Skype coaching session, 09 April 2017. 

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 game was examined, the games 31 moves is given with annotations and then again without annotations. 

Paul Benson. 

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Annotated game. 

White: J. Thoune, 1190 (USBCA RT). 
Black: T. Rushdi, 1064 (USBCA RT). 
Event: USBCA Real Time 2017. 
Result: 1/2-1/2 in 31 moves. 
Opening: Gruenfeld Defence, Exchange Variation, D85. 

1. d4 Nf6 
2. c4 g6 
3. Nc3 d5 
4. cxd5 

| White has several less committal choices than the game move here with: Nf3, or, Bf4, or, Bg5, or, pawn e3, or, Qb3. A special mention goes to, pawn h4, a very risky option for both sides needing careful study if this bold thrust is to become part of the white repertoire. White will have dangerous threats if black fails to defend accurately, but in return white is falling behind in development. You choose. || 

4. ... Nxd5 
5. e3 

| A quiet variation. Choices more popular than the game move here are: 
(A). The mainline of, 5. e4, leading to sharp play where white grabs the centre with pawns and black sets about undermining it. Beware that fianchetto g7 bishop. Much to study and absorb. 
(B). The very solid, Bd2, which seems to sidestep all the sharp theory of immediately hitting out with, 5. e4. Useful if you wish to postpone the fight until the middlegame. Good enough for Anand, perhaps good enough for you? 
(C). 5. g3, again a slower system designed to avoid those sharp lines where that black g7 bishop can become dangerous. 
(D). 5. Nf3, another postponement of central commitment enjoyed by those who wish to keep the opponent guessing as to how the central pawns are to be handled. 
(E). The slightly strange, 5. Na4, designed to avoid an exchange of knights on the c3 square has some value. Must be worth some investigation. 
(F). 5. Qb3, again avoids much mainline theory without making any concessions. || 

5. ... Bg7 
6. Nf3 O-O 
7. Be2 Nc6 

| Directly challenging in the centre. Black is gaining the initiative. Instead the thematic, 7. ... c5, was a sensible alternative. || 

8. O-O e5 
9. Nxd5 

| White trades knights before trading pawns in order to avoid black flicking in, Nxc3, leading to white having a vulnerable isolated c-pawn on the h8 - a1 diagonal. Aline for white to avoid is, 9. Nxe5 Nxc3 10. Nxc6 Nxe2+ 11. Qxe2 bxc6, and black has sneaked a win of apiece. || 

9. ... Qxd5 

| Black has 4 units attacking the white d4 pawn which is only defended three times, so white must resort to simplifications. || 

10. dxe5 Qxd1 
11. Rxd1 Nxe5 
12. e4 

| This seems the only way to achieve development. Instead, 12. Bd2 Nxf3+ 13. Bxf3, and black must decide whether, 13. ... Bxb2 14. Rab1 Bg7 15. Bxb7 Bxb7 16. Rxb7, giving white a rook on the 7th rank is worth the bother. This theme of black capturing with, Bxb2, to be followed with a white rook invasion on the black 2nd rank remains a possibility for black to accept or reject for a few moves to come. Black can improve with, 12. Bd2 Nxf3+ 13. Bxf3 c6 14. Rab1 Bf5 15. e4 Be6 16. b3 Rfd8, with equal chances. || 

12. ... Be6 

| White has problems concerning the defence of the a2 and b2 pawns. || 

13. Ng5 

| Instead, 13. Nxe5 Bxe5 14. f4 Bg7 15. e5 f6, still leaves white with the problem of developing the queenside without losing a pawn. However the same old trick of offering the b2 pawn for play can arise after, 13. Nxe5 Bxe5 14. Be3, when, 14. ... Bxb2 15. Rab1 Bg7 16. Rxb7, hands the difficult decision on how to proceed back to black. This activity can be avoided with the line, 13. Nxe5 Bxe5 14. Be3 c6, giving the dark square bishop an active flight square so that after, 15. f4 c6, both bishop pairs are prepared to fight for central control. || 

13. ... Bc4 
14. Bxc4 Nxc4 
15. Rb1 

| White must remove the a1 rook from the h8 - a1 long diagonal before attempting to push the black c4 knight away. || 

15. ... Rad8 
16. Re1 

| If, 16. Rxd8 Rxd8 17. Kf1 Nd2+ 18. Bxd2 Rxd2, and black will win one of the white queenside pawns. Instead, 16. Rxd8 Rxd8 17. Nf3 Rd1+, forcing mate is embarrassing. || 

16. ... Rd7 

| Building pressure rather then trying to force matters. Instead, 16. ... Nd2, seems to give black good chances. Here are some sample lines demonstrating there is always some chaff amongst the wheat to be sifted out: 
(A). If, 16. ... Nd2 17. Ra1 Nxe4, attempting to deflect the white e1 rook which would allow black, Rd1+, mating, only works if white misses, 18. Nxe4, underlining that oft-quoted maxim: "The moves most easiest to miss are backward knight captures." 
(B). Or if, 16. ... Nd2 17. Ra1 h6 18. Nh3 Nxe4, when, 19. Rxe4 Rd1+, forces mate. 
(C). Or if, 16. ... Nd2 17. Ra1 h6 18. Nf3 Nxf3+ 19. gxf3 Rd3, and white now has a compromised pawn structure and is still behind in development. 
(D). Or if, 16. ... Nd2 17. Ra1 h6 18. Nf3 Nxe4, again trying for that back rank mate fails after, 19. Rxe4 Rd1+ 20. Re1, the white rook is backwardly protected by the f3 knight. 
(E). Or if, 16. ... Nd2 17. Bxd2 Rxd2 18. Red1 Rfd8 19. Rxd2 Rxd2, and white must lose one of the queenside pawns. 
(F). Or if, 16. ... Nd2 17. Bxd2 Rxd2 18. Nf3 Rxb2 19. Rxb2 Bxb2 20. Rb1 Rd8 21. Rxb2 Rd1+, forces mate. 
(G). Some complexities emerge here. Or if, 16. ... Nd2 17. Bxd2 Rxd2 18. Nf3 Rxb2 19. Rxb2 Bxb2 20. Rb1 Rd8 21. h3 Bd4, and white has five ideas in need of some careful sifting. 
Firstly, 22. Rxb7 Bb6, the white rook is trapped and vulnerable to a black king march to the c8 square. If white continues with, 23. Ne5 Rd2 24. Nc4 Bxf2+ 25. Kh2 Rxa2 26. Rxc7 Rc2, and the pin up the c-file can only be broken with an undesirable trade of rooks. 
Secondly, 22. Rxb7 Bb6, and white tries to free the rook with, 23. a4, but after, 23. ... Rd1+ 24. Kh2 Ra1, white will lose the a-pawn for zero compensation. 
Thirdly, 22. Rd1 Bxf2+ 23. Kxf2 Rxd1, black has snatched an exchange and is winning. 
Fourthly, 22. Nxd4 Rxd4 23. Rxb7 Ra4 24. Rxc7 Rxa2, and while Grand Masters would assume this should be drawn, club players might find black has winning chances due to incorrect defensive methods used to stopp the passed black a-pawn. 
Fifthly, 22. Kf1, a much neater means of avoiding all those back rank tricks, but after, 22. ... b6 23. Rd1 Bf6, the pressure is on white to find a means of neutralising the extra black pawn. || 

17. b3 Ne5 

| Again, 17. ... Nd2, was worth a try as, 18. Bxd2 Rxd2, forces white to make a move with the a-pawn, after which, Rfd8, black has a grip on the centre. || 

18. Be3 a5 

| Black prefers to avoid calculating the complications arising from permitting, Bxa7, when pawn b6, traps the bishop. || 

19. f3 h6 

| Perhaps taking complete control of the d-file by doubling rooks, Rfd8, was preferable. Black instead plans a dynamic approach involving central activity. || 

20. Nh3 f5 

| Again, 20. ... Rfd8, claiming the d-file is an easier way to handle the position. Black could then slowly advance the queenside pawn majority attempting to create a passed pawn, white would be reduced to sitting and waiting for black to make progress, never a happy state in which to find oneself. || 

21. Nf4 

| The white knight has at last found some play. || 

21. ... fxe4 

| Black allows white to eliminate a valuable asset. Perhaps, 21. ... Re8, was preferable, though black would then be drifting onto the defensive. || 

22. Ne6 R8f7 

| Black declines the speculative, 22. ... exf3 23. Nxf8 Bxf8, because after 24. Red1, black will only have two pawns for the exchange in a position where the white rook pair or remaining single white rook will have much freedom to roam in amongst the black pawns. || 

23. Nxg7 Kxg7 

| Again the speculative, 23. ... exf3, fails to, 24. Ne6 fxg2 25. Kxg2, and though black has two pawns for the piece with some activity, it is white who should take control once rooks have been exchanged off. || 

24. fxe4 b5 

| Some interesting possibilities arose from a suggestion during the coaching session. The idea is, 24. ... Nd3, intending to flick around with, Nf4, and, Ne2, and, Nc3, all depending on how white responds. It is not possible to reproduce the analysis here, but suffice it to say the discussion generated much interest. The conclusion was that white had be careful and that black had good chances of gaining an advantage. || 

25. Rbd1 

| White seems to have unravelled without black getting any substantial grip on the position. || 

25. ... Rde7 

| The position is now getting tactical and perhaps both players are running short of time. If, 25. ... Rxd1 26. Rxd1 Rd7 27. Bd4 Re7, black has more problems than white. || 

26. Bd4 h5 
27. Rf1 

| White, perhaps a little short of time to reach move 30. understandably aims for simplifications. || 

27. ... Rxf1+ 
28. Kxf1 Kh7 

| The white king is centralising with the intention of initially protecting the e4 pawn with later options of supporting any future advances. Paradoxically, the black king runs in the opposite direction when heading for the centre was advisable. || 

29. Ke2 Nc6 
30. Ke3 Rd7 
31. a3 
Draw, 1/2-1/2 

| It appears that white is relieved to have escaped intact and is content to share the point. There is of course still much play left in the position, the factors favouring white are the passed e-pawn which has opportunities to advance while receiving good support from the king. The first step for white would be to lift the rook with, Rd2, which releases the pin on the d4 bishop. It would then be up to black to find a means to prevent the advance of the white passed e-pawn while also preventing the white king from entering into the queenside. In essence, white can keep probing while black has to sit and wait for white to make commitments. 

In the final position black dare not enter a king and pawn ending, the white king will eliminate the black queenside pawns and promote on that side long before the black king can attempt to complete a similar plan on the kingside. Similarly, a rook and pawn ending will strongly favour white, the passed e-pawn needs to be restricted while the queenside pawns will always be targets for the white rook. || 

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## Unannotated game. 

White: J. Thoune, 1190 (USBCA RT). 
Black: T. Rushdi, 1064 (USBCA RT). 
Event: USBCA Real Time 2017. 
Result: 1/2-1/2 in 31 moves. 
Opening: Gruenfeld Defence, Exchange Variation, D85. 

1. d4 Nf6 
2. c4 g6 
3. Nc3 d5 
4. cxd5 Nxd5 
5. e3 Bg7 
6. Nf3 O-O 
7. Be2 Nc6 
8. O-O e5 
9. Nxd5 Qxd5 
10. dxe5 Qxd1 
11. Rxd1 Nxe5 
12. e4 Be6 
13. Ng5 Bc4 
14. Bxc4 Nxc4 
15. Rb1 Rad8 
16. Re1 Rd7 
17. b3 Ne5 
18. Be3 a5 
19. f3 h6 
20. Nh3 f5 
21. Nf4 fxe4 
22. Ne6 R8f7 
23. Nxg7 Kxg7 
24. fxe4 b5 
25. Rbd1 Rde7 
26. Bd4 h5 
27. Rf1 Rxf1+ 
28. Kxf1 Kh7 
29. Ke2 Nc6 
30. Ke3 Rd7 
31. a3 
Draw, 1/2-1/2 

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