qd5 34. Bd2 is a bad move, do you see why? [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] )

[/ QUOTE ]

I do not see why actually.

[adanthar]

The counter is ...Re6, which blows up white's entire advantage.

You are right about g5, but I think we still retain the initiative there. Potential moves include Rf8 and g6. It's tournament time now, though, so this will have to wait for tomorrow.

[TimM]

[ QUOTE ]
The counter is ...Re6, which blows up white's entire advantage.

You are right about g5, but I think we still retain the initiative there. Potential moves include Rf8 and g6. It's tournament time now, though, so this will have to wait for tomorrow.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not trying to quell the discussion, but I have to disagree with almost everything here.

- I don't think white has any advantage to blow.

- After 33...Qd5 34.Bd2 I like ...Qd7 even better than ...Re6. It goes back to what I said before. Our king is safer, so white will be more uncomfortable with the rooks on the board.

- After 33...Qc3 34.Rd1 Rc8 35.g5 g6 seems like a terrible idea, opening the dark squared diagonal around our king while he has a dark squared bishop. And 35...Rf8 36.g6 fxg6 37.Qe6+ gives white a draw in hand with a chance to play for more now that our kind is exposed too.

Good luck in the tournaments.

[chuckleslovakian]

Curtains plays 33.Qxh3

1. c4 e5
2. g3 Nf6
3. Bg2 c6
4. d4 exd4
5. Qxd4 d5
6. cxd5 cxd5
7. Nf3 Nc6
8. Qd3 Nb4
9. Qb3 Bf5
10. Nd4 Be4
11. 0-0 Bc5
12. Nc3 Bxg2
13. Kxg2 Bxd4
14. Qxb4 Bxc3
15. Qxc3 0-0
16. b3 Re8
17. e3 Rc8
18. Qd3 d4
19. exd4 Qd5+
20. Qf3 Rc2
21. Bf4 Ne4
22. Be3 Rc6
23. Kg1 Rf6
24. Qg2 h5
25. Rac1 h4
26. Rc5 Qd6
27. Re5 Rxe5
28. dxe5 Qxe5
29. Rc1 Nc3
30. Re1 Rc6
31. Qf3 h3
32. g4 Nxa2
33. Qxh3

Curtains

PoG

[Voj]

Does anybody like 33...Rc1 to either play the Q+K/Q+B ending or the Queen ending which looks like a little better for us?
Or have I missed something?

[TimM]

[ QUOTE ]
Does anybody like 33...Rc1 to either play the Q+K/Q+B ending or the Queen ending which looks like a little better for us?
Or have I missed something?

[/ QUOTE ]

After 33...Rc1 34.Rxc1 Nxc1 35.Bxc1 Qe1+ did you miss 36.Qf1?

[WillMagic]

All,

a6?

[Madd]

I agree completely with everything TimM said and second Qe6 because it might annoy curtains slightly more than Qd5 which is indeed very drawish after Bxa7 Rc1 Qe3.

[ScottHoward]

rh6!

(probably sucks, but i used an ! anyway)

[WillMagic]

All,

33...Qe6 leads to 34.Rd1 Rd6 35.Rxd6 Qxd6 36.Bxa7 and we've lost a pawn.

In fact, most moves other than 33...Rd6 or 33...a6 lead to this outcome.