Skype coaching session, 25 June 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 43 moves is given with annotations and then again without annotations. 

Paul Benson. 

*  *  * 

Annotated game. 

White: J. Bellin, 2210. 
Black: M. Hebden, 2570. 
Event: Isle of Man 1995. 
Result: 0-1 in 43 moves. 
Oepening: King's Indian Defence, Saemisch Variation, E81. 

1. d4 Nf6 
2. c4 g6 
3. Nc3 Bg7 
4. e4 d6 
5. f3 

| The first real decision, white chooses the Saemisch Variation. 
The other main choices here are: Nf3, Be2, pawn f4, pawn h3. 
Less popular but perfectly playable are: Bd3, Nge2, Bg5, pawn g3. 
No particular move is, "The Best", it is only a question of choosing a system which suits your style of play, study it in sufficient depth until you understand the strategy, and put it into action. || 

5. ... O-O 

| Probably the sensible choice here. 
Less popular but again worthy of consideration once the necessary home study has been done are: pawn e5, pawn c6, Nbd7, pawn a6, Nc6, pawn c5. 
There will be opportunities for transposition back into the mainline game choice, but some of the above could be treated as offbeat systems in their own right. 
You choose the system which best suits your style of play. || 

6. Be3 

| Again by far the most popular choice here. 
Other options for your perusal are: Bg5, Nge2, Bd3. 
Black in the game is about to produce a novelty as far as my limited databases are concerned. || 

6. ... a5 

| A theoretical novelty according to my limited database. 
The intention of squeezing white on the queenside is fairly obvious, but there might be an underlying reason for this strange move. 
Perhaps white favours systems in response to black hitting the centre with, 6. ... e5, by closing the centre with, 7. d5, and then immediately following with, 8. b4. 
Is black getting an outflanking retaliation in first? 
For those more interested in running with the pack, the mainline choices here are: pawn e5, Nc6, pawn c5. 
With quite a lot of supporters then comes: Nbd7, pawn a6, pawn c6, pawn b6. 
Known but with in need of further exploration is, Na6. || 

7. Qd2 

| Instead either, 7. Bd3, or, 7. Nge2, were for consideration. || 

7. ... a4 

| A double purpose move. 
Firstly, the squeeze on the white queenside is increased. 
Secondly, as a piece / pawn moves it vacates that square for another, in this case any of the black queen, rook, or knight now have options to move there if thought desirable. || 

8. Bd3 c5 

| Black is offering a pawn in return for much activity. || 

9. Nge2 

| It is a question of temperament. 
Sure, 9. dxc5 dxc5 10. Bxc5, wins a pawn, but that is far from the end of the story. 
Experience shows that black gains a strong initiative for the pawn in this type of position. 
Some players grab the booty and hang on to it no matter what happens. 
Perhaps a question of pride? 
Their strategy might be dictated by a challenge issued cannot be rejected without loss of face. 
Others will not touch it with a bargepole. 
This more conservative thinking is based on not giving the opponent that which they clearly desire. || 

9. ... Nc6 
10. Rd1 

| While white is actually planning to open the d-file, the decision is being delayed for a move. 
This is designed to force black to find a move to cope with both the potential opening of the file with, dxc5, and white simply leaving the central tension as it is. || 

10. ... Qa5 

| A piece moves and vacates the original square for someone else. || 

11. dxc5 dxc5 
12. O-O Rd8 

| This type of d-file pin on the white d3 bishop cannot be allowed to remain for long without serious consequences arising somewhere. 
Allow such pins to persist at your peril. || 

13. Nd5 

| White seeks to exchange the vulnerable d2 queen as a means of "breaking" the pin. 
A suggestion during the coaching session ran: 13. Nb5, shielding the black c5 pawn from the protection of the black a5 queen, and after, 13. ... Qxd2 14 Rxd2 b6, white will continue with, Rfd1, then, Nec3, and just sit there waiting for black to try and break white down. || 

13. ... e6 
14. Qxa5 Rxa5 
15. Nb6 

| Instead retreating with, 15. Nc3, with the just-mentioned idea of, doubling rooks on the d-file and shuffling the knights into the queenside was still available. || 

15. ... Nd7 

| Forcing matters, the white knight must choose whether to trade itself for the c8 bishop or the d7 knight. || 

16. Nxc8 

| Horse trading at it's worst? 
This knight has spent four moves to eliminate an unmoved bishop. 
A possible gain if the white light square bishop can escape from the prison of pawns erected by the Saemisch Variation. 
If that bishop does not find activity, then expect it to be given a run-around by a black knight come the ending. || 

16. ... Rxc8 

| Now white could do with neutralising the black skulking monster on g7, any ideas? || 

17. Bd2 

| Aha, take a tempo of attack against the black a5 rook to transfer the dark square bishop to c3, right? 
What does black have to say about this? || 

17. ... Bxb2 

| Ah, a positional exchange sacrifice for a pawn. 
In return the black b2 bishop will have almost unchallengeable control of the dark squares. 
Combine this with the restricted activity of the white light square bishop, and one might feel the black experiment of, pawn a5, with, pawn a4, should be pronounced a success. || 

18. Bxa5 Nxa5 

| Please take note how in the next phase of the game it is the black minor pieces who find themselves superior to the white pair of rooks. 
This situation is not likely to be allowed to continue for ever, so black must ensure the activity squeezes the maximum reward from the position. || 

19. Rd2 a3 

| Cementing the bishop on b2, nothing less than an exchange sacrifice will remove it now. 
Fine, but wouldn't white still be a pawn down? 
There is also a problem concerning the safety of the c4 pawn to be solved. || 

20. f4 

| Taking control of the e5 square while also vacating the f3 square for some sideways defence. || 

20. ... Nb6 

| Doubly attacking the singly defended white c4 pawn. 
White is beginning to become tied up, if this continues black will slowly crawl into the position and win another pawn or perhaps more. 
In such circumstances it is wise to diagnose a bad position early and respond as quickly as possible. 
It is a simple case of find activity or suffer suffocation. || 

21. Rc2 

| It is too late for, 21. Rxb2 axb2 22. Rb1, because of, 22. ... Naxc4, followed by, Rd8, and every black piece is significantly better then the corresponding white piece, as well as there being a 7th rank pawn on b2. || 

21. ... Rd8 
22. Rf3 Nc6 

| The white static defences cannot hold the position. 
The immediate threat is, 23. ... Nb4, winning the white a2 pawn, the knight retreats, and then the a3 pawn is free to advance, costing white something expensive. || 

23. Rc3 

| Offering an exchange back in trade for some activity once a little re-grouping occurs. || 

23. ... Bxc3 
24. Nxc3 Nb4 

| Black is forcing the white bishop to retreat so the d8 rook can invade onto the white 2nd rank. || 

25. Bf1 Rd2 

| The white a2 pawn is doomed, but what about the black a3 pawn? || 

26. Nb5 

| Doubly attacking that dangerous black passed a3 pawn, which is now similarly doomed. 
While one big danger is about to be cancelled out, there is still the black queenside pawn majority to be neutralised, which must at present be achieved without the inclusion of the white f1 bishop. || 

26. ... Rxa2 
27. Nxa3 

| White chooses to keep rooks on the board in the hope the f3 rook can somehow achieve activity. 
It might be able to combine to win back the pawn deficit, or if that is too optimistic, perhaps create problems for black trying to make good use of his extra pawn. 
It is a question of leaving yourself with some hope versus no hope. 
If this activity is unattainable, then resort to, Plan B, and eliminate the active black 7th rank rook so the white king can at least come to the defence of the white 4th rank pawns. 

It is black to play and find a move to maximise winning chances. 
This move is not easy to find, take as much time as you wish here. 
Clue: Black will very soon need to make use of a square which at the moment is unavailable. || 

27. ... e5 

| Whatever happens on the e5 square is not of immediate concern, it will however become of importance later on. 
There could even be an unexpected gain for black depending on how white responds. 
It is the vacation of the e6 square which is the motivation behind this pawn advance. 
If the reason for vacating the e6 square did not occur to you before, then perhaps a little time working out what black is planning might yield rewards? || 

28. Nb5 

| White is threatening to win the black b7 pawn and then from the b7 square backwardly attack the unprotected black c5 pawn. 
This can be defended quite easily, but then black will have lost the extra pawn as well as being pushed back onto the defensive. 
Now what was that reason for black playing, pawn e5, a couple of moves ago? || 

28. ... Nc6 

| This might appear to be defending the black e5 pawn, but as we all know, appearances can be deceptive. 
This knight retreat is not designed to defend the pawn, it issimply seeking a good home from where it can very soon help out a stable-mate. || 

29. Nd6 

| Perhaps first securing the kingside with, 29. g3, might have proved useful to white. || 

29. ... Nd4 
30. Rf2 

| The white rook is not going to find any activity, the black knight on d4 has too much power. 
So white seeks a rook trade to enable the king to try to offer defences to the central pawns. || 

30. ... Rxf2 
31. Kxf2 exf4 

| Not just a trade for the sake of it, black now has plans of keeping this pawn. 
If all the queenside pawns are eliminated then white must avoid an ending of bishop against knight. 
It is most likely such an ending with pawns on the kingside will give black excellent winning chances, or to express it more accurately, white would have excellent losing chances. || 

32. Nxb7 Nd7 

| White has reset the pawn deficit back to one again and in the process forced a black knight to become defensive. 
Now the passive white bishop tries to find a role in life over on the queenside. 
Unfortunately the only available target has no intention of becoming a victim. || 

33. Be2 Kg7 

| It is hoped no one wanted to play, 33. ... Nxe2, giving up a wonderful knight for a rather sad bishop. 
The future prospects of the two kings should now also be coming apparent. 
The white king can only look forward to defending the weak e4 and c4 pawns while the black king can think about marching into the centre to attack those white targets set up when white embarked upon the Saemisch Variation. || 

34. Bd1 Ne6 

| At last the full reason for the previous advance of, pawn e5, is revealed. 
The name of the game is: Overprotection. 
Before this knight joined in with the defence, the d7 knight was tied down to defending the c5 weakness. 
When both knights defend the black c5 pawn then either can move away without losing the pawn. 
In essence, both overprotecting knights now have flexibility, whereas before the overprotection was established, only one knight had options of movement. 
The e6 knight now also guards the f4 pawn from any aggressive intentions of the white king. || 

35. Ba4 Ne5 

| Freed from defensive duties, this knight who began life on the kingside is going to find joys in the region of his origin. || 

36. h4 

| Perhaps played to prevent black from playing, pawn g5, cementing the f4 pawn. 
However, it only seems to create another weakness in need of defence later. || 

36. ... Kf6 

| Black is not capturing with, 36. ... Nxc4, for the simple reason there are other improvements to be made first. 
There might also the the small matter of the clock to take into account. 
It is likely that white has some time trouble problems. 
If so, then black is not going to play moves which alter the position. 
Instead there will be probing moves which must be answered correctly, and if this happens, then come back to the c4 pawn later. || 

37. Bb5 h5 

| Establishing a safe anchor point for the e5 knight, white must now be prepared for a potential, Ng4+, and any consequences arising. || 

38. Ba4 Ng4+ 

| Perhaps the clock demands an immediate decision is needed here - Advance or retreat? || 

39. Ke1 

| Instead, 39. Kf3, trying to protect the e4 pawn will be met with, 39. ... Ke5, when black has the murderous threat of, 40. ... Nd4+ mate, to be avoided. 
This can be achieved with either, 40. Ke2 Kxe4, losing a pawn, or, 40. g3 fxg3 41. Kxg3 Kxe4, again losing a pawn. || 

39. ... Ne3 
40. Kf2 Nxc4 

| The black knight has taken an extra two moves to capture this pawn, but along with this apparent time-wasting the black king advance from g7 to f6 has improved the position of the black king considerably. || 

41. Bb3 Nd2 

| Neat. 
The black knight forks the white bishop and e4 pawn, there is now no means to avoid the loss of another pawn. || 

42. Bxe6 fxe6 
43. Nxc5 Ke5 
White resigns, 0-1 

| The white king cannot offer a defence to the e4 pawn. 
A two pawn majority on the kingside is a decisive advantage at this level, though club players would play it out for many more moves to have the win demonstrated over the board. || 

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## Unannotated game. 

White: J. Bellin, 2210. 
Black: M. Hebden, 2570. 
Event: Isle of Man 1995. 
Result: 0-1 in 43 moves. 
Oepening: King's Indian Defence, Saemisch Variation, E81. 

1. d4 Nf6 
2. c4 g6 
3. Nc3 Bg7 
4. e4 d6 
5. f3 O-O 
6. Be3 a5 
7. Qd2 a4 
8. Bd3 c5 
9. Nge2 Nc6 
10. Rd1 Qa5 
11. dxc5 dxc5 
12. O-O Rd8 
13. Nd5 e6 
14. Qxa5 Rxa5 
15. Nb6 Nd7 
16. Nxc8 Rxc8 
17. Bd2 Bxb2 
18. Bxa5 Nxa5 
19. Rd2 a3 
20. f4 Nb6 
21. Rc2 Rd8 
22. Rf3 Nc6 
23. Rc3 Bxc3 
24. Nxc3 Nb4 
25. Bf1 Rd2 
26. Nb5 Rxa2 
27. Nxa3 e5 
28. Nb5 Nc6 
29. Nd6 Nd4 
30. Rf2 Rxf2 
31. Kxf2 exf4 
32. Nxb7 Nd7 
33. Be2 Kg7 
34. Bd1 Ne6 
35. Ba4 Ne5 
36. h4 Kf6 
37. Bb5 h5 
38. Ba4 Ng4+ 
39. Ke1 Ne3 
40. Kf2 Nxc4 
41. Bb3 Nd2 
42. Bxe6 fxe6 
43. Nxc5 Ke5 
White resigns, 0-1 

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