Skype coaching session, 03 July 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 51 moves) is given with annotations and then again without annotations. 

Paul Benson. 

* * * 

Annotated game. 

White: Stefanova, 2489. 
Black: Harikrishna, 2674. 
Event: Cap D'Adge France, 2006. 
Result: 1-0 in 51 moves. 
Opening: Queen's Pawn Opening, London System, D00. 

1. d4 d5 
2. Bf4 c6 
3. e3 Bf5 
4. Bd3 

| White does not wish to allow black ideas involving, 4. c4 Bxb1, removing the piece which white needs on the c3 square to mount pressure on the central light squares. || 

4. ... Bxd3 
5. Qxd3 Nf6 
6. Nf3 e6 
7. O-O Bd6 
8. Bxd6 Qxd6 

| Only move 8 and already there are no bishops left in the game. This simplifying strategy might reduce the opportunity for middlegame tactical complexities but will not guarantee a simple game. || 

9. c4 O-O 
10. Nc3 Nbd7 

| White has more options for central play due to the two pawns on the 4th rank and both knights being placed on the 3rd rank. If black tries for a thematic, pawn e5, break then the black d5 pawn might become a problem. White on the other hand will not have any fears over the d4 pawn after a similar central, pawn e4, break. || 

11. Rad1 Rfe8 
12. e4 dxe4 
13. Nxe4 Nxe4 
14. Qxe4 

| Only move 14 and three sets of minor pieces have been removed from play. Such early exchanges tend to eliminate chances of mounting a powerful attack on either side of the board, making life easier for whoever might be trying to steer the game towards a draw. However, such wood-cutting also allows the remaining pieces to achieve greater activity which then tests positional understanding rather than tactical planning. The remaining pieces must now coordinate to restrict the opposing pieces while probing to make small gains as the game proceeds. Play must be careful on both sides. If a material disadvantage arises then there will be little or no opportunity to lash out with a desperate do or die assault in an attempt to grab a half-point from a loss. || 

14. ... Nf6 
15. Qc2 

| The white queen is needed to defend the queenside pawns and then remain central / queenside to support the forthcoming advance of the pawn majority. Instead, 14. Qh4 Qb4, and the black queen has been gifted some unexpected and unnecessary activity. || 

15. ... Rad8 
16. Rfe1 h6 

| Moving a king's rook pawn in front of a castled king like this can occur for several reasons. Keeping an opposing piece out of the g5 square immediately springs to mind. Quickly following that thought is that the defender is trying to avoid a future back-rank mate threat long before it emerges. Sometimes it implies there is no obvious plan to make progress and so a move which does not significantly alter the position is needed. Here black is waiting for white to make some commitment and then seek to create counter-activity. || 

17. Ne5 

| White commits and black in turn responds. || 

17. ... c5 
18. dxc5 Qxc5 

| White now has a three against two queenside pawn majority which offers the opportunity to try and create a passed pawn. Such a pawn might eventually be allowed to promote and cost material but this clearly demands the defender make some poor decisions. It is more usual for the attacker to force opposing pieces into defensive roles and be prepared to trade one advantage for another if the pawn is successfully blockaded. || 

19. h3 

| Guarding the g4 square and avoiding a possible future back-rank mate threat. Now all the play should be focused over on the queenside. || 

19. ... Rxd1 
20. Qxd1 

| Clearly the deflection of the defending e1 rook with, 20. Rxd1 Qxe5, costing white a piece is to be avoided. || 

20. ... Qa5 

| Black finds a quadruple purpose move for the queen. She attacks the undefended white a2 pawn. There is now an attack on the white e1 rook which ties the white queen to the defence of the rook. She maintains an attack on the white e5 knight which might tie down the white e1 rook to the defence. Lastly, she is supporting the black e8 rook shuffle move of, Rd8, taking control of the fully open d-file with a gain of tempo attack on the white queen. || 

21. a3 Rd8 

| Not that it matters here, but hasn't black just placed the a5 queen and the d8 rook into a potential white knight fork on the c6 square? Well, such a knight fork is a long way off but in chess distant threats have a habit of appearing from over the horizon when one least expects them. || 

22. Qc1 Rd4 

| Black has made progress over the last few moves arising from white attempting for activity with, 17. Ne5. Not that it matters much, but hasn't black just placed the rook into a potential white knight fork on the c6 square? Instead, 22. ... Rc8, trying to hold the position by defending rather than attacking might have been a simpler choice. White is now to play and find a move to take the initiative. || 

23. c5 Qb5 

| Black prefers to prevent any activity white might gain from the advance, 24. c6. || 

24. b4 Nd5 

| Black re-routes the knight to further defend the c6 square. This however creates a little problem for the black d4 rook. || 

25. Qb2 Rf4 

| The black rook is trying to restrain the white queenside pawns from across a rank, rather than the more usual defending up a semi-open file. On f4 it might appear that black is seeking kingside activity, not so, this position is all about queenside strategy. || 

26. g3 Rf5 

| Perhaps not that it matters much here, but hasn't black just placed the rook and b5 queen into a potential white knight fork formation? This time it is the d6 square which beckons the white knight. || 

27. Qc2 

| A double purpose move. Firstly, the queen steps sideways to escape the ex-ray attack from the black queen through the b4 pawn. Secondly, the c4 square is now protected which allows the white e5 knight to manoeuvre for a strong entry on the d6 square. || 

27. ... Ne7 

| The argument over who should control the c6 square continues. || 

28. Qe4 Nc6 

| Black has won the argument over the c6 square. No problem says white. Let's have a different argument then. || 

29. Nc4 

| Isn't chess a funny game? Black has previously been placing the queen and rook into a formation allowing a white knight fork on the light squares. The black heavy pieces shuffle onto light squares only to yet again end up in another white knight fork formation. No wonder some people claim a knight is superior to a bishop, and in this type of position it is difficult to disagree. || 

29. ... Qa4 

| Instead, 29. ... Qa6 30. Nd6 Rf6 31. b5, and white wins a piece for a pawn. || 

30. Rb1 

| White prepares sufficient defence for the b4 pawn in anticipation of losing the a3 pawn once the c4 knight leaps into action on the d6 square. || 

30. ... Rd5 

| Black retaliates similarly with a pre-emptive defence. White is planning, Nd6, and, Nxb7, which would leave the black c6 knight defenceless and vulnerable to capture from the white e4 queen. The rook on d5 defends the c6 knight with an interference of the white queen attack. || 

31. Nd6 Qxa3 
32. Nxb7 

| The last few moves have altered matters on the queenside. White still has a mobile queenside pawn majority with the newly added gain of a passed c-pawn. Black in turn still has much piece activity in and around the white queenside pawns. It is black who needs to be more careful here, it is likely that a further pair of queenside pawns will disappear leaving white with a passed c-pawn. Then the big question will be asked of black. Can you successfully blockade such a pawn without allowing white gains elsewhere on the board? || 

32. ... a6 

| Necessary to prevent the overwhelming white pawn storm beginning with, 33. b5, which will be immediately followed with, 34. c6, and a material winning pawn promotion on the c8 square seems inevitable. || 

33. Nd6 Qc3 

| Black needs to remove queens from the game as the white queen could combine with the d6 knight to make threats on both sides of the board. || 

34. Kg2 

| White anticipates the queen trade and starts to centralise the king in readiness for whatever variant of endgame is about to arise. || 

34. ... Qd4 
35. Qxd4 Rxd4 
36. b5 axb5 
37. Rxb5 

| At last the white queenside pawn majority has produced the desired passed pawn. The black piece activity should be sufficient to prevent promotion, so this is quickly heading for a draw, is it? Too simplistic. White will continue to shuffle around the passed pawn with two intentions. One, to promote the pawn should black fail to coordinate the defending pieces correctly. Two, assuming black can coordinate the defence, then white will manoeuvre the pieces such that the passed pawn can be given up at the appropriate moment to make gains somewhere over in the black kingside. This is known as trading one advantage for another. || 

37. ... Rd5 
38. Ne4 Rd4 
39. Rb6 Ne5 

| Black has found a plan to win the white c-pawn. The white pieces cannot protect themselves and the c5 pawn at the same time. Instead, 39. ... Rxe4 40. Rxc6 Rc4, could be followed by both kings running over to the queenside to assist the fight over the promotion of the white c-pawn. At the appropriate moment the white rook could seek to invade the black kingside and win pawns. If the black king does not move queenside then the white king and rook will definitely force through a promotion. || 

40. Nd6 Nd7 

| White has invested so much effort in order to create a passed pawn and the outcome is that black can eliminate it. Observe how the white rook becomes overloaded when it is called upon to defend the c-pawn and the knight at the same time. || 

41. Rc6 

| White has managed to manoeuvre such that as the passed c-pawn falls there will be a compensatory gain elsewhere. The new advantage will not be a decisive one, but should at least offer some chances for black to overlook something. || 

41. ... Nxc5 
42. Rc8+ 

| Instead, 42. Rxc5 Rxd6, should be drawn but black can grind away at white for a long time until white demonstrates the necessary technique to secure the draw. Why put oneself through such unnecessary hardships? || 

42. ... Kh7 
43. Nxf7 

| So white regains the pawn and in the process breaks up the black kingside pawn formation. The black e6 pawn could become a target, but even if this falls, the white three against two kingside pawn majority is insufficient for a win with pieces on the board. So, does white have anything at all here? || 

43. ... Nd3 

| White to play and try to set up a threat which can be comfortably avoided. || 

44. h4 

| If this pawn advance did not occur to you earlier, then please take some time to work out just what white has in mind. Remember that nothing can happen by force from here. All white can do is set traps and hope the opponent might wander into one of them. || 

44. ... Rd7 

| The white idea was, 45. h5, taking control of the g6 flight square, and then, 46. Rh8+ mate. The black rook retreat disrupts this attempted mating pattern just in time. So that means the danger is over and black can relax, right? || 

45. Nd8 e5 
46. Ne6 

| Black is holding the position, white has nothing which can happen by force. Take some time here to work out how black should play here. || 

46. ... Rf7 

| Catastrophic. Black has been absorbing the white pressure ever since white established a queenside pawn majority. The temptation to create some pressure against the white f2 pawn has thrown away all the hard work. Instead, 46. ... Ra7, and black is safe. Please take some time to work out why a black rook on a7 means safety, while a black rook on the f7 square spells disaster. Clue: The disaster might not be for the rook. || 

47. Nf8+ Rxf8 

| A sad necessity as a result of the rook being placed on the f7 square. The white knight check has set up a mate net on the black king. Instead, 47. ... Kh8 48. Ng6+ Kh7 49. h5, the h-pawn protects the white g6 knight which is now supporting the conclusive, Rh8+ mate. The spite, 49. ... Rxf2+, gets nowhere as, 50. Kg1, and black has no more sensible checks. If the black king tries, 47. ... Kg8, the story is the same, the white knight, h-pawn and rook combine with the same idea. 

However, does this pattern work with the black rook on the a7 square? No, the black king has a flight square. If white had then tried, 47. Nf8+, then black escapes with, 47. ... Kg8 48. Ng6+ Kf7, and the e6 square is a further flight route. Black took the opportunity on move 46 to try for rook activity. The aggressive placement of the rook on the f7 square only served to block a potential flight plan for the king. || 

48. Rxf8 Kg6 
49. Kf3 Nc5 
50. Rc8 Nb7 
51. Rc6+ 
Black resigns, 1-0 

| One amusing finish to be avoided was, 51. ... Kf5 52. g4+ mate. Resignation is not premature at this level of play. The white king will be able to advance into the black position without much trouble. The black king and knight will not be able to set up a blockade, the e5 pawn would be the first casualty, there would be more to follow. || 

* * * 

## Unannotated game. 

White: Stefanova, 2489. 
Black: Harikrishna, 2674. 
Event: Cap D'Adge France, 2006. 
Result: 1-0 in 51 moves. 
Opening: Queen's Pawn Opening, London System, D00. 

1. d4 d5 
2. Bf4 c6 
3. e3 Bf5 
4. Bd3 Bxd3 
5. Qxd3 Nf6 
6. Nf3 e6 
7. O-O Bd6 
8. Bxd6 Qxd6 
9. c4 O-O 
10. Nc3 Nbd7 
11. Rad1 Rfe8 
12. e4 dxe4 
13. Nxe4 Nxe4 
14. Qxe4 Nf6 
15. Qc2 Rad8 
16. Rfe1 h6 
17. Ne5 c5 
18. dxc5 Qxc5 
19. h3 Rxd1 
20. Qxd1 Qa5 
21. a3 Rd8 
22. Qc1 Rd4 
23. c5 Qb5 
24. b4 Nd5 
25. Qb2 Rf4 
26. g3 Rf5 
27. Qc2 Ne7 
28. Qe4 Nc6 
29. Nc4 Qa4 
30. Rb1 Rd5 
31. Nd6 Qxa3 
32. Nxb7 a6 
33. Nd6 Qc3 
34. Kg2 Qd4 
35. Qxd4 Rxd4 
36. b5 axb5 
37. Rxb5 Rd5 
38. Ne4 Rd4 
39. Rb6 Ne5 
40. Nd6 Nd7 
41. Rc6 Nxc5 
42. Rc8+ Kh7 
43. Nxf7 Nd3 
44. h4 Rd7 
45. Nd8 e5 
46. Ne6 Rf7 
47. Nf8+ Rxf8 
48. Rxf8 Kg6 
49. Kf3 Nc5 
50. Rc8 Nb7 
51. Rc6+ 
Black resigns, 1-0 

* * *