Curtains vs PoG

[BlackSails]

I also am in favor of ...d4 as black's pieces get very active and it's not easy for white to unwind. 19. Q x d4 allows black strong 2nd rank penetration and a nice outpost for the Knight on d5 after a trade of queens. White's bishop will be somewhat ineffective for quite some time. On 19. e x d4 19... Qd5+ Kg1 (20.Qf3 Rc2 or Re2 look good- even Qxd4 may be possible) Ng4!? is interesting (or Ne4) with the winning threat of Ne5 looming, or ideas of Qh5.

[chuckleslovakian]

Curtains plays 18.Qd3

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

Curtains

PoG

[TimM]

Now is the time for 18...d4. We won't get another chance after he goes Bb2.

Just on general principles:

We are giving up a pawn with this move, but the pawn we are giving up was weak and subject to being lost anyway, and the pawn he gets in return on d4 will also be weak.

His bishop, which we were once worried about becoming strong, becomes blunted by his own d4 pawn, and there are no longer any targets for this piece. Our knight and queen gain the nice d5 square. We open both of the files that are rooks are already standing on. In some lines they tie down the white rooks by penetrating to the second rank.

This move ...d4 changes the whole character of the game, from one where we are suffering to defend an isolated pawn endgame, to one where we are taking control of the game with our active pieces.

[Lori]

[ QUOTE ]
Now is the time for 18...d4. We won't get another chance after he goes Bb2.

Just on general principles:

We are giving up a pawn with this move, but the pawn we are giving up was weak and subject to being lost anyway, and the pawn he gets in return on d4 will also be weak.

His bishop, which we were once worried about becoming strong, becomes blunted by his own d4 pawn, and there are no longer any targets for this piece. Our knight and queen gain the nice d5 square. We open both of the files that are rooks are already standing on. In some lines they tie down the white rooks by penetrating to the second rank.

This move ...d4 changes the whole character of the game, from one where we are suffering to defend an isolated pawn endgame, to one where we are taking control of the game with our active pieces.

[/ QUOTE ]

I voted d4 because I've looked at this a few times and couldn't make it work for me. I like your arguments and would like to learn a bit more about compensation for material within an endgame.

Lori

[chuckleslovakian]

PoG plays 18...d4

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

Curtains

PoG

It is now Curtains turn

[curtains]

19.exd4

[chuckleslovakian]

Curtains plays 19.exd4

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

Curtains

PoG

It is now PoG's turn

[chuckleslovakian]

Qd5+ is the plan now right?

[The Yugoslavian]

Nd4 looks a lot better than Qd4 IMO...unless there is some tactic I'm missing somehow. I wouldn't ever want to pin my queen down in front of my opponents' pawn when I can outpost my knight on the square instead. If there was anything I learned playing chess it was to not relegate the queen to sucking at chess...

Yugoslav

[lastchance]

Re4, Qd5, Re1/Rc7.

I really like the above.

Re4 looks really, really good here.

Ne4 might also be worth examining, but I think d5 kills it (maybe f3).