Queen vs Two rooks.

[Dewi Jones]

I blew a big advantage in a club game the other night, went a whole rook up, but then under pressure from the attack that my opponent had gained for his rook I managed to needlesly trap my queen. Anyway, I swapped it off for his other rook and the game progressed to this position.

I am black.
black to move.
3r1rk1/ppp2pb1/7p/8/4N2Q/4P3/PPP3P1/2K5 b - - 0 19

Aside from attacking white's isolated pawn down the e file, I didn't really know how to handle this particular imbalance. And ended up lucky to scrape a draw. I'd appreciate any help with this position.

Which side would you prefer here? Black or white?
Are there any rules of thumb or particular techniques that either side should be using from this position?
What would your plan be as black in this position?

I have found a video on you tube which I am going to sit down and watch before I hit the pubs for the footie tonight, but I've promised myself I'll try and learn something about handling these positions before I play my next club championship game and this is the best place I know for getting chess advice.

If anyone is interested, I will post the hash I made of the endgame later in the thread

[Roger de Coverly]

Which side would you prefer here? Black or white?

I think I would prefer Black. I don't see how White can win except by a direct attack, so I think White should be looking for a perpetual check type of repetition. That said, it may be possible to inflict damage with Knight and Queen as working together they can be dangerous. Black's plan could be to pile up on a pawn with the pair of Rooks and try to force an exchange of the two rooks for Queen and pawn. If running short of time, it's dangerous when your opponent has a Knight because of the forks. Black will be much better and out of danger of everything except perpetual if the minor pieces come off.

If a draw was a good result for either player, perhaps it should be accepted if offered. I would be concerned with White's threat to play Ne4-g3-f5, so an immediate f5 comes into consideration, notwithstanding the potential weakness of squares round the King.

[Michael Farthing]

On the matter of forks I always try in an endgame to keep a rook and king on opposite colours (unless of course other considerations intervene). Maybe overkill, but I picked up the habit when someone commented that a particular grandmaster did this! Even if in a particular position it is inadvisable to keep them on opposite colours the fact that I consider it also makes me look more carefully for a missed fork.

Of course here with two rooks and a king it's not nearly so easy to follow this idea.

[MJMcCready]

I would take black. He has no real weaknesses and if he doubles rooks and exchanges them for your queen and e-pawn, its quite an easy win from there on. I don't see how white can win

[Roger de Coverly]

He has no real weaknesses

Apart from his King that is. I worked out a specimen line of vague plausibility. Black goes .. Rde8 as the first move. White plays Ng3. Black takes on e3. White plays Nf5 hitting the Rook on e3, the Bishop on g7 and the pawn on h6. Black plays Re6 defending the h6 pawn and having Rg6 as a defensive resource. White threatens mate by Qg4. Black meets this with Rg6 allowing Ne7 check.

Part of the potential balance in the position is that White may be able to sacrifice the e pawn for time.

[MJMcCready]

I didn't consider the king's position a weakness as white doesn't have enough material to exploit the lack of a g-pawn. But if he took the bishop off then the king would have to shuffle to the queenside at some point probably

[Dewi Jones]

Thank you. As it was my opponent exchanged off his knight immediately, but I still made very hard work of the draw.