Lessons From Mallorca VIII: Planning

MY round-eight game at the Colònia de Sant Jordi U2400 reached then following instructive position after 30 moves.

Black has just played 30...Kh8-g7 - how would you assess the position and, more importantly, what is the correct plan for both sides?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

White has bishop for three pawns, but Black controls the open file and has a pair of passed pawns supported by the king, while the white king is on the opposite side of the board. Stockfish17 and Dragon1 reckon chances are about equal.

Having played the game, and looked at it afterwards with the engines, I am fairly confident about the following assessments.

1. In the long run, if nothing game-changing happens, White's extra piece will tell.

2. Black must therefore try to create something game-changing in the short, or at least medium, term. Clearly a mating attack with the rooks is not on the cards, so the game-changing event must be the threat of promoting one of the passed pawns. It may look like the pawns could be lost if they are advanced, but if they are not advanced, Black is lost anyway.

3. White's correct strategy is therefore to restrain and, if possible, blockade the passers.

In the game neither player seemed to fully grasp these essentials.

White at first ignored the kingside in favour of giving the bishop a firm outpost, which of course has its positional plus points, but the engines reckon kingside restraint was the priority.

Black spent time adjusting queenside pawns, and dithered about advancing on the kingside. By the time the latter was attempted, it was too late - the black kingside was easily restrained (blockading proved unnecessary, thanks to Black's dilatory play), and White was able to switch to decisively opening a file on the queenside (made easier by Black's earlier unnecessary pawn-moves there).

LESSON: a correct plan, except in weird tactical situations, usually has logical foundations based on imbalances in the position.