Battle of the Pawn Duos

In this interesting struggle between competing pawn duos, precise calculation is required. Black has just played pawn to g4 producing a menacing looking duo at g4 and h4. White's duo at c5 and d5 turns out to be stronger than ICC plyer Nc3-4Me estimated.

With White to move, pawn to c6 threatening a center pawn roller is in the air and impossible to stop owing to the fact that the d6 square is protected by the b7 White Knight.

White's King and Rook are adequate to block the advance of the the Black pawn duo deciding the game in White's favor. Also observe that the Black Rook at a6 is in hot water after pawn to a5 and Bishop to d3 where minor pieces and a pawn conspire to trap and inter the Black Castle.

The ICC user named Nc3-4Me may have known about the late Houston master Larry Englebretson who was familiar with all the transpositional nuances associated with 1. Nc3 . Damian Nash, a very strong chess player out of Colorado, is also quite fond of essaying Nc3 on the first move. I believe he sometimes gets Black defensive systems with the colors reversed which can be very dangerous and effective against unsuspecting opponents.

Damian Nash and Harold Stevens used to reside in Moab, Utah and wrote that Moab has the highest concentration of good chess players in the United States from a sheer percentage point of view. William Barefield is still smarting from losses to Nash and Mark Schwarman of NM