Answers.Body: <p>I believe the f4! move for White is definitely a good idea instead of Nd2 . After f4 from White it is like catching 2 birds with one arrow . </p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>f4 from White deprives the Black Light Squared Bishop &amp; tangles it into his own pawn chain and creates a Bad Bishop .</li>
  <li>f4 frees the f3 squares for the Knight . The Knight hops to d2-f3-e5 . From e5 the g6 &amp; c6 becomes juicy targets and makes the Knight a supreme one . The Knight can change the course and even go to c5 . There are many ways where the Knight will dominate and the Bishop will be locked in its pawn chain . </li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>Even Black has a mild command of the open e-file White can place his any Rook on the e-file and exchange them . Creating a principle of two Weakness and positional strategy White should win the game in the end .</p>
  
  <p>I did not feed this position into any computer but there seems to be one catch in the above explanation . With the Rooks being exchanged on e-file and f4 from White locks up everything . The pawn formation creates a wall where neither King will be allowed to enter in opponent's territory . Black Bishop can stay in e8 and protect the pawns c6 &amp; g6 and will control the squares of the Knight and Black King can do the remaining tasks of flanking the white King .So summary is it is better to delay f4 from White and possibly ignore it until you have a sure advantage .</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-05-18T09:50:16.893Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-05-18T09:50:16.893Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Seth Projnabrata
Answers.Body: <p>White's best plan is Nd2, followed by Nb3 and Nc5. From there it attacks the pawn a6 as well as the key square e6. Black will have a hard time defending both places.</p>
  
  <p>More to point, the Ne5 can move quickly to the kingside with Nd3 followed by Ne5 or Nf4. You don't want to play your pawn e4 because it takes away this "stepping stone" for the knight. Because the creation of "bad bishop" by the white squared pawns, this is one of the few positions in which a knight can move from one side to another faster than a bishop.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-05-30T00:58:56.293Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-05-30T00:58:56.293Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Tom Au
Answers.Body: <p>1.f4 gives away the e4-square and temporarily hands black a slight initiative. Aesthetically, it looks unpleasing.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-05-17T15:05:53.187Z
Answers.Text: And how exactly is the e4 square a *key* square?
Answers.UserDisplayName: Jossie Calderon
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-05-18T12:42:18.310Z
Answers.Text: It clearly is an outpost for the black rook for starters. More importantly, it is a support point for counterplay for the black rooks doubling on the e-file and in attacking d4 and eventually c3.
  
  1.f4 certainly does not deserve an "!". More or less, maybe "?!".
  
  But of course, I'm not reading this out of a Silman book, but actually using my own observations. My opinion only.
  
  I could be wrong. It would not be the first time.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Priyome
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-05-18T17:15:57.600Z
Answers.Text: it may be an outpost, but not a useful one. The combination of the f5 and d5 pawns already prevent white from penetrating the black position. After c2-c3, black can't capture the f4 or d4 pawns without heavy material loss. However, I do agree that the e-file is an excellent penetration aisle for the rooks, and that 1.f4?! is not the best move, after further consideration (because it revokes a corresponding square for the king).
Answers.UserDisplayName: Jossie Calderon
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-05-23T23:31:33.710Z
Answers.Text: Hard to deny that playing f4 by white is way too committal and unnecessary. It fails the eye-test. Playing c3 by white to protect d4 is a concession by white, and it is painfully obvious that capturing on f4 or d4 by black at that point results in material loss. The e4-square *could* be useful for black if white exchanges rooks there, resulting in a passed pawn for Black. But even so, you can imagine an endgame N vs. B, N on e5, B on e8, Black king on d6 and white king on e3/d3 and no progress can be made by White because of playing f4. With any doubt, play it out against a comp several times.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Priyome
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-05-17T11:10:31.793Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-05-17T11:10:31.793Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Priyome
Answers.Body: <p>1.f4 kills the game. White currently has the advantage of a good knight against a bad bishop. But black will double on the e-file and that will lead to an exchange of rooks. In the resulting endgame the better minor piece won't be enough to put pressure on black because with f4 you have closed the way for your king into the enemy position. </p>
  
  <p>If you want to play for the win you need to keep a way open for the white king to penetrate. That also means that after 1.Nd2 f4 you probably shouldn't take on f4. After 2.gf Bf5 there is again no way into the black position. </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-05-18T12:26:24.643Z
Answers.Text: With one rook there is easy way to black camp through g-file. If f4 is good for black, than it is because he will open the position and activate pieces. He can't sit and wait in this scenario.
Answers.UserDisplayName: hoacin
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-05-18T13:16:57.357Z
Answers.Text: You get to the position also with double rook exchange as white will put knight to c5, forcing king to a7 and than black is in zugzwang, any time bishop moves from f5, white reopens the kingside with f5 sacrifice, no matter if king is on f2 or g3.
Answers.UserDisplayName: hoacin
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-05-18T13:36:44.957Z
Answers.Text: Good points, though there maybe complications with Bf5-c2 avoiding Nb3-c5. Like in 1.Nd2 Rhe8 2.Re1 Re1 3.Re1 Re1 4.Ke1 f4 5.gf 5.Bf5 c3 6.Bc2 ... of course white doesn't have to play c3, but black might also sac' a6 to keep the bishop on f5 etc. All rather complicated and dependent on accurate calculation.
Answers.UserDisplayName: BlindKungFuMaster
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-05-18T13:56:20.893Z
Answers.Text: After 6...Bc2 I just go Kf2 followed by f5. If you keep bishop on f5 and sacrifice a6, I take it, move my knight to e5, then run a-pawn, after Kxax Nxc6 followed by Ne7 when d5 is falling. I think it's just easily won in all passive scenarios.
Answers.UserDisplayName: hoacin
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-05-19T07:21:28.983Z
Answers.Text: How about keeping the bishop on f5 and sacrificing the a6-pawn after zugzwang? Then the question is whether white can actually make progress. He can give the a pawn for the c pawn, but cannot the black king defend b5 and d5 against the lone knight?
Answers.UserDisplayName: BlindKungFuMaster
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-05-19T07:27:02.757Z
Answers.Text: Ah, if the white knight lands on c3 that's zugzwang again. I should look at the position once in a while when discussing this stuff.
Answers.UserDisplayName: BlindKungFuMaster
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-05-19T08:54:23.707Z
Answers.Text: The knight go to e7 immediately after capturing c6, c3 should be occupied by surviving white pawn :-) Black king is too far to reach d6 while c6 is protected.
Answers.UserDisplayName: hoacin
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-05-18T11:32:14.037Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-05-18T11:32:14.037Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: BlindKungFuMaster
Body: <pre><code>1kb4r/4r3/p1p3p1/Pp1p1p1p/1P1P3P/5PP1/2P2K2/1NR2R2 w - - 0 1
  
  1. Nd2 Rhe8 (1... f4!) (1. f4!)
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Silman suggests 1. Nd2, with a black response of Rhe8. Wouldn't black just respond with 1...f4! instead? This gives black counter-play on the kingside, opens an f-file for him, and activates his bishop (with an eventual ...Bf5!)</p>
  
  <p>White should have just played 1. f4! What prevented such a move from being considered?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-05-17T10:42:55.263Z
Comments.Text: After f4 black doubles on e, exchange all rooks on e1 and white has nothing to achieve.
Comments.UserDisplayName: hoacin
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-05-17T15:14:39.540Z
Comments.Text: @hoacin Your comment-answers deserve more credit. (For anyone who isn't noticing, white needs the f4 square for his king.)
Comments.UserDisplayName: Jossie Calderon
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-05-17T15:38:37.013Z
Comments.Text: I didn't want to evaluate your line Nd2 f4 as it is complicated and precise calculation is necessary. On the other hand I can evaluate f4 in a heartbeat, so my answer was just partial. Of course white needs f4 for king or knight to win but maybe the position is not winning and blocking f4 with draw is good.
Comments.UserDisplayName: hoacin
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-05-17T16:39:06.393Z
Comments.Text: @hoacin Or you can simplify things by noting that white needs to get his knight to c5, penetrate the e5 square with his king, and therefore trade rooks. I'm looking for the strategy (hence the tag) and not the calculation.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Jossie Calderon
Tags: <strategy>
Title: Why was Nd2 played? instead of f4!
ThreadText: # Why was Nd2 played? instead of f4!
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2017-05-17)
  
  ```
  1kb4r/4r3/p1p3p1/Pp1p1p1p/1P1P3P/5PP1/2P2K2/1NR2R2 w - - 0 1
  
  1. Nd2 Rhe8 (1... f4!) (1. f4!)
  
  ```
  
  Silman suggests 1. Nd2, with a black response of Rhe8. Wouldn't black just respond with 1...f4! instead? This gives black counter-play on the kingside, opens an f-file for him, and activates his bishop (with an eventual ...Bf5!)
  
  White should have just played 1. f4! What prevented such a move from being considered?
  
  **Tags:** strategy
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: After f4 black doubles on e, exchange all rooks on e1 and white has nothing to achieve.  
  > **username_0**: @username_1 Your comment-answers deserve more credit. (For anyone who isn't noticing, white needs the f4 square for his king.)  
  > **username_1**: I didn't want to evaluate your line Nd2 f4 as it is complicated and precise calculation is necessary. On the other hand I can evaluate f4 in a heartbeat, so my answer was just partial. Of course white needs f4 for king or knight to win but maybe the position is not winning and blocking f4 with draw is good.  
  > **username_0**: @username_1 Or you can simplify things by noting that white needs to get his knight to c5, penetrate the e5 square with his king, and therefore trade rooks. I'm looking for the strategy (hence the tag) and not the calculation.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 4 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_5 on 2017-05-18. Score: 5 | Accepted answer
  
  1.f4 kills the game. White currently has the advantage of a good knight against a bad bishop. But black will double on the e-file and that will lead to an exchange of rooks. In the resulting endgame the better minor piece won't be enough to put pressure on black because with f4 you have closed the way for your king into the enemy position.
  
  If you want to play for the win you need to keep a way open for the white king to penetrate. That also means that after 1.Nd2 f4 you probably shouldn't take on f4. After 2.gf Bf5 there is again no way into the black position.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: With one rook there is easy way to black camp through g-file. If f4 is good for black, than it is because he will open the position and activate pieces. He can't sit and wait in this scenario.  
  > **username_1**: You get to the position also with double rook exchange as white will put knight to c5, forcing king to a7 and than black is in zugzwang, any time bishop moves from f5, white reopens the kingside with f5 sacrifice, no matter if king is on f2 or g3.  
  > **username_5**: Good points, though there maybe complications with Bf5-c2 avoiding Nb3-c5. Like in 1.Nd2 Rhe8 2.Re1 Re1 3.Re1 Re1 4.Ke1 f4 5.gf 5.Bf5 c3 6.Bc2 ... of course white doesn't have to play c3, but black might also sac' a6 to keep the bishop on f5 etc. All rather complicated and dependent on accurate calculation.  
  > **username_1**: After 6...Bc2 I just go Kf2 followed by f5. If you keep bishop on f5 and sacrifice a6, I take it, move my knight to e5, then run a-pawn, after Kxax Nxc6 followed by Ne7 when d5 is falling. I think it's just easily won in all passive scenarios.  
  > **username_5**: How about keeping the bishop on f5 and sacrificing the a6-pawn after zugzwang? Then the question is whether white can actually make progress. He can give the a pawn for the c pawn, but cannot the black king defend b5 and d5 against the lone knight?  
  > **username_5**: Ah, if the white knight lands on c3 that's zugzwang again. I should look at the position once in a while when discussing this stuff.  
  > **username_1**: The knight go to e7 immediately after capturing c6, c3 should be occupied by surviving white pawn :-) Black king is too far to reach d6 while c6 is protected.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2017-05-18. Score: 1
  
  I believe the f4! move for White is definitely a good idea instead of Nd2 . After f4 from White it is like catching 2 birds with one arrow .
  
  * f4 from White deprives the Black Light Squared Bishop & tangles it into his own pawn chain and creates a Bad Bishop .
  * f4 frees the f3 squares for the Knight . The Knight hops to d2-f3-e5 . From e5 the g6 & c6 becomes juicy targets and makes the Knight a supreme one . The Knight can change the course and even go to c5 . There are many ways where the Knight will dominate and the Bishop will be locked in its pawn chain .
  
  Even Black has a mild command of the open e-file White can place his any Rook on the e-file and exchange them . Creating a principle of two Weakness and positional strategy White should win the game in the end .
  
  I did not feed this position into any computer but there seems to be one catch in the above explanation . With the Rooks being exchanged on e-file and f4 from White locks up everything . The pawn formation creates a wall where neither King will be allowed to enter in opponent's territory . Black Bishop can stay in e8 and protect the pawns c6 & g6 and will control the squares of the Knight and Black King can do the remaining tasks of flanking the white King .So summary is it is better to delay f4 from White and possibly ignore it until you have a sure advantage .
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2017-05-30. Score: 0
  
  White's best plan is Nd2, followed by Nb3 and Nc5. From there it attacks the pawn a6 as well as the key square e6. Black will have a hard time defending both places.
  
  More to point, the Ne5 can move quickly to the kingside with Nd3 followed by Ne5 or Nf4. You don't want to play your pawn e4 because it takes away this "stepping stone" for the knight. Because the creation of "bad bishop" by the white squared pawns, this is one of the few positions in which a knight can move from one side to another faster than a bishop.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2017-05-17. Score: -2
  
  1.f4 gives away the e4-square and temporarily hands black a slight initiative. Aesthetically, it looks unpleasing.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: And how exactly is the e4 square a *key* square?  
  > **username_4**: It clearly is an outpost for the black rook for starters. More importantly, it is a support point for counterplay for the black rooks doubling on the e-file and in attacking d4 and eventually c3.  1.f4 certainly does not deserve an "!". More or less, maybe "?!".  But of course, I'm not reading this out of a Silman book, but actually using my own observations. My opinion only.  I could be wrong. It would not be the first time.  
  > **username_0**: it may be an outpost, but not a useful one. The combination of the f5 and d5 pawns already prevent white from penetrating the black position. After c2-c3, black can't capture the f4 or d4 pawns without heavy material loss. However, I do agree that the e-file is an excellent penetration aisle for the rooks, and that 1.f4?! is not the best move, after further consideration (because it revokes a corresponding square for the king).  
  > **username_4**: Hard to deny that playing f4 by white is way too committal and unnecessary. It fails the eye-test. Playing c3 by white to protect d4 is a concession by white, and it is painfully obvious that capturing on f4 or d4 by black at that point results in material loss. The e4-square *could* be useful for black if white exchanges rooks there, resulting in a passed pawn for Black. But even so, you can imagine an endgame N vs. B, N on e5, B on e8, Black king on d6 and white king on e3/d3 and no progress can be made by White because of playing f4. With any doubt, play it out against a comp several times.  
  
  ---
  
  