Skype coaching session, 14 December 2014. 

The following game was examined, 37 moves. It was intended that 2 games be examined in this session but time did not allow. The other game should be studied soon. 

Paul Benson. 

* * * 

White: So, 2744. 
Black: Jobava, 2713. 
Event: ACP Golden Classic, Bergamo 2014. 
Result: 1-0 in 37 moves. 
Opening, English Defence, Keres Variation, B00. 

| Brief summary. 
Note: Some sources will give this opening system the name, English Defence, Kangaroo Variation. 
Opening: The white king solves the problem of the undefended g2 pawn in a novel manner. The time taken in placing the king in the fianchetto position is not of great importance, black has no means to open up the game to exploit such a time loss. 
Early middlegame: White curiously chooses to open up the long diagonal for the black b7 bishop having closed it down a few moves earlier. Black accepts doubled e-pawns in order to transfer the target d6 pawn from attack and to stabilise the centre. 
Middlegame: Black foresees a difficult ending ahead, the 2 white knights will be better than the black bishop and knight. This poor ending provokes black into offering a pawn for activity. The idea is to at least go down having had a fight rather than just being squeezed without setting any problems to the opponent. 
Late middlegame: The 2 white queenside disconnected passed pawns are too strong for black to restrain. Perhaps about move 29 black could have avoided any complications of a weak back rank with, pawn g6, though all this will do is prolong the agony, those 2 white pawns will get through eventually. The last black trick was to offer the f-pawn since if, 37. Kxf3 Rf8+, and black is not immediately losing an exchange, white is still winning but why give black any hope of saving the game? || 

1. d4 e6 
2. c4 b6 
3. e4 Bb7 
4. Bd3 Bb4+ 
5. Kf1 Be7 
6. Nc3 d6 
7. Nf3 Nf6 
8. g3 O-O 
9. Kg2 Nbd7 
10. Qe2 c5 
11. d5 Re8 
12. Rd1 Bf8 
13. dxe6 fxe6 
14. Bc2 a6 
15. Bf4 Qc7 
16. Rd2 Ne5 
17. Rad1 Bc6 
18. Bxe5 dxe5 
19. Ba4 Bxa4 
20. Nxa4 b5 
21. cxb5 axb5 
22. Qxb5 c4 
23. Rc2 Rec8 
24. b3 Qb8 
25. Qxb8 Raxb8 
26. bxc4 Nxe4 
27. Nxe5 Rb4 
28. Nb2 Nc5 
29. f4 Be7 
30. Nbd3 Ra4 
31. Nxc5 Rxc5 
32. Rb1 Rc8 
33. c5 g5 
34. c6 Bd6 
35. Nd7 gxf4 
36. Nb6 f3+ 
37. Kf2 
Black resigns, 1-0 

* * *