Skype coaching session, 15 March 2015. The following game was examined, the game 40 moves) is given with annotations and then again without annotations. Paul Benson. * * * Annotated game. White: Nakamura, 2775. Black: Adams, 2745. Event: London Chess Classic 2014. Result: 1-0 in 40 moves. Opening: Queen's Gambit Declined, Traditional Variation, D30. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Bg5 Be7 5. Qc2 h6 | An early challenge. Instead either, Nbd7, or, c6, are more popular here. || 6. Bxf6 | If the white queen's bishop is developed actively on the kingside it can be eventually exchanged off if black chooses. Here white avoids being chased by a manoeuvre from the f6 knight and had possibly prepared for the black 7th move in home preparation. || 6. ... Bxf6 7. e3 c5 | Very challenging. Instead, O-O, king safety first, would offer black a less active but less awkward game. || 8. cxd5 cxd4 | The pawns on the d-file, usually head to head, are now back to back. The tactics are now becoming tricky, pay careful attention to the next white move and the complications which will follow with the 10th white move. || 9. Bb5+ Bd7 10. dxe6 | Surely this is losing a bishop on b5? What is white planning? || 10. ... Qa5+ | The white b5 bishop is toxic. If, 10. ... Bxb5 11. exf7+, and the black king has an awkward decision. If either, 11. ... Kf8, or, Ke7, white wins the bishop back with, 12. Qc5+. If the black king captures with, 11. ... Kxf7, a similar trick happens with, 12. Qb3+, picking up the black b5 bishop. White would have a strong pawn centre and the black kingside is very weak. Black must play accurately on move 11, think carefully. || 11. Nbd2 | White avoids, 11. Nc3 Bxb5, and the tricks no longer work for white. If now, 12. exf7+ Kxf7 13. Qb3+ Kg6 14. Qxb5, loses to, 14. ... Bxc3+, the queen's defender is removed with check, 15. bxc3 Qxb5, black wins. || 11. ... Qxb5 | The correct capture. If, 11. ... Bxb5, white gains material with, 12. Qc8+ Qd8 13. Qxb7, threatening immediate mate on the f7 square. The white queen on b7 is also attacking the black b5 bishop and a8 rook. Complications as a consequence of black rejecting early castling when fighting hard with, 7. ... c5. Pay careful attention to the white move 13, an important positional gain is on offer, do not miss it. || 12. exd7+ Nxd7 13. Qe4+ Kf8 | While material is equal the position still has some sting to it. Black will have problems completing kingside development, the inactive h8 rook is a warning about delaying king safety when seeking early complications. This is not lost for black, but difficulties will have to be overcome with some hard work. The next black move needs careful consideration. || 14. Nxd4 Qxb2 | However uncomfortable, black must now fight with tactics. || 15. Rb1 Qxa2 | Is the black b7 pawn poisoned or not? Calculate carefully here, as the black move 16 options carry some serious threats. || 16. Qxb7 Rd8 | White had to allow for, 16. ... Rb8 17. Qxd7 Rxb1+ 18. Nxb1 Qxb1+ 19. Ke2, and the potential loss of the h1 rook. Further analysis should however reveal that, 19. ... Qxh1 20. Qc8+ Ke7 21. Nf5+ mate, would be sufficient compensation. Black should leave the h1 rook alone and instead continue with, 19. ... Qa2+, and be slightly worse. In the game position, white would like to castle, but the d2 knight is in need of protection. How does white solve this? || 17. Qb4+ | And done with a gain of tempo. White must not try, 17. Nc6, intending to drive away the defender of the black d7 knight. The reply, 17. ... Nc5, creates strong threats for black. The first is, Qxd2+, the second is, Nxb7, so white is almost forced to give up the queen for rook and knight with, 18. Nxd8 Nxb7 19. Nxb7, when black is much better. || 17. ... Kg8 18. O-O a5 | Passed pawns must be pushed, but in the process they can become exposed. Black is still a rook down on the kingside development front. || 19. Qc3 Qd5 | Pressure for black up the d-file, the d2 knight is still insecure. What does black have planned against white invading with, Rb5, threatening the black queen and also doubly attacking the a5 pawn? || 20. Qc7 | Avoiding, 20. Rb5 Bxd4, removing the defence of the b5 rook, and if, 21. Rxd5 Bxc3, black has won a knight in the sequence. || 20. ... Nf8 | Black is planning to try and hold the ending a pawn down, anticipating the a-pawn will soon be surrounded and lost. Perhaps, Kh7, to release the h8 rook was also an option. || 21. Rb5 Qd7 22. Qxd7 Rxd7 23. N2f3 Bxd4 | Black does not wish to have an ending with a bishop against a knight with 4 pawns against 3 as here. The knight, a short-range piece will have very good prospects of outplaying the bishop, which will be unable to make full use of the long-range mobility. || 24. Nxd4 Ne6 | Instead either, Kh7, or, Ng6 were worthy of consideration. Black is willingly entering a double rook ending with a weakness. With only 1 rook each this pawn structure is not a serious problem, but with double rooks the story is quite different. || 25. Nxe6 fxe6 26. Rxa5 Kf7 | Perhaps the reason for allowing the pawn structure to become weakened, the h8 rook can finally join the game. White to move must play accurately here to create difficult problems for black. Only 1 move will do this, think very carefully about how white must proceed. || 27. g4 | The only move to trouble black. There have been similar positions to this going back almost a century, and it seems if black can play, pawn h5, before white can prevent it with, pawn g4, then the player with the 3 pawns will have good drawing chances. So, perhaps black should have played, 26. ... h5, before advancing the king on the previous move. Now black is faced with white simply advancing the king with the h-pawn gaining much space. || 27. ... Rc8 28. Rb1 Rc2 29. Ra8 Rc4 30. h3 h5 | Trying for tricks but white has it all under control. || 31. gxh5 Rh4 | skewering the white h-pawns, but matters are not so simple. || 32. Rh8 Kf6 | If, 32. ... Rxh3 33. Kg2 Rh4 34. f4, and the black rook can not escape the white king. If now, 34. ... Rg4+ 35. Kh3, wins the rook as all squares on the g-file are covered. || 33. Kh2 | Very important to avoid, Kg2. The g-file must be kept for a rook when appropriate. || 33. ... Rd5 | White to play, think carefully about a very important strategic point. || 34. Rf8+ | Again very precise. The black king is going to be cut off from the kingside if he tries, Ke7, but what happens if the black king tries for activity with, Kg5. || 34. ... Ke7 | If, 34. ... Kg5 35. Rg1+ Kxh5 36. Rh8+ is mate, a variation on a back rank mate theme. || 35. Rf3 Rf5 | In order to get the black king over to the kingside. || 36. Rxf5 exf5 | White to play, think carefully, another important strategic point to be found. || 37. Rg1 | Black has too many weaknesses, the g-pawn, the f-pawn, and the rook on h4 might be in danger of being trapped. || 37. ... Kf6 | If, 37. ... Rxh5 38. Rxg7+, and the black rook will be unable to stop the advance of the white king and h-pawn, the black king will not cross the g-file, white is totally winning, but will take a few moves to force matters. || 38. Rg6+ Kf7 39. Rg5 Kf6 | A 50% move. White has a very strong move, if he finds it then it wins, if he misses it then black might continue fighting. What move now immediately wins for white? || 40. f4 | The black rook on h4 is trapped and simply, Kg3, wins it next move. || Black resigns, 1-0 * * * ## Unannotated game. White: Nakamura, 2775. Black: Adams, 2745. Event: London Chess Classic 2014. Result: 1-0 in 40 moves. Opening: Queen's Gambit Declined, Traditional Variation, D30. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Bg5 Be7 5. Qc2 h6 6. Bxf6 Bxf6 7. e3 c5 8. cxd5 cxd4 9. Bb5+ Bd7 10. dxe6 Qa5+ 11. Nbd2 Qxb5 12. exd7+ Nxd7 13. Qe4+ Kf8 14. Nxd4 Qxb2 15. Rb1 Qxa2 16. Qxb7 Rd8 17. Qb4+ Kg8 18. O-O a5 19. Qc3 Qd5 20. Qc7 Nf8 21. Rb5 Qd7 22. Qxd7 Rxd7 23. N2f3 Bxd4 24. Nxd4 Ne6 25. Nxe6 fxe6 26. Rxa5 Kf7 27. g4 Rc8 28. Rb1 Rc2 29. Ra8 Rc4 30. h3 h5 31. gxh5 Rh4 32. Rh8 Kf6 33. Kh2 Rd5 34. Rf8+ Ke7 35. Rf3 Rf5 36. Rxf5 exf5 37. Rg1 Kf6 38. Rg6+ Kf7 39. Rg5 Kf6 40. f4 Black resigns, 1-0 * * *