I played this game as black against a 1900 rated opponent, and managed to achieve an advantage, but I offered a draw in the final position as I did not know how to continue. What should my plans have been?
Honestly, the answer to your question is to slowly break down the d file. Realistically your opponent was getting ready to shift his rook on d1 left to make room for his rook on e1 to come to d1 and eventually to d2 allowing his other rook to come back to d1 and begin his assault. Ideally you would take your rook on d8 and slide it towards the a file and make room for your rook on the e1 to come over and support/defend the d file from d7 allowing your other rook to slide back to d8. Its really about timing and now leaving other pieces vulnerable in the process as well.
In between all this, when you want to shift tempo to force your opponent to react first in an exchange sequence so that it favors you, you can throw in some pawn movement to possibly promote if white isn't paying attention and doesn't keep his king close enough to the h file to defend such an attempt.
though you do have a slight advantage it comes from position and is built slowly over time and a talented player can absolutely defend well in this position, maybe even draw you if played perfectly by both sides. If you did win from both sides playing perfectly, it was probably a result of a king and pawn endgame that results in a promotion. The advantage of having a bishop and knight though vs a bishop duo is that a knight can swoop in and out of pawn structures to avoid capture.
It boils down to where and who blunders first. Who knows the endgame the best and takes time to calculate deeper. Humans are not computers and even our world champions do not play perfectly in every game. So its going to be about striking when you have an opportunity and being patient to see what his next few moves are. You have to see the best position to be in and sometimes its not about achieving a win. Sometimes your best position is losing with as much grace as possible and how long you can hold your ground.
In between all this, when you want to shift tempo to force your opponent to react first in an exchange sequence so that it favors you, you can throw in some pawn movement to possibly promote if white isn't paying attention and doesn't keep his king close enough to the h file to defend such an attempt.
though you do have a slight advantage it comes from position and is built slowly over time and a talented player can absolutely defend well in this position, maybe even draw you if played perfectly by both sides. If you did win from both sides playing perfectly, it was probably a result of a king and pawn endgame that results in a promotion. The advantage of having a bishop and knight though vs a bishop duo is that a knight can swoop in and out of pawn structures to avoid capture.
It boils down to where and who blunders first. Who knows the endgame the best and takes time to calculate deeper. Humans are not computers and even our world champions do not play perfectly in every game. So its going to be about striking when you have an opportunity and being patient to see what his next few moves are. You have to see the best position to be in and sometimes its not about achieving a win. Sometimes your best position is losing with as much grace as possible and how long you can hold your ground.
I say prepare f4 and blast the kingside. but I always say that. :/
@Microraver I was black :)
D'oh! Sorry :/
@Episcopul nice answer, thanks!
Good question! In fast game I'd go with g6 to block knight instead of Bf8, but this appears to be not right. Actually if two GM continue from this position it could be interesting.
If you offer draws you will never learn it.
You had enough time left.
You enjoy the advantage of the bishop's pair.
The plan is to double rooks on the d-file and thus force the trade of all 4 rooks.
Once the rooks gone, the advantage of the bishop's pair becomes more significant.
You march your king to the centre.
Then you open the game by pawn breaks on the queen's wing.
The more open the game gets, the more important becomes the advantage of the bishop's pair.
Then you create a passed a-pawn to tie down his forces.
At a good moment you trade your dark bishop for the knight so as to enter a won endgame of light square bishops.
You can give up your passed a-pawn as a decoy to break through in the centre.
All of this with ample preparation and patience: do not rush it.
With best play from both sides black should win this.
You had enough time left.
You enjoy the advantage of the bishop's pair.
The plan is to double rooks on the d-file and thus force the trade of all 4 rooks.
Once the rooks gone, the advantage of the bishop's pair becomes more significant.
You march your king to the centre.
Then you open the game by pawn breaks on the queen's wing.
The more open the game gets, the more important becomes the advantage of the bishop's pair.
Then you create a passed a-pawn to tie down his forces.
At a good moment you trade your dark bishop for the knight so as to enter a won endgame of light square bishops.
You can give up your passed a-pawn as a decoy to break through in the centre.
All of this with ample preparation and patience: do not rush it.
With best play from both sides black should win this.
double your rooks, he can't because of Bh6
then maybe c5-c4
then maybe c5-c4
The players account is now closed? I wonder why
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