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A Critical Position in the King's Indian Defense (Chess Analysis)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 0-0 6.Nf3 e5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.b4 Nh5 10.Re1 f5* 11.a4 a5**

We use deep baseline runs and various improvement attempts to determine best play.

9 April 2016 This is a work in progress. A recent team game played at chessgames.com reached this position with me on the black team. Each team member voted on a move to play and the move with the most number of votes (at the 2 day per move time control) was played as the team move. A discussion forum allowed each team (white or black) to share private discussions and analysis that were not viewable by members of the other team.

Questions were raised during and after the game as the best play at the above position. Hundreds of hours of computer time created the analysis below.

Komodo 9.3

**** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** ****

** Surprised by team white with 11.a4, I suggested 11...a5 in order to transpose back into book lines contained in the text by Bologan. Other options included:

   a) 11...Nf6

1) +0.38/53 12.Bd3 fxe4 13.Nxe4 Bg4 14.Rb1 Bxf3 15.Qxf3 Nxe4 16.Qxe4 Nf5 17.Qg4 a5 18.b5 [JLJ - likely not best] b6 19.Re4 Bh6 20.Bb2 Qg5 21.Qxg5 Bxg5 22.Re2 Ng7 23.g3

2) [different machine from above] +0.38/51 12.Bd3 fxe4 13.Nxe4 Bg4 14.Rb1 Bxf3 15.Qxf3 Nxe4 16.Qxe4 Nf5 17.Qg4 a5 18.b5 [JLJ - perhaps not best] Rf7 19.Be4 b6 20.Bb2 Nh6 21.Qe2 Qg5

   b) 11...Nf4

+0.60/44 12.Bf1 fxe4 13.Nxe4 a5 14.b5 b6 15.Ra3 h6 16.g3 Nh5 17.Nfd2 Bd7 18.Bg2 Kh8 19.h3 Qc8 20.Rb3 Kg8 21.Kh2

After 12.bxa5 Rxa5 we had transposed back into Bologan's main lines.

*other choices included:

  a) 10...a5

1) +0.34/49 11.bxa5 Rxa5 [machine was told not to play or consider 11.b5]

2) +0.39/50 10...a5 11.bxa5