Skype coaching session, 20 September 2015. The following game was examined, the game 27 moves) is given with annotations and then again without annotations. Paul Benson. * * * Annotated game. White: W. Pietzsch. Black: V. Smyslov. Event: Polanica Zdroj 1968. Result: 1-0 in 27 moves. Opening: Torre Attack, Fianchetto Defence, A48. 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bg5 Bg7 | A solid and flexible method of meeting the Torre Attack. || 4. Nbd2 h6 | Black is at a crossroads. White has prepared the advance, pawn e4. Black must decide whether to make this difficult with, pawn d5, or choose a move which permits white the advance and handle the position as if it were a Pirc Defence. Both choices are fine, it is a question of which method suits black. || 5. Bh4 | Black to play, think carefully while reflecting on a maxim of Bobby Fischer: "Obvious, therefore dubious." || 5. ... c5 | A move very common in systems where black develops a bishop on the g7 square. The principle of opening up the h8 - a1 long diagonal is good strategy. The question is whether the timing is correct. White to play and find a very neat trick. || 6. Bxf6 | If this voluntary concession of the bishop pair did not occur to you, then perhaps take some time to work out just what the next few moves involve. || 6. ... Bxf6 7. Ne4 | The point. A fork of the black f6 bishop and the c5 pawn. If the bishop retreats, in order to maintain pressure on the long diagonal, white has, Nxc5, a safe win of a pawn. Black appears to have little choice other to accept simplifications which favour white. || 7. ... Bxd4 8. Nxd4 cxd4 9. Qxd4 O-O | Brave souls might try to tough it out with, 9. ... f6. White to play with a strong idea to be found, take some time here. || 10. Qd2 | Breaking the rule of moving the same piece twice in the opening. Well, that rule is not a rule, but very good advice which applies for most of the time. This means there must be exceptions to the "good advice". The white queen is seeking to exploit weaknesses on the black dark squares around the black king, and the h6 pawn is just the place to start. Black has two choices here. Defend the h6 pawn or seek complications. Time for careful consideration. || 10. ... d5 | Instead, 10. ... Kg7, would be easier to play but would ruin all the fun. || 11. O-O-O | The black d5 pawn is now pinned,capturing, 11. ... dxe4 12. Qxd8 Rxd8 13. Rxd8+ Kg7 14. Rxc8, leaves black a rook down. || 11. ... Qb6 | Escapes the d-file pin, places some pressure on the white queenside, and if time or tactics permit, perhaps a snatch of the white f2 pawn can be considered. A question for white: Is the black d5 pawn seriously under-protected? || 12. Nc3 | White has no desire for, 12. Qxd5 Be6, when black will get some play. There could follow, 13. Qc5 Bxa2, and if now, 14. Qxb6 axb6, black will have play up the a-file and c-file. || 12. ... Be6 | Now white must allow for, Bxa2, on each move. Of course, this type of bishop capture permits the trapping of the bishop with white, pawn b3, which will be met with black, Bxb3, leaving white a piece up but a queenside down. The two contrasting game plans are emerging. White is avoiding unnecessary complications, black is trying to escalate the tactics whenever possible. White to play, any thoughts on the under-protected black d5 pawn? || 13. e4 | Leaving the black d5 pawn alone and instead aiming to complete development. If, 13. Nxd5 Bxd5 14. Qxd5 Nc6, and black has given up a pawn but will be first into action in the opposite wing castling attacks. || 13. ... dxe4 | Forced. Now the white pieces will find good squares with options while black will take a little longer to achieve coordination. Take some time here, white must find the correct move. || 14. Qxh6 | There are no immediate threats to the white queenside and so the time is now right to capture this pawn. The white queen is going to be very difficult to remove from h6. || 14. ... Rc8 15. Nxe4 | This knight has a few options available. Another maxim from Bobby Fischer reads something like: "In chess it is important to know when to punch and when to duck." Black to play must find the only move to avoid immediate defeat. || 15. ... Nd7 | White was threatening, Ng5, Qh7+, and, Qh8+ mate. The black knight is headed for the f8 square, which prevents the white queen invasion. So, if that threat from white is neutralised, then just where should the white e4 knight be placed? || 16. Bd3 | Setting up possibilities of combinations on the g6 pawn. || 16. ... Bxa2 | Black has to do something quick or white will slowly organise a kingside invasion. Speaking of which, here is an important move for white to find, take some time here. || 17. Rhe1 | This move explains why white has not been advancing the h-pawn intending to open the h-file. White wishes the rook to have options to be an attacker and a defender. From the h1 square it will only offer support for an attack. The centralised rook will provide strength to the defence while patiently waiting for a delayed but better prepared call to attack. || 17. ... Nf8 | Getting the defence in first. The h7, g6, and e6 squares are strengthened, but are they bomb-proof? White to further increase the coordination of the pieces before opening up the position. || 18. Re3 | This rook provides options across the white 3rd rank, the obvious square of h3 stands out. However, should the queenside become endangered by black activity, it will provide defensive options there if needed. || 18. ... Qd4 | Black realises the position is becoming difficult and tries to create confusion. This move gives the black queen the option of a, Qg7, retreat to push the white queen away. White now has a tempting opportunity to win material, but is it worth it? || 19. Nc3 | It seems this knight is needed on the queenside for defensive purposes, and yet only a few moves earlier there were ideas of it being part of a potential mating attack. Perhaps the reason for white calmly developing without commitment to either side of the board is slowly revealing itself. || 19. ... Be6 | Blocking the activity of the white e3 rook up the e-file. Black has set white a little tactical temptation. Is winning the pawn safe? Perhaps the question should be: Is there a better move available for white? || 20. Be4 | Revealing a discovered attack on the black d4 queen and also threatening, Bxb7, winning an exchange. There is another strategic idea involved in white, Be4, which will very quickly turn a good position into a won game. White must resist, 20. Bxg6 Qg7, which wins a pawn but forces the exchange of queens. White wishes the kingside attack to continue and this means keeping queens on. Snatching the black g6 pawn gives black some hopes of fighting for a draw. || 20. ... Qb6 | Black can not afford, 20. ... Qg7 21. Qxg7+ Kxg7 22. Bxb7, losing an exchange. This means the planned expulsion of the white queen from the h6 square seems impossible. Important move for white to find here. || 21. Bd5 | Simple and good. The black e6 bishop guards the h3 square from a white rook entry. Remove the black bishop and white, Rh3, will create strong threats. || 21. ... Qa5 | Black is still trying to get the queen over to the kingside, this time across the 5th rank, or if white removes the e3 rook from the e-file, then by the e5 square. White can win material or play for the kingside attack. Which is the better plan? || 22. Bxe6 | White rejects the materialistic, Bxb7, which does win an exchange but leaves black with some queenside activity. The removal of the black e6 bishop is of greater value, white can now bring the e3 rook over to the h3 square creating very strong threats. || 22. ... fxe6 | White to move and prevent black from having any play. Clue for white: The kingside is going nowhere, it will be just as weak next move. || 23. Kb1 | White places the king in safety before closing in on the weakened black kingside. Why allow, 23. ... Qa1+, and any annoyances which might follow as the white king becomes exposed? The black kingside cannot be strengthened, so keep the queenside under control before pushing for a decisive kingside attack. || 23. ... Rc6 | Trying desperately to get some pieces over to the kingside. Yet again, white needs to be accurate here or black will begin to fight his way back into the game. Clue for white: The least active white piece would like to join in the fun. || 24. Rd4 | Now both rooks have options over on the kingside. This also prevents black from gaining strong play with, 24. Ra6, threatening mate with, 25. ... Qa1. The d4 rook can prevent mate with, 25. Ra4. || 24. ... Rd8 | Black wishes to lessen the threats by exchanging pieces. Instead, 24. ... Qh5 25. Qxh5 gxh5 26. Rh3 Rc5 27. Rh4, and white wins the black h-pawn. Black is unlikely to hold this ending and will suffer for a long time by attempting to do so. Accurate move demanded from white now. || 25. Rh3 | Surely white has left the d4 rook unprotected? || 25. ... Rxd4 | Apparently so, the game now ends quickly. A more testing defence could have been, 25. ... e5, offering the black king some thoughts of flight on the light squares. Unsurprisingly the white activity is too much. The winning line runs, 26. Qh8+ Kf7 27. Rh7+, when black has 3 choices: (A.1). 27. ... Ke6 28. Qg8+ Kf5 29. g4+ Kg5 30. Rh5+ Kf6 31. Ne4+ mate. (A.2). 27. ... Ke6 28. Qg8+ Kf6 29. Qf7+ Kg5 30. h4+ mate. (B). 27. ... Ke8 28. Rxd8+ Qxd8, note if 28. ... Kxd8 29. Qxf8+, white wins a piece. So after, 28. ... Qxd8 29. Qxf8+ Kxf8 30. Rh8+ Kg7 31. Rxd8, white is a piece up. (C.1). 27. ... Nxh7 28. Qxh7+ Ke8 29. Qg8+ mate. (C.2). 27. ... Nxh7 28. Qxh7+ Ke6 29. Qxg6+ mate. (C.3). 27. ... Nxh7 28. Qxh7+ Kf6 29. Ne4+ Kf5 30. Qh3+ Kf4 31. Qf3+ mate. These variations could serve as a tactical analysis exercise. Now white wins material in a simpler way. || 26. Qh8+ Kf7 27. Rf3+ Black resigns, 1-0 | If, 27. ... Ke8 28. Rxf8+ Kd7 29. Qxd4+, white has won a piece. Instead, 27. ... Qf5 28. Rxf5+ exf5 29. Qxd4, and white has won the black queen for a rook. || * * * ## Unannotated game. White: W. Pietzsch. Black: V. Smyslov. Event: Polanica Zdroj 1968. Result: 1-0 in 27 moves. Opening: Torre Attack, Fianchetto Defence, A48. 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bg5 Bg7 4. Nbd2 h6 5. Bh4 c5 6. Bxf6 Bxf6 7. Ne4 Bxd4 8. Nxd4 cxd4 9. Qxd4 O-O 10. Qd2 d5 11. O-O-O Qb6 12. Nc3 Be6 13. e4 dxe4 14. Qxh6 Rc8 15. Nxe4 Nd7 16. Bd3 Bxa2 17. Rhe1 Nf8 18. Re3 Qd4 19. Nc3 Be6 20. Be4 Qb6 21. Bd5 Qa5 22. Bxe6 fxe6 23. Kb1 Rc6 24. Rd4 Rd8 25. Rh3 Rxd4 26. Qh8+ Kf7 27. Rf3+ Black resigns, 1-0 * * *