Lets play a game of Chess

[jjacob]

Kd6 seems to be an unanimous choice.
Kd6: 6 votes (Morecoin Freeman, tschukki, marcus1986, XMRpromotions, boolberry, jjacob)

[letsplayagame]

Your move bitcointalk. You have the black pieces

The current position is updated below

Game 2 (letsplayagame vs bitcointalk):
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 O-O 8.c3 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 12.d4 Bd6 13.Re1 Qh4 14.g3 Qh3 15.Re4 g5 16.Qf1 Qh5 17.f3 Bf5 18.a4 b4 19.c4 Nf6 20.Re1 Rfe8 21.Be3 c5 22.Nd2 Rxe3 23.Rxe3 cxd4 24.Ree1 d3 25.c5 Bxc5+ 26.Kh1 Rd8 27.Re5 Bh3 28.Qe1 Bd6 29.Rc1 Bxe5 30.Qxe5 Qg6 31.Rc6 Rc8 32.Rxc8+ Bxc8 33.Bc4 Bd7 34.Qd4 g4 35.Bxd3 Qg5 36.f4 Qd5+ 37.Qxd5 Nxd5 38.b3 Bc8 39.Kg1 h5 40.Kf2 h4 41.Nc4 hxg3+ 42.hxg3 Nf6 43.Nb6 Bb7 44.a5 Kf8 45.Na4 Nd7 46.Ke3 Ke7 47.Kd4 Kd6 48.Nb2

[LucyLovesCrypto]

This move will be a very important decision. I am considering Nf6, Nb8 and Bd5.

I think we will lose if we just sit and passively defend any longer. We cannot stop all of whites threats. Now that we have centralized our king it is time that we create some threats of our own.

[tschukki]

Can we eliminate ...Nb8? He collects our b pawn after 49.Nc4+ Kc7 50.Kc5, and i dont see what we get.

I agree with the other two candidate moves

[LucyLovesCrypto]

Can we eliminate ...Nb8? He collects our b pawn after 49.Nc4+ Kc7 50.Kc5, and i dont see what we get.

I agree with the other two candidate moves

Yes Bd5 and Nf6 look better. I posted too quickly. The idea of Nb8 was to play Nc6 and attack a5 but somehow I forgot Nc4 would protect it. Maybe the idea was in my head from earlier when whites knight was still on a4.

Now I am looking at Bd5 49.Bxa6 Bxb3 50.Nd3 Nf6 51.Nxb4 Nh5 52.Bb7 Kc7 53.a6 Kb6 54.Nc6 Nxg3 and I think we can stop the a pawn because 55.Bc8 threatening a7 can be met with Ba4.

I am trying to find a way to capture all of whites pawns even if we have to sacrifice a piece to do it. I am not sure if that is a realistic goal or not. The above line seems to give us good drawing chances so Bd5 will receive my preliminary vote. If someone can prove to me why Nf6 is better I may change my mind.

Bd5 1 vote: (LucyLovesCrypto)

[XMRpromotions]

Bd5 2 votes: (LucyLovesCrypto, XMRpromotions)

[Hueristic]

Nc5

[languagehasmeaning]

Nc5

This is a complicated position but I also think Bd5 or Nf6 is probably the best move. The problem with Nc5 is that the black king can only defend it from two squares (c6 and d6) meaning white can capture f7 with with check:

49.Nc4+ Kc6 50.Ne5+ Kd6 51.Nxf7+ Kc6 52.Bc4 protecting b3 and planning 53.Ne5+ or 53.Nd8+

I like that Hueristic thought independently. Too often in this game it seems that many people just vote for whatever move is suggested first or most popular. I will vote for Nf6 for now not because it is necessarily better than Bd5 but to encourage people to consider multiple options before making a decision in this position.

I am not saying a unanimous decision is always a bad thing because often it is not. However in this position we could use more debate.

Bd5 2 votes: (LucyLovesCrypto, XMRpromotions)
Nc5 1 vote: (Hueristic)
Nf6 1 vote: (languagehasmeaning)

[Hueristic]

Thx languagehasmeaning for pointing that out!

[Morecoin Freeman]

Bd5 3 votes: (LucyLovesCrypto, XMRpromotions, Morecoin Freeman)
Nc5 1 vote: (Hueristic)
Nf6 1 vote: (languagehasmeaning)

[tschukki]

Im not sure yet, will vote later. For the moment i favour ...Bd5 because after ...Nf6 i dont see how we capture g3 without losing our g pawn? Not saying ...Nf6 loses the game neccessarily, but it seems it will most likely lead to a scenario where we are a pawn down: he has his a, c and f pawn, we have a and f.

I like Lucy`s line, after 51...Nh5 i think we are doing well. What if he doesnt play 49.Bxa6? 49.Bc4 worries me, 49.Nc4+ may also be a move.

[diderdrogba]

i think Nc5

[tschukki]

i think Nc5

We are toast after ...Nc5. Look at language's forced line. This really comes down to either ...Bd5 or ...Nf6

48...Nc5 49.Nc4+ Kc6 50.Ne5+ Kd6 51.Nxf7+ Kc6 52.Bc4 protecting b3 and planning 53.Ne5+ or 53.Nd8+

Has anyone put thought into 48...Bd5 49.Bc4 (or 49.Nc4)? I dont see how to convincingly deal with that yet

[Hueristic]

I withdraw Nc5 just to be clear.

[newb4now]

Bd5 3 votes: (LucyLovesCrypto, XMRpromotions, Morecoin Freeman)
Nc5 1 vote: (diderdrogba)
Nf6 1 vote: (languagehasmeaning)

Lets start at the beginning. After Nf6 49.Nc4+ should we play Kc7 or Ke7?

Nf6 49.Nc4+ Kc7 50.Ne3 Nh5 51.Nxg4 Nxg4 52.Kc5 is interesting. Does anyone see a way to force a trade the f4 and f7 pawns? Even if we lose b4 I think a5 and b3 may not be enough to win against a6. It would help to have only pawns on one side of the board (not both). If that happens we can probably draw even if we lose 1 pawn.

Peter Leko is commentating the tournament today. If you watch him you will appreciate why that matters.
https://chess24.com/en/watch/live-tournaments/tata-steel-chess-masters-2016/6/1/1

[marcus1986]

Bd5 4 votes: (LucyLovesCrypto, XMRpromotions, Morecoin Freeman, marcus1986)
Nc5 1 vote: (diderdrogba)
Nf6 1 vote: (languagehasmeaning)

[mathgal23]

Has anyone put thought into 48...Bd5 49.Bc4 (or 49.Nc4)? I dont see how to convincingly deal with that yet

The knight endgame after 49.Bc4 looks bad for us which is why I am voting for Nf6 instead.

Bd5 4 votes: (LucyLovesCrypto, XMRpromotions, Morecoin Freeman, marcus1986)
Nc5 1 vote: (diderdrogba)
Nf6 1 vote: (languagehasmeaning)

Bd5 4 votes: (LucyLovesCrypto, XMRpromotions, Morecoin Freeman, marcus1986)
Nc5 1 vote: (diderdrogba)
Nf6 2 votes: (languagehasmeaning, mathgal23)

[boolberry]

Bd5 5 votes: (LucyLovesCrypto, XMRpromotions, Morecoin Freeman, marcus1986, boolberry)
Nc5 1 vote: (diderdrogba)
Nf6 2 votes: (languagehasmeaning, mathgal23)

[jjacob]

I will go with Nf6

Bd5 5 votes: (LucyLovesCrypto, XMRpromotions, Morecoin Freeman, marcus1986, boolberry)
Nc5 1 vote: (diderdrogba)
Nf6 2 votes: (languagehasmeaning, mathgal23, jjacob)

[letsplayagame]

Your move bitcointalk. You have the black pieces

The current position is updated below

Game 2 (letsplayagame vs bitcointalk):
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 O-O 8.c3 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 12.d4 Bd6 13.Re1 Qh4 14.g3 Qh3 15.Re4 g5 16.Qf1 Qh5 17.f3 Bf5 18.a4 b4 19.c4 Nf6 20.Re1 Rfe8 21.Be3 c5 22.Nd2 Rxe3 23.Rxe3 cxd4 24.Ree1 d3 25.c5 Bxc5+ 26.Kh1 Rd8 27.Re5 Bh3 28.Qe1 Bd6 29.Rc1 Bxe5 30.Qxe5 Qg6 31.Rc6 Rc8 32.Rxc8+ Bxc8 33.Bc4 Bd7 34.Qd4 g4 35.Bxd3 Qg5 36.f4 Qd5+ 37.Qxd5 Nxd5 38.b3 Bc8 39.Kg1 h5 40.Kf2 h4 41.Nc4 hxg3+ 42.hxg3 Nf6 43.Nb6 Bb7 44.a5 Kf8 45.Na4 Nd7 46.Ke3 Ke7 47.Kd4 Kd6 48.Nb2 Bd5 49.Bc4