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El'endia Starman
El'endia Starman
00:06
Alternate moves are Re3 (dubious) and Kf1 or Kh1 (meh).
PhiNotPi
PhiNotPi
Qxb2 is the main threat I can see, but I'm not sure if black can do much other than take a free pawn with that move.
El'endia Starman
El'endia Starman
There's also 14: ... Bg4, which threatens White's queen.
PhiNotPi
PhiNotPi
that will be a loss for black though (edit: maybe not)
Geobits
Geobits
What loss?
El'endia Starman
El'endia Starman
Black has two knights protecting g4 from f6 and e5.
PhiNotPi
PhiNotPi
00:11
I mean, Be3 will threaten black's queen, and Bg4 will just be a queen trade
and then maybe one or both of the bishops will also be lost
Geobits
Geobits
Oh, right. After Be3
El'endia Starman
El'endia Starman
Oh, yeah, forgot about Be3...
PhiNotPi
PhiNotPi
Then, if black pulls off Bxd1, then he can play Nf3 to fork the king and rook
Geobits
Geobits
That would lose the knight, no?
gxf3
PhiNotPi
PhiNotPi
oh, yeah, nvm
El'endia Starman
El'endia Starman
00:17
14: Be3
  +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
8 |bR |  .|bB |  .|bR |  .|bK |  .|
  +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
7 | b.| b |  .|   |  .| b |bB.| b |
  +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
6 |   |bQ.|   | b.|   |bN.| b |  .|
  +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
5 |  .|   |  .| w |bN.|   |  .|   |
  +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
4 |   |  .| w |  .|   |  .|   |  .|
  +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
3 |  .|   |wN.|wB |wB.|   |wN.|   |
  +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
2 | w | w.|   |  .|   |  .| w | w.|
PhiNotPi
PhiNotPi
...the E file will be open after we do with, get ready for a rook showdown
perhaps it is not in white's best interest to let the queen trade happen
Nxd3 afterwards will give black an advantage
El'endia Starman
El'endia Starman
White could do 15: Be2 to forestall the attack on the queen from Bg4. But then 15: ... Qxe3+. Hmm.
Geobits
Geobits
Or you could shift black's rook a bit with Qa4
El'endia Starman
El'endia Starman
@Geobits Guarded by Black's knight on f6.
PhiNotPi
PhiNotPi
Queens are like nukes, so powerful that we can't use them.
Geobits
Geobits
00:25
@El'endiaStarman Yeah, that does make a rook more stubborn :P
El'endia Starman
El'endia Starman
Okay, Black's two best options are Bg4 and Qxb2, right?
Geobits
Geobits
Qxb2 is nice
Quick in for a pawn, and an easy retreat if something threatens (as far as I can see)
 
22 hours later…
Hosch250
Hosch250
22:55
14: ... Qxb2
  +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
8 |bR |  .|bB |  .|bR |  .|bK |  .|
  +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
7 | b.| b |  .|   |  .| b |bB.| b |
  +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
6 |   |  .|   | b.|   |bN.| b |  .|
  +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
5 |  .|   |  .| w |bN.|   |  .|   |
  +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
4 |   |  .| w |  .|   |  .|   |  .|
  +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
3 |  .|   |wN.|wB |wB.|   |wN.|   |
  +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
2 | w |bQ.|   |  .|   |  .| w | w.|
I did use Geobits move. I built the board on Lichess (no, I'm not using the engine, just looking at it with more familiar graphics), and came up with the move independently of him.
El'endia Starman
El'endia Starman
Yeah, I've used Lichess' board editor to explore possible movement chains more easily.
I'm thinking that Rb1 would be a good move for White.
But then Black could do Qa3 and be safe there momentarily.
Hosch250
Hosch250
Wait a sec.
Let me pull the board up again.
I think I see a nice response to that.
OK, if white does Rb1...
What happens when black does Qc3x? (not sure if that is the right terminology).
Basically, the queen can capture the knight on C3 with impunity right now.
And then, black can capture the bishop on D3 with either the queen or the knight.
Depends if they want to swap queens, or not. I'd say not.
And then, black is attacking the rook on E1 if they use the knight.
Well, the knight will get there one way or another.
El'endia Starman
El'endia Starman
23:10
Oooh, I didn't even realize that Qxc3 was an option.
Hosch250
Hosch250
Black seems to me to be in a pretty strong position just now.
If black blunders, that is ;)
I wish I hadn't pointed it out. I'm kind of rooting for black this game, since they have never won.
Personally, I see three moves that I would seriously consider if I was white.
A) Qc1, if you want to potentially swap queens.
B) Knight from G3 toE2--protect the knight.
Or C) Knight from C3 to A4--attack the queen.
Supper time, BBL.
El'endia Starman
El'endia Starman
@Hosch250 This could lead to a knight trade.
Hosch250
Hosch250
@El'endiaStarman How?
The black knight can only take the bishop.
Black's knights can't take any of white's knights in that situation.
El'endia Starman
El'endia Starman
Oh, sorry, misread it as e4.
Hosch250
Hosch250
Thought so.
I looked at that move too, but didn't feel it was exactly the best.
I don't know, though.

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