Mini 686 - Chess Mafia (Done)

[veerus]

Screw it. I hope y'all have a plan.

Vote: Qc4

Sadly, this is what happens with long days like this one. People lose interest and decide 'whatever, I just want to see something happen'.

Let's try not to let it get this far next day, people.

Next few moves will likely be semi-forced, so hopefully we'll be able to go through them a bit faster.

[Pesco47]

Semi-forced for who? It's no good if it's white being forced.

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Which was my point all along... but no one cares.

At least this will get interesting when we have to start lynching people.

[Awesome Pants]

*chess tag removed*
1. e4 c5
2. Nc3 Nc6
3. f4 e6
4. Nf3 f5
5. exf5 exf5
6. Qe2 Be7
7. Nd5 Nb4
8. Nxb4 cxb4
9. d4 Nf6
10. Qc4
*/chess tag removed*

Aha! I found the password AP gave me for his account. Night will last 72 hours from this post.

[Awesome Pants]

*chess tag removed*
1. e4 c5
2. Nc3 Nc6
3. f4 e6
4. Nf3 f5
5. exf5 exf5
6. Qe2 Be7
7. Nd5 Nb4
8. Nxb4 cxb4
9. d4 Nf6
10. Qc4 a6
*/chess tag removed*

Black moved to a6.

[The Central Scrutinizer]

move:d5

Our goal this move is to prevent 11. ...d5, which makes our last move worth even less. If black moves 11. d5 b5, then now the queen can move to d4, preserving our ability to develop the bishop. And then black will castle at 12, of course. But I hate to say I told you so.

[Pesco47]

Move d5

[Lawrencelot]

Hm, I didn't think about this move for black, and I also forgot what we were doing. But I don't like d5. What if we do something else, and respond to b5/d5 by moving our queen to b3, and try to keep preventing black from castling? I don't know what this 'something else' would be though.

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Hm, I didn't think about this move for black, and I also forgot what we were doing. But I don't like d5. What if we do something else, and respond to b5/d5 by moving our queen to b3, and try to keep preventing black from castling? I don't know what this 'something else' would be though.

Allowing black to move d5 essentially defeats the purpose of moving Qc4.

[Lawrencelot]

Hm, I didn't think about this move for black, and I also forgot what we were doing. But I don't like d5. What if we do something else, and respond to b5/d5 by moving our queen to b3, and try to keep preventing black from castling? I don't know what this 'something else' would be though.

Allowing black to move d5 essentially defeats the purpose of moving Qc4.

Yeah I was looking for preventing d5 in a different way (and then flee after the b5) but I don't think there is.

Move d5

[Lawrencelot]

Unmove

. I'm considering moving to b3 already. What would black do if we move our queen to b3? Develop something? They still can't castle then. And after that we could move our pawn or bishop to c4? Probably not a good plan, but someone please point out why. I'm trying to gain an advantage by hitting a pawn after black castles, or attacking the king from a4 with the queen before black castles.

[The Central Scrutinizer]

11. Qb3 d5

What's your 12., Lawrencelot?

[Lawrencelot]

a4

I think that will lead to trading, or black only developing further. But let's consider every option anyway.

[Lawrencelot]

EBWOP: that should be Qa4

[veerus]

move:d5

Our goal this move is to prevent 11. ...d5, which makes our last move worth even less. If black moves 11. d5 b5, then now the queen can move to d4, preserving our ability to develop the bishop. And then black will castle at 12, of course. But I hate to say I told you so.

This makes sense.. sort of. However this would put our pawn on d5 under a lot of pressure from ..b5, Qb3

Another thing to consider is that there is no threat to the queen right now. We should continue with our plan of developing the white-squared bishop.. in this case to either e2 or d3 so we can castle when able. I like Be2 better because if our queen is attacked, we can retreat to d3 and stay near the middle of the board as compared to on the edge of it if we move Bd3, Qb3.

move: Be2

[Indigo Heron]

I do agree with veerus about this. However, I would like to propose that we move to Bd3. It applies pressure on the f5 pawn. Black would most likely play d6 to get rid of the Queen, or d5 to complicate matters, but I see ways for us to win on either route.

move: Bd3

If you guys would rather, Qxf5 is a move to consider, but to me, it's too direct.

[Lawrencelot]

Problem is, we can't take the pawn 1 or 2 moves after Bd3 if black responds with d5. It applies pressure, but not much I think.

[Goatrevolt]

We wouldn't play Qb3 in response to d5...b5.

11. d5 ... b5
12. Qd4

That threatens d6, which would be really strong.

I do agree with veerus about this. However, I would like to propose that we move to Bd3. It applies pressure on the f5 pawn. Black would most likely play d6 to get rid of the Queen, or d5 to complicate matters, but I see ways for us to win on either route.

move: Bd3

11. Bd3 ... d5
12. Qb3 ... b5

Our queen has nowhere to go. Our bishop has nowhere to go, and black has a pretty dominating board presence.

If you guys would rather, Qxf5 is a move to consider, but to me, it's too direct.

Qxf5 isn't an available move.

-----

Here's how I see it:

1. We can play a move to develop our white squared bishop. Bd3 fails for the reasons I mentioned above (basically, it holes up our queen at b3 with no options for escape). Bd2 is better, but we still look rough after black plays d5.

2. A better option is Bd2. It doesn't restrict our queen, develops the other bishop, threatens the b4 pawn, and still allows us to castle, just via queenside. Castling is also going to be more effective, since castling to the kingside would involve also having a bishop at e2, effectively keeping the rooks from getting into the game for a while.

3. There is also d5, which is currently my top pick. It's an attacking move (I don't consider Bd3 to be attacking, as d5 shuts it down entirely) that keeps black having to respond to our attacks rather than initiate ones of their own. Black's obvious response of b5 gets met with Qd4, which continues to threaten black with the powerful d6.

[Pesco47]

2. A better option is

Bd2

. It doesn't restrict our queen, develops the other bishop, threatens the b4 pawn, and still allows us to castle, just via queenside. Castling is also going to be more effective, since castling to the kingside would involve also having a bishop at e2, effectively keeping the rooks from getting into the game for a while.

Be2 you mean.

[Goatrevolt]

2. A better option is

Bd2

. It doesn't restrict our queen, develops the other bishop, threatens the b4 pawn, and still allows us to castle, just via queenside. Castling is also going to be more effective, since castling to the kingside would involve also having a bishop at e2, effectively keeping the rooks from getting into the game for a while.

Be2 you mean.

No. I mean Bd2. The other bishop.

[Goatrevolt]

I see how my post might have been confusing though.

1. We can play a move to develop our white squared bishop. Bd3 fails for the reasons I mentioned above (basically, it holes up our queen at b3 with no options for escape).

Be2

is better, but we still look rough after black plays d5.

Bolded is the fix.

[Pesco47]

Fail reading on my part too, so nevermind.

[sirdanilot]

2. A better option is Bd2. It doesn't restrict our queen, (1)develops the other bishop, (2)threatens the b4 pawn, (3)and still allows us to castle, just via queenside. (4)Castling is also going to be more effective, since castling to the kingside would involve also having a bishop at e2, effectively keeping the rooks from getting into the game for a while.

1. How?
2. That's pretty nice indeed, but ...a5 would stop that
3. So does Be2?
4. Not following about the rooks part.

3. There is also d5, which is currently my top pick. It's an attacking move (I don't consider Bd3 to be attacking, as d5 shuts it down entirely) that keeps black having to respond to our attacks rather than initiate ones of their own. Black's obvious response of b5 gets met with Qd4, which continues to threaten black with the powerful d6.

Let me visualize, this is also convenient for the other players:
*chess tag removed*
1. e4 c5
2. Nc3 Nc6
3. f4 e6
4. Nf3 f5
5. exf5 exf5
6. Qe2 Be7
7. Nd5 Nb4
8. Nxb4 cxb4
9. d4 Nf6
10. Qc4 a6
11. d5 b5
12. Qd4
*/chess tag removed*

Sorry if I'm wrong but all I see is the development of our bishops hindered? But granted, it does show some possibilities for a Qe5.

I am not ready to vote d5 yet, but it does look like a plausible option.

[veerus]

...then what? Black's best response is d6. Our pawn on d5 will be like the living dead after that. We can't reliably protect it and black can snap it off at any time after Bd7.

It also frees up the a7-g1 diagonal (the place where our king will be when we castle) for attacks by the queen or the black squared bishop.

Another potentially dangerous reply by black that I just thought of is Qc7 threatening Bc5 and completely driving us into disarray.

I am also against castling on the queen side. Black's pawns are breathing down our neck on that side and the c-file is open for black to pressure us with rooks.

[Indigo Heron]

I concur. However, after looking at the board, I have deemed it unfit to carry out my proposed Bd3, as Black will threaten with b5 or d5.

Thus, I propose that the Queen doubles back to Qd3. Another good move that I'm considering is Be2.

unmove