Skype coaching session, 05 July 2015. 

The following game was examined, the game 30 moves) is given with annotations and then again without annotations. 

Paul Benson. 

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Annotated game. 

White: A. Planinc, approx 2500. 
Black: M. Basman, approx 2400. 
Event: Hastings 1974-75. 
Result: 0-1 in 30 moves. 
Opening: Sicilian Defence, Nimzowitsch Closed Variation, B29. 

1. e4 c5 
2. Nf3 Nf6 
3. Nc3 

| The other main choices for white here are, 3. e5, or, 3. d3. || 

3. ... b6 

| Highly original. Much more usual here are, 3. ... d6, 3. ... Nc6, or, 3. ... e6. || 

4. e5 

| Black is permitting this advance with a specific idea in mind. || 

4. ... Ng8 

| Giving away 2 tempi. Risky bot not losing. Black is allowing white to gain a lead in development, but as the position is not easy to open up, immediate catastrophe is unlikely. White will surely feel that the 2 extra tempi must lead to a strong position rich in tactical opportunities. || 

5. Bc4 Bb7 
6. O-O Nc6 
7. Re1 

| White might be considering the possibility of sacrificing with, 8. Bxf7+ Kxf7 9. Ng5+, with an attack. There is an easy way to prevent this but it appears black has a certain style of play in mind today. || 

7. ... Qc8 

| All very mysterious, but This strange move does make sense. It is protecting the b7 bishop and offering the black king a potential flight route via the vacated d8 square. Of course simply, 7. ... e6, stops all sacrifices on f7, but where is the fun in that? || 

8. Ne4 

| Declining the tactics. If, 8. Bxf7+ Kxf7 9. Ng5+ Ke8 10. Qf3 Nxe5, and black places a double attack on the white queen, defends the f7 square from a queen invasion, and the point of black's, 7. ... Qc8, is revealed as she defends the b7 bishop. || 

8. ... e6 
9. b3 

| Interesting move for black to play here, get thinking. || 

9. ... f5 

| Putting the question to white, to capture en passant or leave the centre / kingside blocked while black catches up on development. || 

10. exf6 Nxf6 
11. Neg5 

| Now there are 3 pieces lined up on the black e6 pawn, not that that worries black. White correctly declined speculating with, 11. Nxf6+ gxf6 12. Ng5fxg5 13. Qh5+ Kd8, the black king has a flight route into the queenside if needed. || 

11. ... Be7 
12. Bb2 Qc7 

| Black avoids the blundering, 12. ... O-O 13. Nxe6, losing material. Clearly, 13. ... dxe6 14. Bxe6+, forking king and queen is unacceptable. Instead, 13. ... Re8 14. Nc7+, is also dismal. Now that the white knights are on the kingside the queen can sit safely on c7, but surely the black e6 pawn is looking like a disaster waiting to happen? White must start calculating here. || 

13. d4 

| This seems to lose the initiative, giving black the opportunity to push white back. Instead a sample line, 13. Bxe6 dxe6 14. Nxe6 Qd7 15. Nxg7+ Kf7 16. Ne6, creates considerable imbalance with both players being tested. || 

13. ... h6 

| Pushing the dangerous knight back to a passive location from which it never influences the game again. || 

14. Nh3 cxd4 
15. Nxd4 Nxd4 
16. Bxd4 O-O 

| The white central bishops might appear imposing, but the black position has no weaknesses to target. It is now black who has the better coordination and so the better position. There is about to begin a tactical escalation which will prove decisive, though imagination combined with accuracy is required to find the correct path. || 

17. Qd3 

| White has a plan to remove the potentially dangerous black b7 bishop. This however takes some time and offers black a chance to start forcing matters. || 

17. ... d5 

| The pawn structure resembles that typical to many French Defence positions, especially the Steinitz Variation which begins, 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Nf3, where the white central pawns are challenged by the black c-pawn and f-pawn and subsequent trades by white leave black with 3 pawn islands. In such positions it is important for the black central pawns exposed up the semi-open files to start advancing if they can. If they are restrained by white then white will have the better prospects. So, black begins the advances. || 

18. Ba6 

| If, 18. Bb5 a6, the white bishop is trapped so that, 19. Ba4 b5 20. Bxb5 axb5 21. Qxb5, white loses a piece for 2 pawns. || 

18. ... Bxa6 
19. Qxa6 

| The black central pawns wish to dominate the centre, but surely the e5 square is too well guarded by white for a, pawn e5, move? Yes, so start thinking of a means of assisting the advance. Take care, there might be more than 1 plan from which to select. || 

19. ... Ng4 

| Threatening a serious invasion with, 20. ... Qxh2+, and the knight also offers some protection to that desired, pawn e5, advance. || 

20. g3 

| Instead, 20. f4, allows a neat tactic with, 20. ... Rxf4 21. Nxf4 Qxf4, threatening both the black h2 pawn and to capture the d4 bishop with check. White can try, 22. Qd3, but after, 22. ... Qxh2+ 23. Kf1 Rf8+ 24. Ke2 Qxg2+ 25. Kd1 Nf2+ 26. Bxf2 Rxf2, black is in control and those passed black kingside pawns are going to be troublesome. After, 20. g3, black must find the next move or the attack will come to a halt. || 

20. ... e5 

| The central tension increases, and the white reply further complicates matters. || 

21. Qe2 

| Attacking the undefended black g4 knight and pinning the e5 pawn to the black b7 bishop. Black must play accurately here. || 

21. ... Qd7 

| Protecting the g4 knight and also setting up an x-ray attack against the undefended white h3 knight. Surely the black e5 pawn is now triply attacked and only once defended? || 

22. f3 

| Avoiding the trap of, 23. Bxe5 Nxe5 24. Qxe5 Bf6, skewering an exchange and black is winning. Now white is attacking the black g4 knight and should it move then the e5 pawn can be safely captured. So what has black planned for this problem? || 

22. ... Bb4 

| The black bishop escapes the pin up the e-file and attacks the white e1 rook, the endangered piece count is, white2, black 1. || 

23. c3 

| The endangered piece count rises, white 2, black 2. Perhaps white could have tried, 23. fxg4 Bxe1 24. Bxe5, though black should still win. Black now has an almost forcing sequence to achieve a decisive position, some careful analysis is needed here. || 

23. ... exd4 

| The e-file opens up, but does this have any relevance? || 

24. cxb4 

| Forced. Instead, 24. fxg4 Bxc3, wins an exchange. Now comes an important move for black, accuracy needed here. || 

24. ... Rae8 

| While this challenges the white control of the e-file, there is a deeper reason behind this move. || 

25. Qd2 

| The sequence of moves which black started when playing, 19. ... Ng4, is about to win material. White has 2 weaknesses in the kingside and both are to be exploited with just 1 move. || 

25. ... Ne5 

| Threatening a family fork with, Nxf3+, and revealing an attack from the black d7 queen against the unprotected white h3 knight. White has no choice but to give up material. || 

26. Rxe5 Rxe5 
27. Qxd4 

| So white has a pawn for the exchange, but the white forces are not active enough to slow down the black attack. || 

27. ... Re2 

| There is a saying, "A rook on the 7th rank is worth a pawn", and the activity gained from such a piece definitely restrains the opposition. However, in this case black should be thinking of much more than simple restraint. || 

28. Nf4 

| Very strange. Black successfully found a way through the tactics to win material, but now a simple knight fork by white is winning the black passed d5 pawn. Black must have taken this knight fork into account when placing the rook on e2. What is black to do here? || 

28. ... Rxf4 

| White has 2 possible recaptures and a queen retreat, all need to be answered precisely. || 

29. gxf4 

| The alternate capture, 29. Qxf4, keeps the kingside pawn structure intact but takes the pressure off the black d5 pawn and allows black a direct mating attack with, 29. ... Qh3, as white has no sensible move to prevent, 30. ... Qg2+ mate. If, 30. Qb8+ Kh7, and the white queen has no more safe checks. 
Instead, 29. Qd3, attacking the undefended black e2 rook and attempting to disrupt the black mating attack might have been worth a try. Black can change plans with, 29. ... Rb2 30. Qc3 d4 31. Qxb2 Rxf3 32. Rd1 d3, when the advanced black d-pawn is a problem for white. || 

29. ... Qf5 

| Keeping a guard on the d5 pawn, the white queen must not be allowed any checking sequence against the black king. The shattered white kingside pawns allow the black queen to defend and threaten to invade on the light squares next move. || 

30. Kh1 

| Instead, 30. Kf1 Rxh2, and the black queen is threatening to land on h3 with check to either force mate or win material. White has 2 tries to stop this. 
(A). 31. Kg1 Rc2 32. Rd1 Qg6+ 33. Kf1 Qg2+ 34. Ke1 Qe2+ mate. 
(B). 31. Ke1 Qc2, which lets the black d5 pawn go with check, but as the black queen guards the d3 and f5 squares the white queen can not save the game. If now, 32. Qxd5+ Kh7, and there is only, 33. Qe4+ Qxe4 35. fxe4 Rh1+, winning the white a1 rook. || 

30. ... Qh5 
White resigns, 0-1 

| Black has 2 mating threats. If, 31. Qg1, then the mate on h2 is stopped but allows, 31. ... Qxf3+ 32. Qg2 Qxg2+ mate. || 

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## Unannotated game. 

White: A. Planinc, approx 2500. 
Black: M. Basman, approx 2400. 
Event: Hastings 1974-75. 
Result: 0-1 in 30 moves. 
Opening: Sicilian Defence, Nimzowitsch Closed Variation, B29. 

1. e4 c5 
2. Nf3 Nf6 
3. Nc3 b6 
4. e5 Ng8 
5. Bc4 Bb7 
6. O-O Nc6 
7. Re1 Qc8 
8. Ne4 e6 
9. b3 f5 
10. exf6 Nxf6 
11. Neg5 Be7 
12. Bb2 Qc7 
13. d4 h6 
14. Nh3 cxd4 
15. Nxd4 Nxd4 
16. Bxd4 O-O 
17. Qd3 d5 
18. Ba6 Bxa6 
19. Qxa6 Ng4 
20. g3 e5 
21. Qe2 Qd7 
22. f3 Bb4 
23. c3 exd4 
24. cxb4 Rae8 
25. Qd2 Ne5 
26. Rxe5 Rxe5 
27. Qxd4 Re2 
28. Nf4 Rxf4 
29. gxf4 Qf5 
30. Kh1 Qh5 
White resigns, 0-1 

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