Skype coaching session, 05 April 2015. 
 
The following game was examined, the game 40 moves) is given with annotations and then again without annotations. 

Paul Benson. 

* * * 

Annotated game. 

White: J. M. Hodgson, approx 2520. 
Black: G. Flear, approx 2550. 
Event: British Championship 1988. 
Result: 1/2-1/2 in 40 moves. 
Opening: Veresov Opening (by transposition), D00. 

1. d4 d5 
2. Bg5 Nf6 

| Offering white the option to play, Bxf6, doubling pawns. White decides to avoid any preparation and transposes the game into the Veresov Opening. || 

3. Nc3 

| I have had to defend this position as black a few times over the decades, white has blocked the c-pawn from placing pressure on the centre, but in return can find some quick methods of playing for the central pawn break, e4. The Veresov is a good opening to have in the repertoire, to be slipped out once in a while. If you play it continually, opponents will prepare and any shock value will disappear. || 

3. ... Nbd7 

| A few other options for black here are: 
(A). 3. ... e6, leading to a French Defence if white continues, 4. e4. 
(B). 3. ... c6, leading to a Caro-Kann Defence if white continues, 4. e4. 
(C). 3. ... c5, leading to an open game in the centre if white continues, 4. e4. 
(D). 3. ... Nc6, immediately fighting in the centre, each player seeks a break on the e-file. 
(E). 3. ... Bf5, getting the bishop outside a pawn chain in anticipation of black playing, pawn e6. 
(F). 3. ... g6, preparing to fianchetto on g7, white usually captures, Bxf6, when black will later advance, pawn f5, and plan for the b8 knight is, Nd7 - Nf6 - Ne4. 
(G). 3. ... Bg4, a new idea to me and needs much further testing at the top level. 
(H). 3. ... Ne4, when white trades, Nxe4, and black must be very careful about the safety of the e4 pawn, it is easy to find it becoming surrounded and lost. 
(I). 3. ... h6, challenging and questioning the intention of white, wether to capture, Bxf6, or retreat. 
So, not much for black to consider on move 3 then? The game move, Nbd7, is the most solid choice for black, white will have to work hard to create some imbalance in the position and must be aware of the black queen heading queenside, either the b6 or a5 squares, once the c-pawn has advanced. || 

4. f3 

| Very optimistic. White plans to force, pawn e4. Black scores quite well against this aggressive plan. Calmer plans for white are: 
(A). 4. Nf3, intending, pawn e3, Bd3, O-O, Re1, and the central break of, pawn e4, is now ready. 
(B). 4. Qd3, aiming for quick castling queenside and a subsequent pawn break, e4. 
(C). 4. Qd2, perhaps not the best square for the queen, a later advance of black, Ne4, can sometimes cause annoyance. 
(D). 4. e3, when white might plan, Bd3, Qd2, O-O-O, and Nge2. 
These 4 options come with their plusses and minuses, find a variation which suits your style rather than following which lines seem popular. || 

4. ... c6 

| Friendly warning. Beware of black queen activity when you develop the c1 bishop early into the kingside. Swings and roundabouts, the bishop on g5 creates interesting options, the b2 pawn is sometimes a target. Now the game becomes surprisingly tactical and who is better is not immediately obvious. || 

5. e4 dxe4 
6. fxe4 e5 

| A good central challenge, taking advantage of a potential weakness along the a5-h5 rank, the white g5 bishop is unprotected. || 

7. dxe5 

| Strangely, 7. Nf3, scores badly. After, 7. ... dxe4 8. Qxd4, each player will achieve good piece activity, black just seems to find better ideas. || 

7. ... Qa5 

| There's the pin. It is not necessarily a position where material is going to be won or lost, providing each player avoids stepping on any of the hidden mines, it is the resultant activity combined with pawn weaknesses which determines who will come out of this better. White must now prevent the threatened, Nxe4, taking advantage of another pin introduced by the black queen on a5. || 


8. Qd2 

| The simplest way to handle the position, protecting the g5 bishop and breaking the pin on the c3 knight. || 

8. ... Nxe5 
9. O-O-O Bb4 

| The tension is beginning to increase. Black is about to start making serious threats over on the white queenside, while white has no obvious threats against the black king. || 

10. Nf3 Be6 

| Black had to avoid the traps of either: 
(A). 10. ... Bxc3 11. bxc3 Qxa2, a bad mistake leaving the d8 square unguarded, 12. Qd8+ mate, or, 
(B). 10. ... Bxc3 11. bxc3 Nxe4, again the d8 square is still a weakness, 12. Qd8+ Qxd8 13. Rxd8+ mate. With the black bishop on e6 the unmoved black a8 rook offers protection to the d8 square. 
Furthermore, the e6 bishop is creating some tactical threats to the white a2 pawn, for several moves white must allow for, Bxa2 either with or without captures of the c3knight with, Bxc3. || 

11. Nxe5 

| Attempting to reduce the threats in the position by trading pieces. Black has a little surprise in mind for white, get thinking about what black can do now! || 

11. ... Nxe4 

| Ouch. This is the knight that white could have exchanged off on move 3. Now white must think really hard, the position is about to fall apart if inspiration is not forthcoming. || 

12. Nxe4 

| Seems forced. If white instead tries any of, 12. Qd3, Qd4, Qe1, Qe2, Qe3, Qf4, black replies with, 12. ... Bxc3. White must be accurate here: 
(A). 13. Qxe4 Bxe5, and just being a pawn down and having a bad position is the best hope. Instead, 
(B). 13. bxc3, leads to disaster after, 13. ... Qa3+ 14. Kb1 Qxa2+ 15. Kc1 Qa1+ mate, the black e4 knight prevents the white king from running to the kingside. || 

12. ... Bxd2+ 
13. Rxd2 Qxe5 

| For a queen and a pawn white has 2 black pieces, that is all. So we should expect this game to be over quite soon, right? || 

14. Nd6+ Kf8 

| Oh well, at least black is not permitted the luxury of, O-O, when the material advantage would start pushing white back. Now black has to find time to develop both rooks, giving white time to get the pieces and rooks working on the black kingside. || 

15. Bh4 g5 

| Allowing the king access to the g7 square, after which the h8 rook can develop. However, this pawn advance gives white some opportunity for the much-needed kingside action, you can't have everything. || 

16. Bg3 Qa5 
17. a3 Kg7 
18. h4 h6 
19. Bd3 gxh4 

| White is not going to comply with black's wishes and open the h-file. which would give the black rooks, or remaining rook, some play. However, it seems keeping the kingside closed with, 19. ... g4, would avoid the upcoming white assault. || 

20. Rxh4 Qg5 

| This seems active but is repulsed with a neat retreat, after which white is beginning to get rolling. || 

21. Ne4 Qd5 

| Black threatens an invasion, Qa2, which must not be permitted, the white king is restricted by the d2 rook, effectively putting the king into danger of a back rank mate, albeit a rather distant threat. || 

22. c4 Qa5 

| Now white takes the least efficient piece and turns it into a monster with a clever re-routing. Take some time to work out which piece is going where and why, it is important. || 

23. Bd6 f6 

| Forced. The long dark square diagonal is vulnerable and black has no means of challenging the white dark square bishop, so blocking it out is the best on offer. The black material advantage has yet to impose itself on the position, white is still effectively 5 pawns down on pawn-count, but it is white with all the threats. Black has both rooks still cornered, contributing little, the white activity is about to turn into coordination, and once this happens black is going to need accurate play. || 

24. Bb4 Qc7 
25. Bc3 Rhf8 
26. Rf2 


| The tremendously weak black f6 pawn is doomed, and when it goes, the white pieces will have even more power. || 

26. ... Rf7 

| Instead, 26. ... Qe7, offers white the opportunity liquidate with, 27. Bxf6+ Rxf6 28. Rxf6 Qxf6 29. Nxf6 Kxf6 30. Rxh6+, when black is a pawn down and must fight hard. Keeping as much material on the board is black's only chance to have any chance of winning. || 

27. Nxf6 

| Ruinous discovered checks are threatened, the black king must move. || 

27. ... Kf8 
28. Rxh6 

| Now the black back rank is weak, the a8 rook is endangered. When white lost the queen for 2 pieces, black had a 3 against 2 kingside pawn majority. Now white has a kingside passed pawn which is going to be very difficult to control. || 

28. ... Ke7 

| Black is still not completely developed. Surely white must close in for the kill now? || 

29. Kc2 

| No. White Removes the white king from the c1-h6 diagonal, to avoid an awkward check from a black queen on the f4 square. Ah, but surely white has f4 covered by the f2 rook? Yes, but white wishes the f2 rook to be elsewhere, so the rook move is prepared first by the king finding safety, and at the same time giving protection to the d3 bishop. When an attack is in progress the possibility of the opponent finding a counter-attack must always be considered. || 

29. ... Rd8 

| Completing development, but is it in time to save the day for black? || 

30. Re2 

| Now the black e6 bishop is pinned, simply, Bf5, wins at least a bishop and probably more to follow. Black needs some inspiration here, any ideas how to stay in the game? || 

30. ... Rxd3 

| The only move. If, 30. ... Rd6 31. c5, pushes the black rook away and the black e6 bishop falls. Now white simplifies the position, perhaps a decision influenced by clock-times. || 

31. Rxe6+ 

| There is nothing tactically wrong with, 31. Kxd3, white has been material down since move 12, and perhaps has found a safe means of avoiding defeat at last. Without the black queen, attacking prospects for black are severely reduced. || 

31. ... Kxe6 
32. Nd5+ 

| The point of, 31. Rxe6+, is revealed, the black queen is lost. There is still a tactic to be considered, but white will be fine. || 

32. ... Kd7 

| To catch the trapped white knight which will give the d3 rook a chance to escape. || 

33. Nxc7 

| Black must play accurately here. || 

33. ... Re3 

| The white knight on c7 can only run away safely, if that is not a contradiction in terms, to the a8 square, so black can save the d3 rook and remain an exchange up. If white does try, 34. Na8 Re8, and the knight falls. White could attempt to weaken the black queenside pawns with, 34. Na6 bxa6, but as it happens the passed g-pawn is sufficiently strong to hold the game for white. There is also, 34. Nd5 cxd5 35. cxd5, and white gets a pawn for the knight, but then, 35. ... Rf2+, and the strong passed g-pawn falls, not advisable for white. || 

34. g4 Kxc7 
35. g5 Rf2+ 
36. Kb3 Rg2 

| Black puts the rook in the most favourable location, that is being behind the advancing white pawn, but the pawn can quickly reach g7 where it will be safe. || 

37. g6 Reg3 

| Taking control of the promotion square by a doubling on the file. The pawn can go no further. Doubling on the 7th rank with, 37. ... Ree2, gets nowhere, the white c3 bishop is working for both the attack and defence. || 

38. g7 Kb6 
39. Rh8 

| If the white king can advance to f7 then white can promote the pawn to cost black a rook. Black is in no mood for such ideas and finds a means to bring the game to an end. || 

39. ... Rxc3+ 

| Removing the defender of the g-pawn is simple and correct. || 

40. Kxc3 Rxg7 
Draw, 1/2-1/2 

* * * 

## Unannotated game. 

White: J. M. Hodgson, approx 2520. 
Black: G. Flear, approx 2550. 
Event: British Championship 1988. 
Result: 1/2-1/2 in 40 moves. 
Opening: Veresov Opening (by transposition), D00. 

1. d4 d5 
2. Bg5 Nf6 
3. Nc3 Nbd7 
4. f3 c6 
5. e4 dxe4 
6. fxe4 e5 
7. dxe5 Qa5 
8. Qd2 Nxe5 
9. O-O-O Bb4 
10. Nf3 Be6 
11. Nxe5 Nxe4 
12. Nxe4 Bxd2+ 
13. Rxd2 Qxe5 
14. Nd6+ Kf8 
15. Bh4 g5 
16. Bg3 Qa5 
17. a3 Kg7 
18. h4 h6 
19. Bd3 gxh4 
20. Rxh4 Qg5 
21. Ne4 Qd5 
22. c4 Qa5 
23. Bd6 f6 
24. Bb4 Qc7 
25. Bc3 Rhf8 
26. Rf2 Rf7 
27. Nxf6 Kf8 
28. Rxh6 Ke7 
29. Kc2 Rd8 
30. Re2 Rxd3 
31. Rxe6+ Kxe6 
32. Nd5+ Kd7 
33. Nxc7 Re3 
34. g4 Kxc7 
35. g5 Rf2+ 
36. Kb3 Rg2 
37. g6 Reg3 
38. g7 Kb6 
39. Rh8 Rxc3+ 
40. Kxc3 Rxg7 
Draw, 1/2-1/2 

* * * 

__