Skype coaching session, 08 May 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 60 moves) is given with annotations and then again without annotations. 

Paul Benson. 

* * * 

Annotated game. 

White: T. Radjabov, approx 2350. 
Black: D. Kuzuev, approx 2300. 
Event: Kasparov Cup Moscow 1997. 
Result: 0-1 in 60 moves. 
Opening: Zukertort-Larsen Opening, Sicilian Invitation, Double Fianchetto System, A04. 

| Note: The player of the white pieces is Timor Radjabov at the approximate age of 10 years old. || 

1. Nf3 c5 
2. b3 Nc6 
3. Bb2 d6 
4. g3 e5 

| Black counters the white fianchetto b2 bishop with a dark square pawn formation. If this is to be broken open then white must organise the central break, pawn d4. || 

5. d3 f5 

| Aggressive. Black is planning kingside activity, in particular the advance, pawn f4, is in mind. || 

6. Bg2 Nf6 
7. O-O g6 
8. Nbd2 Bg7 

| The black counter-fianchetto ensures that should the central dark square pawn formation be broken open, then the white b2 bishop activity will be challenged. || 

9. e4 O-O 
10. Qe2 Qe7 
11. a4 

| Curious. White prefers to try to restrict any thematic black queenside expansion instead of attempting to seek central activity. || 

11. ... Bd7 
12. Rfe1 Ne8 

| Preparing to take some kingside space with the advance, awn f4. Instead placing the knight on the h5 square would risk tactical exposure. White might capture, exf5, when if black wishes to keep a pawn on the f-file and re-capture with, gxf5, then the h5 knight will be unprotected and vulnerable to the white queen's x-ray attack with a, Nxe5, tactic. || 

13. h3 

| White is preparing to try and keep the kingside closed when black takes the initiative with the advance, pawn f4. || 

13. ... f4 
14. g4 Rb8 

| Playing across the complete width of the board. The kingside activity can wait until black has made some progress on either setting up some queenside play, or in restricting any queenside / central play white might plan. || 

15. c3 

| Preventing black from playing, Nd4. White is not showing any ambitious intentions and is instead content to restrict any black activity. This is fine if one can contain the opponent's plans, but should any activity become too strong then there is the danger that one's position will not offer any opportunities to retaliate. || 

15. ... Bf6 

| A double purpose move. This prevents a white knight from invading with, Ng5, which permits a black c8 bishop to occupy the e6 square with safety. Secondly the black 2nd rank is now cleared should any heavy pieces feel the need to move sideways. Big clue there as to some of black's plans for the kingside. || 

16. Rad1 a6 
17. Nb1 

| This retreat allows the centralised white heavy pieces to support a central pawn break, if that is what white is wanting. || 

17. ... Be6 
18. Qc2 Rc8 

| A double purpose move. The c6 knight is now defended should black expand with, pawn b5. Secondly, there is now an x-ray attack up the c-file on the white queen. This latter point is not of any value just yet, but who knows if this will be the case in a few moves time. || 

19. Na3 

| White is shuffling while black is trying to make progress across the width of the board. We have just had some black queenside activity, so by the law of averages there should now be a return to the kingside, right? Quite correct. Take some time to plan the dynamic kingside play for black here. || 

19. ... h5 

| The queenside is as secure as can be, so black at last starts on the kingside in earnest. || 

20. gxh5 

| A fairly obvious response for black to anticipate, but the next black move needed considering before attacking with, pawn h5. Take some time to work out how black should continue here. || 

20. ... g5 

| Now the doubled white h-pawns will each be picked off in turn, leaving black a comfortable pawn up. || 

21. Nh2 Qf7 

| A double purpose move. An attack on the white h5 pawn and combining to create a battery with the e6 bishop against the white b3 pawn. || 

22. Nc4 b5 

| Playing across the width of the board. Black can comfortably take some space on the queenside while pushing the white knight back which in turn makes the centralised white rooks less active. It is possible to maintain some control on one side of the board while planning an assault on the other. White has made no attempts for central activity, and this has encouraged black to restrict the white queenside / central options before massing forces on the kingside. || 

23. axb5 axb5 
24. Nd2 Qxh5 
25. Kh1 

| Looks dangerous but is actually quite sensible. White needs a strong defence for the h2 knight, so vacating the g1 square permits the e1 rook to shuffle across and then lift itself to the g2 square. || 

25. ... Bxh3 
26. Bxh3 Qxh3 

| Black has won a pawn and is about to increase the pressure on the white h2 knight. Take some time to plan an efficient method of black having the queen and both rooks lined up on the h-file. || 

27. Rg1 Rc7 

| Stage one of the tripling process begins. Note how the black fianchetto bishop now sitting on the f6 square is permitting a sideways rook incursion onto the h7 square. || 

28. Ndf1 Rh7 

| Now black needs the other rook on the h-file, again, the most efficient method needs to be found. || 

29. Qe2 Kf7 

| A king lift permits the f8 rook to move to h8. White has been similarly re-grouping to counter the increasing pressure. || 

30. Qg4 

| Unfortunate but necessary. The tripled black heavy pieces up the h-file will exert too much pressure. White must force a trade of queens to avoid being crushed by an attack involving the advance of the black kingside pawns. || 

30. ... Rfh8 
31. Qxh3 Rxh3 

| Despite queens being removed the black threats on the kingside have not completely disappeared and white still has some unravelling to do. || 

32. Rg2 Be7 
33. Kg1 Nc7 

| The least active black piece is at last given a chance to join the game. || 

34. f3 b4 

| Transforming the queenside / central pawn formation in favour of the black knights. Blackis going to place one of the knights on d4 and see what happens. How does this queenside / central plan fit in with the doubled rooks on the h-file? Moreover, why is black even trying for play other than to increase pressure on the kingside? The answer is that black cannot make much more progress on the kingside. So the play moves over to the queenside / centre. There are 8 ranks on a board and advancing and retreating come naturally to mind. However when engaged in activity on one side of the board it is very easy to miss the opportunity to switch to playing on the other side of the board. || 

35. c4 

| This fixes the centre but gives away the d4 square. Leaving the c3 pawn unmoved would be worse. Black would then have, bxc3, and the white b3 pawn could become a target up the b-file. || 

35. ... Ne6 
36. Nd2 Ra8 

| The beginning of transferring the rooks over to the queenside. There are eight files across the board, make good use of them. || 

37. Ra1 Rhh8 
38. Rb1 

| White cannot prevent a black rook from invading on the a2 square and instead decides to keep as much material on the board as possible. There is also the potential weakness of the b3 pawn to be considered, and a rook on b1 might offer some defensive tactical tricks once the black knights begin to infiltrate. || 

38. ... Ra2 
39. Ng4 Ned4 
40. Rf2 Rha8 
41. Rh2 

| Even though you are being slowly squeezed, seeking opportunities for counterplay must always be kept in mind. || 

41. ... Kg7 
42. Rf2 Kf7 

| Mystery. Grand Master to be confuses Grand Rabbit. Why is black suggesting repetition could be an option here? || 

43. Kg2 

| Even bigger mystery. Grand Rabbit totally confused now. Why does white not at least try for the repetition of position and force black to alter the sequence if black is playing for a win? || 

43. ... Nc2 

| Aiming to land on the e3 square if allowed. White will not permit this. || 

44. Nf1 N6d4 

| The tension is increasing again. The white b3 pawn is threatened but there is an x-ray defence through the white b2 bishop. Tactics are beginning to rear their ugly head. In a few moves it will be make-or-break for both players. || 

45. Nh6+ Ke6 
46. Nf5 

| White is now doublly defending the e3 square. Try playing, 46. ... Ne3, now if you dare! || 

46. ... Ne3+ 

| A tactical liquidation leading to a won ending. There are quite a few subtle points in the game sequence about to unfold. As Bobby Fischer instructs us: Tactics flow from a positionally superior game. The black pieces have attacking options which the white pieces are attempting to contain. In such positions there will often be a window of opportunity open to one player, and possibly only present for one move. Continual exploration for a sequence of moves to simplify the position need to be undertaken if the opportunity is to be found. Hard work, but good fun when you find something works. || 

47. N5xe3 fxe3 
48. Nxe3 Nxb3 

| So, black has conceded the f-pawn to win the white b3 pawn. Ah, but pawn-counting is only part of the process. The loss of the white b3 pawn has converted the black b4 pawn into a protected passed pawn, a very desirable change of status, even more so as the endgame approaches. The tactics are not over yet. White is about to try to muddy the waters again. || 

49. Bxe5 

| Exposing the black b3 knight to attack from the b1 rook, a trick on which white has been relying ever since black began invading with the knights. || 

49. ... Rxf2+ 
50. Kxf2 

| Black must find the next move or the simplifications will have thrown away all the advantage. || 

50. ... Nd2 

| Demonstrating that an attacked piece which can escape capture and put an opposing piece under attack is a strong tactical device. Instead, 50. ... Kxe5 51. Rxb3, and white would have won back a pawn and have a knight to shuffle in amongst the pawn centre while the black bishop would be reduced to defending pawns. || 

51. Rb2 

| The reason for black initiating the simplifications is about to emerge. Perhaps the idea of resisting capturing with, Kxe5, is still in mind? If so, there are 3 interesting options for black to explore here. Remember Animal Farm anybody? To paraphrase: All options are equal, but some options are more equal than others. Black can keep the tactics going with 3 moves, but which gives the clearest advantage? || 

51. ... Nxf3 

| The best of all knight captures. The removal of the white f3 pawn has repeated what has just happened over on the b-file. The black g-pawn has been made into a passed pawn. It is the creation of a second passed pawn which makes the black advantage into a decisive one. The other knight captures of, Nxc4, or, Nxe4, will not create another passed pawn and are therefore to be rejected. || 

52. Kxf3 

| Instead attempting to win a pawn with, 52. Bxd6, would only allow the black bishop to assist the decisive advance of the b-pawn with, 52. ... Bxd6. Play could continue with, 53. Kxf3 Be5 54. Rb1 Ra3 55. Ke2 b3 56. Kd2 b2 57. Kc2 Ra1, and the black grip on the queenside will leave the kingside as a battle between the lonely white knight against the black king and passed g-pawn. No contest. The passed black g-pawn will cost white the knight. || 

52. ... Kxe5 
53. Nd5 

| Black to play and find a useful zwischenzug to assist in shortening the game. || 

53. ... Rf8+ 

| Yet again, there are eight files across the board, use them. Instead the immediate, 53. ... Bd8, will force black to play, Ra7, in order to get across the board to support the advance of the passed g5 pawn. || 

54. Ke3 

| The white king was faced with an impossible decision. The black king must be kept out of the d4 square, but this means the white king cannot then assist to stop the advance of the black g5 pawn. || 

54. ... Bd8 

| The black bishop and white knight are in a formation of mutual immobilisation which could be expressed as the Bishop Versus Knight Stand Off. This relationship can occur anywhere on the board and is established when a bishop and an opposing knight are located on the same file or rank and separated by two squares. Each piece is then denied free access to squares controlled by the other. Here with a bishop on d8 and a knight on d5 the squares, b6, c7, e7, f6, are those under dispute. It might seem that this type of stand off results in each piece cancelling out the other, with neither being able to claim to be better. Not so, sometimes one of the pieces can be considered better. This judgement is dependant on factors other than the two pieces in conflict. In this game the bishop has a big advantage over the knight. It is not necessary for it to move, the black position is quite solid despite the apparent bishop inactivity. The white knight is however denied the possibility of jumping around trying to create mischief in the black position. So here the bishop has the better of this mutually-restricting relationship. || 

55. Rg2 Rg8 

| Well-known chess endgame maxim: "Rooks belong behind passed pawns". This applies to both an attacking rook supporting the advance of the passed pawn or a defender trying to prevent the advance. || 

56. Rh2 g4 
57. d4+ 

| White is running out of options. Once the black g-pawn gets as far as g3 then black will have, Bg5+, forcing the white king back to the e2 square which is no longer guarding the d4 square. Black then retreats with, Bh6, to re-protect the g3 pawn by the g8 rook, and then the black king can finally invade on d4 and something will give way. If the white king is not on the e2 square then the d3 pawn will fall. If the white d5 knight moves then black will further invade with, Kc3, and the b-pawn will advance. So, white rationalises that the only way to prevent the invasion of the black king is to force a black pawn to occupy the d4 square. || 

57. ... cxd4+ 
58. Kd3 g3 
59. Rg2 b3 

| Almost zugzwang. If, 60. Rg1 g2, and the white rook is paralysed, as moving away allows a material-costing pawn promotion. If the white king moves the e4 pawn falls. All that is left for white is a single knight move. || 

60. Nb4 Kf4 
White resigns, 0-1 

| Allowing the black king to advance to the f3 square to assist the promotion of the g-pawn is hopeless for white. Instead, 61. Ke2 b2 62. Rg1 g2 63. Nd5+ Kg3 64. Nc3 Kh2 65. Kf2 Bh4+, and the white g1 rook will be captured next move. || 

* * * 

## Unannotated game. 

White: T. Radjabov, approx 2350. 
Black: D. Kuzuev, approx 2300. 
Event: Kasparov Cup Moscow 1997. 
Result: 0-1 in 60 moves. 
Opening: Zukertort-Larsen Opening, Sicilian Invitation, Double Fianchetto System, A04. 

1. Nf3 c5 
2. b3 Nc6 
3. Bb2 d6 
4. g3 e5 
5. d3 f5 
6. Bg2 Nf6 
7. O-O g6 
8. Nbd2 Bg7 
9. e4 O-O 
10. Qe2 Qe7 
11. a4 Bd7 
12. Rfe1 Ne8 
13. h3 f4 
14. g4 Rb8 
15. c3 Bf6 
16. Rad1 a6 
17. Nb1 Be6 
18. Qc2 Rc8 
19. Na3 h5 
20. gxh5 g5 
21. Nh2 Qf7 
22. Nc4 b5 
23. axb5 axb5 
24. Nd2 Qxh5 
25. Kh1 Bxh3 
26. Bxh3 Qxh3 
27. Rg1 Rc7 
28. Ndf1 Rh7 
29. Qe2 Kf7 
30. Qg4 Rfh8 
31. Qxh3 Rxh3 
32. Rg2 Be7 
33. Kg1 Nc7 
34. f3 b4 
35. c4 Ne6 
36. Nd2 Ra8 
37. Ra1 Rhh8 
38. Rb1 Ra2 
39. Ng4 Ned4 
40. Rf2 Rha8 
41. Rh2 Kg7 
42. Rf2 Kf7 
43. Kg2 Nc2 
44. Nf1 N6d4 
45. Nh6+ Ke6 
46. Nf5 Ne3+ 
47. N5xe3 fxe3 
48. Nxe3 Nxb3 
49. Bxe5 Rxf2+ 
50. Kxf2 Nd2 
51. Rb2 Nxf3 
52. Kxf3 Kxe5 
53. Nd5 Rf8+ 
54. Ke3 Bd8 
55. Rg2 Rg8 
56. Rh2 g4 
57. d4+ cxd4+ 
58. Kd3 g3 
59. Rg2 b3 
60. Nb4 Kf4 
White resigns, 0-1 

* * *