Flores Quillas,Diego Saul Rodri vs. Balakrishnan,Praveen - 4th Menorca Open 2025 1/2-1/2
In the 4th Menorca Open 2025 on April 23rd, the game between Flores Quillas (White) and Balakrishnan (Black) featured an intriguing move by Black. The h5 move was played by Black, a seemingly unexpected choice that has been analyzed in retrospect.
Upon examination, it appears that this move misses an opportunity to threaten, as there were other squares on the board where a stronger attack could have been launched. Furthermore, playing h5 ignores a superior threat chance that would have arisen from developing a piece elsewhere on the board.
By moving their pawn to h5, Black also misses the chance to reveal an attack on a piece, potentially catching White off guard and gaining a strategic advantage. Another missed opportunity is better bishop mobility, as the move h5 restricts the movement of Black's bishops in certain areas of the board.
Additionally, the h5 move overlooks the chance to escape an impending attack, which would have allowed Black to regroup and respond more effectively. The move also misses the chance to force White into making a concession, such as advancing a piece or changing their development plan.
Lastly, by playing h5, Black fails to develop their piece in a way that would lead to active play, instead simply moving it out of its starting position without creating any significant threats or attacking chances.
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[Date "2025.04.23"]