e or g?

aquatabby

Only Chess

06 Dec '18 21:43

aquatabby
Joined
25 Jul '07
Moves
27727
06 Dec '18 21:43
A position from my club game last night. I'm white, black has just played .. f6

You have to take with the e pawn or the g pawn. Which do you choose and why?
64squaresofpain
The drunk knight
Stuck on g1
Joined
02 Sep '12
Moves
59225
07 Dec '18 18:22
Think I would play:

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exf6 and White gets a passed pawn which the King needs to guard... not sure if winning though, have not checked with a bot
BigDogg
Secret RHP coder
on the payroll
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26 Nov '04
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155080
07 Dec '18 19:311 edit
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1.gxf6! gxf6 2.f5+! gxf5 3.Kf4 and black is in zugzwang already. He will eventually lose all Kingside pawns while white keeps the h4 pawn and uses it as a distraction to buy time to munch the Queen side pawns. 1.exf6? gxf6 and now the attempt 2.f5+?? exf5+ 3.Kf4 fxg5+ wins for Black.
johnnybike
Leeds, England
Joined
09 Feb '02
Moves
125204
07 Dec '18 21:42
@aquatabby take with g and you get an isolated pawn on the h file
64squaresofpain
The drunk knight
Stuck on g1
Joined
02 Sep '12
Moves
59225
08 Dec '18 11:121 edit
@BigDoggProblem

My thoughts were
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exf6 gxf6 then not f5 but simply Kd4 and Blacks best reply is Kf5, I thought Black would be in Zugzwang after that but it appears not. My Kd4 idea does work after gxf6 though, because then Kf5 exf6 Kxf6 Ke4 and that is the zugzwang we are after. Your f5+ line missed fxe5+ after Kf4
Paul Leggett
Chess Librarian
The Stacks
Joined
21 Aug '09
Moves
113568
09 Dec '18 05:32
@aquatabby

I shared this on the Clermont Chess Club facebook page, and it picked up additional positive press. We even talked it at my club when I went today. Definitely a great example and teaching position.

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e or g?