Skype coaching session, 22 March 2015. The following game was examined, the game 28 moves) is given with annotations and then again without annotations. Paul Benson. * * * Annotated game. White: Keres. Black: Smyslov. Event: FIDE Candidates, Zurich 1953. Result: 0-1 in 28 moves. Opening: Queen's Indian Defence (by transposition), Spassky Variation, D14. | Sometimes a player sits down at the board needing to win. Here white is a point behind black, the tournament leader. There are not many games left, if white wishes to win the event, this game must be won. || 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. Nf3 c5 | White has chosen the English Opening which offers much flexibility to black. In return, white does not immediately face sharp gambits of varying reliability. The battle in this game will begin in the middlegame and no earlier. || 4. e3 Be7 5. b3 O-O 6. Bb2 b6 7. d4 | The opening has now transposed into the Queen's Indian Defence, and with white choosing an early, pawn e3, which leads to the c1 bishop developing on the b2 square, it is now the Spassky Variation. || 7. ... cxd4 | If black does not exchange immediately then white will have the option of taking some central space with, 8. d5, giving the game a Benoni pattern. Black would need to be aware of a potential bishop being trapped if white is permitted the further luxury of, pawn d6. || 8. exd4 | White begins the fight for the full point. Either, 8. Qxd4 Nc6 9. Qd2, and white will continue with, Be2, O-O, and centralise rooks, or, 8. Nxd4, both piece recaptures offer white a solid position. White is willing to accept that the central pawns will come under pressure in return for activity. Give something to receive something. Now both players complete development. || 8. ... d5 9. Bd3 Nc6 10. O-O Bb7 11. Rc1 Rc8 | Black might try, 11. ... Nb4 12. Bb1 Rc8, when if white wishes to remove the black b4 knight, then, pawn a3, pushes it back to c6. However, black can then exchange, dxc4, and follow with, Na5, with pressure on the c4 pawn or c4 bishop, depending on how white recaptured on c4. || 12. Re1 Nb4 13. Bf1 | White keeps an extra defender to the c4 pawn, which might be awkward to defend if black brings pressure as described above. Needing to win does not mean all thoughts of defending weaknesses can be ignored. || 13. ... Ne4 | Strange game. White needs the win but it is black who is playing for the initiative. Black is content to draw this game, so why take the fight to white. Simple. If black were to sit back and attempt to trade pieces at the earliest opportunity, it is likely to give black either a slightly cramped position or a lag in development. The best way to ultimately achieve the aim of avoiding defeat is to play as if you wished to play for an advantage. Then when opportunities to reduce the tension appear, as they will almost certainly do, the decision to continue the fight or reduce the chances of losing by liquidating can be made. Now the roles reverse, white begins to make advances at last. || 14. a3 Nxc3 15. Rxc3 | White now has a rook lifted to the 3rd rank. Opportunities arising from doubling rooks on either the c-file or e-file are not clear. So, is this rook lift a possible plus for white? || 15. ... Nc6 16. Ne5 | A triple purpose move. The knight on e5 gains some activity, the white queen now has freedom along the d1-h5 diagonal, and the less obvious gain is the opening of the 3rd rank for the c3 rook to enter the kingside. Let the attack begin. || 16. ... Nxe5 17. Rxe5 | Another rook lift for white. If instead, 17. dxe5 dxc4, and the only way white can avoid a queen trade is to lose a pawn on b3, not really advisable. After a queen trade further material will disappear up the d-file and possibly the c-file. The resulting ending offers little winning chances for white, so the rook captures on e5, which is now also ready to swing into the attack. || 17. ... Bf6 18. Rh5 | Instead, 18. Re1 dxc4, and black has pressure against the d4 pawn. White is being forced into a big kingside invasion. White also now has an immediate threat which needs to be discovered and blocked. || 18. ... g6 | Necessary. White was threatening, 19. Rxh7, winning a pawn. If black takes the bait with, 19. ... Kxh7 20. Qh5+ Kg8 21. Rh3, with twin threats of, Qh7+, and, Qh8+, both mate. Neither black, pawn g6, or, Re8, can prevent both mates. White now has the h5 rook attacked and it is very short of flight squares. Think carefully here. || 19. Rch3 | Leaving the h5 rook to it's fate. Now it is black who must think carefully. || 19. ... dxc4 | Played after an hour of hard analysis! Is the white h5 rook toxic? The black king must have a flight plan if you are thinking of snatching the rook. So, 19. ... gxh5 20. Qxh5 Re8, seems to do the trick. No, what about, 21. a4, intending, Ba3, removing the necessary f8 and e7 flight squares. Ah but, 21. ... Qd6, stops this plan. Oh really?, what if, 22. c5, producing more tricks. Black will have gone much further than this and concluded capturing the rook would probably not lose, but what if something was overlooked? Why take the risk, when a perfectly acceptable alternative offering black some play was also available? || 20. Rxh7 | The phrase, perfectly acceptable, is of course open to interpretation. Black needs to demonstrate why capturing on c4 is better than snatching that h5 rook. Get thinking hard without deflection from your task. || 20. ... c3 | An excellent response. This overloads the white h3 rook, it must protect the h7 rook but can not completely guard the c3 square. White must think carefully. || 21. Qc1 | If, 21. Rxc3, the h7 rook is left unprotected. If, 21. Bxc3 Rxc3, and the white h3 rook is overloaded. The black c3 pawn is safe from capture. Now the white queen is heading for the h6 square, how longer can this game last? Black must think hard again, the shivering king on g8 needs reinforcements, but how? || 21. ... Qxd4 | Stage 1 complete, the double defence of the h8 square is now in place. Once stage 2 is over, that is the f8 and e7 flight squares become accessible to the black king, white will have no sacrifices to force mate. Had black played the greedy, 21. ... cxb2 22. Qh6, with several mating threats to stop. If, 22. ... Qxd4 23. Rg7+ Bxg7 24. Qh7+ is mate. Instead, 22. ... Re8 23. Rh8+ Bxh8 24. Qxh8+ is mate. || 22. Qh6 Rfd8 | White has the equivalent of 19 pawns value in the heavy pieces on the h-file, but they count for nothing. The best speculative try for club players with white here might be, 23. Rxf7 Kxf7 24. Qh7+ Ke8 25. Qxg6+ Kd7 26. Rh7+ Kc6, and white has some pawns for the rook, but that is all. || 23. Bc1 Bg7 | Now comes the calm but forceful repulsion of the unwelcome white queen, after which the danger will be passed, and the action returns to the centre of the board. || 24. Qg5 Qf6 25. Qg4 c2 | Now the white back rank, devoid of rooks on their h-file holiday, becomes very weak. || 26. Be2 Rd4 27. f4 | Black to play and find a neat way to end the game in just 2 moves. || 27. ... Rd1+ 28. Bxd1 Qd4+ | To be followed with, 29. ... cxd1=Q+, leaving black with queen and bishop for a rook. || White resigns, 0-1 * * * ## Unannotated game. White: Keres. Black: Smyslov. Event: FIDE Candidates, Zurich 1953. Result: 0-1 in 28 moves. Opening: Queen's Indian Defence (by transposition), Spassky Variation, D14. 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. Nf3 c5 4. e3 Be7 5. b3 O-O 6. Bb2 b6 7. d4 cxd4 8. exd4 d5 9. Bd3 Nc6 10. O-O Bb7 11. Rc1 Rc8 12. Re1 Nb4 13. Bf1 Ne4 14. a3 Nxc3 15. Rxc3 Nc6 16. Ne5 Nxe5 17. Rxe5 Bf6 18. Rh5 g6 19. Rch3 dxc4 20. Rxh7 c3 21. Qc1 Qxd4 22. Qh6 Rfd8 23. Bc1 Bg7 24. Qg5 Qf6 25. Qg4 c2 26. Be2 Rd4 27. f4 Rd1+ 28. Bxd1 Qd4+ White resigns, 0-1 * * *