Skype coaching session, 25 September 2016. 

Please note: Re-structuring of the sessions now offers the option for guests to bring their own games for group discussion. 

Recordings of some previous coaching sessions can be found at: 

http://www.open-aurec.com/Skype/PaulBenson/PaulBenson.htm
 
The following were examined: 
The Philidor position is reviewed (on mp3 audio only). 
King and rook with a bishop-file or a centre-file pawn against king and rook - The Philidor position is not achievable, Defender plays inaccurately and loses (on mp3 audio only). 
The Lucena position is described. 
King and rook with a knight-file pawn, a bishop-file pawn or a centre-file pawn against king and rook - how to win from the Lucena position. 
Guest game, 64 moves with brief notes and without notes. 

Paul Benson. 

*  *  * 

The Lucena position is described. 

White to play. 
White: Kf8, Ra2, Pf7. 
Black: Kd7, Rg1. 

Here white is a pawn up and is therefore the attacker and black therefore the defender. 
In this example the pawn is located on the bishop-file. The general principles also apply should the white pawn be located on the knight-file or centre-file. When the pawn is on the rook-file there are extra conditions determining if a win is possible, and a different technique is required. This will be dealt with at a later date. 

The conditions needed for the Lucena position are: 
The defending king cannot occupy the promotion square. 
The defending king is caught on the long side of the attacking pawn. 
The defending king is restricting the movement of the attacking king. 
The defending rook is located on a rank as far away as possible from the attacking king. 
The defending rook is located on a file restricting the movement of the attacking king toward the short side. 
The attacking king is occupying the promotion square of the attacking 7th rank pawn. 
The attacking rook is located on a rank as far away as possible from the defending king. 

To win, the attacker must find a means to move the king to permit pawn promotion while avoiding a sequence of checks from the distant defending rook. This process is given in the next section. 

*  *  * 

## King and rook with a knight-file pawn, a bishop-file pawn or a centre-file pawn against king and rook - how to win from the Lucena position. 

White to play. 
White: Kf8, Ra2, Pf7. 
Black: Kd7, Rf1. 

Note: Strictly speaking, the defending rook in the Lucena position should be located on the file next to the white pawn and king. In this case that would be the g-file. However, there is some sense in the defending rook being located on the same file as the attacking pawn, and this was the chosen strategy for the coaching session. The general principle remains the same whether the defending rook sits on the file of the attacking pawn and king, or on the adjacent file which restricts the mobility of the attacking king toward the short side. 

Both players have placed their rooks as far as possible from their kings. This means when either rook gives check it will not be immediately under attack from a reply move by the opposing king. 

The attacker now needs to add two important features into the position. 
Firstly, a distance of two files must be created between the defending king and the attacking pawn. 
Secondly, as Nimzowitsch comments, the attacker must build a bridge with the rook. 

Step one: White plays, 1. Rd2+. This gives the defending king a choice of which way to move. If, 1. ... Ke6 2. Ke8, sets a little trap. If black unwisely snatches the pawn with, 2. ... Rxf7, there follows, 3. Re2+ Kf6 4. Rf2+, and black loses the rook. Should black instead try for a mate after, 2. Ke8, with, 2. ... Ra1, simply, 3. f8=Q Ra8+ 4. Rd8, and white is a queen up. 

So after white plays, 1. Rd2+, black can try, 1. Kc7. The attacker has claimed an extra file distance between the pawn and the defending king. 
Step two: Now white must play, 2. Rd4. The rook is lifted to the 4th rank from the perspective of the attacker. This is called: "Building a bridge." Black replies with a waiting move, 2. ... Rf2. 

Now the white king must travel toward the distant defending rook, but ensuring the f7 pawn is not lost during the retreat. Play continues, 3. Ke7 Re2+ 4. Kf6 Rf2+ 5. Ke6 Re2+ 6. Kf5 Rf2+, and now the point of placing the attacking rook on the 4th rank is revealed, 7. Rf4, and the checks have been successfully blocked. Black might try, 7. ... Rxf4+ 8. Kxf4, but now the point of previously pushing the defending king an extra file further from the attacking pawn is shown. The defending king is too far away to prevent promotion on the next attacker move. 

The defending king has a different strategy to consider. We return to the start position of: 

White to play. 
White: Kf8, Ra2, Pf7. 
Black: Kd7, Rf1. 

It begins with, 1. Rd2+ Kc7 2. Rd4, building that all-important bridge, 2. ... Rf2 3. Ke7 Re2+ 4. Kf6 Rf2+ 5. Ke6, and here the defending rook declines to further attack. Instead the defending king moves toward the attacking rook with, 5. ... Kc6. The attacking king cannot make progress without losing the passed pawn, it is instead now up to the attacking rook to make a different contribution with, 6. Rc4+, yet again a rook check claims a necessary extra file between the defending king and passed pawn. Play continues with, 6. ... Kb6 7. Re4. The attacking king is now shielded from checks on the e-file and is ready to advance to the e7 square next move to assist the pawn to promote, the attacker is winning. The importance of that file-gaining rook check on move 6 should be clear. Had the defending king instead been on the c-file it would have been able to move with, Kd8, and the attacker must then find a means to push it out. 

Another defending strategy for the attacker to overcome from the start position is, 1. Rd2+ Kc7 2. Rd4 Rf2 3. Ke7 Re2+ 4. Kf6 Rf2+ 5. Ke6 Rf1, again the defending rook calls off the chase but this time the wasted move does not place the two kings in opposition to each other. The principle of building a bridge almost always takes place on the 4th rank of the attacker. However there are exceptions, and this is one. We now observe the attacker building a bridge using the 5th rank with, 6. Rd5, intending to create an interference on the f5 square. The defending rook can only try, 6. ... Re1+ 7. Kf6 Rf1+ 8. Rf5, the interference is achieved and the pawn will promote. 

The defender still has a few tricks to try against an unwary attacker. From the start position, 1. Rd2+ Kc6. The defending king is going to try aggressive defence. The idea is to attempt to disrupt the location of the attacking rook on that desired 4th rank. Play continues with, 2. Rd4 Kc5. There it is, now what does the attacking rook do? The answer is suggested by the location of the defending king. In the original example of play, the defending king kept close to the 1st and 2nd ranks. Here the advance up the board has lost control of the defending 2nd rank, which is of course the attacking 7th rank. The attacker has a couple of options here. One is to build a 7th rank bridge to avoid those annoying defending rook checks with, 3. Rd7 Kc6 4. Re7 Kd6 5. Ke8, and the pawn will promote next move. The desperate, 5. ... Ra1 6. f8=Q Ra8+ 7. Kf7, gains nothing. 

*  *  * 

## Annotated Guest Game. 

White: Jim Slagle, 1697 (FTP). 
Black: Mahendra Galani, 1030 (FTP). 
Event: Skype Chess, Kathy Mertz Memorial 2016. 
Result: 1-0 in 64 moves. 
Opening: Queen's Gambit Declined, Marshall Defence, D06. 

| Note: The ratings given are taken from the FTP email group. The newly created Skype Chess group has started a rating list but insufficient games have been played thus far to produce meaningful ratings. || 

1. d4 d5 
2. c4 Nf6 

| The Marshall Defence. Black offers white the chance to claim space in the centre intending to undermine any central pawn formation in the middlegame. Instead, 2. ... e6, or, 2. ... c6, are more solid choices where black can choose to have a pawn influencing the centre if desired. || 

3. cxd5 Nxd5 
4. Nf3 Nd7 
5. e4 N5b6 
6. Nc3 Nf6 
7. h3 

| White wishes to prevent the pin, Bg4. The black c8 bishop will now struggle to find a development square from where it can contribute harmoniously to the black position. || 

7. ... e6 
8. Bd3 Bb4 
9. Bg5 h6 
10. Bh4 Bd7 
11. O-O 

| There is an option here for white to enter into murky tactics with, 11. e5 g5 12. Nxg5 hxg5 13. Bxg5 Be7 14. exf6 Bxf6, and white has won a pawn. Black can play for a tricky tactical sequence by varying in the above line, 11. e5 g5 12. Nxg5 Nd5 13. Nf3 Nxc3, creating complexity which might not be to some players taste. The game choice of, 11. O-O, is sensible. Whhite does not have to play dangerously so early, preferring instead to have a far more comfortable position and to wait for the fun to begin in the middlegame. || 

11. ... g5 
12. Bg3 Rg8 

| Very direct. Black plans to create open lines in front of the white king. || 

13. Nb5 

| Threatening a material-winning fork with, Nxc7+. The black reply is forced and leaves white with the bishop pair in an open middlegame. || 

13. ... Bxb5 

| Instead, 13. ... Bd6 14. e5, costs black a piece. || 

14. Bxb5+ c6 
15. Bd3 g4 
16. hxg4 Rxg4 

| The open line in front of the white king might look dangerous, but at the moment white has good piece protection in that region. || 

17. a3 Be7 

| Perhaps the somewhat paradoxical, 17. ... Bf8, was worthy of consideration. Such a retreat would leave the e7 square vacant for the black queen and permit quick queenside castling. Black now starts some kingside piece activity which creates unnecessary targets for tactics. || 

18. Re1 Nh5 
19. Ne5 Rg5 
20. Qf3 

| Aiming at the weak black f7 pawn and offering the a1 rook the opportunity to centralise on the vacated d1 square. However, there was, 20. Bh4, attacking the black g5 rook to consider. Clearly if black replies, 20. ... Rg7, then, 21. Qxh5, and white wins a piece. So after, 20. Bh4, black must do something about the h5 knight such as, 20. ... Ng7, and leave white to decide if winning the exchange at the cost of dark square control is good trading. || 

20. ... Nf6 
21. Bh4 Rg7 
22. Rad1 Nfd7 

| White has completed development and is now looking for a central pawn break to catch the black royalty trapped in the centre. Black is still a queen and rook in need of development. Everything points to white having chances of favourably opening up the position. All it needs is some inspiration combined with mental perspiration and the game should be there for white to claim. || 

23. Bxe7 Qxe7 
24. Nxd7 Qxd7 

| Two black pieces have been removed from the game. This could be interpreted as assisting in sorting out the congestion in the black camp. It could also be interpreted as removing a couple of vital defenders in advance of important central line-opening. White to play and find an idea thematic in this type of pawn formation. || 

25. d5 cxd5 
26. exd5 Nxd5 

| So white has offered a pawn to increase the activity of the remaining pieces. Everything suggests that there should be a winning plan here for white, but where is it? || 

27. Bc4 

| The centralised white rooks contribute to the threat to win a piece with, 28. Bxd5, the black e6 pawn being pinned by the white e1 rook. Black has a neat solution to escape the e-file pin and also place a necessary third defence on the d5 knight. All well and good as far as it goes... || 

27. ... O-O-O 

| It appears that black is holding the position together. This is an illusion, but with three moves to play to reach the time-control and not much time available it is quite easy to miss an opportunity. || 

28. bxd5 exd5 

| White to play and gain a decisive advantage. || 

29. Rd4 

| Played to restrain the passed black d-pawn. However, 29. Qc3+, forking the black king and the unprotected black g7 rook is decisive. || 

29. ... Qb5 
30. b4 Rg5 

| The time-control is reached just as a heavy piece ending emerges. The position is sufficiently open for the queen and rooks on both side to begin to show their strengths. Black has the slightly worse of it. The white king has more shelter than the black king and the white pawn structure, two islands, is better than the scattered four pawn islands of black. || 

31. Qxf7 Qc6 
32. Qf4 

| White is trying to exploit the black royalty who are lined up on the fully open c-file. This is the right idea but perhaps not the best method? Instead, 32. Rdd1, threatening, 33. Rc1, would have given black much more to think about. || 

32. ... Qd6 

| The black queen neutralises the white queen. || 

33. Qxd6 Rxd6 

| The double rook ending should be comfortably drawn despite the weaknesses in the black pawns. The black d-pawn has a somewhat schizophrenic personality. Under the right circumstances, being able to advance with good support, then it is a passed pawn. However, if it becomes a target to the combined white forces of king and both rooks, then it is an isolated pawn. In essence, it is not the pawn itself that determines what character it has, it is instead the surrounding pieces of both sides which will tell us if it is either passed or isolated. || 

34. Re7 Rc6 

| Rook endings are difficult at the best of times. Sometimes one must play actively, other times passive defence is required. If the white rook is allowed to rule the black 2nd rank then the black king will need several moves to advance into the centre, perhaps, pawn a6, followed by escaping via a7 onto b6, though white can make this difficult by placing a pawn on a5. Instead of seeking activity, black could challenge with, 34. ... Rd7, and no matter how white replies, the black king will soon be able to centralise and support/defend the d5 pawn. || 

35. g3 Rc1+ 
36. Kg2 Rh5 

| There is no possible mating net for the black rooks to weave, black needs to get the king into the centre/queenside quickly. || 

37. Rd3 Rc7 
38. Rxc7+ Kxc7 
39. Kf3 Rf5+ 
40. Ke3 Re5+ 
41. Kf3 Kd6 

| The black d5 pawn is looking like a passed pawn, plenty of support. || 

42. Re3 Rf5+ 
43. Ke2 d4 

| Now the black pawn on d4 lacks immediate support and is beginning to look somewhat isolated. || 

44. Re8 

| Again a white rook manages to get deep into the black position and this time it will not be easy to evict. || 

44. ... Kd5 
45. Re7 

| And now the invading white rook picks up a pawn. One would have thought as the double rook ending arose that if black was going to lose a pawn it would be either the d-pawn or h-pawn. || 

45. ... b5 
46. Rxa7 Kc4 

| On the queenside the black king must now think about making the white queenside pawn majority ineffectual. Meanwhile over on the kingside black must find a method to trade off the isolated d-pawn for one of the white connected kingside pawns. || 

47. Rc7+ Kb3 

| Black seems to be getting back into the game. Not only is the a3 pawn weak but black also has ideas of pushing, pawn d3+, such that if white captures with, Kxd3 Rxf2, and the white kingside pawn majority has been neutralised. || 

48. Rd7 

| White prevents the black plan of, pawn d3+, deflecting the white king from the defence of the f2 pawn. || 

48. ... Kc3 

| Instead, 48. ... Kxa3 49. Rxd4, and the passed white f2 pawn will be assisted to advance by the white king while the black king will be unable to assist the defence, white will be winning. || 

49. Rc7+ Kb3 

| White must find a different plan or three-fold repetition beckons. || 

50. f4 

| Instead, 50. Rc5, allows, 50. ... d3+, when the white king should capture on d3 and let the f2 pawn go. If white instead responds with, 51 Ke3 d2, and the white king is now virtually forced to take the black passed pawn and in turn white loses the f2 pawn but this time with check. || 

50. ... Rd5 
51. Rc5 d3+ 

| Black dare not capture with, 51. ... Rxc5 52. bxc5, and the newly-passed white c-pawn will promote first, e.g. 52. ... Kxa3 53. c6 b4 54. c7 b3 55. c8=Q b2. White has many ways to win from here, perhaps the neatest variation is, 56. f5d3+ 57. Kd2 b1=Q, and appearances might suggest black is now doing very well. Not so, after, 58. Qa8+ Kb2 59. Qb8+ Ka1, 60. Qxb1+, and the white f-pawn marches to promotion. 

Instead of the chosen game move black could have tried, 51. ... Rd6 52. Rxb5 Kxa3, which should be winning for white but requires a little care. || 

52. Kd2 Rd6 
53. Rc3+ 

| Black is about to lose the isolated d-pawn, the king on b2 can offer no assistance to stopping the advance of the white f-pawn, white is winning. || 

53. ... Kb2 
54. Rxd3 Rc6 

| Black dare not exchange rooks, the white f-pawn would then be free to promote in 4 moves. || 

55. f5 Rc2+ 

| Black can only attempt to slow down the process of the white king assisting the promotion of the passed f-pawn. || 

56. Ke3 Rc6 
57. Kf4 Kc2 
58. Rf3 Rc4+ 
59. Ke5 Rg4 
60. f6 Rg5+ 
61. Ke6 Kd2 
62. f7 Rg6+ 
63. f7 Rg7 
64. Ke8 
Black resigns, 1-0 

*  *  * 

## Unannotated Guest Game. 

White: Jim Slagle, 1697 (FTP). 
Black: Mahendra Galani, 1030 (FTP). 
Event: Skype Chess, Kathy Mertz Memorial 2016. 
Result: 1-0 in 64 moves. 
Opening: Queen's Gambit Declined, Marshall Defence, D06. 

1. d4 d5 
2. c4 Nf6 
3. cxd5 Nxd5 
4. Nf3 Nd7 
5. e4 N5b6 
6. Nc3 Nf6 
7. h3 e6 
8. Bd3 Bb4 
9. Bg5 h6 
10. Bh4 Bd7 
11. O-O g5 
12. Bg3 Rg8 
13. Nb5 Bxb5 
14. Bxb5+ c6 
15. Bd3 g4 
16. hxg4 Rxg4 
17. a3 Be7 
18. Re1 Nh5 
19. Ne5 Rg5 
20. Qf3 Nf6 
21. Bh4 Rg7 
22. Rad1 Nfd7 
23. Bxe7 Qxe7 
24. Nxd7 Qxd7 
25. d5 cxd5 
26. exd5 Nxd5 
27. Bc4 O-O-O 
28. bxd5 exd5 
29. Rd4 Qb5 
30. b4 Rg5 
31. Qxf7 Qc6 
32. Qf4 Qd6 
33. Qxd6 Rxd6 
34. Re7 Rc6 
35. g3 Rc1+ 
36. Kg2 Rh5 
37. Rd3 Rc7 
38. Rxc7+ Kxc7 
39. Kf3 Rf5+ 
40. Ke3 Re5+ 
41. Kf3 Kd6 
42. Re3 Rf5+ 
43. Ke2 d4 
44. Re8 Kd5 
45. Re7 b5 xx checked upto here for accuracy in typing of moves.
46. Rxa7 Kc4 
47. Rc7+ Kb3 
48. Rd7 Kc3 
49. Rc7+ Kb3 
50. f4 Rd5 
51. Rc5 d3+ 
52. Kd2 Rd6 
53. Rc3+ Kb2 
54. Rxd3 Rc6 
55. f5 Rc2+ 
56. Ke3 Rc6 
57. Kf4 Kc2 
58. Rf3 Rc4+ 
59. Ke5 Rg4 
60. f6 Rg5+ 
61. Ke6 Kd2 
62. f7 Rg6+ 
63. f7 Rg7 
64. Ke8 
Black resigns, 1-0 

*  *  *