Answers.Body: <p>Well, actually it's hard to spot this line without using computer assistance, so your choice in blitz game seems reasonable (except your opponent should have played Bxa5 which gives you a material advantage of pure exchange only).</p>
  
  <pre><code>[FEN "r2q2k1/2p2ppp/2p2n2/p7/P2pr3/1BB2P2/1PPQ2PP/5RK1 b - - 0 1"]
  
  1... dxc3 2. Qxd8+ Rxd8 3. fxe4 cxb2 4. e5 Nd5 5. Rb1 Nc3 6. Rxb2 Rd1+! 7. Kf2 Rd4
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Now Black threat with Nd1+, so they win an extra tempo to play Kf8 protecting against White's attack on 8th horizontal.</p>
  
  <p>Thus Black keep their main idea to play Rb4 and c5-c4 winning material. The only way for White to save bishop is to play Ba2 and Bb1 which puts White's pieces into absolute zugzwang. So this ending is a total win for Black.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2018-05-07T08:41:08.397Z
Answers.Text: Even without this tactical nuance, I see nothing wrong with 6...Kf8. If 7.e6, then simply 7...Rb8 followed by c5-c4 wins the bishop.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Evargalo
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2018-05-07T09:47:52.453Z
Answers.Text: @Evargalo Yes, you're right. White pawns are too weak, so even if White saves the bishop, Black wins the second pawn anyway.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Matt
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-01-11T12:41:56.707Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-01-11T12:41:56.707Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Matt
Answers.Body: <p>You reasoning for not taking on c3 is flawed, as the Rook will end up on the b-file after exchanges and cxb2, suffering inactivity to get back the black b-pawn. Bad_Bishop's answer seems accurate to me.</p>
  
  <p>After 6.Rxb2 then Rd1+ 7. Kf2 Rd4 (threat Nd1+) and -+. White is busted.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-01-10T23:44:38.133Z
Answers.Text: downvoting because this looks to me like a comment on bad_bishop's answer. Also after 7. Bc4, white's Rb2 becomes active on the 7th rank and threatening mate on b8.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Nikana Reklawyks
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-01-12T00:43:49.380Z
Answers.Text: My comment was why taking on c3 is best; on not taking on c3 and playing Rh4 which is bad, and agreeing with Bad_Bishop. After 6.Rxb2 then Rd1+ 7. Kf2 Rd4 (threat Rd1+ winning the Rook), and Mr. Bishop is not going anywhere. White has no time to gather any meaningful counterplay. Prove your assessment of getting the rook on the 7th rank and mate threats, which all go away after Kf8, removing the pin and mate threats. White has nothing, and is clearly losing. Saying otherwise does not make it true, especially in chess.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Priyome
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-01-12T03:05:48.690Z
Answers.Text: Indeed, 6. Rd1+ is interesting and might be better than the 6. Re8 that Bad_Bishop suggests. You should include it in your answer if that's the line you advise. I don't mean to argue that white is winning.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Nikana Reklawyks
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-01-10T21:46:17.217Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-01-13T13:56:07.937Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2017-01-13T13:56:07.937Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Priyome
Body: <p>I played a blitz game against a 1900 player which I won. I'm interested in this position, with me as Black to move.</p>
  <p>The computer recommended to take the bishop, but I didn't want to take it immediately, because I don't want to give their rook an open file. I thought if they want to take my rook, they better do it with the g pawn.</p>
  <pre><code>[FEN &quot;r2q2k1/2p2ppp/2p2n2/p7/P2pr3/1BB2P2/1PP3PP/3Q1RK1 b - - 0 1&quot;]
  </code></pre>
  <p>I played Rh4 to keep an eye on the pawn and if they were willing to kick it by playing g3, they'll end up with a weakened position. They replied with g3 as expected. And here I could take the bishop or the h pawn then the bishop, which is what I did.</p>
  <p>Had I followed what the computer said, I would have been up 2.5 or 3 points in computer evaluation. What I did got me half a point to 0.8, which is strange, hence I'm asking this question. The computer didn't even bother moving the rook to the h-file.</p>
  <p>In the position, what would be the best approach?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-01-10T23:33:16.537Z
Comments.Text: Basically, the problem with Rh4 is not g3, the problem is Bxa5. IMO you have a perfectly winning position, which you should simplify into a win as fast as possible, and dxc3 is more effective than Rh4 at that. The forced endgame (after cxb2) just wins.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Nikana Reklawyks
Tags: <strategy><middlegame>
Title: Was I right to capture the pawn in this position?
ThreadText: # Was I right to capture the pawn in this position?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2017-01-08)
  
  I played a blitz game against a 1900 player which I won. I'm interested in this position, with me as Black to move.
  The computer recommended to take the bishop, but I didn't want to take it immediately, because I don't want to give their rook an open file. I thought if they want to take my rook, they better do it with the g pawn.
  [FEN "r2q2k1/2p2ppp/2p2n2/p7/P2pr3/1BB2P2/1PP3PP/3Q1RK1 b - - 0 1"]
  
  I played Rh4 to keep an eye on the pawn and if they were willing to kick it by playing g3, they'll end up with a weakened position. They replied with g3 as expected. And here I could take the bishop or the h pawn then the bishop, which is what I did.
  Had I followed what the computer said, I would have been up 2.5 or 3 points in computer evaluation. What I did got me half a point to 0.8, which is strange, hence I'm asking this question. The computer didn't even bother moving the rook to the h-file.
  In the position, what would be the best approach?
  
  **Tags:** strategy, middlegame
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: Basically, the problem with Rh4 is not g3, the problem is Bxa5. IMO you have a perfectly winning position, which you should simplify into a win as fast as possible, and dxc3 is more effective than Rh4 at that. The forced endgame (after cxb2) just wins.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2017-01-11. Score: 1
  
  Well, actually it's hard to spot this line without using computer assistance, so your choice in blitz game seems reasonable (except your opponent should have played Bxa5 which gives you a material advantage of pure exchange only).
  [FEN "r2q2k1/2p2ppp/2p2n2/p7/P2pr3/1BB2P2/1PPQ2PP/5RK1 b - - 0 1"]
  
  1... dxc3 2. Qxd8+ Rxd8 3. fxe4 cxb2 4. e5 Nd5 5. Rb1 Nc3 6. Rxb2 Rd1+! 7. Kf2 Rd4
  
  Now Black threat with Nd1+, so they win an extra tempo to play Kf8 protecting against White's attack on 8th horizontal.
  Thus Black keep their main idea to play Rb4 and c5-c4 winning material. The only way for White to save bishop is to play Ba2 and Bb1 which puts White's pieces into absolute zugzwang. So this ending is a total win for Black.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_3**: Even without this tactical nuance, I see nothing wrong with 6...Kf8. If 7.e6, then simply 7...Rb8 followed by c5-c4 wins the bishop.  
  > **username_2**: @username_3 Yes, you're right. White pawns are too weak, so even if White saves the bishop, Black wins the second pawn anyway.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2017-01-10. Score: 0
  
  You reasoning for not taking on c3 is flawed, as the Rook will end up on the b-file after exchanges and cxb2, suffering inactivity to get back the black b-pawn. Bad\_Bishop's answer seems accurate to me.
  
  After 6.Rxb2 then Rd1+ 7. Kf2 Rd4 (threat Nd1+) and -+. White is busted.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: downvoting because this looks to me like a comment on bad_bishop's answer. Also after 7. Bc4, white's Rb2 becomes active on the 7th rank and threatening mate on b8.  
  > **username_4**: My comment was why taking on c3 is best; on not taking on c3 and playing Rh4 which is bad, and agreeing with Bad_Bishop. After 6.Rxb2 then Rd1+ 7. Kf2 Rd4 (threat Rd1+ winning the Rook), and Mr. Bishop is not going anywhere. White has no time to gather any meaningful counterplay. Prove your assessment of getting the rook on the 7th rank and mate threats, which all go away after Kf8, removing the pin and mate threats. White has nothing, and is clearly losing. Saying otherwise does not make it true, especially in chess.  
  > **username_1**: Indeed, 6. Rd1+ is interesting and might be better than the 6. Re8 that Bad_Bishop suggests. You should include it in your answer if that's the line you advise. I don't mean to argue that white is winning.  
  
  ---
  
  