Skype coaching session, 30 October 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: 
Rook endgame study position #5 from practical play. 
Guest game, 32 moves with brief notes and without notes. 

Paul Benson. 

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Rook endgame study position #5 from practical play. 

White to play. 
White: Kg7, Rh4, Pg3, Ph2. 
Black: Ke5, Rf2, Pf6. 

Let white be defined as the attacker and black be defined as the defender. The attacker has a mobile pawn majority on the kingside. The two attacking pawns are connected. In most instances a trade of pawns will occur, leading to the creation of a passed pawn for the attacker. The defending king is cut off from reaching important back rank squares, f8, g8, h8. Understanding of the Lucena position will indicate the correct strategy for the attacker. 

White plays, 1. Kg6, the attacking king must make a slight retreat to assist / protect a passed pawn once it has been created. 

Black plays, 1. ... f5, active play is required here, putting the attacker under as much pressure as possible. 

White plays, 2. Rh5, this apparent attacking pin of the black f5 pawn is actually part of a necessary defensive manoeuvre. 

Black plays, 2. ... Ke4, with ideas of getting in behind the attacking pawns if possible. Instead, 2. ... Ke6, white will follow the same idea as shown in the game. 

White plays, 3. h3, a double purpose move. Firstly, to remove the h3 pawn from immediate danger. Secondly, preparing to create a passed. pawn. It might beworth taking a little time here to consider on which file the attacker is most likely to create a passed pawn. The file on which the pawn sits determines which defensive strategy is needed with regard to the defending king. 

Black plays, 3. ... Rf3, forcing white to find the correct idea. Instead, 3. ... Rg2, will be treated as shown in the game. 
Or, 3. ... Rh2 4. Rxf5 Rxh3 5. g4, and the defending king still remains cut off from the necessary defending square of g8. 

White plays, 4. Rg5, protecting the g-pawn and clearing the way for the h-pawn to sprint through to promotion. 

Black plays, 4. ... f4, something active must be done to deflect white from the plan of promoting the passed h-pawn. 

White plays, 5. gxf4, leaving black to decide which pawn to capture. Instead, 5. g4 Rxh3, and all winning chances for white have been thrown away. 

Black plays, 5. ... Rxh3. Instead, 5. ... Rxf4, allows white to enter into a winning king and pawn ending with, 6. Rg4. Here are a few sample lines: 
(A). If, 6. ... Rxg4+ 7. hxg4 Kf4 8. g5 Ke5 9. Kf7 Kf5 10. g6, and the g-pawn will promote. 
(B). If, 6. ... Rxg4 7. hxg4 Ke5 8. g5 Ke6 9. Kh7 Kf7 10. g6+, and the g-pawn will promote. 
(C). If, 6. ... Ke5 7. Rxf4 Kxf4 8. h4 Kg4 9. h5, and the h-pawn will promote. 

White plays, 6. f5, it is now over to the attacker to aim for the Lucena position. 

Black plays, 6. ... Ke5, the defending king must try to reach the vital f8 promotion square, but this can only happen if white becomes very careless. 

White plays, 7. f6+, getting closer to the Lucena position. 

Black plays, 7. ... Ke6, with hopes of placing the rook on the f-file when white cannot defend it with his own rook. White must find the correct move now or black will achieve a draw. 

White plays, 8. Rg1, a double purpose move. Firstly, the attacking rook stays on the g-file which prevents the king being deflected from protecting the passed f-pawn. Secondly, the attacking rook is now located as far as possible from the defending king. This is necessary to force the defending king further away from the passed pawn, a distance of two files will be needed for successful promotion of the f-pawn. 

Black plays, 8. ... Rf3, doubly attacking the white f6 pawn. It appears white cannot directly defend this pawn suggesting black is close to achieving a draw. Is this correct or does white have a resource available here? 

White plays, 9. Kg7, apparently making no effort to protect the f6 pawn. There must be a trick here or black will salvage a draw. 

Black plays, 9. ... Rf2, correctly declining the offered pawn. Why? Because white has used a tactical threat to create an indirect defence. The idea is that if, 9. ... Rxf6, black loses the rook with, 10. Re1+ Kf5 11. Rf1+ Ke5 12. Rxf6. 

White plays, 10. Re1+, forcing the black king further into the queenside after which the white king alone will be sufficient to protect the passed f-pawn until it reaches the all-important 7th rank. 

Black plays, 10. ... Kd7, forcing white to show knowledge of how to create and then make full use of the Lucena position. 

White plays, 11. f7, threatening to promote, costing black a rook. 

Black plays, 11. ... Rg2+, forcing the white king to occupy the promotion square. 

White plays, 12. Kf8, and we have reached the Lucena position, white is at last winning by force, as noted in previous sessions and emails. The final moves could be: 12. ... Rg3 13. Rd1+ Kc7 14. Rd4 Rg2 15. Ke7 Re2+ 16. Kf6 Rf2+ 17. Ke6 Re2+ 18. Kf5 Rf2+ 19. Rf4 Rxf4+ 20. Kxf4 Kd7 21. f8=Q, and white wins. 

Condensed winning line: 
1. Kg6 f5 2. Rh5 Ke4 3. h3 Rf3 4. Rg5 f4 5. gxf4 Rxh3 6. f5 Ke5 7. f6+ Ke6 8. Rg1 Rf3 9. Kg7 Rf2 10. Re1+ Kd7 11. f7 Rg2+ 12. Kf8. 

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## Annotated Guest Game. 

White: Jesus Arasanz Seas, 1731 (TS). 
Black: Paul Benson, 2059 (TS). 
Event: Tournoi Skype 20A 2016. 
Result: 0-1 (time loss) in 32 moves. 
Opening: Sicilian Defence, Najdorf Variation, English Attack, B90. 

1. e4 c5 
2. Nf3 d6 
3. d4 cxd4 
4. Nxd4 Nf6 
5. Nc3 a6 
6. Be3 e5 
7. Nb3 Be6 
8. f3 Be7 
9. Qd2 O-O 
10. O-O-O Nbd7 

| Both players have been following very popular choices according to the databases. White now produces a surprise. || 

11. Nd5 

| Instead, 11. g4, starting the opposite wing attack was the main alternative, intending to drive away the black f6 knight from the defence of the d5 square, which prepares the delayed white invasion of, Nd5. || 

11. ... Bxd5 

| Black chooses the usual response to a white knight landing on the d5 square. Instead, 11. ... Nxd5 12. exd5 Bf5, with minor piece imbalance for the opposite wing attack was worthy of consideration. || 

12. exd5 b5 

| Creating a light square hole on c6 which a white knight can exploit. White now has an easy plan to follow while black cannot find a harmonius piece formation from which a queenside attack can flow. Instead, 12. ... b6, with ideas of, pawn a5 - a4, and, Nc5, was worth a try. || 

13. g4 Qc7 
14. g5 Ne8 
15. Na5 Bd8 

| Black has no coordination or idea of how to create queenside activity. A thoroughly miserable position, surely not part of the plan when choosing to play the Sicilian Defence? || 

16. Nc6 

| Fighting for many dark squares in the black position. Such a powerful piece should be eliminated as quickly as possible, but how? || 

16. ... Nb6 
17. Bxb6 

| With this minor piece exchange an opposite bishop middlegame drifts over the horizon. These can be tricky beasts to assess. Here the black dark square bishop is having great difficulties in pointing itself into the white queenside, it instead seems destined to finding a role as a defender. In contrast, the white light square bishop can either sit on the d3 square and enjoy creating attacking possibilities in the black kingside, or occupy the h3 square and completely control the light squares in the heart of the black defences, both threats need handling carefully. Despite having castled on opposite wings, this middlegame is going to be fought out in front of the black king, so black must strengthen the kingside defence or go under very quickly. || 

17. ... Qxb6 
18. Bh3 

| Preventing, Rc8. Black is not being given any chances of queenside play, the centre seems to be fairly locked for the moment, so by process of elimination, there is only one course of action for black here. Get fighting on the kingside or get squashed. || 

18. ... f5 

| Calculating that white dare not leave the position closed and so will capture en passant. Black gains some minor piece activity, but white now has a semi-open g-file up which to begin an attack. Win something, lose something. || 

19. gxf6 

| The white h3 bishop takes control of those light squares again, the g-file is semi-open and begging for some heavy white piece activity. In return black now has the f6 square for a piece, but which one? More time to be consumed on this decision. Get it wrong and there might not be enough time or space to permit a re-grouping. || 

19. ... Bxf6 

| The bishop backwardly protects the g7 pawn. There might be possibilities of some activity much later with a dynamic, pawn e4, push, but this overly-optimistic dream is a very long way off in the future. The e8 knight is also given the role of protecting that target of a g7 pawn before it actually becomes a target. In time the knight might perhaps transfer to c7, with ideas of tactics on the white d5 pawn or to drive a white bishop out of the e6 square should it invade, but these ideas are dependent on how white handles the position. Yet again, it is white with all the ideas of attack and black having to find a defensive formation to cope with all possibilities yet to appear. || 

20. Rhg1 Kh8 

| Sensible. Take time to remove your king from semi-open files like this one before serious threats emerge. The king on h8 is also removed from a pin up the g-file, and so prevents the potential white invasion, Qh6 which could be tremendous trouble if combined with, Bf5. || 

21. Qg2 

| Instead, 21. Bf5, setting up future ideas of, Bxh7, and coming in on the light squares with the queen had to be considered. The transfer of the white queen onto the g-file gives black the opportunity to strengthen the kingside in a rather unusual way. || 

21. ... Qe3+ 
22. Kb1 Qh6 

| Over-protecting the focus of the white attack, the g7 pawn, and claiming the h-file before the white queen thinks of shuffling herself onto the h3 square after the bishop re-locates itself. || 

23. Bf5 a5 

| Trying for some queenside play but in actuality this move only leaves the queenside pawns as targets. || 

24. Qe2 

| Sniping at the unprotected black b5 pawn, which due to the scattered black forces, can probably be snatched with impunity. || 

24. ... Nc7 
25. h4 

| Offering a pawn anticipating a doubling of rooks on the h-file with serious consequences to black. || 

25. ... Bxh4 

| Not exactly necessary, but black has noticed a plan which closes the kingside which can only be opened up again with at least an exchange sacrifice by white. || 

26. Qe4 

| White lines up a double attack on the black h7 pawn and is now ready to place a double attack on the black h4 bishop with, 27. Rh1. Black had better have a good reply ready. || 

26. ... g5 

| The bishop on h4 cannot get back into the game, but at the same time both of the white rooks will have no kingside activity, unless white wishes to sacrifice an exchange. Lose something, win something? White now begins to take about 5 minutes over each move to the end of the game, which sends him into severe time trouble. || 

27. Rh1 Rf7 

| A triple purpose move. Firstly, the rook offers further protection to the h7 pawn, which allows the queen to re-locate herself if she wishes. Secondly, there is the option to double rooks up the f-file, if this seems appropriate. Thirdly, on f7 this rook prevents the white knight using the e7 square as a potential entry point into the black kingside. || 

28. Rdg1 

| White is trying to find a tactical blow to break open the black kingside. Thankfully for black, this cannot be organised without a speculative investment of material from white. || 

28. ... Raf8 

| The queen's rook comes to the rescue just in time. White was threatening, 29. Rg4, intending, 30. Rgxh4, sacrificing an exchange, which will break the black kingside blockade. || 

29. Bg4 

| White holds the light squares, the doubled black rooks cannot make further progress. || 

29. ... Rf4 

| This only serves to assist white to find a way for the queen to enter the black queenside. Perhaps, 29. ... Qf6, intending, 30. Qf4, and the black queen can consider her own entry over to the queenside was a better plan. || 

30. Qe3 

| Perhaps, 30. Qd3, keeping pressure on the black b5 pawn while protecting the white d5 pawn was an easier way to handle the position. The time-control for this game is all moves to be played in 105 minutes. White has just entered the last 5 minutes and there could easily be another 30 or more moves to be played before the outcome of the game is settled. Black decides the time factor is going to matter and takes a gamble. || 

30. ... Nxd5 

| This is a risky snatch of a pawn. The d-file is now semi-open which means the white heavy pieces could target the backward black d6 pawn. The black dark square bishop on h4 is performing well in keeping the kingside blocked, but can play no part in defending the centre pawns. Black has transformed a static position into a dynamic one without fully appreciating the tactical possibilities, relying instead on the clock being the critical factor, not a good idea. || 

31. Qa7 a4 

| Black might as well hang onto the extra pawns, they could be useful tools to use to attempt to open up the white king, though this can only happen after considerable re-organisation. In the very long term there could be an opposite bishop ending which seems drawish, unless black can find a means to exchange the knight for the white bishop, white is unlikely to allow this without a fight. || 

32. Rd1 R4f7 
0-1, Time loss. 

| White spent too much time over his last two moves. A pity, the game is far from finished and it is the more exposed black king which would have found more discomfort in the coming late middlegame. If, 33. Qa5 Nc7 34. Na7 Rb8 35. Rd3, and then, 36. Rhd1,white will regain at least one pawn and that drawish opposite bishop ending seems inevitable. || 

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## Unannotated Guest Game. 

White: Jesus Arasanz Seas, 1731 (TS). 
Black: Paul Benson, 2059 (TS). 
Event: Tournoi Skype 20A 2016. 
Result: 0-1 (time loss) in 32 moves. 
Opening: Sicilian Defence, Najdorf Variation, English Attack, B90. 

1. e4 c5 
2. Nf3 d6 
3. d4 cxd4 
4. Nxd4 Nf6 
5. Nc3 a6 
6. Be3 e5 
7. Nb3 Be6 
8. f3 Be7 
9. Qd2 O-O 
10. O-O-O Nbd7 
11. Nd5 Bxd5 
12. exd5 b5 
13. g4 Qc7 
14. g5 Ne8 
15. Na5 Bd8 
16. Nc6 Nb6 
17. Bxb6 Qxb6 
18. Bh3 f5 
19. gxf6 Bxf6 
20. Rhg1 Kh8 
21. Qg2 Qe3+ 
22. Kb1 Qh6 
23. Bf5 a5 
24. Qe2 Nc7 
25. h4 Bxh4 
26. Qe4 g5 
27. Rh1 Rf7 
28. Rdg1 Raf8 
29. Bg4 Rf4 
30. Qe3 Nxd5 
31. Qa7 a4 
32. Rd1 R4f7 
0-1, Time loss. 

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