Skype coaching session, 13 March 2016. 

Recordings of some previous coaching sessions can be found at: 

http://www.open-aurec.com/Skype/PaulBenson/PaulBenson.htm
 
The following games were examined, the games 33 moves) and 32 moves are given with annotations and then again without annotations. 

Paul Benson. 

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Annotated game 1. 

White: M. Drasko. 
Black: D. Velimirovic. 
Event: Sarajevo 1986. 
Result: 1/2-1/2 in 33 moves. 
Opening: Benoni Defence, Hromadka System, A56. 

1. d4 Nf6 
2. c4 c5 
3. d5 g6 
4. Nc3 Bg7 
5. g3 O-O 
6. Bg2 d6 
7. Nf3 e6 
8. dxe6 Bxe6 
9. Ng5 Bxc4 
10. Bxb7 Nbd7 
11. Qxd6 

| Winning a central pawn while declining the offered black a8 rook. A different form of material gain as witnessed in the previous three coaching sessions. Perhaps the initiative gained in return for the material will be different? || 

11. ... h6 

| Putting the question to the white knight. If it can be pushed back onto the f3 square then the bishop on b7 will be denied easy access to the safety of the g2 square. Instead, 11. ... Rb8, sending the bishop back to the g2 square was the alternative. || 

12. Bxa8 

| As the saying goes: "In for a penny, in for a pound." White wants to have both the exchange and to deny black the mobile central pawns as shown in previous sessions with this opening system. || 

12. ... Qxa8 
13. Nf3 

| So white has snatched the exchange, blocked the a8 - h1 diagonal, and prevented black from having the mobile pawn centre as already observed in previous sessions. Looks like the opening skirmish has been a victory for white. Black to play and give white a shock. || 

13. ... Ne5 

| Well, that certainly looks like a shock from here. Assuming white is going to capture the knight, how is black going to reply? || 

14. O-O 

|Perhaps some home-brewed non-silicon created sample lines may offer some inspiration for further exploration?? 

White seems to gain little from, 14. Nxe5 Qxh1+ 15. Kd2 Ne4+, a royal fork which forces, 16. Nxe4 Qxe4, and black threatens both, Qxe2+,and, Bxe5. White can further remove material with, 17. Nxc4 Qxc4, when black has good activity for a pawn. Instead if after, 16. ... Qxe4, white chooses to fight then, 17. Nd3, but then, 17. ... Re8, and if, 18. Nf4 g5, and the white position falls apart. If the attacked white f4 knight moves with, 19. Nh5, then, 19. ... Qxe2+ mate will occur. White can improve with, 18. Be3. Black can now obtain material equality with, 18. ... Bxb2 19. Rb1 Bd4 while still having good play. 

So, what would have occurred if white had tried the, 14. Qxe5, capture? Remember, black would be a whole rook down in the somewhat following random non-silicon-inspired suggestions. 
(A). 14. Qxe5 Re8 15. Qxc5 Bxe2 16. Nxe2 Qxf3, black is attacking the h1 rook and e2 knight. White can run away with, 17. O-O Rxe2. White is an exchange and pawn up, but black might have kingside play and pressure on the white 2nd rank. Does white need to be so materialistic? 
(B). 14. Qxe5 Re8 15. Qf4, gaining an attack tempo on the unprotected black c4 bishop and also giving some much-needed protection to the f3 knight. If then, 15. ... Ba6 16. O-O, and as white has found a way to protect the usual target for an undermining combination, that is the f3 knight, then perhaps the black attack seems to be grinding to a halt? 
(C). 14. Qxe5 Re8 15. Qf4 Ne4, interfering with the white queen horizontal attack on the c4 bishop can only be temporary. Black must make certain that when the tactics begin they are successful. White can continue with, 16. O-O, when black must prove matters. If now, 16. ... Nxc3 17. Qxc4 Nxe2+ 18. Kg2 Nd4 19. Qd3, when white has a plan of, Bd2, Bc3, and, Bxd4, to release the pressure on the f3 knight. 

The above three sample lines are not exhaustive and do not attempt to show if the offered black knight sacrifice is sound. Perhaps white simply chose to trust black. Velimirovic is known to be a dangerous tactician, so perhaps white took the pragmatic view that it would be best to avoid any complications and permit black whatever gains the bold knight move offers, providing of course that white declining the piece offer can still find a line to avoid going worse. 

It is interesting that this game played in 1986 is the only example of black offering the knight. There could be a message there for us. || 

14. ... Nxf3+ 
15. exf3 Bxf1 
16. Kxf1 Qxf3 
17. Kg1 Ne4 

| The game has simplified, neither player can create an initiative, and even though there are weaknesses to focus on, the game is most likely going to drift to a draw. The remaining game moves are given without comment. || 

18. Qf4 Qxf4 
19. Bxf4 Nxc3 
20. bxc3 Bxc3 
21. Rc1 Bd4 
22. Bxh6 Rb8 
23. Rc2 f5 
24. Be3 Bxe3 
25. fxe3 Rc8 
26. Kf2 Kf7 
27. e4 Ke6 
28. Ke3 g5 
29. h4 gxh4 
30. gxh4 fxe4 
31. Kxe4 Kd6 
32. Rg2 Kc6 
33. h5 
Draw, 1/2-1/2 

*  *  * 

## Unannotated game 1. 

White: M. Drasko. 
Black: D. Velimirovic. 
Event: Sarajevo 1986. 
Result: 1/2-1/2 in 33 moves. 
Opening: Benoni Defence, Hromadka System, A56. 

1. d4 Nf6 
2. c4 c5 
3. d5 g6 
4. Nc3 Bg7 
5. g3 O-O 
6. Bg2 d6 
7. Nf3 e6 
8. dxe6 Bxe6 
9. Ng5 Bxc4 
10. Bxb7 Nbd7 
11. Qxd6 h6 
12. Bxa8 Qxa8 
13. Nf3 Ne5 
14. O-O Nxf3+ 
15. exf3 Bxf1 
16. Kxf1 Qxf3 
17. Kg1 Ne4 
18. Qf4 Qxf4 
19. Bxf4 Nxc3 
20. bxc3 Bxc3 
21. Rc1 Bd4 
22. Bxh6 Rb8 
23. Rc2 f5 
24. Be3 Bxe3 
25. fxe3 Rc8 
26. Kf2 Kf7 
27. e4 Ke6 
28. Ke3 g5 
29. h4 gxh4 
30. gxh4 fxe4 
31. Kxe4 Kd6 
32. Rg2 Kc6 
33. h5 
Draw, 1/2-1/2 

*  *  * 

## Annotated game 2. 

White: A. Hollis. 
Black: G. Khodos. 
Event: WchT U26, Budva 1963. 
Result: 1/2-1/2 in 32 moves. 
Opening: Benoni Defence, Hromadka System, A56. 

1. d4 Nf6 
2. c4 c5 
3. d5 d6 
4. Nc3 g6 
5. g3 Bg7 
6. Bg2 O-O 
7. Nf3 e6 
8. dxe6 Bxe6 
9. Ng5 Bxc4 
10. Bxb7 Nbd7 
11. Qxd6 

| White declines the offered black rook. Black is now going to be a pawn down and must find active play with the minor and heavy pieces, in particular focusing on catching the white king in the centre. || 

11. ... Rb8 

| Black can no longer have the lines involving central pawns on d5 and c5 as shown in the previous four coaching sessions. The a8 rook will no longer be used as bishop-bait but must instead take up an active position on the semi-open b-file and slow down the white queenside development. || 

12. Bg2 Re8 

| Now another black rook takes up a posting on another semi-open file, and that old familiar target of the white e2 pawn is clearly in mind. || 

13. Qd1 

| An curious un-development, but the white e2 pawn needs extra protection if the white king is to achieve kingside safety. Did someone mention "Initiative over material"? Black to play and find a plan to regain material while keeping some of the initiative. || 

13. ... Ng4 

| Very strange. This knight is hitting nothing important, is it? Ah, it is not about the knight as such. The target is the white e2 pawn which is triply defended. If white tries kingside castling then the e2 pawn will still be doubly defended and black will only have the e2 pawn doubly attacked, so what is happening here? Simple. Black is planning removing one of the white defenders of the e2 pawn with, Bxc3. || 

14. O-O Bxc3 

| Some players who enjoy a kingside fianchetto might regard such captures as heresy. In terms of immediate material and initiative considerations the removal of the white c3 knight makes good sense. The long-term consequences of giving up the fianchetto bishop are not obvious. Will black suffer on the dark squares later on? Only time and middlegame imagination will tell. || 

15. bxc3 Bxe2 

| So black has forked an exchange on the light squares, despite white having kept the g2 fianchetto bishop. We suppose white must have allowed for this obvious capture. || 

16. Qd5 

| If ever there was an opening system made for light square activity, it must be this one, which started with the central pawn capture, 8. dxe6. Here the white queen and g5 knight combine against the undefended black f8 rook to threaten mate in two with, Qxf7+, and, Qxh7+. Black will not now have the time to capture, Bxf1. || 

16. ... Nde5 

| The central files are now devoid of pawns, any pieces daring to occupy central squares must be certain of having good support from their fellow teammates. || 

17. Re1 

| The tension is beginning to mount. Black surely has enough defensive resources guarding the potential disaster on the f7 and h7 squares, doesn't he? Well, should white find a means of trading-off the e5 knight it can be replaced with it's stable-mate presently sitting on the g4 square. But what if both knights can be traded-off? Ideas like this must be considered well in advance. Black reckons the tandem knights can hold the position and so embarks on a little tactical venture of his own. || 

17. ... Qa5 

| The e2 bishop is left to defend itself. Just what is black planning here? Clue: The black b8 rook shuffled onto the semi-open b-file to inhibit the white queenside development. The b-file is now fully open, but the general principle of occupying the file to restrain the white queenside still stands. || 

18. Bf4 

| Creating an awkward pin on the black b8 rook. Instead, 18. Rxe2 Qxc3, attacks the white a1 rook which has no safe move available. This would force white to return material with, 19. Bb2 Rxb2, and in the process black has snatched the white c3 pawn while keeping hold of the c5 pawn. In the game it is black to play and find a rather unexpected opportunity which might well have come as a shock to white. || 

18. ... Red8 

| Opportunity? What opportunity? Just what has attacking the white queen gained black here? Take a careful view of the centrally located white queen and her options. Hopefully the awful truth will slowly dawn. She has, including captures however ridiculous they might seem, 18 legal moves available. So, what is the problem with her position? A little short of options, is she? Hey, hang on there, she can move to the e4 square, so what is the problem? Think carefully here, an open board is an open board, isn't it? || 

19. Rxe2 

| White has to make the best of a bad job. Difficult to believe, but the white queen has been snared in an open board. Instead, 19. Qe4 Bd3, and she is finally without a safe square. By capturing the stray black bishop on the e2 square, white will at least have a black rook and bishop for the queen. || 

19. ... Rxd5 
20. Bxd5 

| To re-assess the white position. There is still some pressure on the black f7 pawn. The black e5 knight is awkwardly pinned to the b8 rook. There will undoubtedly be a doubling of the white rooks up the fully open e-file. So, perhaps losing the white queen for a black rook and bishop is not the end of the world? || 

20. ... Qxc3 

| A quadruple purpose move. Firstly, winning a weak pawn. Secondly, the loss of the white c3 pawn also makes the c5 pawn passed and potentially dangerous once the tactics die down. Thirdly, there is an attack on the undefended white a1 rook, which forces white to spend a tempo to save it. Lastly, the queen on c3 backwardly guards the e5 knight. The first three points are fairly obvious, but just what is the status of the black e5 knight? Is it safe or vulnerable? Please consider this piece carefully. || 

21. Rae1 

| More pressure on the black e5 knight. If this piece moves then white can choose between, Bxf7+, or, Nxf7, neither of which are pleasant for black. The tension is increasing, black to move must find counterplay. || 

21. ... Rd8 

| Intended to scare the white bishop off the a2 - g8 diagonal and so relieve the pressure on the f7 pawn. Best laid plans of mice and men? || 

22. h3 

| Undermining the only defender of the vulnerable black e5 knight. Retreating with, 22. Bb3 c4, shuts the white bishop out of play. White could not have won a piece with, 22. Bxe5 Nxe5 23. Rxe5, because black has the surprising riposte of, 23. ... Rxd5, so that if white tries, 24. Rxd5 Qxe1+, and black not only keeps material equality but the black passed c5 pawn will give the white rook and knight some serious problems. 

Instead the move sequence, 22. Bxe5 Nxe5 23. Rxe5 Rxd5 24. Re8+ Kg7 25. h4, still leaves white struggling to stop that black passed c5 pawn. || 

22. ... Rxd5 
23. hxg4 Nd3 

| A useful fork. Black definitely needs to remove the white dark square bishop which could soon exploit the fianchetto hole of the g7 square. White is not going to part with such a wonderful piece so easily, but with the e1 rook also attacked by the black knight, what choice is there? White to play and increase the complications. || 

24. Ne4 

| A triple purpose move. The gain of tempo by attacking the white queen is gratefully accepted by white. The knight on e4 now threatens a dangerous check on the f6 square should the black queen vacate the h8 - a1 diagonal. However, the best gain from, 24. Ne4, is that with sufficient time the white f4 bishop can now move to the h6 square, taking control of the important g7 and f8 squares. White is now thinking in terms of a potential back rank mating net, the tactical spring is winding tighter and tighter. 

White cannot make progress with the tension-liberating, 24. Re8+ Kg7 25. R1e7 Nxf4 26. gxf4 Qc1+ 27. Kg2 Qxf4 28. Rxf7+ Qxf7 29. Nxf7 Kxf7 30. Ra8 Rd7 31. Rc8 Rd4, and white will be on the defensive. 
Black might be able to improve on the above line with, 24. Re8+ Kg7 25. R1e7 Nxf4 26. gxf4 Rxg5 27. fxg5 Qc1+ 28. Kg2 Qxg5, and have queen and five pawns against the white rook pair and three pawns. 
Lastly there is, 24. Re8+ Kg7 25. R1e7 Nxf4 26. Rxf7+ Kh6 27. gxf4, and white is threatening, 28. Rxh7+ mate. This forces black to give up the exchange with, 27. ... Rxg5, after which, 28. fxg5+ Kxg5 29. Rxa7, and white should be surviving. || 

24. ... Qd4 

| The problem with attacking the opposing queen is that she might be pushed to a more favourable square. Now the white f2 pawn is a potential target. || 

25. Bh6 

| Taking control of the flight square of the black king, but surely white has a rook on e1 attacked by the black knight? Black to play and must find the correct move here. || 

25. ... Re5 

| Black must block the e-file, even though the doubled rooks do not have immediate access to the e8 square. Instead the greedy, 25. ... Nxe1 26. Nf6+ Qxf6 27. Re8+ mate, hopefully demonstrates the value of keeping your fianchetto bishop on the board. Attempting to block the e-file using the knight fails badly. If, 25. ... Ne5, then white wins with, 26. Nf6+ Kh8 27. Nxd5 Qxd5 28. Rxe5, threatening both the black queen on d5 and a mate on the e8 square. || 

26. Nf6+ 

| It seems white has to force matters. || 

26. ... Kh8 
27. Rxe5 

| The tension is being dissipated. Sometimes in a game a decision needs to be made whether to continue the fight or to steer the game towards a peaceful conclusion. Instead, 27. Rb1, seeking invasion on the b8 square seems too risky. Black can reply, 27. ... Nb4, when white might try for a kingside grip with, 28. Rxe5 Qxe5 29. g5. The black king is now vulnerable to a back rank mate, but surely the black queen and knight are enough to defend against the white rook? If white can play, 30. Kf1, then the threat of, 31. Re1, sets up a potential mate on the e8 square and would therefore force black to give up the queen for that rook. This of course takes time and there are many moves by black to consider before this comes about. There are other possibilities for manoeuvring the white rook to hit the black back rank, but these all demand careful calculation. 

Also after, 27. Rb1, black could try either, 27. ... Qd6, or, 27. ... Qd8, in each case guarding the invasion b8 square. The complications of both these queen moves are not easy to assess. In essence, white was confronted with a choice to fight on at risk to himself or force black to find the relatively easy means to avoid defeat. || 

27. ... Qxf2+ 

| Simplest. Instead, 27. ... Nxe5, allows the possibility of white moving the king off the g1 square to be able to play, pawn f4, and the black back rank is again vulnerable. || 

28. Kh1 Qf3+ 
29. Kh2 

| White must avoid the couple of light square disasters of, 29. Kg1 Qxg3+, when either, 30. Kh1 Nf2+ mate, or, 30. Kf1 Qf2+ mate, would undo all the hard work. || 

29. ... Nxe5 

| Drawing the e1 rook off the white back rank, allowing a perpetual check. || 

30. Rxe5 

| Instead attempting to stop the perpetual check with, 30. Rg1, loses the f6 knight to, 30. ... Qxf6. || 

30. ... Qf2+ 
31. Kh3 Qf1+ 
32. Kh2 
Draw, 1/2-1/2 

*  *  * 

## Unannotated game 2. 

White: A. Hollis. 
Black: G. Khodos. 
Event: WchT U26, Budva 1963. 
Result: 1/2-1/2 in 32 moves. 
Opening: Benoni Defence, Hromadka System, A56. 

1. d4 Nf6 
2. c4 c5 
3. d5 d6 
4. Nc3 g6 
5. g3 Bg7 
6. Bg2 O-O 
7. Nf3 e6 
8. dxe6 Bxe6 
9. Ng5 Bxc4 
10. Bxb7 Nbd7 
11. Qxd6 Rb8 
12. Bg2 Re8 
13. Qd1 Ng4 
14. O-O Bxc3 
15. bxc3 Bxe2 
16. Qd5 Nde5 
17. Re1 Qa5 
18. Bf4 Red8 
19. Rxe2 Rxd5 
20. Bxd5 Qxc3 
21. Rae1 Rd8 
22. h3 Rxd5 
23. hxg4 Nd3 
24. Ne4 Qd4 
25. Bh6 Re5 
26. Nf6+ Kh8 
27. Rxe5 Qxf2+ 
28. Kh1 Qf3+ 
29. Kh2 Nxe5 
30. Rxe5 Qf2+ 
31. Kh3 Qf1+ 
32. Kh2 
Draw, 1/2-1/2 

*  *  *