What is the thinking behind this line?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.chess.computer (More info?)

Was playing the following against Hiarcs 8. I am White:

1. e4 c5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Nc3 Nf6
4. Bb5 Nd4

I intended to continue with either e5 or d3. But the move the computer
likes best for White here is Ba4.

Can someone explain why??? Doesn't do anything I can see except waste a
move.

Thx.



John
--
To reply, remove "die.spammers" from address


Von Herzen, moge es wieder zu Herzen gehen. --Beethoven

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.chess.computer (More info?)

The Lindbergh Baby wrote:
> Was playing the following against Hiarcs 8. I am White:
>
> 1. e4 c5
> 2. Nf3 Nc6
> 3. Nc3 Nf6
> 4. Bb5 Nd4
>
> I intended to continue with either e5 or d3. But the move the computer
> likes best for White here is Ba4.
>
> Can someone explain why??? Doesn't do anything I can see except waste a
> move.
>
> Thx.
>
>
>
> John

Hi John. I'm no expert, but I'd say preserving the Bishop is worth
doing. As long as Black's QP is pinned to the King it's going to hamper
his development and his control of the center. I can see why you'd
consider it wasting a move, but Black kind of wasted one with 4...Nd4,
so on balance it doesn't cost you anything.

Like I said, I'm no expert, but that's what I see.

DJV

 

[bruno]

Archived from groups: rec.games.chess.computer (More info?)

You should always try to keep both your bishops as they cooporate well
together, only trade a bishop for a knight when you have some extra benefit
like ruining your opponents pawn structure.
In this case if you allow Nxb5 you just lose the bishop pair which is bad
already and on top of that you also get a badly placed knight on b5 which
will have to retreat eventually with loss of tempo.


"The Lindbergh Baby" <johngrabowski1@die.spammersearthlink.net> schreef in
bericht news:423D4299.506@die.spammersearthlink.net...
> Was playing the following against Hiarcs 8. I am White:
>
> 1. e4 c5
> 2. Nf3 Nc6
> 3. Nc3 Nf6
> 4. Bb5 Nd4
>
> I intended to continue with either e5 or d3. But the move the computer
> likes best for White here is Ba4.
>
> Can someone explain why??? Doesn't do anything I can see except waste a
> move.
>
> Thx.
>
>
>
> John
> --
> To reply, remove "die.spammers" from address
>
>
> Von Herzen, moge es wieder zu Herzen gehen. --Beethoven
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.chess.computer (More info?)

bruno <brunodebaenstremove@pandora.be> wrote:
> The Lindbergh Baby <johngrabowski1@die.spammersearthlink.net> wrote:
>> 1. e4 c5
>> 2. Nf3 Nc6
>> 3. Nc3 Nf6
>> 4. Bb5 Nd4
>>
>> I intended to continue with either e5 or d3. But the move the computer
>> likes best for White here is Ba4.
>>
>> Can someone explain why??? Doesn't do anything I can see except waste a
>> move.
>
> You should always try to keep both your bishops as they cooporate well
> together, only trade a bishop for a knight when you have some extra
> benefit like ruining your opponents pawn structure.

Not really. In a closed position with long pawn chains snaking around the
board, bishops can't get anywhere and knights are vastly superior. Every-
thing always depends on the position.


> In this case if you allow Nxb5 you just lose the bishop pair which is
> bad already and on top of that you also get a badly placed knight on b5
> which will have to retreat eventually with loss of tempo.

Losing the bishop pair is bad in this position because the bishops are
free to roam around the board. If you were forced to exchange a knight
for a bishop in this sort of position, moving towards a closed position
would be a good plan, to limit the usefulness of your opponent's bishop
pair. Of course, that's going to be difficult because your opponent will
be trying to open the position.


Dave.

--
David Richerby Simple Evil Smokes (TM): it's like a
www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~davidr/ pack of cigarettes but it's genuinely
evil and it has no moving parts!

 

[bruno]

Archived from groups: rec.games.chess.computer (More info?)

>> You should always try to keep both your bishops as they cooporate well
>> together, only trade a bishop for a knight when you have some extra
>> benefit like ruining your opponents pawn structure.
>
> Not really. In a closed position with long pawn chains snaking around the
> board, bishops can't get anywhere and knights are vastly superior. Every-
> thing always depends on the position.

Ok of course you should always look at the board in front of you, but as a
general rule : try to keep the bishop pair.