Author: Dana Turnmire
Date: 22:03:55 07/08/04
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On July 08, 2004 at 22:01:58, Dann Corbit wrote: >From this position: >[D]r2qkbnr/pp1npppb/2p4p/7P/3P4/5NN1/PPP2PP1/R1BQKB1R w KQkq - >All the top competitors (human or machine) tend to chose Bd3. For example, in >my opening book database, it is the only choice made in all 177 games. > >Shredder 7.04 after 8 hours of soul searching on 2.4 GHz AMD 64 bit with 400 >megs hash comes up with Bf4 instead of Bd3: > >r2qkbnr/pp1npppb/2p4p/7P/3P4/5NN1/PPP2PP1/R1BQKB1R w KQkq - acd 22; acs 28800; >bm Bd3; ce 20; id "Opening:013"; pm Bf4; pv Bf4 Ngf6 Bc4 Nd5 Bxd5 cxd5 O-O Qb6 >b3 e6 c4 dxc4 d5 Bc5 dxe6 fxe6 Ne2 Rd8 Bxh6; > >My question is this: >Is there some well known theory about why Bd3 is better than Bf4? I am curious >as to why Bd3 is universally chosen over Bf4 by the strongest engines/humans. The Chessmaster recommends: Bishop to d3. Analysis: "You move your bishop to d3, which clears the way for a kingside castle. Black responds with bishop takes bishop, which hinders the opponent's short castle. Your queen captures bishop, which makes way for a castle to the kingside. Black counters by moving the queen to c7, which enables the long castle. You move your rook to h4. Black responds by moving the pawn to e6. You move your bishop to f4, which attacks Black's queen and makes way for a castle to the queenside. Black counters with bishop to d6, which removes the threat on Black's queen. Your bishop captures bishop, which threatens Black's queen. Black answers with queen takes bishop. You move your knight to e4, which attacks Black's queen. Black responds by moving queen to b4, which moves it to safety and forks your pawn at b2 and your king. You move your knight to c3, which removes the threat on your king. Black responds by moving the knight at g8 to f6, which clears the way for a kingside castle. You castle, which releases the pin on your knight at c3 and protects your pawn at b2. Black responds with a castle kingside. You move your king to b1." "As a result of this sequence of moves, you win two bishops for two bishops. In addition, the mobility of Black's pieces is decreased. Also, the pressure on Black's King is slightly increased." It seems the main reason is allowing for Kingside castling and then forcing the exchange of Bishops since that is how every single game I have found continues. FM Graham Burgess gives the continuation as follows: 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 e6 11.Bf4 (After 11.Bd2, 11...Qc7 comes to the same thing, but the transposition is not compulsory for Black) 11...Qa5+ 12.Bd2 Qc7 13.0-0-0 Ngf6 14.0-0-0 15.g3 This is what the position looks like. [d]2kr1b1r/ppqn1pp1/2p1pn1p/7P/3PN3/3Q1NP1/PPPB1P2/2KR3R w - - 0 1 Graham Burgess says this: "In this position there is nothing organically wrong with Black's position, but he suffers from the lack of space. His main task is to exchange off the right pieces to avoid a nagging disadvantage." With Bf4 it allows Black to keep pressure on the center with his Bishop and as every master I have ever heard about shouts from the house tops about the importance of controlling the center that seems to be the compelling reason. . *
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