Skype coaching session, 21 June 2015. 

Annotated game. 

White: Zhu Chen, 2495. 
Black: M. Sebag, 2489. 
Event: 6th FIDE Womens Grand Prix, Doha QAT 2011. 
Result: 0-1 in 46 moves. 
Opening: Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, Exchange Variation, D10. 

1. d4 d5 
2. c4 c6 
3. Nc3 Nf6 
4. cxd5 

| The Exchange Slav. This prevents black from playing, dxc4, with could have led to a queenside pawn expansion with dynamic play and a complicated middlegame for both players. The tension has been removed from the centre and so creating pawn structure imbalances is difficult. White is going to take kingside space intending to open the kingside without black having serious counterplay. || 

4. ... cxd5 
5. Bf4 Nc6 
6. e3 a6 

| Preventing an awkward knight invasion on the b5 square. || 

7. Rc1 Bg4 

| Fighting chess. This is designed to invite white into a kingside expansion. || 

8. f3 

| Instead, 8. Qb3 Na5 9. Qa4+ Nc6, gains white nothing. || 

8. ... Bd7 

| Instead, 8. ... Bh5 9. g4, has black with the light square bishop outside an eventual pawn chain after, pawn e6, but vulnerable to assault on g6. || 

9. g4 e6 
10. h4 Be7 

| The text books tell us that a wing attack should be countered with play in the centre. O.K., but just how can black do this after white fixed the centre on move 4? Black will find no joy in queenside expansion either, so it becomes a case of preparing for when the kingside is to be opened up. || 

11. h5 O-O 

| Is this known as castling into it? Not really. White has insufficient development and the position is a long way from opening up. Black must however make good use of the time before the kingside break-upp arrives, shuffle in positions like this and prepare to shuffle off the mortal coil. || 

12. Bd3 Ne8 

| A double purpose move. The white f4 bishop is about to be challenged and eliminated, and now the black f-pawn can advance to provide defence from threats up the b1-h7 diagonal. || 

13. Bb1 Bd6 
14. Nge2 Bxf4 
15. Nxf4 

| A potential dangerous white attacker is replaced with another as some congestion in the black position is relieved. Black must now find a plan to distract white, take some time here on the next black move. || 

15. ... Nd6 

| This piece will have no joy on the kingside, so just where is it going? || 

16. Rg1 Nc4 

| Threatening both, Nxe3, and, Nxb2, or perhaps not. Check the tactics or suffer. || 

17. Ke2 

| Bothe the e3 and b2 pawns are poisoned. If, Nxb2, simply, Qc2, threatens a mate on h7, and to capture the errant knight. The same idea would snare the knight should black have been allowed, Nxe3, as, Qd3, hits the knight and h7. Take some time on the next black move, it is far from obvious and might even appear risky. || 

17. ... Qg5 

| White is prevented from advancing, 18. g5, but surely the queen will simply be pushed back and the white pawn advance will happen anyway? Not so easy. The white f4 knight is pinned to the e3 pawn, the black c4 knight and queen combine well. Now white must take time to disrupt this black set-up. || 

18. Ng2 

| Protects the e3 pawn but blocks the action of the g1 rook. || 

18. ... b5 

| The black light square bishop has little play behind the pawns. It is possible to have 1 poorly placed piece in a position providing the remainder of the forces are causing problems for the opponent. As exchanges occur during a game, such a piece of poor prospects will become a greater problem. There is a distant possibility of a white knight against the black bishop ending where the sad bishop has no activity. Black must surely avoid this at all costs, right? || 

19. b3 Na3 

| Now the valuable white b1 bishop is about to be traded off, a significant gain for black as this skulking piece is important for the kingside attack. || 
20. Bd3 Nb4 
21. Kf2 Nxd3+ 
22. Qxd3 
| Black has an important move here, take time to find it. || 

22. ... f5 

| Black plays on both sides of the board. This pawn advance is necessary to slow down the white attack and will soon lead to heavy piece exchanges. But surely this means an ending with a poor bishop is on the horizon for black. Yes, but only if the bishop stays inside the prison of pawns. Start thinking of a potential escape route now, even if it will not be available for 15 or more moves. || 

23. Ne2 

| Transferring to the kingside for both defence and attack. But surely this misses a tactical point of black playing, pawn f5. || 

23. ... fxg4 

| There it goes. The unfortunate white king location offers the black f8 rook activity. White must have a plan here or black will invade with heavy pieces beginning with, 24. ... Rxf3+. || 

24. f4 

| White attempts to temporarily close the kingside in the hope of capturing the black g4 pawn, after which activity can continue up the semi-open g-file. This is very optimistic, black will not sit there and permit this to happen. Incidentally, that potential bad black bishop against knight ending is still a problem awaiting a solution. Very useful move for black here now, get thinking. || 

24. ... Qf5 

| A good challenge. If white trades queens then black can recapture with the pawn and remain a secure pawn ahead. If you are going to have a problem bishop, then having a protected passed pawn will do no harm. || 

25. Qd2 

| So white backs off, but this only allows black to simplify the position. Yes, the black g4 pawn will never be safe, but the time and effort taken to capture it will allow black time to solve the sad bishop problem. || 

25. ... Rac8 
26. Ng3 

| This next move for black is important, take time to work out a neat tactic which leaves black much better. || 

26. ... Rc2 

| Taking advantage of the unprotected condition of the white queen. || 

27. Rxc2 

| If, 27. Nxf5 Rxd2+ 28. Ke1 Rxa2 29. Nd6 Rc2, the mobile black queenside pawns are about to cause problems. || 

27. ... Qxc2 
28. Qxc2 Nxc2 
29. Rc1 Rc8 

| The black c2 knight is about to start hopping around the white queenside pawns, they will not survive if this is not countered correctly. || 

30. Ne1 

| The black knight will need access to some light squares such as, c2, and, d3, in order to round up the white queenside. From e1 this white knight ruins this plan. Black must now decide if the forewarned white knight against black bishop ending is acceptable. Serious decision here, does black trade knights or retreat? || 

30. ... Nxe1 

| Welcome to that knight against bishop ending. Black will have been anticipating such a possibility as the tactic involving removal of heavy pieces took place. The bishop must get some activity, but how? || 

31. Rxc8+ Bxc8 
32. Kxe1 

| Last chance, find this move or suffer in a bad bishop ending. || 

32. ... b4 

| A double purpose move. A light square escape route for the bishop is established, and if it can do so, the bishop will travel from the d3 square to the b1 square to win the fixed white a2 pawn. A different means of planning this is to imagine the best location for the black c8 bishop. Perhaps the b1 square to attack the white a2 pawn? Ah, but the pawn can move and escape capture. What if the white a3 pawn is fixed, such that when the planned, Bb1, arrives it can not move? It is vital for black to play, pawn b4, to fix the queenside. Incidentally, had white been able to play, pawn b4, before black, then the bishop would never escape. Now the black plan is shown it is for white to stop it. || 

33. Kf2 Kf7 

| How is white to handle this? Either the knight or king must move to the centre / queenside to save the fixed pawns, but which? This will leave the other to remain and hold / win the black g4 pawn. Clearly a knight can not win the g4 pawn by itself, and there is also the advancing black king to take into account. This tells us the white king must remain on the kingside and the knight must control the centre / queenside entry squares of the black bishop. || 

34. Nh1 a5 
35. Kg3 Ba6 
36. Nf2 Be2 

| That black g4 pawn is not going to be conceded so easily. Having been warned of a forthcoming knight against bishop ending, it is now time to calculate the result of entering a king and pawn ending. || 

37. Kh4 

| White deliberately wastes a move, but it is only a trick attempting to confuse matters. || 

37. ... Kf6 
38. Nxg4+ 

| Attempting to shuffle with, 38. Kg3 Kf5 39. Kh4 Bf3 40. Kg3 Be4, allows the black bishop access to the b1 square, winning both white queenside pawns. Should white try, 41. Nxe4 Kxe4 42. Kf2 Kd3, white loses the e3 pawn and more will soon follow. || 

38. ... Bxg4 
39. Kxg4 

| Black to play and win. || 

39. ... h6 

| The important feature is the black kingside pawn majority. Black is creating by force an outside passed pawn on the h-file. This will deflect the white king to capture it, and allows the black king to enter the centre and win the white central pawns. || 

40. Kg3 g6 
41. Kg4 

| Instead, 41. hxg6 Kxg6 42. Kg4 h5+ 43. Kh4 Kf5 44. Kxh5 Ke4, wins in similar manner as the game. || 

41. ... gxh5+ 
42. Kxh5 Kf5 
43. Kxh6 Ke4 
44. Kg6 Kxe3 
45. Kg5 

| One last trick offering black a chance to throw it all away. || 

45. ... Ke4 

| The quickest way to win. Instead, 45. ... Kxd4 46. Kf6 Ke4 47. Kxe6 d4, leads to each player promoting the passed pawns to a queen which black can then win with, 48. f5 d3 49. f6 d2 50. f7 d1=Q 51. f8=Q Qd5+ 52. Ke7 Qc5+ 53. Kf7 Qxf8+ 54. Kxf8 Kd4 55. Ke7 Kc3 56. Kd6 Kb2 57. Kc5 Kxa2 58. Kc4 Kb2, and now the white king must move which loses the b3 pawn. 
Black must avoid the horrendous blundering variation of, 45. ... Kxd4 46. Kf6 Ke4 47. Kxe6 Kxf4 48. Kxd5, when white wins. The conclusion could be, 48. ... Kf5 49. Kc5 Ke5 50. Kb5 Kd5 51. Kxa5 Kc5 52. Ka4, winning the b4 pawn next move. Black must organise capturing the white pawns in the order of f-pawn and then the d-pawn. Capturing with the wrong order allows the white king to invade the queenside to win as the black king would be 2 tempi down because of the incorrect capture sequence. || 

46. Kf6 Kxf4 
White resigns, 0-1 

| If, 47. Kxe6 Ke5, the black d-pawn is safe while the white d4 pawn is lost. || 

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## Unannotated game. 

White: Zhu Chen, 2495. 
Black: M. Sebag, 2489. 
Event: 6th FIDE Womens Grand Prix, Doha QAT 2011. 
Result: 0-1 in 46 moves. 
Opening: Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, Exchange Variation, D10. 

1. d4 d5 
2. c4 c6 
3. Nc3 Nf6 
4. cxd5 cxd5 
5. Bf4 Nc6 
6. e3 a6 
7. Rc1 Bg4 
8. f3 Bd7 
9. g4 e6 
10. h4 Be7 
11. h5 O-O 
12. Bd3 Ne8 
13. Bb1 Bd6 
14. Nge2 Bxf4 
15. Nxf4 Nd6 
16. Rg1 Nc4 
17. Ke2 Qg5 
18. Ng2 b5 
19. b3 Na3 
20. Bd3 Nb4 
21. Kf2 Nxd3+ 
22. Qxd3 f5 
23. Ne2 fxg4 
24. f4 Qf5 
25. Qd2 Rac8 
26. Ng3 Rc2 
27. Rxc2 Qxc2 
28. Qxc2 Nxc2 
29. Rc1 Rc8 
30. Ne1 Nxe1 
31. Rxc8+ Bxc8 
32. Kxe1 b4 
33. Kf2 Kf7 
34. Nh1 a5 
35. Kg3 Ba6 
36. Nf2 Be2 
37. Kh4 Kf6 
38. Nxg4+ Bxg4 
39. Kxg4 h6 
40. Kg3 g6 
41. Kg4 gxh5+ 
42. Kxh5 Kf5 
43. Kxh6 Ke4 
44. Kg6 Kxe3 
45. Kg5 Ke4 
46. Kf6 Kxf4 
White resigns, 0-1 

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