Solution for strategic exercises - part 2/2

I am still in the process of analysing my games from my tournaments in Denmark, and I am presenting them here in the form of exercises.
I found this method most challenging for the ambitious readers.
This position is somehow the most complicated of all the positions that I published earlier from Denmark, and I decided to devote it the whole article.
In the beginning I would like to repeat the questions which I asked when showing this position.
After answering the questions I will provide the explanations.




I have to quote my self in order to answer these questions.

Now, I am ready to play Qc2 and Qc7, which would paralyse my opponent.

However he has a chance to play e7-e5 , a move that he prepared in the couple of last moves.

In that case he will get an isolani pawn on d5.

This is a very complex decision.

• Is that pawn a weakness or not?
• Is my bishop on d3 placed good or it would stand better on e2?

Answer the second question in two ways. In the light of possible break e7-e5 and just in the case if Black play some other neutral move.

• Does Black has some other idea, unorthodox and original?
• If so, what is the best answer on it from the White point of view?

Bejtovic Jasmin E2406 -  Pedersen Brond E2169
Copenhagen Chess Challenge 2013

My opponent indeed prepared everything to play e7-e5, but in the last moment he decided to play something else.
Let´s look what would happen if he played:

12...e5?
13. dxe5, Nxe5
14. Nxe5, Bxe5
15. Bxe5, Rxe5
16. Be2!

We would reach this position. White would play Qd4 if allowed, or just Bf3. There is no way for Black to develop some activity, and White can manage to block and later on to put a pressure on d5. It is clear that a pawn is a weakness (answer number one).
The tactics does not work for Black:

16...d4
17. Rc4!

....just winning a pawn. This is what I calculated in the game.
17. exd4, Rd5 would not be good.

If we consider that 16. Be2 is a strong move, we can simply conclude that it would be even better that the bishop is already on e2.
This is the answer number two, the bishop stands better on e2 in the case of e7-e5, simply because white has more control on a d-file, crucial for IQP positions.

Now we can conclude that Black can not deliberate his position with e7-e5.
He has to think about defence.
White just exchanged on d5 and he is threatening Qc2-Qc7.
Is there any way to prevent this?

12...Nb8!

Very cleaver, unorthodox idea.
This undeveloping move is actually an answer to the third question.
Black is moving his knight on c6 where it can close the c-file.
White has to do something about that, otherwise will Black just put his knight on c6, develop (and exchange) his bishop on g4 (take on f3), play Qd7, put the rook on c8 and so on.
Very easy play.
After long thinking I did not find the right solution for the position, and I played:

13. b4?!

My idea was to push my pawns on the queen side. This did not bring me any advantage, and the game ended in a draw.
How I could prevent the above mentioned plan by my opponent?

13. Ne5!?

I was looking at this most of my time.
This move is actually the best what I can do in the position, and this is the answer on the fourth question.
Do not forget that we did not answered on the question where is the best place for a bishop (d3 or e2) in the case that Black do not play e7-e5.
This will be answered later on.

By pure logic we can assume that Black can not take on e5 and hope for equality.
White is better in that case, as he can constantly threat with an attack on the king side.
The other move that I considered to be very natural is:

13...f6?

Well, now I know that this is a mistake, but during the game I was not sure.

The most natural setup for me would be with a bishop on e2, so that now I can play Nd3.
But, my bishop is on d3, so I can only go back on f3...or maybe I can take advantage of the position of my bishop?

14. Nxg6!

I overlooked this possibility in the game.
However, I thought that I should still play 12. Ne5 and go back to f3....but before I show that, let´s look at this sacrifice.

14...hxg6
15. Bxg6, Nc6

This is the only reasonable move.

16. Qh5, Kf8

Again, the best move. If 16...Be6 then 17. f4, f5 18. Rf3 with decisive attack.

17. Rc5!, Be6

It is not possible to protect a pawn with 17...e6 as it opens a3-f8 diagonal, 18. Rxc6, bxc6
19. Bxe8, Qxe8 20. Ba3+.

Now when every piece is on it´s best place White has to prove something.
The marsh of f-pawn is not so good, as I can not see that a rook on f1 can enter the attack with decisive effect.
It has to be something more concrete here....

18. e4!

Trying to crash Black on d5!

18...Nb4

The only move

19. Bc1!

Eventually attack is decisive, and the final blow comes from this side (Bh6).


Now let´s go back to the initial position.

So, the best move was played:

12...Nb8!

...and the best reply was:

13. Ne5!?

We can see that 13...f6 is not good, and 13...Bxe5 can not be good either. Does it means that bishop is good placed on d3 (helps for the sacrifice on g6) ?
Well, we can look further for the Black´s options:

13...Nd7!

This knight again!
Now, White can take some small advantage with Qc2 or f4, but nothing substantial.
If White plays:

14. Nf3

Then simply,

14...Nb8!


Now we can look at an imaginary position:

As we can see bishop is now on e2, and Black still played his best move:

12...Nb8!

So we can again assume that White would play:

13. Ne5

Which is the best.

13...Nd7!?

This move can be answered now with:

14. Nd3!

In this position White has obvious advantage.
Black has to play:

14...Nb8 

...but now this position of knight on d3, combined with an outpost on c5 and possibility of Bf3 gives White stable advantage.
Maybe Black should try with 13...f6 14. Nd3  but White is better there too.
We can conclude that the right square for the bishop is e2!