Skype coaching session, 06 March 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. 

* * * 

Annotated game. 

White: V. Korchnoi. 
Black: V. Sherbakov. 
Event: Poltava 1956. 
Result: 0-1 in 33 moves. 
Opening: King's Indian Defence, Fianchetto Variation, E64. 

| Another game in the series where black offers an exchange on a8 for activity as the middlegame begins. This game varies from previous games studied when white plays move 13. || 

1. d4 Nf6 
2. c4 g6 
3. Nc3 Bg7 
4. g3 O-O 
5. Bg2 d6 
6. Nf3 c5 
7. d5 e5 
8. dxe6 Bxe6 
9. Ng5 Bxc4 
10. Bxb7 Nbd7 
11. Bxa8 Qxa8 
12. O-O d5 
13. Qa4 

| Placing immediate pressure on the black c4 bishop which inhibits the black central advance, pawn d4. White is also now threatening, 14. b3, which will trap the black c4 bishop. However, the white queen will no longer be able to offer support to the potential target of the e2 pawn. Win something, lose something. || 

13. ... Nb6 

| This forcing the white queen away from attacking the black c4 bishop, but in the process black loses the defence to the c5 pawn and the knight on b6 loses options of moving into the centre with, Ne5. || 

14. Qa3 

| The white threat of, pawn b3, trapping the black c4 bishop has not gone away. How should black play here? Take some time to decide on the next move. || 

14. ... h6 

| A counter attack on a white piece designed to scare the white knight away. Black is either planning or relying on, pawn d4, to solve the problem of the c4 bishop, and does not wish white to have the option of the c3 knight escaping to the e4 square. For this plan to work for black, the white g5 knight must first be forced away. || 

15. b3 

| Best laid plans etc. Just because a piece is attacked does not mean it will move away. The black c4 bishop has no safe retreat square, which tells us the white plan of, 13. Qa4, is designed to remove the black c4 bishop from the game. Now it is over to black to decide just how to concede the light square bishop. 
Instead, 15. Nf3 d4, attacking the white c3 knight and if it moves then black will play, 16. ... Bxe2, which wins either the f3 knight or an exchange on f1. So, it seems that neither attacked piece dare move out of danger. || 

15. ... hxg5 

| Instead, 15. ... Bxe2 16. Nxe2 hxg5 17. Bxg5, gives white a gain of a tempo in development. Similarly, 15. ... Bxb3 16. axb3 hxg5 17. Bxg5, again assists white to complete development. || 

16. bxc4 Nxc4 
17. Qb3 Ne4 

| Black aims a double attack against the singly protected white c3 knight, material is about to be regained. || 

18. Nxe4 

| Instead, 18. Bb2, fails to, 18. ... Nxb2 19. Qxb2 Bxc3, or, 19. ... Nxc3, both giving black a good game. With the game move white is offering back an exchange to achieve piece activity on the kingside. || 

18. ... Bxa1 
19. Bxg5 

| Instead white might have given serious consideration to, 19. Nc3, which traps the a1 black bishop which can then only escape with, Bxc3. This would leave black with the dark square fianchetto hole of g7 and white the dark square bishop to be used to exploit the potential weakness. || 

19. ... Bd4 

| Black must avoid, 19. ... dxe4 20. Rxa1, which would give the white bishop dominance of the dark squares. White is now at an important crossroads and must decide whether to maintain pressure or push for the full point. || 

20. Nf6+ 

| Playing for the win. Instead, 20. Nc3, with a mind to keeping the position under control was worthy of further consideration. The game-plan invasion of the white knight on the f6 square indicates a hostile attitude which leads to an escalation of kingside tension. It was also possible to play for a relatively easier game with, 20. Nd2, when 20. ... Nxd2 21. Bxd2, seems roughly equal. 

Perhaps white should avoid displacing the active black bishop with, 20. e3, when black can reply with, 20. ... Bg7, and white must take care. If then, 21. Nf6+ Bxf6 22. Bxf6 Nd2, forking an exchange. Perhaps white could just grin and bear the loss of the exchange here. On the other hand, white might choose to play for complications with, 23. Qc3 Nxf1 24. Bh8, threatening a mate on the g7 square. Black prevents this over-optimism with, 24. ... f6 25. Bxf6 Nd2, and if white captures the black knight then the f6 bishop will be lost and black is a rook up. If instead after, 25. Nd2, white tries for that elusive mate again with, 26. Bh8, black wins even more material with, 26. ... Nf3+ 27. Kf1 d4. This double purpose pawn advance attacks the white queen and cuts off the defence to the now-stranded white h8 bishop. 

Lastly, perhaps white could have instead played for tension by activating the f1 rook with, 20. Rd1, with the threat of, 21. e3 Bg7 22. Nxc5, which seems to be much safer. || 

20. ... Kg7 
21. Qf3 

| White now has a significant kingside superiority of forces but they have yet to coordinate against the black king. While the lack of a black fianchetto bishop on g7 may or may not be critical, the presence of the d4 bishop on the h8 - a1 diagonal is of great defensive, and despite appearances, attacking importance. Black now finds a powerful and necessary re-arrangement of the heavy pieces. Take some time here over the next three black moves. || 

21. ... Rd8 

| The black rook voluntarily enters into an x-ray attack from the white g5 bishop in order to defend the doubly attacked d5 pawn. Thankfully for black there is no obvious way for white to exploit the bishop "radiation". || 

22. h4 

| With three pieces already active on the kingside white introduces another attacking unit. With all this fire-power over there, it should not be long before the position becomes decisive, should it? Instead of a kingside assault, white might have considered a central pawn break with, 22. e4, which would force black to make a decision over how to defend the triply attacked d5 pawn. Black in the game is given the opportunity to re-group with strong threats against the white attack. || 

22. ... Rd6 

| The white f6 knight is now triply attacked and only doubly defended. This is not an immediate problem for white who has planned a neat tactic to defend the threatened piece. However, this trick is not going to offer long-term safety for the f6 knight, perhaps suggesting that the previously mentioned move 22, pawn e4, challenging in the centre might have been advisable. || 

23. h5 Qd8 

| The black heavy piece re-arrangement is complete. Yet again a black heavy piece voluntarily enters into an x-ray attack from the white g5 bishop. It is the unprotected status of that bishop which means the white f6 knight has no satisfactory means of escape. Black could not have won a piece with the alternative, 23. ... Bxf6 24. Bxf6+ Rxf6, as white deflects the black king with, 25. h6+ Kxh6, and then, 26. Qxf6, winning the black rook. With the game move of, 23. ... Qd8, not only has black avoided losing a rook, but the pressure on the white f6 knight has now increased past critical. The white response is to try and create confusion combined with a mating plan on the fianchetto square. The only problem with this is that black still has the dark square bishop backwardly guarding the a1 - h8 diagonal from the d4 square. || 

24. h6+ Kh8 

| White must find something drastic here or the f6 knight is simply going to be captured. || 

25. Ne4 

| Playing for confusion combined with an opportunity of opening up the black king. 
Instead, 25. Nh7 f6, leaves white with two pieces attacked and insufficient activity against the black king. 
There was also the tricky, 25. Nxd5 Qxg5 26. Qxf7, to be examined. Black has several good ideas here, perhaps, 26. ... Qxg3+ 27. Kh1 Qh4+ 28. Kg1 Qg5+ 29. Kh2 Qxd5, after which, 30. Qf8+ Qg8, the white checks run out and black is two pieces up. || 

25. ... dxe4 

| White is giving up a piece in order to permit the queen to invade. Black must also now take into account on each move the unprotected knight on the c4 square. || 

26. Qxf7 

| Instead, 26. Bxd8 exf3, leaves white a piece down with no possibility of salvaging anything. || 

26. ... Qxg5 
27. Qf8+ Kh7 
28. Qf7+ 

| Black can allow white to take a three-fold repetition of position here if the prospective flight route with, 28. ... Kxh6, opening the h-file for a potential white rook invasion is too risky. Time for black to get calculating. || 

28. ... Kxh6 
29. Kg2 Qf6 

| Giving the black king the g5 square for flight, and placing a queen and bishop attack on the white f2 pawn, making any rook moves from f1 problematic. || 

30. Qxc4 

| Instead, 30. Rh1+ Kg5 31. f4+ Kf5, the black king escapes. If then, 32. Qxc4 Qe6, and the black queen will become a strong attacking unit next move beginning with, 33. ... Qe4+. || 

30. ... Kg7 
31. Qa4 Qf7 

| Protecting the a7 pawn. || 

32. e3 

| Black to play now has a neat means to quickly finish the game, take some time here to find the black plan. Instead, 32. f3 exf3 33. exf3 Qe7, and black is threatening, Qe2+. Black can then slowly organise the advance of the passed c5 pawn. || 

32. ... Qf3+ 
33. Kh2 

| Instead, 33. Kg1, black might give up a piece for 3 pawns plus an open white king with, 
33. ... Bxe3 34. fxe3 Qxg3+ 35. Kh1 Qh3+ 36. Kg1 Qxe3+, though, 36. ... Rd5, intending, Rg5+, is also strong for black. || 

33. ... Rd5 
White resigns, 0-1 

| The running theme of the recent coaching sessions is yet again revealed. Black is closing in for a mate made possible because white chose to "sacrifice" the light square g2 fianchetto bishop in the early middlegame. If white tries, 34. Qxa7+ Kh6 35. g4, preventing the black rook from giving a check on h5 followed by, Rh1+ mate. However black changes plan with, 35. ... Be5+ 36. Kg1 Qxg4+ 37. Kh1 Qh3+ 38. Kg1 Qh2+ mate. || 

* * * 

## Unannotated game. 

White: V. Korchnoi. 
Black: V. Sherbakov. 
Event: Poltava 1956. 
Result: 0-1 in 33 moves. 
Opening: King's Indian Defence, Fianchetto Variation, E64. 

1. d4 Nf6 
2. c4 g6 
3. Nc3 Bg7 
4. g3 O-O 
5. Bg2 d6 
6. Nf3 c5 
7. d5 e5 
8. dxe6 Bxe6 
9. Ng5 Bxc4 
10. Bxb7 Nbd7 
11. Bxa8 Qxa8 
12. O-O d5 
13. Qa4 Nb6 
14. Qa3 h6 

15. b3 hxg5 
16. bxc4 Nxc4 
17. Qb3 Ne4 
18. Nxe4 Bxa1 
19. Bxg5 Bd4 
20. Nf6+ Kg7 
21. Qf3 Rd8 
22. h4 Rd6 
23. h5 Qd8 
24. h6+ Kh8 
25. Ne4 dxe4 
26. Qxf7 Qxg5 
27. Qf8+ Kh7 
28. Qf7+ Kxh6 
29. Kg2 Qf6 
30. Qxc4 Kg7 
31. Qa4 Qf7 
32. e3 Qf3+ 
33. Kh2 Rd5 
White resigns, 0-1 

* * *