Skype coaching session, 21 February 2016. 

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

Paul Benson. 

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Annotated game. 

White: L. Ogaard. 
Black: E. Torre. 
Event: Haifa 1976. 
Result: 0-1 in 33 moves. 
Opening: Old Benoni, A43. 

1. d4 c5 
2. d5 

| White can also play calmly with, 2. c3, or offer a Sicilian Morra Gambit with, 2. e4. Having pushed on with 2. d5, black can now aim for a standard Benoni set-up and let white decide to keep it in Benoni territory or transpose into a King's Indian defence by playing, pawn e4, at some point. || 

2. ... g6 
3. c4 d6 
4. Nc3 Bg7 

| White must soon decide whether to play, pawn e4, which gives white some dynamic break opportunities in the middlegame. Such games can be double-edged and require an awareness of tactics. || 

5. Nf3 Nf6 

| Bizarre as it might seem, some black players choose to try, 5. ... Bxc3+, and play against a closed centre. This idea is also observed in some lines of the Nimzo-Indian Defence where black doubles the white c-pawns with a, Bxc3+, capture. || 

6. g3 

| Committing to a kingside fianchetto, which means white is unlikely to now be aiming to play directly in the centre with, pawn e4. || 

6. ... O-O 
7. Bg2 e6 

| Black challenges the white centre, aiming to find some play up the soon to be semi-open e-file. The future of the black b8 knight still has to be decided. Some choose to develop it on d7, where it aims to seek play in the centre by moving to the e5 square. The other choice is to develop it to the a6 square. || 

8. dxe6 Bxe6 

| White to play and start the tactics. || 

9. Ng5 

| Sharp play already. Moving a piece twice before completing development seems counter-intuitive, but this is the move most often played here. The white g2 bishop is now pointing at the unprotected black b7 pawn, which if captured as it stands at present, will attack the trapped black a8 rook. Black to play, take some time here. || 

9. ... Bxc4 

| Setting the scene for the middlegame. Black is making a positional exchange sacrifice of the unmoved a8 rook. || 

10. Bxb7 Nbd7 
11. Bxa8 

| Still time for white to retreat with, 11. Bg2, though perhaps some players with the black pieces would regard such a withdrawal as a backing-off from a fight. Instead white could play, 11. Qxd6 Rb8, with each player having activity as the hand-to-hand fighting middlegame begins. || 

11. ... Qxa8 

| Just what compensation has black for the exchange? At the moment, nothing at all. However, in time black must take full advantage of the absence of the white light square bishop. This may or may not involve attempting to line up on the a8 - h1 long diagonal. If black fails to find something in the forthcoming middlegame, then he faces the prospect of an endgame being an exchange down. Middlegame ingenuity is required to make positional sacrifices like this one work for you. || 

12. O-O 

| Yes, this move is quite legal. A rook can become involved in castling even if it is under attack, and a rook can also pass over a square controlled by an opposing piece during castling. It is only the king who is restricted during castling. One wonders what an Equal Rights organisation might make of this inequality? || 

12. ... d5 

| Taking control of the centre. What a turn-around from the typical Benoni / King's Indian centres, where it is white who often establishes a cramping d5 pawn which black must work around. || 

13. Qc2 

| My limited database indicates white has also tried, 13. Qa4, 13. a4, 13. b3, and, 13. Re1, which tells us opinions are divided as to what is the best move. || 

13. ... Re8 
14. f3 

| A double purpose move. Firstly, to block the light square a8 - h1 diagonal on which black must surely make play to justify the exchange sacrifice. Secondly, to free the f2 square for the f1 rook. Instead, 14. Re1, seems more natural. || 

14. ... Ba6 

| Re-routing to take up action up the a8 - h1 diagonal. || 

15. a4 

| The a4 pawn will now support the b5 square for the white c3 knight when the expected black, pawn d4, advance is made. || 

15. ... Qc6 
16. Rf2 h6 
17. Nh3 Bb7 

| The black queen and bishop form a battery up the diagonal. Of course the black d5 pawn can easily move to reveal the power of this pair, but what is black to do about the apparent rock of the white f3 pawn? || 

18. Nf4 g5 
19. Ng2 

| The white position has little coordination at the moment. This should not be critical providing the kingside is secure. However if black can weaken the defences intended to block out the black queen and b7 bishop then white will have problems. || 

19. ... d4 

| Displacing the white c3 knight from central influence is obvious, but does this black d-pawn have any other ideas in mind? || 

20. Nb5 Ne5 

| Black has good coordination, white has virtually none, this is definitely compensation for the offered exchange. Every black piece is better than the corresponding white piece, but how long can this remain? If white is given enough time to complete development then the exchange advantage will begin to count. Black must keep the punches landing on white or suffer in the forthcoming endgame. White to play and find a dynamic move to begin an attempt to fight out of an inferior position. || 

21. b4 

| A double purpose move. It is trying to exploit the pin of the black c5 pawn, black will not wish for an exchange of queens. It is also undermining the black central pawns, if these are liquidated then white will be back in the game and seeking to take control of the position. || 

21. ... a6 
22. Na7 

| A double-edged move. It displaces the black queen from the long diagonal, a gain for white. However the knight will be trapped if the black control of the retreat b5 square cannot be re-claimed by white. || 

22. ... Qd7 

| Black is prepared to lose the c5 pawn, in return there will be dynamic play with the d4 pawn as part of the black middlegame strategy. || 

23. Bb2 

| White is ready to dismantle the fragile black pawn centre. Black to play and start the fight, take some time here. || 

23. ... d3 

| Whether willing partners or not, both players have now wandered into a tactical minefield. Almost every move until the end of the game now requires careful thought. || 

24. Qxc5 

| A few sample lines of how white could have gone astray: 
(A). 24. exd3 Nxf3+ 25. Kh1 Ne1 26. Rxe1 Rxe1+ 27. Rf1 Rxf1+ is mate. 
(B). 24. exd3 Nxf3+ 25. Kh1 Ne1 26. Qd2 Ng4 27. Rxe1 Nxf2+ 28. Qxf2 Rxe1+ 29. Qxe1 Qxg2+ is mate. 
(C). 24. exd3 Nxf3+ 25. Kh1 Ne1 26. Qd2 Ng4 27. Rf1 Nxg2 28. Kg1 N2e3, and there is no satisfactory defence to the threat of, 29. ... Qh1+ mate. 
(D). 24. exd3 Nxf3+ 25. Kf1 Nxh2+ 26. Kg1 Nf3+ 27. Kf1 Ng4 28. Re2 Ngh2+ 29. Kf2 Nd4 30. Bxd4 Bxd4+, winning at least the white a1 rook which means black will be a piece up. 
(E). 24. exd3 Nxf3+, and white might by now be working out that, 25. Rxf3 Qxf3, giving an exchange back might be the best of a bad lot. 
Of course, while the above lines are not exhaustive, they strongly hint that, 24. exd3, is inadvisable. So, after the game move of 24. Qxc5, white has placed a double attack from c5 queen and b2 bishop on the singly defended black e5 knight. Take as much time as you like on the next black move, and one should have a reply ready against the threat of, 25. Bxe5. || 

24. ... dxe2 

| Undermining the defence of the f3 pawn and attempting to refute the entire white idea of trying to close the a8 - h1 diagonal. Black also now threatens, Nxf3+, or, Nd3, forking an exchange. Just one problem with all this, white has that double attack on the very useful black e5 knight. || 

25. Bxe5 

| There it goes. Time for black to find inspiration or resign. A clue: the g1 - a7 diagonal looks a little cluttered. Imagine what a certain black piece could do if it landed somewhere along that diagonal. || 

25. ... Ne4 

| The knight forks the white f2 rook and c5 queen, this piece must be captured. In return, black takes control of the dark squares by eliminating the white dark square bishop as well as having moves such as, Qd1+, available once the white a1 rook is undefended. || 

26. fxe4 Bxe5 
27. Re1 Bd4 

| Black is a rook down but the congested g1 - a7 diagonal has rich pickings. || 

28. Qc2 

| Black to play carefully here. Being material down can be disturbing and it is easy to give in to the temptation to snatch it all back as soon as possible. || 

28. ... Rxe4 

| Black needs the a8 - h1 diagonal open. Instead, 28. ... Bxa7 29. Rexe2, and white has doubly defended the e4 pawn, again temporarily blocking that all-important a8 - h1 diagonal. || 

29. Rxe2 

| White could have tried, 29. Nc8 Bxc8, and only then, 30. Rxe2, to disrupt, albeit temporarily, the black pressure up the long diagonal. || 

29. ... Rxe2 
30. Qxe2 Bxa7 

| Black is now only an exchange down, which can be reclaimed at leisure with, Bxf2+. White still has no plan, the f2 rook is pinned and the g2 knight is tied down to blocking the a8 - h1 diagonal. || 

31. b5 

| Maybe white has already resigned himself to a loss and is just going through the motions. Instead, 31. Kf1 Bxf2 32. Kxf2 Qxa4, puts up a better fight. || 

31. ... axb5 
32. axb5 

| If, 32. Qxb5 Qd1+ 33. Qf1 Qf3, with zugzwang approaching for white. || 

32. ... Qd5 

| The black queen and bishop long diagonal battery is re-established, and this time there is nothing white can do to disrupt it. The white f2 rook is paralysed by the black a7 bishop pin and the g2 knight dare not move as this would allow, Qh1+ mate. And if that was not enough, black is threatening, 33. ... Qxg2+ mate, the white f2 rook being an interfering spectator in proceedings. || 

33. Qf1 

| Black to play and increase the pressure, we are seeking to inflict a zugzwang on white. || 

33. ... Qf3 
White resigns, 0-1 

| None of the white pieces can move without disaster. If, 34. Kh1 Bxf2, wins a rook. Or, 34. Qe1 Qxg2+ mate. Or, 34. Ne1 Qh1+ mate. If, 34. h4 Qxg3 35. hxg5 hxg5 36. b6 Bxb6, and now a white piece must move with a loss of material or mate. || 

*  *  * 

## Unannotated game. 

White: L. Ogaard. 
Black: E. Torre. 
Event: Haifa 1976. 
Result: 0-1 in 33 moves. 
Opening: Old Benoni, A43. 

1. d4 c5 
2. d5 g6 
3. c4 d6 
4. Nc3 Bg7 
5. Nf3 Nf6 
6. g3 O-O 
7. Bg2 e6 
8. dxe6 Bxe6 
9. Ng5 Bxc4 
10. Bxb7 Nbd7 
11. Bxa8 Qxa8 
12. O-O d5 
13. Qc2 Re8 
14. f3 Ba6 
15. a4 Qc6 
16. Rf2 h6 
17. Nh3 Bb7 
18. Nf4 g5 
19. Ng2 d4 
20. Nb5 Ne5 
21. b4 a6 
22. Na7 Qd7 
23. Bb2 d3 
24. Qxc5 dxe2 
25. Bxe5 Ne4 
26. fxe4 Bxe5 
27. Re1 Bd4 
28. Qc2 Rxe4 
29. Rxe2 Rxe2 
30. Qxe2 Bxa7 
31. b5 axb5 
32. axb5 Qd5 
33. Qf1 Qf3 
White resigns, 0-1 

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