Skype coaching session, 03 August 2014. The following game was examined, the game 28 moves) is given with annotations and then again without annotations. Paul Benson. * * * Annotated game. White: Yifan Hou, 2661. Black: Anish Giri, 2745. Event: Biel 2014. Result: 1-0 in 28 moves. Opening: Sicilian Defence, Canal-Sokolsky Attack, B51. 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ | A means of avoiding the sharper Sicilian variations, such as the heavily explored Najdorf and Dragon systems. || 3. ... Nd7 | The most challenging reply, black usually ends up with the bishop pair, with white having the option of a Maroczy bind pawn formation with a quick, pawn c4. Instead, 3. ... Bd7, is a less ambitious choice which does nothing to create the imbalance for which the Sicilian is selected. Lastly, 3. ... Nc6, will permit doubled c-pawns, not exactly to the taste of some players. || 4. d4 cxd4 5. Qxd4 | Now that the black b8 knight has committed itself to d7, the white queen will not be exposed by this early central advance. It also annoys those players who were anticipating a fianchetto of their f8 bishop, as the white queen is not easy to dislodge without some central pawn pushing which will block the long dark square diagonal. || 5. ... a6 | Putting the question to the bishop, and for once black is not going to receive the popular answer. || 6. Be2 | Very little theory on this reply, the most popular choice here is, 6. Bxd7+, when the minor piece imbalance offers opportunities for creative middlegame play on both sides. If a move is not favoured by the Grand Masters it is usually a warning to leave it alone. However, such a natural move can hardly be wrong. Yes, white has lost a tempo with this bishop, but would black voluntarily place the b8 knight on d7 at this point in the game? Time will tell as, 6. Be2, is likely to become a trend and the usual fluctuations occur as the variation evolves and a much more considered judgement of the line becomes available. || 6. ... Ngf6 7. O-O e5 | Announcing a wish for hand-to-hand combat. Instead, 7. ... e6, intending a Hedgehog formation is less risky for black. || 8. Qe3 d5 | Forget the hand-to-hand combat folks, this has escalated into double-headed axe-swinging. Black is seeking much quicker development than this system can offer, it is being bought for the price of giving white a passed pawn. Such opening gambits are known to theory, but as this is the debut of, 8. ... d5, it is likely that each player is on their own, which if correct then we have the exciting prospect of a gambit being invented at the board. || 9. exd5 Bc5 10. Qd2 O-O 11. c4 | White has a protected central passed pawn, black has plenty of activity planned over on the kingside. Is this enough for the offered pawn? Only one way to find out... || 11. ... e4 12. Nd4 Ne5 | The black e4 pawn has pushed away the white king's knight, leaving the h2 pawn a potential target, the black d7 knights now has central activity on the just-vacated e5 square, the c8 bishop can now assist kingside play. If the black queen can get into the kingside then expect blood to flow. || 13. b4 | White must play actively on the queenside, a 4 against 2 pawn majority must be put to immediate use. The black c5 bishop can not be left unchallenged as it points itself at the f2 pawn, white has an interesting idea of how to minimise the power of this piece. || 13. ... Ba7 14. Nc3 Bg4 | The kingside pressure increases, but pressure alone is not enough, at some point weaknesses in the white position need to be provoked. || 15. c5 | Neutralising the threat of the black bishop along the a7-g1 diagonal. There is also now the possibility of, 16. d6, for white, forcing black to enter into an undesirable central pawns removal transaction. || 15. ... a5 16. a3 Nxd5 | While this eliminates the potentially dangerous white passed d-pawn, it also loses the black e4 pawn, and all the restriction that it was placing on the white position. White still has a mobile queenside pawn majority, so the removal of the white d5 pawn for the black e4 pawn must be favourable for white. || 17. Nxe4 | A strange central piece formation has arisen, 4 knights in tight contact are creating some tactical possibilities. While central activity is desirable for knights, these 4 beasts are totally without protection from pawns and must receive all defences from pieces. Such formations offer chances for the tactical tools of deflection, overloading, and forks to be in the minds of both players. The tactical tension is about to increase, something is going to give... || 17. ... Bb8 | The bishop deprived of play against the f2 pawn relocates, with ideas of combinations on the h2 pawn now in need of calculation. White found a way to neutralise this bishop when it was on a7, so what can be done about it now it is on the b8 square? || 18. f3 | Since black is not advancing pawns to open up lines in front of the black king, white can afford to start pushing the black pieces back. Black diagnoses that matters are now critical, and in the manner recommended in the excellent book, Chess For Tigers, by Simon Webb, and takes appropriate action before it is too late for any action. || 18. ... Nf4 | Trying to exploit the newly-created dark square weaknesses due to the advance of the white f-pawn, the white king is now vulnerable. There is a cheeky tactic for black here, the threat is to capture, 19. ... Qxd4+ 20. Qxd4 Nxe2+ 21. Kh1 Nxd4, and black is winning a piece. || 19. Nd6 | Keeping it under control, white again neutralises the dangerous black dark square bishop. White must not get greedy with, 19. Qxf4, which walks into, 19. ... Nxf3+, creating a double threat of exposing the white queen to that b8 bishop and the d4 knight to the black queen. White could try, 20. Qxf3 Bxf3 21. Nxf3, but black has gained queen and pawn for 3 minor pieces. || 19. ... Bxd6 20. cxd6 Nxe2+ | Black is forced into exchanging pieces which is precisely just what is not desired when mounting an attack after having sacrificed material for the active position. || 21. Qxe2 Qxd6 | The black queen yet again gains time by attacking the white d4 knight. || 22. Nb5 | Ouch, that hurt! The black queen is running out of options, the e5 knight must be kept defended, and there is still the little matter of the attacked g4 bishop to take into account. || 22. ... Qf6 | One last roll of the tactical dice. Instead, 22. ... Qb6+ 23. Be3, black has queen and g4 bishop attacked and loses a piece. || 23. fxg4 | Calmly done. This forces a lost endgame onto black, who for the previous 12 moves or so has been playing for a complicated middlegame. Instead, 23. Bb2, would keep tactics in the air for some time longer. If there is a clear-cut winning endgame on offer, take it. || 23. ... Nf3+ | The black queen now attacks the unmoved and unprotected white a1 rook, but this has cost black 2 minor pieces. The black queen on a1 can find no way to remain active, and white is about to have pressure down the semi-open f-file. || 24. Qxf3 Qxa1 25. Be3 | All the white units are actively developed and coordinating, all black has is the queen on a1, which must move, but to where should she go? || 25. ... Qf6 | Forced. Trying to stay active with either,25. ... Qb2, or, 25. ... Qe5, allows white to win material with, 26. Bc5. The black f8 rook is the only protection against the strong white queen and rook battery down the f-file, if that rook moves then white invades further with, Qxf7+, and if it stands still white will capture it and be a piece ahead. || 26. Qxf6 gxf6 27. Nc7 | The black f6 pawn is not going anywhere, so white relocates the knight towards the centre where it can coordinate with the rook and bishop to create several threats. The black rooks are a good way from being able to find activity. A very miserable position for a player who has been trying for activity from the start of the game. || 27. ... Rac8 28. Nd5 Black resigns, 1-0 | Black has had enough and does not wish to force white to demonstrate the win, a pragmatic energy-saving decision. Club players would play on for much longer, and in some instances black would draw and even win one or two. There is no immediate further loss of vital material other than the f6 pawn. If 28. ... Kg7 29. Bd4, is strong for white. If 28. ... Rc2 29. Nxf6+ Kg7 30. bxa5, and white is effectively 3 pawns ahead. It is just unpleasant to have to defend this for black at Grand Master level. || * * * ## Unannotated game. White: Yifan Hou, 2661. Black: Anish Giri, 2745. Event: Biel 2014. Result: 1-0 in 28 moves. Opening: Sicilian Defence, Canal-Sokolsky Attack, B51. 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ Nd7 4. d4 cxd4 5. Qxd4 a6 6. Be2 Ngf6 7. O-O e5 8. Qe3 d5 9. exd5 Bc5 10. Qd2 O-O 11. c4 e4 12. Nd4 Ne5 13. b4 Ba7 14. Nc3 Bg4 15. c5 a5 16. a3 Nxd5 17. Nxe4 Bb8 18. f3 Nf4 19. Nd6 Bxd6 20. cxd6 Nxe2+ 21. Qxe2 Qxd6 22. Nb5 Qf6 23. fxg4 Nf3+ 24. Qxf3 Qxa1 25. Be3 Qf6 26. Qxf6 gxf6 27. Nc7 Rac8 28. Nd5 Black resigns, 1-0 * * * __._,_.___ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted by: "Johannes Grib" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reply via web post • Reply to sender • Reply to group • Start a New Topic • Messages in this topic (1) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Did you know? Learn all about using photos in your Groups -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Both Yahoo and For The People Policy prohibits the use of profanity or vulgar language on this list. To post material to this list send to: ftp-chess@yahoogroups.com To change the status of this list, press Enter on the appropriate choice and send a blank e-mail. Set to no mail: mailto:ftp-chess-nomail@yahoogroups.com Return to normal status: mailto:ftp-chess-normal@yahoogroups.com You will receive a change of status notice from Yahoo. You may subscribe to any of our other lists by going to: http://for-the-people.com Click on the E-Mail link near the bottom of the page. You will find subscription and unsubscription links for all our lists, as well as descriptions of the focus for each list. Visit Your Group • Privacy • Unsubscribe • Terms of Use . __,_._,___