Author: Miguel A. Ballicora
Date: 10:05:36 08/06/01
Go up one level in this thread
On August 06, 2001 at 04:40:09, Ferdinand S. Mosca wrote: >On August 05, 2001 at 20:45:07, Stephen A. Boak wrote: > >>[D]r3kb1r/pp1bnppp/1qn1p3/3pP3/3p2Q1/3B1N2/PPP2PPP/RNB1R1K1 w kq - 0 1 >> >>In an OTB game yesterday, in a very interesting non-book position (see FEN >>diagram) arising a couple moves after the novelty 6...Qb6!? (the known Qc7 is >>likely better) in the French Advance Var, Black played 8...Bd7 and missed an >>opportunity for Nb4!, winning the Bishop pair and removing the important >>kingside attacker that covers h7-g6-f4. >> >>I had thought of the Nb4 idea, but discarded it in favor of Bd7, wanting to >>continue with development (Rc8 when possible, etc). White replied 9. a3, >>permanently preventing Nb4. >> >>Here's the early game score including the diagrammed position and a few >>following moves: >> >>1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.Qg4 cxd4 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.Bd3 Qb6 7.0–0 Nge7 8.Re1 Bd7 9.a3 >>a5 10.Nbd2 Ng6 11.h4 Qc7 12.Qg3 Line >> >>This was my inaugural French Defense (I like to change my openings every now and >>then, for variety and to learn something new), so I don't have much experience >>or understanding of normal French lines. I'm getting that now, heh heh, from >>the game lesson and post mortem analysis. > >Hello Stephen, > >I prefer Nb4 simply because the light Bishop of white has always been a factor >on white's kingside attack, more when black castles there. > >The terrain will tell that black has difficulties developing his kingside pieces >because of that strong e5-pawn. By the time you enter the middle game black will >try to eliminate that thorny e5-pawn by the move f6 from black. >Generally one should castle first before moving f6. But after the move f6, the >Bishop at d3 will become too powerful, so the best plan is to eliminate the >Bishop at d3 at all cost, go for it if you have the opportunity. If there is a3 >by white as in the game then try to reconsider transfering your Bishop at d7 to >a6-square. > >Nine years in French Defense, >Dinan This is all true but I want to add something. There is another point here. The knight in c6 is also a good piece because attacks the key of the position, which is e5. Getting rid of Bd3 is _GOOD_ but it has to be balanced with the fact the you lose an attacker of e5. The point is that I do not like Qb6 at all because it defend a pawn (d4) that you really wish that white takes it, and Qb6 does not attack e5. Qc7 is much better in this respect. In the Qc7 context maybe you do not want to play Nb4 and you want to accelerate f6 as much as you can. But, after you played Qb6 maybe Nb4 is better since you already have other intentions. French is very tricky and very unbalanced... Never trust what a computer tells you in this kind of position, they often are clueless because there are a lot of long term plans here. They might give you a good move, but many times not the best move. Compare similar positions played by GMs, try the computers following the lines of those GMs to see if they change their mind, gather all information and make your own conclusion. You will be a stronger player next game! Regards, Miguel
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