Skype coaching session, 18 October 2015. 

Note: Due to a Skype failure the 11 October session did not take place. 

Recordings of some previous coaching sessions can be found at: 

http://www.open-aurec.com/Skype/PaulBenson/PaulBenson.htm 

The following game was examined, the game 46 moves) is given with annotations and then again without annotations. 

Paul Benson. 

* * * 

Annotated game. 

White: R. Spielmann. 
Black: A. Nimzowitsch. 
Event: San Sebastian 1911. 
Result: 0-1 in 46 moves. 
Opening: Sicilian Defence, Nimzowitsch Closed Variation, B29. 

1. e4 c5 
2. Nf3 Nf6 

| The move which defines the Nimzowitsch variation. There can be similarities to the Alekhines Defence should white choose to chase the black knight. || 

3. Nc3 

| White can take a space advantage with, 3. e5 Nd5 4. d4 cxd4 5. c3, and, 6. cxd4. Black will later attempt to undermine the white centre. A less committal option for white is, 3. d3, and perhaps heading for a King's Indian Attack formation. With the game move white is preventing a possible, Nd5, by black. || 

3. ... d5 

| Immediately fighting for the centre. Instead, 3. ... Nc6, will probably transpose back into main lines with, 4. d4. White should be aware that, 4. e5 Ng4 5. Qe2 d6 6. exd6 e6, is not as simple as it might appear. Lastly, 3. ... d6, and, 3. ... e6, are also playable. || 

4. exd5 

| Instead, 4. e5 d4 5. exf6 dxc3, is similar to a line of the Alekhines Defence with the extra moves, white Nf3, and, black c5. || 

4. ... Nxd5 
5. Bc4 

| More popular these days is, 5. Bb5+, forcing black to block the check with a minor piece. If, 5. ... Bd7 6. Qe2, seems to score highly while, 6. Ne5, is more popular. || 

5. ... e6 
6. O-O Be7 
7. d4 Nxc3 

| White accepts doubled c-pawns expecting black will trade, cxd4, as the game proceeds, which will offer white the opportunity to clean up the pawn structure. || 

8. bxc3 O-O 
9. Ne5 

| The knight advance also releases the white queen for a possible kingside incursion, the h5 square seems inviting, an option due to the black kingside knight having wandered into the centre and traded on the c3 square. || 

9. ... Qc7 

| Not only pressuring the white e5 knight but announcing intentions up the c-file. Black has the threat of, cxd4, followed by, pawn f6, and if the white e5 knight moves then the c4 bishop is unprotected. || 

10. Bd3 

| White wisely removes the target bishop and now has ideas of tactics against the black king. || 

10. ... Nc6 
11. Bf4 

| Such moves need careful consideration. The white f4 bishop is setting up tactics involving white playing, Ng6, attacking the black queen. However this can be easily blocked and then white must be careful about the unprotected condition of the f4 bishop. X-ray attacks can go both ways. || 

11. ... Bd6 

| The tension is mounting on the white e5 knight, black might be threatening, pawn f6, trying to exploit that unprotected white f4 bishop. || 

12. Re1 

| White has sufficient central defences and can now seriously think about, Qh5, forcing black to create weaknesses in the kingside pawn structure. Black must play accurately here to minimise the white threats. Clue: One white potentially dangerous attacking unit needs eliminating. || 

12. ... cxd4 
13. cxd4 Nb4 

| The point. White is not given time for, Qh5, when the pressure on the light squares will give attacking chances. Black will either push the white d3 bishop off the b1-h7 diagonal or simply capture it. || 

14. Bg3 Nxd3 
15. Qxd3 b6 

| Black is going to have much fun with the so-far lazy c8 bishop. The imbalance in the pawn formation offers chances for both sides to fight for the initiative. The white pawns will control central squares but are exposed on semi-open files. It is not the pawn structure which matters now,but how each player handles the pieces. Whoever can arrange better coordination of the pieces will have the greater chances. || 

16. c4 

| Walking into a pin but black was going to have pressure up the c-file wherever the c-pawn sits. || 

16. ... Ba6 
17. Rac1 Rac8 
18. Qb3 

| White appears to be holding the position. Black to play and find a move which destabilises the white coordination. || 

18. ... f6 
| The start of a short flurry of tactics. The white e5 knight is needed to protect the triply-attacked white c4 pawn, if it moves then black will have, Bxc4, winning an important pawn. White to play must find the only move to avoid immediate material loss. || 

19. Qa4 

| The white queen is trying to exploit the unprotected black a6 bishop. || 

19. ... fxe5 

| If, 19. ... Bb7 20. Nf3, and white is safe. Note: White must not fall for, Qxa7, in such a position as, Ra8, traps the queen. || 

20. dxe5 

| White is a piece down but attacking both of the black bishops. There is no single move for black to protect both, so white is regaining a piece. Black must play accurately here or he will find himself a pawn down. Take some time over the next black move. || 

20. ... Ba3 

| Very neat. Black had to choose which bishop to keep and which to lose. It is all about which type of late middlegame will offer the best chances of fighting for the initiative. As white has a target e5 pawn the white g3 bishop will be tied down to defending it. Black therefore wishes to keep the light square bishop. However either, 20. ... Bb7, or, 20. ... Qb7, allow white to play, 21. exd6, creating a strong 6th rank passed pawn. By moving the bishop to a3 and attacking a rook, black finds a means to keep the light square bishop and avoid giving white a passed d-pawn. || 

21. Qxa3 Bxc4 

| Black has a mobile queenside pawn majority which can create a passed pawn whenever black wishes. This on its own is unlikely to be enough to win. The white kingside pawn majority is unlikely to create a passed pawn, the white king will become too exposed. This means it is white who is seeking to hold the position and black who can probe for some advantage. || 

22. Re4 

| White begins to drift. The black c4 bishop cannot be targetted so easily. Instead, 22. Rc2, and, 23. Rec1, offer a safe way to keep black under control. Black to play and find a clever way to save the bishop without compromising the queenside. Clue: The white rook on e4 has deserted an important post. || 

22. ... Qd7 

| Escaping the pin up the c-file by exploiting the weakness of the white back rank. Instead, 22. ... b5, would save the bishop but offer white a potential target by advancing the a2 pawn after the queen leaves the a-file. || 

23. h3 

| Instead, 23. Rexc4 Rxc4 24. Rxc4 Qd1+ mate, demonstrates the lack of white coordination. || 

23. ... Bd5 

| This black bishop is now unchallengeable unless white is willing to give up an exchange. || 

24. Re2 Qb7 

| Pressuring the white g2 pawn which forces a concession and compromises the white kingside pawn structure. || 

25. f4 

| Black can still advance the queenside pawns but once the white bishop re-locates to the queenside it will become impossible to force an eventual passed pawn past either the a1 or b2 square. So black must find another plan, take some time here to work out just what black should try. || 

25. ... Qf7 

| Black is going to probe the white kingside with the queen, it is all about the light squares. The queenside option will not go away, it is simply being deferred until the right moment. || 

26. Rec2 Rxc2 
27. Rxc2 Qg6 

| Pressuring the white g3 bishop and attacking the white c2 rook. White must be very careful here, take some time to work out the next white move. || 

28. Qc3 

| This is not the right move. White is perhaps guilty of feeling such a quiet position contains no danger. Black to play has a surprise move here, take your time to find a shock for white. || 

28. ... Bxa2 

| The previous white move was careless. Instead, 28. Rf2, or, Rd2, would avoid the unnecessary loss of the a2 pawn. || 

29. Bh4 

| Instead, 29. Rxa2 Qb1+ 30. Kh2 Qxa2, wins an exchange and is decisive for black. || 

29. ... Bd5 

| Black simply lines up the bishop against the g2 pawn again, but with the added advantage that the queenside pawns can be rolled up the board whenever black wishes. Remember what you were told about passed pawns in Chess School? That's right. Passed pawns must be pushed. Perhaps a refinement is needed. Passed pawns must be pushed, but not necessarily immediately. || 

30. Be7 

| The white bishop is desperate for activity. It intends to restrict the advances of the black queenside pawns by sitting on the a3-f8 diagonal. || 

30. ... Re8 

| Claearly, 30. ... Rxf4 31. Qc8+ Kf7 32. Qf8+ mate, is to be avoided. || 

31. Bd6 Qe4 

| The black queen arrives at her desired central entry point. From here she will tie white down to defending the threatened mate on g2 and keep options open for further probing, depending on how white decides to play. || 

32. Qc7 

| White decides to play actively rather than accept passive defence, which would not work here anyway. Playing actively forces your opponent to calculate threats over the entire board. || 

32. ... h6 

| To avoid problems on the back rank, even though there are no immediate threats. Black is hoping the rook will find an entry soon. Instead, 32. ... Qxf4 33. Qxa7, would throw away all the advantage. || 

33. Rf2 Qe1+ 
34. Rf1 Qe3+ 

| The black queen transfers to the dark squares to offer backward protection to the queenside pawns. || 

35. Rf2 a5 

| This move has been on the agenda for quite a while. Note how the black queen has transferred to the e3 square in order to backwardly guard the b6 pawn in anticipation of advancing the a-pawn. || 

36. Be7 

| White is hoping to gang up on the black b6 pawn. || 

37. ... Qe3+ 
38. Rf2 Kh8 

| Giving white the choice to put the plan of capturing the black b6 pawn into action. The alternative idea for white was to let the a-pawn advance which would demand the queen retreat, and that would allow the black rook to find entry on the queenside. White was in trouble no matter what was tried. || 

39. Bd8 Qe1+ 
40. Rf1 Qe3+ 
41. Rf2 Qe1+ 
42. Rf1 

| Black needs to find something different or there will be no progress. Take some time here to find the next black move. || 

42. ... Qg3 

| Black is willing to let the b6 pawn go. What is the follow-up plan? || 

43. Rf2 Rf8 

| For the price of the b6 pawn it appears the black rook will enter the game up the f-file. Seems good trading from here. || 

44. Qxb6 Rxf4 

| The white queen must keep protection on the f2 rook and so the black passed a5 pawn is not only safe from capture but must be restrained from further advance. || 

45. Be7 a4 

| The black a4 pawn is about to pass over the 6th rank, if it establishes itself on a2 it will be virtually impossible to stop. || 

46. Kf1 

| Losing immediately but there was little better to be found. Instead, 46. Qb2 Bxg2 47. Rxg2 Qe1+ 48. Kh2 Rf1, with too many threats, starting with, Rh1+ mate. White must move the g2 rook to destroy the mating pattern but this simply allows the black rook and queen to combine for mate. For example, 49. Re2 Rh1+ 50. Kg2 Qf1+ 51. Kg3 Rxh3+ 52. Kg4 Qf3+ mate. Or running the white rook up the g-file to the g6 square allows exactly the same sequence for mate. || 

46. ... Qxg2+ 
White resigns, 0-1 

| The white f2 rook is pinned so, 47. Rxg2, is not legal. || 

* * * 

## Unannotated game. 

White: R. Spielmann. 
Black: A. Nimzowitsch. 
Event: San Sebastian 1911. 
Result: 0-1 in 46 moves. 
Opening: Sicilian Defence, Nimzowitsch Closed Variation, B29. 

1. e4 c5 
2. Nf3 Nf6 
3. Nc3 d5 
4. exd5 Nxd5 
5. Bc4 e6 
6. O-O Be7 
7. d4 Nxc3 
8. bxc3 O-O 
9. Ne5 Qc7 
10. Bd3 Nc6 
11. Bf4 Bd6 
12. Re1 cxd4 
13. cxd4 Nb4 
14. Bg3 Nxd3 
15. Qxd3 b6 
16. c4 Ba6 
17. Rac1 Rac8 
18. Qb3 f6 
19. Qa4 fxe5 
20. dxe5 Ba3 
21. Qxa3 Bxc4 
22. Re4 Qd7 
23. h3 Bd5 
24. Re2 Qb7 
25. f4 Qf7 
26. Rec2 Rxc2 
27. Rxc2 Qg6 
28. Qc3 Bxa2 
29. Bh4 Bd5 
30. Be7 Re8 
31. Bd6 Qe4 

32. Qc7 h6 
33. Rf2 Qe1+ 
34. Rf1 Qe3+ 
35. Rf2 a5 
36. Be7 Qe1+ 
37. Rf1 Qe3+ 
38. Rf2 Kh8 
39. Bd8 Qe1+ 
40. Rf1 Qe3+ 
41. Rf2 Qe1+ 
42. Rf1 Qg3 
43. Rf2 Rf8 
44. Qxb6 Rxf4 
45. Be7 a4 
46. Kf1 Qxg2+ 
White resigns, 0-1 

* * *