Answers.Body: <p>There are in fact quite a few mistakes on both sides, but I can't correct the AI, so this is for White:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li><p>3.Qc2 is already bad - it is does not contribute to the fight for the center (and this is a fast one, no time for slow moves). After pawns exchange on e4 black plays Nf6 with tempo and gains the "first move advantage".</p></li>
  <li><p>6.h3 is slow in that it doesn't develop anything and doesn't stop any threat (Black's white bishop already chose a square which is not g4).</p></li>
  <li><p>10.Nf3 is better than Ne2 - controls more critical square and looks over Black's weakened kingside.</p></li>
  <li><p>13.Nb3 is a straight up blunder. 13...Bxb3 with threat on the queen forces 14.Qxb3 with time for Black's 14...hxg3 - up a piece.</p></li>
  <li><p>15.Nc5 is winning. There are many variations here but after knights are exchanged you threaten 0-0-0 with check and some very strong tactics.</p></li>
  <li><p>16.Kd2 is weak - centralizing the king while still in the midgame is risky and serves little purpose. Better is 0-0 at least.</p></li>
  <li><p>17.Rhg1 while not a mistake seems uncalled for. The h rook seems better placed at e1 aiming at the half-open file and close to Black's king (with no castle rights). I think that Bxg2 for Black will be too slow as white has chances of trapping Black's Queen with moves like c4, Nc3 and a3 etc.</p></li>
  <li><p>You have a better position, don't exchange pieces with 18.Be4. Something like c4 forces his bishop away, then follow with something along the lines of Rooks to e1 and d1, N to c3 (not necessarily in this order) and remember that if Black moves Q to a6 you have c5 with discovery of the bishop on the queen.</p></li>
  </ul>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-09-13T20:55:22.857Z
Answers.Text: Hello thanks for the analysis! Only one comment: with 17. Rhe1 you recommend the sacrifice of the pawn in g2 and let the black try the promotion (majority of well-advanced pawns on the king's side)?
Answers.UserDisplayName: Pierre Arlaud
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-09-13T22:33:40.070Z
Answers.Text: @PierreArlaud I don't reccomend 17.Rh1 right away, I just say the rook belongs on e1, so moving it to g1 and then to e1 is a waste of a move. I would go 17. c4 and if Bxg2 then Nc3 and go straight for the queen with a3 and c5.
Answers.UserDisplayName: user1803551
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-09-14T12:00:04.690Z
Answers.Text: @user1903551 okay now that's interesting, what's the point of putting in danger a bischop which is going to go to g2 anyway?
Answers.UserDisplayName: Pierre Arlaud
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-09-14T14:08:45.633Z
Answers.Text: @PierreArlaud To trap the queen just as I explained in the comment above.
Answers.UserDisplayName: user1803551
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-09-13T20:08:33.150Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2014-09-13T20:13:48.350Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2014-09-13T20:13:48.350Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: user1803551
Body: <p>I'm a beginner with openings and Steinitz principles, and I'm in the interesting position where I can develop an artificial intelligence which is better than me in chess.</p>
  
  <p>After the <code>e4 c6</code>, I have played the following variant against my machine, where I tried to refuse the Caro-Kann game to see if I can manage outside the commonly known combinations:</p>
  
  <pre><code>[Title "Caro-Kann refutation"]
  [StartPly "36"]
  [FEN "rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1"]
  
  1. e4 c6
  2. c3 d5
  3. Qc2 Be6
  4. d4 Nbd7
  5. h3 f6
  6. Bd3 dxe4
  7. Bxe4 g6
  8. Bf4 g5
  9. Bg3 Qa5
  10. Nge2 h5
  11. Bg6+ Kd8
  12. Nbd2 h4
  13. Nb3 Qb6
  14. Bh2 Qb5
  15. Bd3 Qa4
  16. Kd2 Bd5
  17. Rhg1 Rh5
  18. Be4 Rh8
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>At this point I'm stuck and still haven't managed to gain a real advantage and every idea I get seems to lead to a draw.</p>
  
  <p>Were my moves relevant or is my defense fragile? Can I still overthrow black at this point?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-02-08T18:19:42.593Z
Comments.Text: c3 is weak. qc2 is poor. I would much prefer 2 pc4 and play the panov attack.
Comments.UserDisplayName: edwina oliver
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2014-09-13T12:41:57.783Z
Comments.Text: Also I'd be happy to know any dumb mistake I may have done if you see one of course!
Comments.UserDisplayName: Pierre Arlaud
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2014-09-13T15:26:24.443Z
Comments.Text: Black sure is shuffling a lot of pieces around. Is that the AI?
Comments.UserDisplayName: Tony Ennis
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2014-09-13T15:41:01.120Z
Comments.Text: @TonyEnnis Yes indeed. It's a basic understanding of the next 4 moves, if I remember well.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Pierre Arlaud
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2014-09-13T15:43:49.740Z
Comments.Text: I'm not seeing any break-out moves here. It looks like a slow game for a while. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Tony Ennis
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2014-09-13T15:46:19.603Z
Comments.Text: Also, not castling is somehow more advanced chess in my opinion, so I was wondering if this was the right choice to keep the king safe in this position.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Pierre Arlaud
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2014-09-13T15:48:20.160Z
Comments.Text: No. Opting to not castle is rarely the right choice. I'd guess (sans research) that more than 99% of all master games feature at least one side castling.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Tony Ennis
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2014-09-15T02:33:30.320Z
Comments.Text: Interesting position.  I am not one of the better players here, so lend my thoughts no more weight than they deserve, but since you have asked:  I see little for White to do *immediately* on the queenside where your defense does indeed look fragile, but on the other hand Black's queen is hanging and is awkwardly placed.  If Nb3 could deliver check, then White would net Black's queen; so maybe something involving Bf5, followed ideally by BxNd7.  Or if not, then you have scope for play on the kingside, so what about f4, with the idea of making Black move his pawn g5, letting you activate Ne2?
Comments.UserDisplayName: thb
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2014-09-15T02:39:03.110Z
Comments.Text: I am impressed that you have got your own chess program to play so well.  Not many of us have written our own chess programs!
Comments.UserDisplayName: thb
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2014-09-15T07:43:14.510Z
Comments.Text: @tbh Wish I could agree with you! As said before, the AI does many mistakes because I did it a long time ago (it's a generic AI to solve fairy chess problems, it's very flexible). It doesn't *really* play well, and I've myself played the game quickly. I only posted this here because I think the position was very interesting.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Pierre Arlaud
Tags: <analysis><caro-kann>
Title: What's my next move against this Caro-Kann variant?
ThreadText: # What's my next move against this Caro-Kann variant?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2014-09-13)
  
  I'm a beginner with openings and Steinitz principles, and I'm in the interesting position where I can develop an artificial intelligence which is better than me in chess.
  After the e4 c6, I have played the following variant against my machine, where I tried to refuse the Caro-Kann game to see if I can manage outside the commonly known combinations:
  [Title "Caro-Kann refutation"]
  [StartPly "36"]
  [FEN "rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1"]
  
  1. e4 c6
  2. c3 d5
  3. Qc2 Be6
  4. d4 Nbd7
  5. h3 f6
  6. Bd3 dxe4
  7. Bxe4 g6
  8. Bf4 g5
  9. Bg3 Qa5
  10. Nge2 h5
  11. Bg6+ Kd8
  12. Nbd2 h4
  13. Nb3 Qb6
  14. Bh2 Qb5
  15. Bd3 Qa4
  16. Kd2 Bd5
  17. Rhg1 Rh5
  18. Be4 Rh8
  
  At this point I'm stuck and still haven't managed to gain a real advantage and every idea I get seems to lead to a draw.
  Were my moves relevant or is my defense fragile? Can I still overthrow black at this point?
  
  **Tags:** analysis, caro-kann
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Also I'd be happy to know any dumb mistake I may have done if you see one of course!  
  > **username_2**: Black sure is shuffling a lot of pieces around. Is that the AI?  
  > **username_0**: @TonyEnnis Yes indeed. It's a basic understanding of the next 4 moves, if I remember well.  
  > **username_2**: I'm not seeing any break-out moves here. It looks like a slow game for a while. Not that there's anything wrong with that.  
  > **username_0**: Also, not castling is somehow more advanced chess in my opinion, so I was wondering if this was the right choice to keep the king safe in this position.  
  > **username_2**: No. Opting to not castle is rarely the right choice. I'd guess (sans research) that more than 99% of all master games feature at least one side castling.  
  > **username_3**: Interesting position.  I am not one of the better players here, so lend my thoughts no more weight than they deserve, but since you have asked:  I see little for White to do *immediately* on the queenside where your defense does indeed look fragile, but on the other hand Black's queen is hanging and is awkwardly placed.  If Nb3 could deliver check, then White would net Black's queen; so maybe something involving Bf5, followed ideally by BxNd7.  Or if not, then you have scope for play on the kingside, so what about f4, with the idea of making Black move his pawn g5, letting you activate Ne2?  
  > **username_3**: I am impressed that you have got your own chess program to play so well.  Not many of us have written our own chess programs!  
  > **username_0**: @tbh Wish I could agree with you! As said before, the AI does many mistakes because I did it a long time ago (it's a generic AI to solve fairy chess problems, it's very flexible). It doesn't *really* play well, and I've myself played the game quickly. I only posted this here because I think the position was very interesting.  
  > **username_1**: c3 is weak. qc2 is poor. I would much prefer 2 pc4 and play the panov attack.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2014-09-13. Score: 7 | Accepted answer
  
  There are in fact quite a few mistakes on both sides, but I can't correct the AI, so this is for White:
  
  * 3.Qc2 is already bad - it is does not contribute to the fight for the center (and this is a fast one, no time for slow moves). After pawns exchange on e4 black plays Nf6 with tempo and gains the "first move advantage".
  * 6.h3 is slow in that it doesn't develop anything and doesn't stop any threat (Black's white bishop already chose a square which is not g4).
  * 10.Nf3 is better than Ne2 - controls more critical square and looks over Black's weakened kingside.
  * 13.Nb3 is a straight up blunder. 13...Bxb3 with threat on the queen forces 14.Qxb3 with time for Black's 14...hxg3 - up a piece.
  * 15.Nc5 is winning. There are many variations here but after knights are exchanged you threaten 0-0-0 with check and some very strong tactics.
  * 16.Kd2 is weak - centralizing the king while still in the midgame is risky and serves little purpose. Better is 0-0 at least.
  * 17.Rhg1 while not a mistake seems uncalled for. The h rook seems better placed at e1 aiming at the half-open file and close to Black's king (with no castle rights). I think that Bxg2 for Black will be too slow as white has chances of trapping Black's Queen with moves like c4, Nc3 and a3 etc.
  * You have a better position, don't exchange pieces with 18.Be4. Something like c4 forces his bishop away, then follow with something along the lines of Rooks to e1 and d1, N to c3 (not necessarily in this order) and remember that if Black moves Q to a6 you have c5 with discovery of the bishop on the queen.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Hello thanks for the analysis! Only one comment: with 17. Rhe1 you recommend the sacrifice of the pawn in g2 and let the black try the promotion (majority of well-advanced pawns on the king's side)?  
  > **username_4**: @PierreArlaud I don't reccomend 17.Rh1 right away, I just say the rook belongs on e1, so moving it to g1 and then to e1 is a waste of a move. I would go 17. c4 and if Bxg2 then Nc3 and go straight for the queen with a3 and c5.  
  > **username_0**: @user1903551 okay now that's interesting, what's the point of putting in danger a bischop which is going to go to g2 anyway?  
  > **username_4**: @PierreArlaud To trap the queen just as I explained in the comment above.  
  
  ---
  
  