AFTER taking a half-point bye in round five, my round-six game reached the following position.
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| Black has just played 19...g7-g5!? |
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Black has at least a slight edge after 20.Bd2 or 20.Bg3, according to Stockfish17 and Dragon1, but that is probably preferable to the game's 20.hxg5?! fxg5.
The exchange of pawns gives Black's dark-square bishop more space in which to operate, and Black has hopes of creating a passed h pawn (or leaving White with isolanis if an eventual ...g4 is met with fxg4).
White in return gains a protected and passed e pawn, but that is hardly mobile and will not get the support that Black's bishops can give to the black kingside pawns.
The game continued 21.Be3 Be6 22.Kb1 g4, which I met with 23.f4?!
After 23...h4 the following position was reached.
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| White has a pair of passed pawns, but Black's advanced 2-1 majority is more significant |
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As I pointed out in my notes to the game, rival pawn-majorities favour a bishop against a knight, and a bishop-pair against a knight and bishop.
This position is unusual in that both the majorities under discussion are on the kingside, but the principle remains the same.
The engines reckon Black has a positionally won game.
LESSON: there are exceptions, eg in a closed position with fixed pawn-chains, but usually a pair of bishops is a powerful weapon.
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