This is an actual game and was sent in by Michiel. It is White to move and White is obviously better. But what would be the most efficient way for White to proceed?
2k2r1r/pp2npp1/4p3/q3N2B/3P4/2P4P/PPb2PP1/R2QR1K1 w – – 0 1
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White is two pawns up with no obvious compensation for black. Simplest is probably to deny black counter play by just exchange the bishops 1.Qxc2 Rxh5 followed by 2.Qe2 (maneuvering the queen to a good position by threating the rook on h5).
It seems like White should win almost no matter what. I don’t see a thunderbolt that decides the position on the spot.
This is more a question of strategy than tactics. Like said, there’s no move that will immediately put black in a position where he’d have to resign, but there’s one continuation that’s better for white than any other. (It isn’t 1.Qxc2.)
Sorry, msikma, but I’m not seeing it. What’s noticeably better than 1.Qxc2? White has eight legal moves with his queen, and six of them seem to be all about the same. Care to enlighten me?
The answer I had in mind was 1.Qe2. The reason why it’s good is because it places the queen on an incredibly useful square where it can attack, defend, aid the bishop and knight, and even give check on c4. The queen is much better off on that square, which becomes obvious when you realize that black has practically only one reply that doesn’t cause him to immediately start losing material.
After 1.Qe2, even after exchanging bishops, white will be able to bring his queen into play. Perhaps the best for black to do is to simply play 1…Bd3, after which I personally would be glad to exchange and, after black takes back, bring my queen to c4.
Other responses for black inevitably lead to some kind of loss. For example, reinforcing the king with 1…Qc7 leads to white’s bishop taking on f7 and later on e6 to give check. In the game, 1…g6 was played, a mistake to which I responded 2.Nxf7.
So, 1.Qe2 is certainly a lot better than the simple exchange.
Msikma, is Qe2 certainly better? I am not so sure. That line 1.Qe2 Bd3,2.Qxd3 Rxd3,3.Qc4+ Qc7 looks less
convincing than 1.Qxc2 Rxh5,2.Qe2 and Black has a problem of where to put his rook. If he retreats back
then white can play 3.Nxf7. Similarly if he plays 2…Rg5,3.Nxf7 and if he plays 2…Rf5,3.g5 Rf4,4.Qe3.
Apologies, the last variation should read : 2…Rf5,3.g4 Rf4,4. Qe3
But black can play Rh6 and now I’m not sure! Yet I think this variation has more to it than Qe2.
Probably after 1.Qc2 Rxh5,2.Qe2 Rh6,3.Ng4 Rg6,4.Re5 looks good for white.
But the queen is on e-file?
1.Qxc2 Rxh5
2.Qe2 Rh6
3.Qc4+ Qc7
4.Qa4 a6
5.Nxf7! Rf6
6.Ng5
So, 1.Qe2 is certainly a lot better than the simple exchange.
“A lot better”? Sorry, I still don’t see it. You won a won game — an accomplishment not to be sneezed at — but this isn’t the move you won it on.
1 Qxc2 and 1 Qe2 both have their points. Which one is better? Hard to say for a human.
Well, I still think that 1.Qe2 is better. Like said, black has literally one reply that doesn’t immediately start losing material for him. White is better off having his queen on a good square before this exchange. This is certainly not the move I won the game with, but as said, it’s more a question of strategy than tactics.
I could elaborate on some of the suggested positions later, since they don’t convince me that 1.Qxc2 is better.