Queen's Gambit Declined (Orthodox/Tartakower Variation): Light Square Letdown?

Position after 10 ... exd5.

Black's bishops are biting on granite whereas White's
knights are nimble. For instance, the f3 one can bother
d5 by moving to f4. As a result of 7 ... b6, Black is
slightly nude on the light squares, and, should he cover
up ... c6 style, he'll only give more meaning to a timely
b2-b4 or e3-e4 even.

Comments:



Anonymous said...

How is f3's nimble knight going to get to f4 to menace
d5 in any meaningful way? By my count, it's going to
take him a minimum of 5 moves (d2-b3-c1-d3-f4) to get
there, and of course Black will not remain dormant
during that time--I like Re8 and Nc6, putting pressure
on d4 the moment the f3 knight leaves his post.



Anonymous said...

...and then AFTER drinking coffee, I realized g1-h3-f4
gets the knight there in three moves...

Dear Sir/Madam

Thank you for the feedback. It's most greatly valued.

Please allow me to introduce a continuation in which
the f3 knight makes it to f4 in a minimum of 3 moves:



11 O-O Re8 12 Ne1 Nc6 13 Nd3 Na5 14 Nf4.

But you are certainly right to question the substance
of White's d5 threats given Black's array of responses:

Position after 14 Nf4.



14 ... Bg5 15 Nh5 g6 16 Ng3 Bf6 17 Qc2.



14 ... c6 15 Bd3 Nc4 16 Qc2 Bg5 17 Bxc4 dxc4
18 Nce2 Be7 19 Qxc4 Bd6 20 a3.



14 ... Be7 15 Bd3 Nc4 16 Qe2 c6 17 Rac1 Bd6
18 b3.



14 ... Qd6 15 Bd3 Bg5 16 Nh3 Bf6 17 Nf4.



14 ... a6 15 Bd3.



14 ... c5 15 dxc5 d4 16 exd4 Bxd4 17 cxb6 Qxb6
18 Qc2 Rac8 19 Rad1 Qf6 20 Qa4 Bxc3.



14 ... Qd7 15 Bf3 c6 16 b4 Nc4 17 b5 cxb5
18 Nfxd5 Bg5 19 a4 bxa4 20 Qxa4.



And you're also right about Ng1-h3-f4!

I guess my assessment was somewhat influenced
by my preference for White's set-up.

Position after 10 ... exd5:



11 Kf1 Re8 12 Qc2 c6 13 Kg1 Be7
14 a4 a5 15 Bd3 Bd6 16 Ne5 Bxe5.
11 Qc2 Re8 12 Kf1 c6 13 Kg1 Be7
14 a4 a5 15 Bd3 Bd6 16 Ne5 Bxe5.



11 Rc1 a6 12 Kf1 Qd6 13 a4 Nd7
14 a5 bxa5 15 Na4 Bc6 16 Qc2 Bxa4.
11 b4 Qd6 12 Qb3 c6 13 Kf1 Rc8
14 Rb1 Nd7 15 a4 Be7 16 Bd3 Qf6
17 a5.



11 Qd3 c5 12 Kf1 Na6 13 Qf5 Nc7
14 Rd1 g6 15 Qf4 Bg7 16 Kg1 Rc8.
11 Qd2 Qe7 12 Kf1 Nd7 13 Kg1 c5
14 Rd1 Rfd8 15 h4 a6 16 dxc5 Nxc5
17 Rh3.
11 a3.



11 Kf1 Re8 12 Qc2 c6 13 Kg1 Be7
14 Rc1 Bd6 15 Bd3 Nd7 16 Bh7+ Kh8
17 Bf5.
11 Qc2 c5 12 Kf1 Qc8 13 Rd1 Rd8
14 Qb3 Qc6 15 Ne5 Qe6 16 Ng4 Be7.



11 Rc1 a6 12 Kf1 Qd6 13 a4 Nd7
14 a5 bxa5 15 Na4 Be7 16 Nc5 Nxc5
17 Rxc5.
11 b4 Qd6 12 Qb3 c6 13 Kf1 Rc8
14 Kg1 Nd7 15 b5 c5 16 Rd1.



11 Qd3 c5 12 Kf1 Na6 13 Qf5 Nc7
14 Bd3 g6 15 Qg4 Bg7 16 Qg3 Re8
17 Rd1 Rc8 18 Kg1.



11 Rb1 c5 12 Kf1 Re8 13 Kg1 Nc6
14 Bb5 a6 15 Ba4 b5 16 Bb3 cxd4
17 exd4 Na5 18 Bc2.



11 Qd2 Qe7 12 Kf1 Nd7 13 Rb1 Rab8
14 b4 c5 15 a3 Rfd8 16 Kg1 Qe6.