I appreciate the kind words, keep them coming :-)

Seriously though, when similar problems/positions keep arising in our games and we feel frustrated with our lack of success in handling them, we really need to change the question. The point isn't, "How do I refute this?" Rather we need to ask, "Why is everyone happy to play this against me?" This last gives us the clue that maybe we are not understanding either the lead in to the position or the follow through. On rare occassions maybe there is a refutation available. But if more than one opponent is coming with similar ideas, the main issue is more likely on our side than theirs.

These days my first step in trying to analyze problems in my games is a database search on what the pros do. It is so easy today, and a complete change from just ten years ago. I do not fool myself that I understand (or even can understand) why they did it. But just the fact that they consistently played in a different way than I do is a big hint toward changing my thinking. Next I search for a "why" answer for the differences that I see. Again I know my explanation will be incomplete and as often as not simply wrong from the professional point of view, but so what! I change, look at things differently, and hopefully foil some of those smirking know-it-alls across the board when next we meet (although since the know me too well, as often as not they just stick a pin into another of my weak spots instead :-)