Skype coaching session, 31 August 2014. 

The following game was examined, the game 56 moves) is given with annotations and then again without annotations. 

Paul Benson. 

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Annotated game. 

White team: Xie Jun / Short. 
Black team: Zhu Chen / Seirawan. 
Event: Exhibition game, Queens vs Kings 2002. 
Result: 0-1 in 56 moves. 
Opening: Sicilian Defence, Najdorf Variation, B96. 

| Note: Attempts to find the exact circumstances of this game have proved fruitless. My best guess is the moves were played alternately by each team member without consultation between the players. The Queens vs Kings tournaments match a team of women against a team of men. Each player in a team plays all members of the opposing team. The games are for entertainment and not FIDE rated. It is likely to be non-standard chess, the 2011 event had one round of Fischer Random chess and a rapid play of 25 minutes with an increment given to the clock for each move. The game studied here was played after the main event, pairing players from the original teams to form a mixed team. 

Since this game is for the entertainment of the paying public rather than earning rating points, it is likely that opportunities were taken to produce enjoyment for the spectators while still trying to play high quality chess. Even so, the game is worthy of study. || 

1. e4 c5 
2. Nf3 d6 
3. d4 cxd4 
4. Nxd4 Nf6 
5. Nc3 a6 
6. Bg5 e6 
7. f4 h6 

| A sideline, designed to push the white dark square bishop to a location which white would not normally choose. It also leaves the white f4 pawn undefended, not an problem as such but might count a little later, depending on how white responds. || 

8. Bh4 Qb6 
9. a3 

| Avoiding the sharp and critical lines. Instead, 9. Qd3, seems to enter into a battle of theory where one slip from either side can result in a lost game. The quieter, 9. Nb3, allows black to exploit the shuffle of the white bishop to the h4 square with, 9. ... Qe3+, winning the f4 pawn. Warning: Anyone thinking this is a clear win of a pawn should think again, it is risky and should not be taken without serious study before including in the repertoire. With, 9. a3, white has set a trap for black, if, 9. ... Qxb2 10. Na4, traps the black queen as the usual escape square of, a3, is no longer available. || 

9. ... Nc6 
10. Bf2 Qc7 
11. Be2 Nxd4 

| Making development easier for white but with good reason. White has options of sacrifices on the e6 pawn or the e6 square if the c8 bishop locates itself on the long diagonal. Such sacrifices are positional in nature, white trying to make use of the black king being caught in the centre, and do not work so well if black has castled kingside. || 

12. Qxd4 Be7 
13. O-O-O b5 

| Perhaps, 13. ... O-O, is safer. Then the spectators can sit back and enjoy the opposite wing attack. || 

14. e5 dxe5 
15. Qxe5 

| Instead, 15. fxe5, would force the black f6 knight to re-locate and give white the semi-open f-file to play down. However, in the long term the e5 pawn will be a target for black, especially as the endgame begins. Keeping the f-pawn on the f-file gives white the option of a more efficient kingside pawn-roller. || 

15. ... Qb8 

| Keeping tension, possibly with the intention of offering the crowd some entertainment. || 

16. Bf3 Bb7 

| It seems as if black is neutralising the white activity. Appearances can be deceptive. If this was being watched by a typical football crowd, then the followers of the white team are about to start screaming and waving their scarves. || 

17. Nxb5 

| Setting off a flurry of complications. Black will receive some open lines in compensation for this pawn, but is it only a pawn which is going to be a casualty? || 

17. ... O-O 

| Sensibly declining the knight. If, 17. ... axb5 18. Qxb5+ Kf8 19. Qxb7 Qxb7 20. Bxb7 Rxa2 21. Kb1, white has an extra pawn, 2 connected passed queenside pawns and the bishop pair, very depressing for black. Alternately if, 17. ... axb5 18. Qxb5+ Kf8 19. Qxb7 Qxf4+ 20. Kb1 Rb8 21. Qa7, and white still has an extra pawn, 3 connected passed queenside pawns, but at least there will be a middlegame for a while, though all the fun will be with white due to the more harmonious development. || 

18. Nc7 

| The black a8 rook is trapped, does black have any saving resources? White also has a passed c-pawn to be contained. || 

18. ... Bxf3 
19. gxf3 

| White avoids, 19. Nxa8 Bxa8, when black has 2 minor pieces for a rook. Black must find something special now or the game will effectively be over. || 

19. ... Ng4 

| Perhaps inspiration born out of desperation? Wether black envisaged this move when permitting, 17. Nxb5, will remain a mystery. The black knight now attacks the white queen, threatens to capture the f2 bishop which also forks the white rooks, and that wandering white c7 knight needs protecting. White must now find something useful or risk being blown off the board. || 

20. Qc3 

| Accepting the knight gives black a lot of play against the white king. If, 20. fxg4 Bf6, and the white queen must protect the c7 knight. Either, 21. Qc5, or, 21. Qa5, can be met by, 21. ... Qxb2+ 22. Kd2 Bc3+, and if, 23. Qxc3 Rad8+ 24. Qd3 Rxd3+ 25. Kxd3 Rd8+, with problems for white, the c7 knight is unprotected and will be forked with check next move. || 

20. ... Nxf2 
21. Rhg1 

| Neat. White saves an exchange by threatening mate on the g7 square. || 

21. ... f6 

| Forced. If, 21. ... g6, white has a startling finish with, 22. Nxe6, threatening mate on g7 again. So, 22. ... fxe6 23. Rxg6+ Kf7 24. Rg7+ Ke8 25. Qc6+ mate. || 

22. Rd7 

| So white has now managed to escape without losing an exchange, black is not so lucky. || 

22. ... Rf7 
23. Nxa8 Qxa8 
24. Qe3 

| Ouch! The black f2 knight can obviously escape, but what about the undefended e6 pawn? || 

24. ... Qc6 

| If,24. Nh3 25. Qxe6 Nxg1, this greed is immediately punished with, 26. Rxe7 Qf8 27. Re8, white is winning. Instead, 24. ... Nh3 25. Qxe6 Nxf4 26. Qc4, with the immediate threat of capturing the f4 knight, and a more subtle threat of, Rc7, intending, Rc8+. || 

25. Rxe7 

| White decides to simplify the position. || 

25. ... Rxe7 
26. Qxf2 Qc4 

| Black either wins back the pawn on f4, or invades the white queenside. || 

27. Qd2 

| Perhaps, 27. Kb1 Qxf4 was a simpler way to play the position. Each player would have a pawn majority in front of their king, neither would be keen to enter into an opposite wing pawn race until queens were removed. || 

27. ... Qa2 

| Cheeky. Black threatens mate on the a1 square. The fortunes of each queen seemed to have reversed. The white queen took central stage early on, the black queen skulking on her back rank. Now it is the turn of the black queen to make threats while the white queen will soon be shuffling into passivity. || 

28. Qd8+ Kh7 

| Black should avoid 28. ... Kf7 29. Rxg7+ Kxg7 30. Qxe7+ Kg6 31. Qe8+ Kf5 32. Qh5+ Kxf4 33. Qxh6+, when black has two choices. Firstly, 33. ... Kf5 34. Qh5+, leading to 3-fold repetition, or secondly, 33. ... Kxf3 34. Qxf6+, where only white will have winning chances. || 

29. Qxe7 Qa1+ 
30. Kd2 Qxg1 
31. Qxe6 Qxh2+ 

| Now each has a passed pawn to push. Surely this should be equal? One big difference is the amount of shelter each king has, black can hide in the kingside, white has no such option. If matters become tricky for black then a possible perpetual check can be attempted. Black therefore has more options than white. || 

32. Kd3 h5 

| Black is playing for a win. Instead, 32. ... Qxf4 33. Qe4+ Qxe4 34. Kxe4, and the black king must march over to the queenside immediately to hold up the white c-pawn. The white king can not capture the backward black g-pawn, this would permit the h-pawn to run through and promote first. It seems drawn. || 

33. Qe4+ Kh6 
34. f5 

| Perhaps white should try for similar activity with, 34. c4 Qxb2 35. c5, and advance the king up the board to assist the c-pawn should black attempt a perpetual check. || 

34. ... Qg3 

| If white is not going to push the c-pawn, then the white king needs to be on the g-file or h-file. The black queen must shuffle to prevent this plan. || 

35. Qe3+ Kh7 
36. f4 

| Now black must be careful about the white queen gaining entry into the kingside, in particular the h5 square,which would permit a draw buy repetition on the h5 and e8 squares. || 

36. ... Qg4 
37. Ke4 Qg2+ 
38. Kd3 h4 

| Black has made progress with the h-pawn, all white has done is set up a potential draw with a light square repetition, which will only succeed if black gets careless. || 

39. Qe2 Qg3+ 

| Not, 39. ... h3 40. Qh5+ Kg8 41. Qe8+, with a draw by repetition. || 

40. Ke4 Kh6 
41. Qf3 

| Still fishing for that light square repetition. || 

41. ... Qh2 
42. Kd3 h3 
43. Qg4 

| At last, the white queen has sneaked into the kingside light squares, and not content for a draw, but threatening, 44. Qg6+ mate. How does black avoid this catastrophe and also avoid a draw by repetition? || 

43. ... g5 
44. fxg5+ 

| Instead, 44. fxg6 Qg2 45. Qh4+ Kxg6, the black h-pawn is strong || 

44. ... fxg5 

| The two connected black passed pawns can give the black king protection from attempted repetition. || 

45. Qd4 

| Instead, 45. f6 Qd6+ 46. Ke2 h2, the h-pawn is strong || 

45. ... Qg3+ 
46. Ke2 Qg2+ 
47. Qf2 Qe4+ 
48. Kd2 

| Instead, 48. Kf1 Qh1+ 49. Qg1 Qf3+ 50. Qf2 Qd1+ 51. Qe1 Qxe1+ 52. Kxe1, and the white king can not prevent the h-pawn promotion. || 

48. ... Qf4+ 
49. Ke2 h2 
50. Qg2 Qc4+ 
51. Ke3 Qf4+ 
52. Ke2 g4 
53. Qc6+ Kg5 
54. Qg6+ 

| The white queen can now assist the f-pawn to advance. || 

54. ... Kh4 
55. f6 Qf3+ 

| avoiding, 55. ... h1=Q 56. Qh6+, when white wins the new black queen ||

56. Kd2 h1=Q 
White team resigns, 0-1 

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## Unannotated game. 

White team: Xie Jun / Short. 
Black team: Zhu Chen / Seirawan. 
Event: Exhibition game, Queens vs Kings 2002. 
Result: 0-1 in 56 moves. 
Opening: Sicilian Defence, Najdorf Variation, B96. 

1. e4 c5 
2. Nf3 d6 
3. d4 cxd4 
4. Nxd4 Nf6 
5. Nc3 a6 
6. Bg5 e6 
7. f4 h6 
8. Bh4 Qb6 
9. a3 Nc6 
10. Bf2 Qc7 
11. Be2 Nxd4 
12. Qxd4 Be7 
13. O-O-O b5 
14. e5 dxe5 
15. Qxe5 Qb8 
16. Bf3 Bb7 
17. Nxb5 O-O 
18. Nc7 Bxf3 
19. gxf3 Ng4 
20. Qc3 Nxf2 
21. Rhg1 f6 
22. Rd7 Rf7 
23. Nxa8 Qxa8 
24. Qe3 Qc6 
25. Rxe7 Rxe7 
26. Qxf2 Qc4 
27. Qd2 Qa2 
28. Qd8+ Kh7 
29. Qxe7 Qa1+ 
30. Kd2 Qxg1 
31. Qxe6 Qxh2+ 
32. Kd3 h5 
33. Qe4+ Kh6 
34. f5 Qg3 
35. Qe3+ Kh7 
36. f4 Qg4 
37. Ke4 Qg2+ 
38. Kd3 h4 
39. Qe2 Qg3+ 
40. Ke4 Kh6 
41. Qf3 Qh2 
42. Kd3 h3 
43. Qg4 g5 
44. fxg5+ fxg5 
45. Qd4 Qg3+ 
46. Ke2 Qg2+ 
47. Qf2 Qe4+ 
48. Kd2 Qf4+ 
49. Ke2 h2 
50. Qg2 Qc4+ 
51. Ke3 Qf4+ 
52. Ke2 g4 
53. Qc6+ Kg5 
54. Qg6+ Kh4 
55. f6 Qf3+ 
56. Kd2 h1=Q 
White team resigns, 0-1 

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