The Chess Mind

About a week ago, I presented this position as an exercise: Black to move and at least ease the burden of White's initiative:



(Capablanca-Alekhine, 1927 World Championship Match, game 15, position after 17.Rd2)

Several readers wrote in with helpful comments and suggestions, most of which are incorporated into my notes, which also include commentary from Polugaevsky (from Lyev Polugaevsky and Iakov Damsky's The Art of Defence in Chess. Ironically, while I have the book, I wouldn't have thought to look had it not been for MM's comment to the original post), Koblenz (from his Lehrbuch der Schachtaktik, Band 2) and from the Chess Stars volume on Capablanca.

Click here.

Here's your starting position, with Black to move:



White isn't winning, of course, but he does have a nice, nagging edge thanks to his better rooks and Black's slightly loose queenside pawn structure. What should Black do?

[Note for newbies, reminder for old-timers: please don't leave your guesses in the comments - give everyone an unadulterated chance to solve it for themselves.]

The (a?) solution will be given in a few days.