Skype coaching session, 14 February 2016. 

Unfortunately no coaching session was held on 07 February. 

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 32 moves is given with annotations and then again without annotations. 

Paul Benson. 

*  *  * 

Annotated game. 

White: Fischer. 
Black: U. Geller. 
Event: Netanya 1968. 
Result: 1-0 in 32 moves. 
Opening: French Defence, transposing into King's Indian Attack, A07. 

| Note: The player of the black pieces is Uzi Geller and should not be confused with Efim Geller. || 

1. e4 e6 
2. d3 d5 
3. Nd2 c5 

| A Sicilian-style formation. The opening moves could easily have been, 1. e4 c5 2. d3 e6 3. Nd2 d5. Black is offered much flexibility when the player of the white pieces aims for a King's Indian attack. In return white enjoys an opening where tactics do not emerge until development is complete. || 

4. g3 Nf6 
5. Bg2 Be7 
6. Ngf3 O-O 
7. O-O Nc6 
8. Re1 

| And yet again we arrive at precisely the same position as reached in the previous 3 coaching session games. Now black introduces a twist in the move order which forces white to commit to a move perhaps not always in mind. || 

8. ... Qc7 

| Previous games had black trying queenside expansion with, 8. ... b5. Has the black queen move made any significant difference in the position? The answer is yes, but quite what difference is not immediately obvious. || 

9. e5 

| White keeps options of the usual kingside / centre strategy available. The black queen has along with the c6 knight taken control of the e5 square. If white had not played, 9. e5, then black would have had the option of, 9. ... dxe4 10. dxe4 e5, fixing the centre when some of the white minor pieces, the d2 knight and g2 bishop, are not particularly well placed. Once white commits to, pawn e5, the opening transposes back into already observed lines and familiar early middlegame plans begin to appear as before. || 

9. ... Nd7 

| Black now has a triple attack on the doubly defended white e5 pawn. White has only one reply to save the pawn. || 

10. Qe2 

| And the point of black playing, 8. ... Qc7, is revealed. White has been forced to play a developing queen move which might not have been part of the pre-game opening plan. || 

10. ... b5 
11. h4 a5 
12. Nf1 Nd4 

| Now this is new to the coaching sessions and shows a dramatically different method of handling the black queenside / centre. || 

13. Nxd4 

| This trade seems forced. Instead, 13. Qd1 Nxf3+ 14. Bxf3 Nxe5, and black wins a pawn. The game move which trades off the white f3 knight has given the g2 bishop some life, but surely the black centre is safe and secure? || 

13. ... cxd4 
14. Bf4 Ra6 

| Perhaps the point of allowing doubled d-pawns is revealing itself. Black is aiming for pressure up the semi-open c-file, intending to tie the white heavy pieces down to the defence of the c2 pawn. Instead either, 14. ... b4, continuing with queenside expansion, or, 14. ... Qb6, removing the queen from the white f4 bishop x-ray attack seems sensible. || 

15. Nh2 Rc6 
16. Rac1 Ba6 

| The bishop has little chance of finding activity on the a6 - f1 diagonal, the fixed central pawns can no longer assist in opening lines on the light squares. It is the vacating the c8 square for the f8 rook which is the black plan. White must anticipate the f8 rook reinforcement of power up the c-file. There are two methods, perhaps, 17. Qd2 Rfc8 18. Re2, and the c2 pawn is triply defended. This sort of white heavy piece protection can be arranged differently, but the principle is of white needing the e1 rook to become part of a defensive unit. White has no plans of letting himself becoming tied up in this manner. White to play in need of some inspiration, take some time here. || 

17. Bxd5 

| A thematic sacrifice / combination to break open the blocked centre. Previously we observed a white knight making this capture, having made the journey, Nb1 - d2 - f1 - e3. || 

17. ... exd5 
18. e6 

| The x-ray attack onto the black queen ensures white will regain material with good activity into the bargain. If in doubt, avoid being caught with an x-ray attack from an opposing lesser value piece if possible, and it usually can be prevented, it just takes one move that's all. Not much to avoid unnecessary unpleasant surprises. || 

18. ... Qd8 
19. exd7 

| White has now a powerful battery of queen and rook up the e-file, the black e7 bishop is endangered and must move or be protected. Speaking of black bishops, how is the one on a6 getting on, and what future plans does black have for this piece? || 

19. ... Re6 

| The black plan of tripling heavy pieces up the c-file has been permanently abandoned. Now the white queen drifts into the kingside with a positional threat along the way. || 

20. Qg4 f5 

| This pawn advance starts some kingside activity and reduces the effect of the white queen. Instead, 20. ... Qxd7 21. Rxe6 fxe6, leaves black with a backward e6 pawn on a semi-open file. Not fatal in itself, but a weak point in need of continual defence. || 

21. Qh5 Qxd7 
22. Nf3 

| A move in need of careful consideration. While white is now thinking of making the black d4 pawn into a target, the white queen is now without a safe retreat / flight square. || 

22. ... g6 

| This is not a spite attack designed simply to annoy the white queen. It opens up the black 2nd rank, allowing a potential defence for the h7 pawn from a black heavy piece, at present the queen on d7. || 

23. Qh6 Bf6 

| A double purpose move. It obviously defends the d4 pawn but less obvious it sets up the option of a three-fold repetition of position and the right to claim a draw if desired. If this latter opportunity did not occur to you, then take some time to find the white trick to neutralise the black plan. || 

24. Rxe6 Qxe6 

| White will be first to claim the fully open e-file with a rook. Such a move now seems so obvious as to remove ideas of a different move from mind. Take some time here over the next white move, and remember that three-fold repetition threat for black has not yet been prevented. || 

25. Be5 

| A white bishop on the long diagonal stops the black threat of, Bg7, Qg5 Bf6, Qh6 Bg7, Qg5 Bf6, Qh6 Bg7, with a claim for three-fold repetition available for black. The white bishop on e5 is also part of a double attack on the black d4 pawn. Just one problem though. The e5 bishop is doubly attacked by black and only defended once by white, it can be captured with impunity, or so it seems... || 

25. ... Bxe5 
26. Re1 

| The black e5 bishop is pinned and doubly attacked. Black has no means to bring a further defence to the piece which could demote the e6 queen to the role of reserve defender. White is regaining the apparently lost piece and in the process making a strong positional gain. Black to play, and as a paraphrased comment of Bobby Fischer reminds us: "In chess it is important to know when to punch and when to duck." Black to play, and decide whether to punch or to duck. || 

26. ... f4 

| He punches. Understandable but perhaps attempting to hold the position instead of fighting for the initiative might have given better prospects. Perhaps a better idea is, 26. ... Re8, in order to challenge a white rook for control of the fully open e-file. Play could continue with, 27. Rxe5 Qd7 28. Rxe8+ Qxe8 29. Ng5 Qe7 30. h5, and white appears to have a good attack. However black is not without chances to hold it,since after the surprising counter-intuitive reply of, 30. ... gxh5 31. Qxa6 Qxg5, both players have vulnerable pawns in a queen ending. White might then try, 31. Qxb5, but black can disrupt the white queenside with, 31. ... Qc1+ 32. Kg2 Qxc2, and matters are far from clear. Note that if black had instead aimed to trade down to a black bishop against a white knight ending, then the d4 pawn would soon fall to the manoeuvring white knight, leading to a decisive position for white. || 

27. Rxe5 Qd7 

| Each white piece is better placed than the corresponding black piece, strongly inferring that white is better. Of course care must be taken over the looming black kingside activity, but once calculations are made it is white who has the more powerful threats. So the black queen must take time to take up a defensive role. The white rook is not only powering up the e-file but also having ideas of future sideways movement across the 5th rank. There is also a possible white, Ng5, threatening mate by capturing the vulnerable black h7 pawn to take into account. It is white to move, has another strong unmentioned option occurred to you yet? Take some time here, the position is about to become dangerous for both players. || 

28. h5 

| Starting a dangerous mutual line-opening in front of each king. In such positions it is piece activity and coordination which counts. || 

28. ... fxg3 

| This pawn capture has created a discovered attack from the black f8 rook onto the white f3 knight, not that this is a problem, is it? The position is now critical, take some time over the next white move. || 

29. hxg6 

| White had to calculate the consequences of the reply, 29. ... Rxf3. Take some time over the next black move, and if you need a clue, it is not only supermarkets who have promotions on offer. || 

29. ... gxf2+ 

| The consequences of, 29. ... Rxf3, are not immediately obvious. The black queen is defending the h7 pawn, so it stands to reason there are no problems on the black 2nd rank. Possibly so, but this assumes the black queen remains on the 2nd rank. Inspiration instilled, just how could white continue if the f3 knight was snatched? Play would proceed after, 29. ... Rxf3, with, 30. Re8+, deflecting the black queen off the 2nd rank with, 30. ... Qxe8. Note if, 30. ... Rf8 31. Rxf8+ is mate. So with the black 2nd rank undefended after the deflection of the black queen, white charges in with, 31. Qxh7+ Kf8 32. g7+, and the black king must step forward onto the 2nd rank, which allows the white g7 pawn to promote on g8 with a discovered check or two. If, 32. ... Ke7 33. g8=Q+ Rf7 34. Qh4+ Kd7 35. Qxe8+ Kxe8 36. fxg3. White has queen and a passed g-pawn against the black rook and bishop. Furthermore the black pawns will not be easy to defend, not to mention the black king trying to escape from an annoying series of white queen checks. In essence, this is a relatively easy win for white. 

Had black in the game instead tried to defend with, 29. ... Qg7, white could head for a decisive ending with, 30. gxh7+ Kh8 31. Qxg7+ Kxg7 32. Rg5+ Kxh7 33. Rxg3 Rf4 34. Rh3+ Kg7 35. Kg2. White is a pawn up and the black d4 pawn is still a long-term problem. || 

30. Kxf2 

| The black kingside activity has ground to a halt. In contrast, white has four active units about to coordinate for a decisive material gain. Another worthwhile paraphrase from Bobby again: "Tactics flow from a positionally superior game." || 

30. ... hxg6 
31. Qxg6+ Qg7 

| White must be careful here, the black position still has a potential sting in the tail. || 

32. Rg5 
Black resigns, 1-0 

| White has avoided the disastrous, 32. Qxa6 Qxe5, black wins an exchange by taking advantage of the pin on the white f3 knight. After the game move of, 32. Rg5, it is black who cannot escape a pin up the g-file. ?Firstly if, 32. ... Rf7, protecting the black queen, then simply, 33. Qh6, and the black queen is lost for the low price of the white rook. Note again the black a6 bishop must be left alone, as the inferior, 33. Qxa6, loses an exchange to 33. ... Qxg5, again that pinned white f3 knight is not actually defending the g5 rook. Lastly, after the game move of, 32. Rg5, if black trades queens with, 32. ... Qxg6, then, 33. Rxg6+, and this time the black a6 bishop is definitely being removed from play next move by white. || 

*  *  * 

## Unannotated game. 

White: Fischer. 
Black: U. Geller. 
Event: Netanya 1968. 
Result: 1-0 in 32 moves. 
Opening: French Defence, transposing into King's Indian Attack, A07. 

1. e4 e6 
2. d3 d5 
3. Nd2 c5 
4. g3 Nf6 
5. Bg2 Be7 
6. Ngf3 O-O 
7. O-O Nc6 
8. Re1 Qc7 
9. e5 Nd7 
10. Qe2 b5 
11. h4 a5 
12. Nf1 Nd4 
13. Nxd4 cxd4 
14. Bf4 Ra6 
15. Nh2 Rc6 
16. Rac1 Ba6 
17. Bxd5 exd5 
18. e6 Qd8 
19. exd7 Re6 
20. Qg4 f5 
21. Qh5 Qxd7 
22. Nf3 g6 
23. Qh6 Bf6 
24. Rxe6 Qxe6 
25. Be5 Bxe5 
26. Re1 f4 
27. Rxe5 Qd7 
28. h5 fxg3 
29. hxg6 gxf2+ 
30. Kxf2 hxg6 
31. Qxg6+ Qg7 
32. Rg5 
Black resigns, 1-0 

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