Skype coaching session, 17 May 2015. 

The following game was examined, the game 37 moves) is given with annotations and then again without annotations. 

Paul Benson. 

*  *  * 

## Annotated game. 

White: Sagalchik, 2491. 
Black: Nakamura, 2568. 
Event: Torneo Continental Americano, 2003. 
Result: 0-1 in 37 moves. 
Opening: French Defence, McCutcheon Variation, C12, by transposition from Veresov Opening. 

1. d4 Nf6 
2. Nc3 d5 
3. Bg5 e6 

| Black steers the attempted Veresov Opening into a French Defence. A survey of the black choices on move 3 appears in the text for the session of 05 April 2015. || 

4. e4 Bb4 

| The McCutcheon Variation. The third popular black choice here but perfectly playable and offers both players a chance to fight for the full point. Instead black can choose from: 
(A) 4. ... dxe4. The Rubenstein Variation. 
(B) 4. ... Be7. The Classical Variation. 
In both of these white usually gets the slightly more active early middlegame, but as the middlegame proceeds black has chances for counterplay. 
(C) 4. ... h6. This is known and probably playable, but not the general choice of Grand Masters, you decide. || 

5. Nge2 

| The Wolf Gambit, named after the game, H. Wolf - W. John, Duesseldorf 1908, which continued: 5. Nge2 h6 6. Bxf6 Qxf6 7. a3 Bxc3+ 8. Nxc3 c6 9. Qd2 Qg6 10. Bd3 f5 11. exf5 exf5 12. O-O-O O-O 13. g4 Qf6 14. Bxf5 Bxf5 15. gxf5 Qxf5 16. Rhg1 Kh8 17. Rde1 Nd7 18. Re7 Rf7 19. Qe3 Raf8 20. Rxf7 Rxf7, 0-1 in 63 moves. Improvements have since been found for white. || 

5. ... dxe4 

| Black should make no attempt to keep this pawn. || 

6. a3 Be7 

| Some French Defence systems have black trading this bishop for the c3 knight, but in this precise position it is strongly advisable for black to retreat to the e7 square. || 

7. Bxf6 gxf6 

| Intending to take some light square control with pawns. Instead, 7. ... Bxf6 8. Nxe4, and black must move the bishop again as keeping the dark square bishop is advisable. || 

8. Nxe4 f5 

| The beginning of a black plan to restrain the centre. Instead, 8. ... b6, to take the long diagonal leaves white with many choices in reply, such as, N2c3, Nf4, Qd2, Qd3, c4, and g3. That might win a little time on the clock. || 

9. N4c3 

| The early central battle might appear over, it is not. Black has doubled f-pawns which are intended to remain static while the pieces play around them. White must not be allowed a common attacking theme in this type of position. Take some time to consider the correct plan for black here to restrict some potential white activity. || 

9. ... c6 

| It is the d5 square which is the focus of attention. If white can satisfactorily play, pawn d5, even if it is a pawn sacrifice, white will have the better prospects. With a pawn on c6, black can now capture with, cxd5, should white push on, and black will be fine. Instead, Kramnik - Mayorov, Gelendzhik 1987, witnessed: 9. ... b6 10. g3 Bb7 11. d5 exd5 12. Bg2 c6 13. Qd3 Bc8 14. O-O-O Qd6 15. Nd4 f4 16. Rhe1 Be6 17. Nf5 Bxf5 18. Qxf5 O-O 19. Bxd5 Qf6 20. Be4 Qxf5 21. Bxf5 Bg5 22. h4 Bh6 23. g4 f6 24. Ne4 Bg7 25. Rd6 a5 26. Red1 a4 27. f3 h6 28. R1d4 Kf7 29. Rd8 Ra7 30. Nd6+ Kg8 31. Be6+ Kh7 32. Nf5 Na6 33. R4d7 Rxd8 34. Rxa7, 1-0. Quite a smooth performance for a 12 year old, white should go far. || 

10. g3 b6 

| Black can safely fianchetto now that there is a firm grip on the d5 square. In time the black bishop on b7 will have an opportunity for activity, it is more important in the short term to keep the centre under control while development is completed. || 

11. Bg2 Bb7 
12. Qd3 Nd7 

| Now white reveals why black chose, 8. ... f5, to kick the white knight back. Take some time to find a plan for white. || 

13. Nd1 

| When the white knight was immediately forced back and retreated to c3 it blocked the advance of the c-pawn. Now white takes time to try and organise the thematic, pawn d5, break. || 

13. ... Qc7 
14. c4 O-O-O 

| Black has been catching up on development after the centre, in particular the d5 square, is under control. Now comes an instructive move for white. || 

15. Ne3 

| To assist an eventual, pawn d5, and also mount an attack on the black f5 pawn, in essence preventing black from playing, exd5, in any of the possible future tactics. || 

15. ... Kb8 
16. Qc2 

| The battle to play, pawn d5, increases. The white queen must not get caught in a pin up the d-file when the break is to be played. || 
16. ... Bd6 
17. f4 

| White occupies the f4 square in order to prevent black creating activity with a potential, pawn f4, break when appropriate. This does however give black a different plan. Take some time here to discover where black is planning activity. || 

17. ... h5 
18. h4 Nf6 
19. O-O-O c5 

| Putting some tension into the centre. The advance of the white kingside pawns has offered a target which means when white does push, pawn d5, there will be play across most of the board, which will offer opportunities to misjudge the position or fall into tactical subtleties. || 

20. d5 Rhe8 

| Maybe seeking some tactics against the white e3 knight, or possibly something else. With hindsight this might appear to be a waste of a tempo. It could also be a demonstration of how to hold a position while waiting for the opponent to make some commitment which is not as useful as it might appear. Black does plan a counter-attack, but only when certain white pieces have been allowed to take up new posts. || 

21. Nc3 a6 

| Clearly black must not allow, Nb5, which would eliminate the dark square bishop, which has an important role to play soon. || 

22. Rhe1 

| White has committed a knight to the c3 square and now centralised the h1 rook. These must be developmental gains, right? Well, yes, but are these moves strengthening the white position or have they possibly strayed? Time to consider what black has set up over the last few moves. || 

22. ... Rg8 

| Ah, so it is the white g3 pawn is a target. The black rook seems to have lured a white rook onto the e-file, and having achieved this, can be given a job elsewhere. || 

23. Nf1 

| So, whatever black planned on the g-file has been somewhat easily neutralised with this knight retreat. There is the added advantage for white that the white h1 rook has centralised before this knight retires to the back rank to protect the g3 pawn for as long as necessary. Black needs to think again, so get thinking. || 

23. ... Rxg3 

| When white gave up the dark square bishop on move 7, it left the black bishop as a potential ruler of the dark squares, albeit in the distant future. Sometimes the distant future is not as distant as expected. || 

24. Nxg3 Bxf4+ 

| Black has introduced a material imbalance, an exchange for a knight and 2 pawns. There is also now a black passed pawn on the f-file. It might not be an immediate threat, but as further exchanges occur it should increase in strength. || 

25. Kb1 Bxg3 
26. Re2 

| Black must hold the centre here, take some time to consider the next black move. || 

26. ... Bc8 

| Supporting the centraal light square pawns. Perhaps white should have traded bishops on b7 when it was available a few moves earlier. || 

27. Rd3 

| With the kingside shattered, white must focus on the queenside. This rook lift gains a useful tempo. Take some time here considering the next black move, an important idea is about to be revealed. || 

27. ... Be5 

| Why not capture with, 27. ... Bxh4, and win another pawn? White will reply, 28. Rh3, winning the black h5 pawn when the black h5 bishop moves. This would give white some kingside activity which would restrain black. Instead, the bishop now takes an active role by pointing into the white queenside. If my memory is working correctly, Botvinnik gave the view: If there is a chance to win a pawn or keep playing with activity, I choose the activity. This is what black is doing here, and it makes good sense. Now white starts some queenside activity, black must take care. || 

28. Na4 Ka7 
29. Rb3 Nd7 
30. Bf3 

| Now white plans just what black rejected a few moves earlier, going pawn-snatching instead of looking for activity. This is a very difficult process for the student chess player to appreciate and even more difficult to learn. Botvinnik was 3-times World Champion and so knew a little about chess. Now comes another important move for black, get thinking. || 

30. ... Rg8 

| If there is nothing on the g-file to attack, there must be another reason for wanting the rook here. Black is digging a very deep pit for white to stumble into, and this rook is a key player in the plan. || 

31. Bxh5 

| Black now starts a forcing sequence to win material. || 

31. ... exd5 
32. cxd5 

| Is this strategic madness by black? These pawn captures have given white a passed d5 pawn, opened up the e-file for the white e2 rook, and made the doubled f-pawns isolated. What has black gained? Ah, a queenside pawn majority. So, with white having a queen, rook and knight over there, black is going to start a queenside pawn assault, right? || 

32. ... b5 

| Apparently so. Hope the black king does not feel uncomfortable about this. || 

33. Nc3 c4 

| Ah, it was all to snare the white b3 rook. What is white going to do about this? || 

34. Rxb5 

| A counter-tactic. This position is now very tricky, and it is possible that either one or both players could be running short of time. Instead, 34. Rb4, might have been advisable. Black must play accurately here. || 

34. ... Bxc3 

| Hopefully no one chose, 34. ... axb5 35. Nxb5+, winning the black queen and 2 pawns for a rook and knight, which is a big gain for white. So, now that black has removed the white c3 knight, what is white going to do about the undermined and attacked b5 rook? Inspiration is needed from white here, get thinking. || 

35. d6 

| Giving a pawn back to offer the undermined b5 rook a means to escape over to the kingside and create some threats. Tricky things, combinations. || 

35. ... Qxd6 
36. Rxf5 

| It appears black might be emerging from all this with an extra piece, but in the process several pawns have been lost. So, a very interesting material imbalance has arisen with white achieving considerable activity from how it was about 10 moves ago. A fascinating endgame battle is on the horizon, or is it? Get thinking very hard now. It would be a pity to miss the next phase of the game. || 

36. ... Rg1+ 

| O.K., this forces the white king to the a2 square, but what is the point? Surely saving the c3 bishop with a retreat would have been better here? Now think really hard, miss this opportunity and you might sulk for a week. || 

37. Ka2 

| Last chance to work it out. || 

37. ... Qxa3+ 
White resigns, 0-1 

| If, 38. bxa3 Ra1+ mate, is a variation on the theme of the standard long diagonal corner mate, though the supporting bishop is much closer to the action than normally expected. Instead, 38. Kxa3 Ra1+, is a back-rank mate transposed onto a file. In each case the black c4 pawn has the important task of controlling the potential b3 flight square. Hope you found the queen sacrifice leading to either of the mates. || 

*  *  * 

## Unannotated game. 

White: Sagalchik, 2491. 
Black: Nakamura, 2568. 
Event: Torneo Continental Americano, 2003. 
Result: 0-1 in 37 moves. 
Opening: French Defence, McCutcheon Variation, C12, by transposition from Veresov Opening. 

1. d4 Nf6 
2. Nc3 d5 
3. Bg5 e6 
4. e4 Bb4 
5. Nge2 dxe4 
6. a3 Be7 
7. Bxf6 gxf6 
8. Nxe4 f5 
9. N4c3 c6 
10. g3 b6 
11. Bg2 Bb7 
12. Qd3 Nd7 
13. Nd1 Qc7 
14. c4 O-O-O 
15. Ne3 Kb8 
16. Qc2 Bd6 
17. f4 h5 
18. h4 Nf6 
19. O-O-O c5 
20. d5 Rhe8 
21. Nc3 a6 
22. Rhe1 Rg8 
23. Nf1 Rxg3 
24. Nxg3 Bxf4+ 
25. Kb1 Bxg3 
26. Re2 Bc8 
27. Rd3 Be5 
28. Na4 Ka7 
29. Rb3 Nd7 
30. Bf3 Rg8 
31. Bxh5 exd5 
32. cxd5 b5 
33. Nc3 c4 
34. Rxb5 Bxc3 
35. d6 Qxd6 
36. Rxf5 Rg1+ 
37. Ka2 Qxa3+ 
White resigns, 0-1 

*  *  *