Skype coaching session, 14 October 2018. 

The game discussed (33 moves) is given below with annotations and without annotations. 

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
 
Paul Benson. 

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White: D. Sharma, 1842. 
Black: G. Schubert, 2120. 
Event: Moehnesee Cup (A) 2005. 
Result: 1-0 in 33 moves. 
Opening: Czech Defence transposing into Philidor Defence, B07. 

1. e4 d6 
2. d4 Nf6 
3. Nc3 c6 

| The Czech Defence. 
Having spent a tempo with the c-pawn black is indicating the central challenge will be with, pawn e5. 
Instead, 3. ... g6, is the Pirc Defence, while, 3. ... Nbd7, keeps white guessing whether the black f8 bishop is destined for g7 or e7. || 

4. f3 

| A doubler. 
Firstly, white anticipates an eventual black, pawn b5, and then, pawn b4, push which will displace the white c3 knight, leaving the e4 pawn defenceless, so a retaliatory defence is put in place before it is needed. 
Secondly, for purposes of kingside aggression white has set up the advance of, pawn g4. 
Instead there is a wide range of choices here. 
Highly popular are: pawn f4, Nf3, and pawn a4, this latter queenside thrust is designed to prevent the black expansion of, pawn b5. 
Less common are: pawn g3, Be3, Bg5, pawn h3. 
Then less common than the game choice is, Be2. 
Which is the best move? 
Wrong question. 
One should ask which move leads to positions which best suit your style of play. 
Commenting on some of the pawn moves, pawn a4, is a spoiler, black is not going to be allowed the pleasure of claiming queenside space. 
Pawn f4 is indicating direct aggression, either pawn e5, or, pawn f5, will set the middlegame fun rolling. 
Lastly, the relatively humble, pawn g3, is solid, white will follow with, Bg2, Nge2, O-O, and centralise the rooks, nothing fancy, nothing risky. || 

4. ... Nbd7 
5. Be3 e5 

| And a transposition achieves a Philidor Defence pawn formation. 
Each player will simply ignore the moves of the opponent until it is absolutely necessary to respond to a threat. || 

6. Qd2 Be7 
7. g4 O-O 

| Is black castling into an attack? 
Yes,but history shows us that while white usually creates semi-open files first, there is insufficient white piece coordination to make it count. 
Black must of course be careful, there are several mistakes just waiting to be made, however with home-study of games in this system black should know how to defend against the forthcoming white pawn-storm. || 

8. O-O-O b5 
9. h4 

| Fischerism: "In chess it is important to know when to punch and when to duck." 
White chooses all-out aggression, for those of a slightly calmer nature, 9. Kb1, guards the always-vulnerable white a2 pawn while vacating the c1 square for a possible, Bc1 retreat. || 

9. ... a5 

| Already observed in previous coaching games are, 9. ... Qa5, and, 9. ... Nb6, both giving black queenside play. 
Here black seems to want to mirror the white attacking plan of throwing the wing-pawns up the board on a mission of unselfish self-destruction. || 

10. h5 

| The alternative push, 10. g5, might be met with, 10. ... Nh5, when white must then find a means of dislodging the black knight which is blocking the pawn-roller. || 

10. ... a4 
11. g5 Ne8 

| White to play and demonstrate how to make semi-open files. || 

12. g6 Nef6 

| Black selects the correct defence, time to duck on the kingside, the h7 pawn is in need of vital support. 
For the horrors available to white after, 12. ... hxg6, consult the notes for the 07 October 2018 coaching session. 
White is to play and complete the early phase of the kingside campaign. || 

13. h6 

| Yes, the white g6 pawn is being abandoned. 
All part of the white opposite-wing strategy, create semi-open files in front of the black king as quickly as possible, which means the g-pawn is dispensable. || 

13. ... fxg6 

| Again the correct response from black, nothing else will do. || 

14. hxg7 

| Having abandoned the fellow g-pawn to an early death, the white h-pawn blithely continues on the mission of movement up the board. 
Black now has a dilemma. 
If left alone the white g7 pawn might get in the way of attacking white pieces, so perhaps no hurry to remove it. 
Alternately, if left alone it might become part of a plan of constriction around the black king. 
In other words, black understands the pawn will need to be removed at some point, the tricky question is just when to do so. || 

14. ... Rf7 

| It might appear that white is making great progress on the kingside while the black queenside campaign has been suspended. 
This is true, but black has been correctly ducking in order to avoid an immediate catastrophe, threats emerged, defences erected. 
The white kingside attack has achieved the aim, it cannot go any further without some re-building, perhaps some development of the kingside pieces would not go amiss? 
White to play and totally switch strategy with a move which might have come as a surprise to black. || 

15. d5 

| Isn't chess wonderful? 
Everything indicates white will simply keep blasting away at the kingside, right? 
And yet here we have white changing plans by advancing in the centre. 
Why? Because, thinking strategically, the black queenside pawns appear to be a little fragile on the light squares, and the best means of attacking a pawn-chain is to undermine the base. 
However before making this committal advance, there were some serious tactics in need of calculation with regard to black replying by pushing on with, pawn b4. || 

15. ... b4 

| White had to be prepared for this. 
Instead, 15. ... Bb7, 16. dxc6 Bxc6, leaves white to choose between, 17. Bxb5, or, Nxb5, both snatching a queenside pawn but giving black a couple of semi-open files for heavy piece activity. || 

16. dxc6 bxc3 

| So black takes a knight with the added bonus of attacking the white queen, surely black is winning a piece, has white blundered? || 

17. Qxc3 Ba6 

| And now black simply leaves the attacked d7 knight to be gobbled up by the white c6 pawn, what is going on here? 
Thoughts of this game being played in the pub should be dismissed from your mind. 
White has played a nice tactical combination to reduce the effectiveness of the black queenside pawn mass. 
Attempts by black to salvage the threatened black d7 knight fail as follows: 
(A). If, 17. ... Nb8 18. c7 Qd7 19. c7xb8=Q Rxb8 20. Bc4, and white is winning an exchange. 
(B). Or if, 17. ... Nc5 18. Bxc5, and black must choose between letting white regain the piece or keep capturing with, 18. ... dxc5 19. Rxd8 Bxd8, but again, 20. Bc4, costs black an exchange. 
(C). Or if, 17. ... Nb6 18. c7, an interference cutting off the defence to the black b6 knight so that, 18. ... Qd7 19. Bxb6, white regains the piece with a bonus passed pawn on c7. 
(D). Or if, 17. ... Nb6 18. c7 Na4 19. cxd8=Q+, a check which means after, 19. ... Bxd8 20. Qb3, black has lost the queen for a piece. 
(E). Or if, 17. ... Qc7 18. cxd7 Qxc3 19. bxc3 Bxd7 20. Bc4, again black is losing an exchange, but black can improve on this idea. 
(F). Or if, 17. ... Qc7 18. cxd7 Qxc3 19. bxc3 Ba6, intending to round up the white d7 pawn later, the black f7 rook is safe as, 20. Bh3 Bc4, prevents white, Be6. || 

18. Bxa6 

| White should not try to be fancy with, 18. Bc4, trying to gain a better position for the queen with, 18. ... Bxc4 19. Qxc4, as 19. ... Qc7, pins the white c6 pawn to the undefended white c4 queen, white can no longer regain the piece by a, cxd7, capture. || 

18. ... Rxa6 
19. cxd7 Qxd7 

| The queen recapture is preferred over, 19. ... Nxe7, as the knight on f6 has some defensive duties to perform on the kingside. 
Instead, 19. ... Nxd7, would allow a pretty obscure tactic favouring white to emerge, a few sample lines run: 
(A). If, 19. ... Nxd7 20. Qc4 Ra8 21. Rxh7 Kxh7 22. Qxf7 Nf6 23. g8=Q+ (double check and so) mate. 
(B). Or if, 19. ... Nxd7 20. Qc4 Ra8 21. Rxh7 Kxh7 22. Qxf7 Qg8 23. Qxe7, white has won a piece. 
But does the black king need to capture the white h7 rook? 
(D). Or if, 19. ... Nxd7 20. Qc4 Ra8 21. Rxh7 Rc8 22. Rh8+ Kxg7 23. Rxd8 Rxc4 24. Rxd7, white has won a piece. 
(E). Or if, 19. ... Nxd7 20. Qc4 Ra8 21. Rxh7 Rc8 22. Rh8+ Kxg7 23. Rh7+ Kxh7 24. Qxf7+ Kh8 25. Qxg6, white is 2 pawns up and the white attack will continue after, 26. Ne2, releasing the d1 rook for a brutal, Rh1+. || 

20. Qc4 

| A move demonstrating the full powers of the queen, she moves up a file to attack the undefended black a6 rook up one diagonal while pinning the black f7 rook up the other diagonal. 
Such a well-placed piece cannot be allowed to remain unchallenged. || 

20. ... Qc6 

| This certainly challenges the white queen but does not neutralise all the gains she made when landing on c4. 
Perhaps black should instead be ducking with, 20. ... Ra8, intending to punch with, 21. ... Rc8, which pushes the white queen off the dangerous a2 - g8 diagonal. 
Note that, 20. ... Rc6, is trappy, but for which player? 
Consider, 20. ... Rc6 21. Qxa4, entering into a mutual x-ray attack of queens through the black c6 rook, and now black takes advantage of the loose white queen with, 21. ... Rxc2+, expecting to pick up the white queen next move with, Qxa4+. 
Not so, after, 21. ... Rxc2+, white backwardly captures with, 22. Qxc2, and black is unfortunately a rook down. || 

21. Qe6 

| A bold decision. 
White, rated almost 300 Elo points lower, declines a queen trade, effectively stating a belief in having the superior position and so an intention to play for a win. 
Such a decision from white should set off warning bells to black that the kingside is in serious need of strengthening, in particular the white queen should be pushed off the e6 square as quickly as possible. || 

21. ... Nh5 

| Black is seeking to finally eliminate the annoying white g7 pawn. 
If so, then why not capture with, 21. ... Kxg7, and escape the annoying white queen pin at the same time? 
Instead, 21. ... Ra8, intending, 22. ... Qc8, which forces a queen trade and so relieving the pressure on the kingside was also useful. || 

22. Bh6 

| White is at a crossroads. 
The opportunities are to keep the attack going and permit black an attack, or to play defensively and permit black to eliminate the g7 pawn without penalty - Punch or Duck? - White chooses Punch! 
This is saving the g7 pawn by the same sequence of tactics indicated back on black move, 19. ... Qxd7. 
Back then black avoided capturing, 19. ... Nxd7, as this permitted white the break-through idea, 20. Rxh7. 
The same applies here, if black ever tries, Nxg7, white plays, Bxg7, when, Kxg7, is hit by white, Rxh7+, and the black kingside falls apart with the added loss of the unprotected black e7 bishop. || 

If white had chosen Duck, then, 22. a3, would have prevented black from playing it, and all the ramifications involved in letting black have an attack would have been avoided. 

Such are the complications of playing opposite-wing attacks. 
In general and not a hard rule, play a move for your attack, your opponent gets a move for their attack. 
Choose to defend and deny your opponent an attack, and they can do the same back to your attacking prospects. || 

22. ... a3 
23. b3 

| This pawn advance creates, depending on your perspective, a massive hole in the white queenside, or a tempting invitation to invade. 
Instead getting on with development, 23. Ne2, fails horribly as black flicks in, 23. ... Qb5, attacking the twin weak points of the white e2 knight and the b2 pawn, white must lose something somewhere, black would be breaking into the white position. || 

23. ... Qc3 

| Ouch! 
The black queen cannot be prevented from invading with, Qb2, after which there is, Qxa2, and then ideas of promoting the black a3 pawn. || 

24. Ne2 

| Not simply an attack for the sake of it, this knight is now controlling the dark squares c3 and d4. 
Why is this of any value? 
Simply that if the black queen wanders further into the white queenside with, Qb2+, then providing the white e2 knight stands firm, she will not have an obvious immediate escape route. || 

24. ... Qb2+ 

| Black still had the chance to retreat with, 24. ... Qc7, intending, Bf6, which gives the f7 rook a defence from the c7 queen, then, Bxg7, and the white g7 pawn is safely eliminated. 
Of course, with a gaping hole on b2, why should black be thinking in terms of ducking when there seems to be quite a strong punch available? || 

25. Kd2 Rc6 
26. Rc1 

| White has constructed a queenside defence of sorts, well it will only be a defence providing no more black pieces can join in with the fight on the queenside. 
There is however still the threat of black playing, Qxa2 - Qb2, pawn a2 - pawn a1=Q, deflecting the white c1 rook with, Rxa1, after which either, Qxc2+, or probably even better, Rxc2+, will give white very serious problems. 
Of course the black promotion plan takes 4 moves, white is not just going to sit there, perhaps that pinned black f7 rook can be exploited, but how? 
Maybe put the h1 rook on f1, and then calculate the consequences of pushing, pawn f4, remembering if the e2 knight strays then black has, Qc3+, or, Qd4+, available. 
Difficult to work out, right? 
Well white could have had an easier life by trading queens back on move 21, but instead preferred to mix it by invading, Qe6, which in turn has permitted the black queen to have an invasion of her own. || 

26. ... Nxg7 

| A critical move. 
Black, believe it or not, is actually punching when removing the white g7 pawn. 
White now must decide on the future of the queen, if she wants to remain on e6 then, Bxg7, is necessary, but this comes with some consequences to the dark squares. 
On the other hand, if white wishes to keep control of some dark squares, then, Qg4, or, Qh3, both protecting the weak f3 pawn come to mind. 

If black had started to have misgivings about sending the queen into a position of non-retreat, then there was a most remarkable surprise resource available ending in at least a perpetual check. 
The idea is, 26. ... Ng3, inviting white to snatch the bold black knight with, 27. Nxg3. 
A couple of sample lines run: 
(A). If, 26. ... Ng3 27. Nxg3 Qc3+ 28. Ke2 Qxf3+ 29. Kd2 Qc3+ 30. Ke2 Qf3+, perpetuating seems the best white can manage if he captures on g3. 
(B). Or if, 26. ... Ng3 27. Nxg3 Qc3+ 28. Kd1 Qxf3+ 29. Ne2 Qxh1+ 30. Kd2 Qxh6+, white has just lost a whole rook in the sequence. 
Of course white does not have to capture on g3. 
(C). Or if, 26. ... Ng3 27. Rh2 Nxe2 28. Rxe2 Qc3+ 29. Kd1 Qxf3, and black has won a pawn but still has some unravelling to do. 
Next we have to consider that recurring white h-file tactic. 
(D). Or if, 26. Ng3 27. Rxh7 Kxh7 28. Qxf7 Nxe2 29. Bf8+ Kh8 30. Qg7+ mate, but black can improve on this. 
(E). Or if, 26. ... Ng3 27. Rxh7 Nxe2 28. Rh8+ Kxg7 29. Rh7+ Kxh7 30. Qxf7+ Kh6 31. Qxe7 Qxc1+ 32. Kxe2 Rxc2+ 33. Kd3 Qd2+ mate, white must improve on this, but how? 
(F) Or if, 26. ... Ng3 27. Rxh7 Nxe2 28. Bxe5 Qxc1+ 29. Kxe2 Rxc2+ 30. Kd3 Qd2+ mate, is not the answer. 
(G). Or if, 26. ... Ng3 27. Rxh7 Nxe2 28. Bh6 Qxc1+ 29. Kxe2 Rxc2+ 30. Kd3 Qd1+ 32. Ke3 Qd2+ mate, is equally tough on white. 
Conclusion: If the above bio-organic analysis is correct, it seems after, 26. ... Ng3, the best each player can hope for is to accept the sequence leading to the perpetual check. || 

27. Bxg7 Bg5+ 

| Aha, black is not falling for that sneaky tactic of, 27. ... Kxg7 28. Rxh7+ Kxh7 29. Qxf7+ Kh6 30. Rh1+ Kg5 31. Qxe7+ mate. 
With the game move of, 27. ... Bg5+, black is bringing another piece into the attack, fine, but is there something being overlooked here? || 

28. f4 Bxf4+ 

| Perhaps when embarking on the plan of enticing the white bishop onto g7 black was relying on meeting the blocking, 28. f4, with, 28. ... exf4, threatening a powerful, 29. ... f3+, destroying the entire white defences. 
There is just a little problem with, 28. ... exf4, it opens up the long diagonal so that white can reply, 29. Bxb2, black loses the queen for that enticed white g7 bishop. || 

29. Nxf4 Qd4+ 

| The black queen has play again, but isn't white presently 2 pieces up? || 

30. Nd3 

| White saves the knight while protecting the f2 square from the black queen invasion. || 

30. ... Qxe4 

| Setting up a potential perpetual check starting with, 31. ... Qg2+, but white has a move to play first. || 

31. Rhf1 

| The Punch or Duck phase is over, now welcome to the more powerful Punch and Duck phase. 
With one relatively simple move white has just prevented the black perpetual check threat while also threatening a mating attack of his own. || 

31. ... Rcc7 

| Instead, 31. ... Qg2+ 32. Rf2 Qg5+ 33. Ke2 Qh5+ 34. Ke1 Qh1+ 35. Kd2, the black queen is en prise and has run out of checks, it is all over, the only question is how many moves to the handshake. || 

32. Bh6 

| Saving the bishop while maintaining control of both the g7 and f8 squares, ideas of back rank mating nets for the white queen on light squares should be materialising. || 

32. ... Rce7 

| Prevents, 33. Qe8+, but this rook was overloaded. || 

33. Qc8+ 
Black resigns, 1-0 

| White completely controls the e8 and f8 squares, either rook retreat would be futile. || 

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White: D. Sharma, 1842. 
Black: G. Schubert, 2120. 
Event: Moehnesee Cup (A) 2005. 
Result: 1-0 in 33 moves. 
Opening: Czech Defence transposing into Philidor Defence, B07. 

1. e4 d6 
2. d4 Nf6 
3. Nc3 c6 
4. f3 Nbd7 
5. Be3 e5 
6. Qd2 Be7 
7. g4 O-O 
8. O-O-O b5 
9. h4 a5 
10. h5 a4 
11. g5 Ne8 
12. g6 Nef6 
13. h6 fxg6 
14. hxg7 Rf7 
15. d5 b4 
16. dxc6 bxc3 
17. Qxc3 Ba6 
18. Bxa6 Rxa6 
19. cxd7 Qxd7 
20. Qc4 Qc6 
21. Qe6 Nh5 
22. Bh6 a3 
23. b3 Qc3 
24. Ne2 Qb2+ 
25. Kd2 Rc6 
26. Rc1 Nxg7 
27. Bxg7 Bg5+ 
28. f4 Bxf4+ 
29. Nxf4 Qd4+ 
30. Nd3 Qxe4 
31. Rhf1 Rcc7 
32. Bh6 Rce7 
33. Qc8+ 
Black resigns, 1-0 

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