Answers.Body: <p>I have been looking at this with a fairly strong computer for about 15 minutes (and the judgment of having been a Master for 30+ years and forcing in plausible lines), and I am convinced that this is a positional draw.</p>
  
  <p>White is obviously worse per the computer eval, but he can keep the position exactly as it is by either moving his K from e2 to d3 and back (sometimes f1 if there is a threat to take on g2), or his Rd4 back and forth to d1 if black moves the Re5 away so e4 is not hanging. So, that leaves only to look at what can black do.</p>
  
  <p>You have to look at black's pawn breaks. Clearly, b5 is out as cb actually leaves white better. d5 just loses. f5, which would be the standard try, is never any good because after ef and the bishop trade on f3, that will leave a monster N to go to d5, and that will also keep black tied to the weak pawn on b6. That only leaves the attempt to double rooks on the g-file, and sacrifice on g2, but it is already defended twice, and can even be over-protected with Kf1 if it looks like it might work for black.</p>
  
  <p>Lastly, on top of b6 being weak if f5 gets played, h4 also becomes an immediate target along the fourth rank.</p>
  
  <p>My opinion is that if black tries to win, especially with f5, he is probably going to be worse, and it will be he, who is fighting for the draw. Sorry, I just do not think that there is a way to crack that nut. Try too hard, and you might break an egg though. :)</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-11-21T21:38:51.220Z
Answers.Text: @RewanDemontay Yes, in that case, I do believe that it does not just change the original question and words, but improves it.
Answers.UserDisplayName: PhishMaster
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-11-21T23:03:48.847Z
Answers.Text: What about g3 and Ng2?
Answers.UserDisplayName: Jossie Calderon
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-11-22T00:10:32.363Z
Answers.Text: @JossieCalderon Only black can win this, so white must be patient. Trying to play for a win with white is suicide. 40.g3?? hg 41.fg Rg8 42.Kf2 and now that white has created some serious weaknesses, 42...f5 wins here due to 43.ef Re3! 44.Ke3 Rg3. Just because you can "crack open" a position, that does not mean you should.
Answers.UserDisplayName: PhishMaster
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-11-22T00:13:09.077Z
Answers.Text: P.S. if instead of Kg2, 42.g4, then again, f5 wins after 42...Rh8 43.Bg2 f5! 44.gf ef and if 45.Nf5+ Rf5 46.ef Bg2 -+.
Answers.UserDisplayName: PhishMaster
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-11-22T09:08:26.127Z
Answers.Text: Nice answer, but I am still not totally convinced (possibly, because I haven't spent enough time trying to crack this). Beside the immediate pawns breaks, have you trying manoeuvring pieces first ? Ideas that come to mind are a king transfert to c5 threatening to invade the queenside (yeah, we gotta be careful when we cross the Bf3 vis-à-vis on c6), or f6 and Bc6-e8-h5(g6), or Rg5 followed by Rd8-g8-g6-f6-f4, increasing presure on e4.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Evargalo
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-11-22T10:26:18.313Z
Answers.Text: @Evargalo I considered improving the king position early on, and there did not help. I did not consider trying to put the second rook on f4, but that does not seem to work due to Ng4 winning back the exchange at the appropriate moment.
Answers.UserDisplayName: PhishMaster
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-11-22T10:30:12.103Z
Answers.Text: @PhishMaster : The point of strating with Re5-g5 was to prevent any such fork. I am not certain this plan would win, but I think it at least forces White to do something concrete to counter it instead of waiting.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Evargalo
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-11-22T10:32:43.360Z
Answers.Text: I did consider putting that rook on g5 first, but you have to put it back to continue "increasing presure on e4" as you mentioned. If you do not put it back, you cannot increase that pressure, but it clearly does not work. I did very clearly state that I looked at doubling rooks on the g-file, and what I thought of that.
Answers.UserDisplayName: PhishMaster
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-11-22T11:36:32.223Z
Answers.Text: By the way, white also always has that Ng4 as another tempo move: Ng4 at any time, Rg5; Nf3.
Answers.UserDisplayName: PhishMaster
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-11-22T16:46:24.103Z
Answers.Text: I remember being in a time pressure so I hesitantly agreed to draw the game. I always felt there's something more, but your plans are in line with what I was thinking then. I didn't want to jeopardize the game by trying something extraordinary.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Vladan
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-11-22T17:17:07.607Z
Answers.Text: @Vladan First, thank you for accepting my answer. Of course, there is no 100% guarantee that there is nothing hidden there, but it seems doubtful. That said, it was a position that required patience from both sides, similar to the patience that is sometimes required in some endgames. So thinking about that, and thinking about the "Do Not Hurry" endgame principle, it made me think that despite all else, you could have moved around innocuously for a bit to see if white was a patient: He might have cracked, and moved something that he shouldn't have.
Answers.UserDisplayName: PhishMaster
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-11-22T18:19:40.467Z
Answers.Text: Nice and elaborate comment response.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Jossie Calderon
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-11-21T21:32:12.313Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2019-11-22T04:30:30.767Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2019-11-22T04:30:30.767Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: PhishMaster
Body: <p>I find this particular final position from a personal game intriguing. Even though there's a material advantage, there's no clear path to the victory. Does anyone have any good ideas on how to crack this nut?</p>
  
  <pre><code>[Event "Liga CS Jug"]
  [Site "Niska Banja"]
  [Date "2016.10.15"]
  [Round "8"]
  [White "Bojkovic"]
  [Black "Djokic"]
  [Result "1/2-1/2"]
  [ECO "B41"]
  [WhiteElo "2234"]
  [BlackElo "2329"]
  [Source "Analyze This (Free)"]
  [FEN ""]
  [startply "130"]
  
  1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc3 Qc7 7. Be2 b6 8. O-O Bb7 9. Qd3 Nc6 10. Nxc6 Bxc6 11. a4 h5 12. h3 Bc5 13. Bg5 Qe5 14. Bxf6 gxf6 15. Bf3 a5 16. Rfd1 Kf8 17. b3 Rg8 18. Ne2 Rd8 19. Rac1 Ke7 20. Rc2 Bd6 21. Kf1 Bc5 22. Nc3 Rg5 23. Re2 Kf8 24. Ree1 h4 25. Nd5 Kg7 26. Ne3 Qf4 27. Ng4 Kf8 28. Qc3 Bb4 29. Qxf6 Qxf6 30. Nxf6 Ke7 31. Ng4 Bxe1 32. Kxe1 d6 33. Ne3 Bb7 34. Ke2 Re5 35. Rd4 Rg8 36. Ng4 Rc5 37. Ne3 Rd8 38. Rd2 Ba8 39. Rd4 Re5  1/2-1/2
  </code></pre>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2019-11-22T09:12:40.440Z
Comments.Text: I suppose you are only interested in the final position, but otherwise opening the center with 32...f5! was certainly decisive.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Evargalo
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2019-11-22T10:14:25.517Z
Comments.Text: Please use [comments](https://chess.stackexchange.com/help/privileges/comment) to help improving the question; answers should be posted as *answers*.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Glorfindel
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2019-11-22T16:48:34.977Z
Comments.Text: @Evargalo I definitely missed that and played it "safe" with d6. The move f5 then would make everything a lot easier. I underestimated the white's chances to draw and keep the "fortress".
Comments.UserDisplayName: Vladan
Tags: <analysis><positional-play>
Title: How to “crack” this position?
ThreadText: # How to “crack” this position?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2019-11-21)
  
  I find this particular final position from a personal game intriguing. Even though there's a material advantage, there's no clear path to the victory. Does anyone have any good ideas on how to crack this nut?
  
  ```
  [Event "Liga CS Jug"]
  [Site "Niska Banja"]
  [Date "2016.10.15"]
  [Round "8"]
  [White "Bojkovic"]
  [Black "Djokic"]
  [Result "1/2-1/2"]
  [ECO "B41"]
  [WhiteElo "2234"]
  [BlackElo "2329"]
  [Source "Analyze This (Free)"]
  [FEN ""]
  [startply "130"]
  
  1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc3 Qc7 7. Be2 b6 8. O-O Bb7 9. Qd3 Nc6 10. Nxc6 Bxc6 11. a4 h5 12. h3 Bc5 13. Bg5 Qe5 14. Bxf6 gxf6 15. Bf3 a5 16. Rfd1 Kf8 17. b3 Rg8 18. Ne2 Rd8 19. Rac1 Ke7 20. Rc2 Bd6 21. Kf1 Bc5 22. Nc3 Rg5 23. Re2 Kf8 24. Ree1 h4 25. Nd5 Kg7 26. Ne3 Qf4 27. Ng4 Kf8 28. Qc3 Bb4 29. Qxf6 Qxf6 30. Nxf6 Ke7 31. Ng4 Bxe1 32. Kxe1 d6 33. Ne3 Bb7 34. Ke2 Re5 35. Rd4 Rg8 36. Ng4 Rc5 37. Ne3 Rd8 38. Rd2 Ba8 39. Rd4 Re5  1/2-1/2
  
  ```
  
  **Tags:** analysis, positional-play
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: I suppose you are only interested in the final position, but otherwise opening the center with 32...f5! was certainly decisive.  
  > **username_2**: Please use [comments](https://chess.stackexchange.com/help/privileges/comment) to help improving the question; answers should be posted as *answers*.  
  > **username_0**: @username_1 I definitely missed that and played it "safe" with d6. The move f5 then would make everything a lot easier. I underestimated the white's chances to draw and keep the "fortress".  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2019-11-21. Score: 9 | Accepted answer
  
  I have been looking at this with a fairly strong computer for about 15 minutes (and the judgment of having been a Master for 30+ years and forcing in plausible lines), and I am convinced that this is a positional draw.
  
  White is obviously worse per the computer eval, but he can keep the position exactly as it is by either moving his K from e2 to d3 and back (sometimes f1 if there is a threat to take on g2), or his Rd4 back and forth to d1 if black moves the Re5 away so e4 is not hanging. So, that leaves only to look at what can black do.
  
  You have to look at black's pawn breaks. Clearly, b5 is out as cb actually leaves white better. d5 just loses. f5, which would be the standard try, is never any good because after ef and the bishop trade on f3, that will leave a monster N to go to d5, and that will also keep black tied to the weak pawn on b6. That only leaves the attempt to double rooks on the g-file, and sacrifice on g2, but it is already defended twice, and can even be over-protected with Kf1 if it looks like it might work for black.
  
  Lastly, on top of b6 being weak if f5 gets played, h4 also becomes an immediate target along the fourth rank.
  
  My opinion is that if black tries to win, especially with f5, he is probably going to be worse, and it will be he, who is fighting for the draw. Sorry, I just do not think that there is a way to crack that nut. Try too hard, and you might break an egg though. :)
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_3**: @RewanDemontay Yes, in that case, I do believe that it does not just change the original question and words, but improves it.  
  > **username_4**: What about g3 and Ng2?  
  > **username_3**: @username_4 Only black can win this, so white must be patient. Trying to play for a win with white is suicide. 40.g3?? hg 41.fg Rg8 42.Kf2 and now that white has created some serious weaknesses, 42...f5 wins here due to 43.ef Re3! 44.Ke3 Rg3. Just because you can "crack open" a position, that does not mean you should.  
  > **username_3**: P.S. if instead of Kg2, 42.g4, then again, f5 wins after 42...Rh8 43.Bg2 f5! 44.gf ef and if 45.Nf5+ Rf5 46.ef Bg2 -+.  
  > **username_1**: Nice answer, but I am still not totally convinced (possibly, because I haven't spent enough time trying to crack this). Beside the immediate pawns breaks, have you trying manoeuvring pieces first ? Ideas that come to mind are a king transfert to c5 threatening to invade the queenside (yeah, we gotta be careful when we cross the Bf3 vis-à-vis on c6), or f6 and Bc6-e8-h5(g6), or Rg5 followed by Rd8-g8-g6-f6-f4, increasing presure on e4.  
  > **username_3**: @username_1 I considered improving the king position early on, and there did not help. I did not consider trying to put the second rook on f4, but that does not seem to work due to Ng4 winning back the exchange at the appropriate moment.  
  > **username_1**: @username_3 : The point of strating with Re5-g5 was to prevent any such fork. I am not certain this plan would win, but I think it at least forces White to do something concrete to counter it instead of waiting.  
  > **username_3**: I did consider putting that rook on g5 first, but you have to put it back to continue "increasing presure on e4" as you mentioned. If you do not put it back, you cannot increase that pressure, but it clearly does not work. I did very clearly state that I looked at doubling rooks on the g-file, and what I thought of that.  
  > **username_3**: By the way, white also always has that Ng4 as another tempo move: Ng4 at any time, Rg5; Nf3.  
  > **username_0**: I remember being in a time pressure so I hesitantly agreed to draw the game. I always felt there's something more, but your plans are in line with what I was thinking then. I didn't want to jeopardize the game by trying something extraordinary.  
  > **username_3**: @username_0 First, thank you for accepting my answer. Of course, there is no 100% guarantee that there is nothing hidden there, but it seems doubtful. That said, it was a position that required patience from both sides, similar to the patience that is sometimes required in some endgames. So thinking about that, and thinking about the "Do Not Hurry" endgame principle, it made me think that despite all else, you could have moved around innocuously for a bit to see if white was a patient: He might have cracked, and moved something that he shouldn't have.  
  > **username_4**: Nice and elaborate comment response.  
  
  ---
  
  