Effect of Rook Exchanges

[Dan O'Dowd]

This is a position from Antoshin-Tal, 23rd USSR Championship, where Tal to play, played 23...Bc4 24. Rxa8 Rxa8 25. Rxa8+ Nxa8, and eventually drew in 42 after losing a pawn at one point, but getting to an opposite coloured Bishops ending.

When I was guessing the moves I felt that 23...Bb7 made far more sense, wherein I thought White would keep one pair of Rooks for defence of d5. But to me, given that Black is in a dynamically balanced position, with a passed c-pawn, and a semi-open e-file, and a fully open b/a, shouldn't he want to keep one pair? It feels like White has more statics here (2 Bishops if nothing else). What does everyone else think? And am I making a correct evaluation about keeping one pair of Rooks?

[Matthew Turner]

Dan,
I have only looked at the position very quickly, but it strikes me that White is in danger of having a very significant advantage. Bc4 is merely an attempt to swap somes pieces and hope to get away it, After Bb7, Ra7 looks really stgrong to me.

[Roger de Coverly]

But to me, given that Black is in a dynamically balanced position, with a passed c-pawn, and a semi-open e-file, and a fully open b/a, shouldn't he want to keep one pair? It feels like White has more statics here (2 Bishops if nothing else). What does everyone else think? And am I making a correct evaluation about keeping one pair of Rooks?

A quick check with Rybka came up with Rfe8 or Rfb8, in both cases keeping all the rooks on the board. White's advantage being considered as worth about a quarter of a pawn. Both Bc4 and Bb7 were considered inferior increasing the White advantage to half a pawn. The suggested defence to Ra7 is Rfb8.

In the game Tal bailed out to an opposite Bishop ending, it may well be that he envisaged the resulting play and was content to steer to a draw.

[Matthew Turner]

I think that is quite computer-like analysis. Consider the position after Bb7 Ra7 R(f)b8, how does Black free themselves? It is very difficult to see a practical way for Black to proceed. White, on the other hand, can try to improve their position eg h3, Ra5, Qa2.
R(f)e8 and R(f)b8 make some sort of sense because they presumably address the threat of Na4.

[Dan O'Dowd]

I think that is quite computer-like analysis. Consider the position after Bb7 Ra7 R(f)b8, how does Black free themselves? It is very difficult to see a practical way for Black to proceed. White, on the other hand, can try to improve their position eg h3, Ra5, Qa2.
R(f)e8 and R(f)b8 make some sort of sense because they presumably address the threat of Na4.

Mm, interestingly I'd actually seen/predicted Bb7 Ra7, so semiyay for me :3 I imagine then that I overestimated Black's initial position though I had no concrete assessment, come to think of it! and that led me to not realise that the Rook exchange can't make it much worse for Black in practical terms.