Skype coaching session, 28 April 2019. 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. * * * Annotated Game. White: A. Bisguier. Black: R. Fischer. Event: 3rd Rosenwald Trophy New York 1956. Result: 1-0 in 33 moves. Opening: King's Indian Defence, Four Pawns Attack, E78. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 | Mainline branch, instead, 3. ... d5, is the Gruenfeld Defence. || 4. e4 d6 | By far the most popular choice, instead, 4. ... O-O, giving white the opportunity to claim space with, 5. e5 Ne8, has some supporters. || 5. f4 | Welcome to the Four Pawns Attack. Instead more popular here are, 5. Nf3, 5. f3 5. Be2. With roughly the same popularity there is, 5. h3. Then with quite less support there is, 5. Bd3, 5. Nge2. Finally for those systems which must be playable for white but receive limited support there is, 5. Bg5, 5. g3. Which variation is, "The Best"? Wrong question. Choose a pawn formation with which one feels comfortable, study some games in the variation, give it a chance in live games, and if the results are acceptable, stick with your choice. The fact that there are so many variations selected by Grand Masters tells us it is the type of middlegame produced which determines their individual choice here. So if there is a present-day active Grand Master who plays in a style you admire, then why not adopt his/her repertoire as your own? Even better, pick on a fast-rising star who has just entered the 2700-club, they will continually be improving their systems in order to progress their career. Meanwhile, back to this game and we ask, what is the purpose of the Four Pawns Attack? White is claiming space at the cost of falling slightly behind in development. Black in turn must counter quickly against this broad pawn centre. || 5. ... O-O | Instead, 5. ... c5, can be played, and amongst those choices needing far more testing, 5. ... Bg4, might work if black has prepared the variation by studying the handful of games out there. || 6. Nf3 c5 | Some prefer, 6. Be2, here, and there is the alternate bishop move, 6. Bd3, with a few supporters. For instance, in matches played in Calcutta 1852 - 1855, between John Cochrane (white) vs Bonnerjee Mohishunder (black), there were no less than 26 games with, 6. Bd3, available on the limited database consulted for the coaching sessions, only 3 draws, fighting chess! This pair have 448 games in all on that database, and to put that in perspective, Kasparov vs Karpov shows 193 games available. || 6. ... c5 | Less popular here is a sharp try, 6. ... Na6, with the black idea of following with, 7. ... e5, giving up a pawn for activity, homework needed on both sides if his to appear in your games. In the game white to play is at an important strategic crossroad. || 7. Be2 | White chooses to avoid the more popular plan of entering Benoni-territory with, 7. d5, when black should hit immediately with, 7. ... e6, expect sharp middlegame play in this type of system. Instead, the tension-releasing, 7. cxd5, should be met with, 7. ... Qa5, when white must do something about the black threat of, Nxe4. || 7. ... cxd4 | The vast majority of players here make this choice, taking the game into a Sicilian Defence, Maroczy Bind variation. Other options for black here are, 7. ... Nbd7, and, 7. ... Bg4, which need far more testing before judgement can be made. || 8. Nxd4 Nc6 | By far the most popular choice, there are only a handful of games with, 8. ... Bg4, 8. ... Nbd7, 8. ... Qb6, which require more testing before a recommendation can be made. White to play is at another strategic crossroad. || 9. Nc2 | White heads off into a respectable sideline. This retreat makes it harder for black to initiate plans of liquidation beginning with, Nxd4. Instead the much more popular, 9. Be3, permits black the option of, Nxd4, when felt appropriate, which would almost certainly bring the dark square bishops into an x-ray contact on the long diagonal, an exchange of these bishops usually results. It should be noted that, 9. Nxc6, has been tried just 3 times, all by the same player (Elo approx 2360) and all in the same year, 2008. All 3 games were drawn, plenty of opportunity for home study to take up this virtually untested idea. || 9. ... Bd7 | We are now down to very few examples in the limited database. However, those learning from history have come up with, 9. ... Be6, as a possible improvement, permitting the further thematic re-grouping idea of, Nd7. Also known is, 9. ... Nd7, intending, Nc5, and, 9. ... Qb6, after which, 10. Be3 Qa5, gives chances for both sides. || 10. O-O Rc8 | Black is planning building up on the white c4 pawn, and if time permits, organise a thematic queenside break of, pawn b5. || 11. Be3 | Probing at the dark squares in the black queenside, fine, but there is nothing to attack there, right? Well, nothing to attack there, yet... || 11. ... Na5 | Definitely a case of: "Win Something, Lose Something". The Winnings - This pressure on the white c4 pawn is designed to draw white into weakening the long h8 - a1 diagonal. The Losses - On c6 this knight was fighting for control of the e5 square, and yes, has not the knight now on a5 abandoned the black a7 pawn to be consumed whole by the white e3 bishop? A trade has taken place, on a5 black is saying the queenside will be my, "Arena Of Activity", which strongly suggests black is permitting white freedom in the centre. || 12. b3 | This unprotects the white c3 knight, better be sure there are no immediate threats involving the black f6 knight and g7 bishop. Instead, 12. Na3, keeps it all under control, while, 12. c5, offering a pawn for activity, in the centre / kingside deserves careful consideration. The tempting, 12. Bxa7, required crunching, there was the trappy black, 12. ... b6, to work through, after which can the white a7 bishop extract itself? Or if, 12. Bxa7 Nxc4, black still has thoughts of, pawn b6, to snare the straying white a7 bishop, as well as ideas of, Nxb2, undermining the white c3 knight while hitting the d1 queen. It seems all the fun after the speculative white, 12. Bxa7, is with black. || 12. ... a6 | So, if all the fun after a possible white, Bxa7, is with black, why move the target? Simple, the black a6 pawn is now supporting a thematic queenside, pawn b5, break. Instead, 12. ... Nxe4, is a strategic error, as after, 13. Nxe4 Bxa1 14. Qxa1, white has 2 minor pieces for the rook and pawn, this might be pawn-count material-equality, fine, but black will have serious problems on the dark squares for the rest of the game. As anyone who regularly fianchettoes their king's bishop will tell you, volunteering to exchange it off like this demands very careful judgement, do not be hasty to sacrifice your fianchetto bishop for short-term gains. There was also the sensible, 12. ... Ng4, for consideration, while the tempting, 12. ... b5, without the support of an a6 pawn might be a little premature. White now needs to find something dynamic to counter the forthcoming black, pawn b5, break. || 13. e5 | White takes advantage of the absence of a black knight on either of the c6 or d7, squares on which a knight can fight for control of e5. || 13. ... dxe5 | Black prefers to exchange pawns as this will leave white with an isolated e5 pawn, vulnerable to the g7 bishop combining with other black units. || 14. fxe5 Ne8 | Instead, 14. ... Nh5, runs the thematic risk of a knight on h5 being trapped with a white, pawn g4, at some point. In this precise position it is likely that tricks involving black, Bxe5, vacating the g7 square while hitting the loose white c3 knight, should save black, but be aware, fianchettoing a knight rarely works well. || 15. Nd5 | The point of white forcing through, pawn e5, displacing the black f6 knight is revealed. White has some strong threats on the black queenside dark squares, the threat is, Bb6, skewering the black queen and stranded a5 knight. || 15. ... Rc6 | The only way to prevent the white e3 bishop from invading on b6, skewering the black d8 queen and a5 knight. Instead, A. Bisguier - D. Sprenkle, 80th U.S. Open (Chicago) 1979 perhaps suggests that white should not be allowed the luxury of having a bishop on e3 combining with a knight on d5: 15. ... Nc6 16. Bb6 Nc7 17. Nxc7 Rxc7 18. Ne3 Bxe5 19. Nd5 Qb8 20. Bxc7 Bxc7 21. Nxc7 Qxc7 22. Bf3 e5 23. Qd5 b6 24. Rad1 Nd4 25. Qb7 Qxb7 26. Bxb7 a5 27. Rfe1 f6 28. Bd5+ Kh8 29. Kf2 Re8 30. Rd2 Kg7 31. Ke3 f5 32. Kd3 Kf6 33. b4 a4 34. Kc3 Rd8 35. b5 Bxb5 36. Rb1 Rc8 37. Rdb2 Bd7 38. Rxb6+ Ke7 39. Re1 1-0. It seems the b6 square can still be a tender spot in the black ranks despite the intervening 23 years between these games. White to play and score a psychological point over black. || 16. Nd4 | Another, "Win Something, Lose Something", move. The winnings - The black c6 rook is pushed back to c8, the b6 square is no longer sufficiently guarded. The Losses - The knight on d4 blocks the e3 bishop route to the b6 square. However white now has a strong influence on the entire game. The d4 knight can move to any safe square, which would force black, Rc6, again to cover the b6 square. It only then needs white to decide to play, Nd4, again, and black must reply, Rc6. A 3-fold repetition is available to white, thus concluding the game, as black dare not break the sequence, since allowing white, Bb6, results in material loss. || 16. ... Rc8 17. Nc2 Rc6 | White to play can force a draw, fine, but is there anything better? || 18. Ncb4 | Committal. White breaks the repetition sequence, is this brave or foolhardy? Probably neither. White is about to win material, it is true: "Tactics flow from a positionally superior game." However, while tactics can flow, there is no guarantee that at the end of the tactical sequence of moves that the position is still superior. Sometimes the process of winning material results in a drop in coordination, while the side losing material gains activity. The execution of a threat can often release tangled, suppressed or defensive pieces to find activity. Consider the black g7 bishop, presently nibbling the white e5 pawn, should that blocking white unit disappear it will achieve the aim of all fianchettoed bishops, a clear diagonal with a couple of opposing targets to snipe at. White to play must now put the material-snatch plan into action. || 18. ... Re6 19. Bg4 Rxe5 | The black rook has been forced off the 3rd rank, the b6 square is open for the white e3 bishop invasion. || 20. Bb6 Qc8 | Black gains nothing by forcing the pace. Instead, 20. ... Bxg4 21. Qxg4 Qb8 22. Bxa5, black has the same resource as played in game, but white has tricks involving white, Bc7, escaping the pin. Similarly, had the black queen ran away with, Qa8, the white knight could flick in, Nc7, another pin-releasing tempo-attack on the black queen, in each case white remains a piece up. || 21. Bxd7 Qxd7 22. Bxa5 | Mission accomplished, a piece up, all we need do now is to avoid making stupid mistakes and the point comes in, right? Chess is never so simple, black is about to produce a sting in the tale. || 22. ... e6 | So, it is true: "Tactics flow from a positionally superior game", right? Perhaps a wrong comment. Maybe we should be asking if white actually has the superior position? The knight on d5, before being embarrassed by the black e-pawn, was doing quite well. However, the undeveloped white back-rank heavy pieces hardly shine, the a5 bishop is as stranded as was the black a5 knight, the b4 knight is doing?, yes, precisely what is the b4 knight doing? Well in defence of white, the pieces were all working for a single cause, win the black a5 knight. So they coordinated to do so, fine, but now what is their purpose? Meanwhile, the previous white moves had the black e5 rook running around, c6 - c8 - c6 - e6 - e5, and now it is raised to the status of being the best black piece. White to play and get on with some necessary re-grouping. || 23. Nd3 | Getting back into play, sort of. This tempo-attack on the black e5 rook will only push it sideways, revealing an attack from the black g7 bishop, white must think about the safety of the a1 rook, and oh yes, the pin on the white d5 knight continues. If white cannot break that pin, then perhaps the best white can get from this is to accept the d5 knight is doomed, and make sure a pawn is regained in the skirmishing. Note that white cannot exploit the unprotected nature of the black queen as, 23. Nf6+ Nxf6, the black queen receives backward protection. Lastly, when the white knight shuffled onto d3, the stranded white a5 bishop was given some options of Re-entering the game using the a5 - e1 diagonal. || 23. ... Rh5 | Discovering an attack from the black g7 bishop onto the unmoved white a1 rook. Instead, 23. ... Rf5 24. Rxf5 gxf5 25. Nb6 Qc6 26. Rc1, white remains a piece up for a pawn. || 24. N3f4 | Funny how some units get lots of play while others sit at home getting none. This knight moves for the 8th time while the white queen and a1 rook remain unmoved, both physically and emotionally. They are not bothered with the apparent unfairness of it all, the king's knight now on f4 has played a vital part in gaining this position. Beside, has not the black h5 rook consumed 7 tempi and looks forced to take an 8th? || 24. ... Rf5 | Some tactics needed considering: (A). If, 24. ... Bxa1 25. Nxh5 Bh8 26. Ndf6+ Nxf6 27. Nxf6+ Bxf6 28. Qxd7, and white is a queen up, black can improve on this. (B). Or if, 24. ... Bxa1 25. Nxh5 exd5 26. Qxa1 gxh5 27. Bb4 Nd6 28. Qe5 Rd8 29. Qxd5, black is getting tied up and there is the loose h5 pawn to worry about, white has a big plus here, though perhaps, 29. Bc3, might yield bigger rewards. (C). Or if, 24. ... Bxa1 25. Nxh5 gxh5 26. Qxa1, transposes into line (B) above. It seems black dare not initiate an indirect rook trade with, Bxa1. || 25. Bb4 | Isn't chess wonderful? White is using complications to simplify matters. We are about to witness indirect piece trades as each player sits tight in the face of threats. || 25. ... exd5 | Black had to eliminate this piece immediately, when white played, Bb4, there was a threat of, 26. Ne7+, winning the unprotected black d7 queen, "Beware Of The X-Rays!" The idea to be avoided runs, 25. ... Bxa1 26. Ne7+ Qxe7 27. Bxe7 Bg7 28. Bxf8 Kxf8, when white is a queen for a bishop up. There is also, 25. ... Bxa1 26. Qxa1 Nd6 27. Nf6+ Rxf6 28. Qxf6, and white is still a piece up and the black d6 knight is looking very uncomfortable. Now comes the liquidation leading to every white piece being better than every black piece. || 26. Bxf8 Bxa1 | Instead, 26. ... Kxf8, would avoid losing control of the dark squares, but white can offer to transpose back into game or keep the advantage of the exchange with, 27. Rc1. || 27. Qxa1 Kxf8 28. Qh8+ | Nothing else will do here if white wishes to play for a win. Instead, 28. Nxd5 Rxf1+ 29. Qxf1 Kg7 30. Qa1+ f6, and after a further, Qe6, black will have solved most of his problems. Or, 28. Nxd5 Rxf1+ 29. Kxf1 Qe6, and black can safely play, pawn f6, next move to close the weak long diagonal. || 28. ... Ke7 29. Re1+ | The white rook enters the game at last, the pressure on the black e8 knight is going to be very difficult to relieve. Instead, 29. Nxd5+ Kd8 30. Rxf5 Qxf5 31. Qxh7 Qb1+ 32. Kf2 Qxa2+, and the white king must decide, advance and lose the b3 pawn with check, or retreat and suffer a potential perpetual check, in either case black seems fine. || 29. ... Kd8 30. Nxd5 | Every white piece now better than every black piece, fine, but is this enough to win? || 30. ... Qc6 | Black has no constructive moves and is very short of moves which do not self-destruct. The queen on c6 manages to keep a backward defence on the pinned e8 knight, and if she can keep shuffling, Qc6 - Qd7 - Qc6 - Qd7, perhaps the black position will hold together? || 31. Qf8 | on f8 the white queen is preparing a powerful invasion, black must prevent, 32. Qe7+ Kc8 33. Qxe8+, when white wins a piece. || 31. ... Qd7 | Preventing, 32. Qe7+, fine, but now the black queen dare not shuffle back to c6 as, 32. ... Qc6 33. Qe7+ Kc8 34. Qxc8+, winning the black e8 knight while also forcing queens off whatever black does. One feels that with the black king, queen, knight, all in personal zugzwang, and the black f5 rook with few sensible moves, there should be something decisive sitting in the position just waiting to be found by white, but what? || 32. Rd1 | With the crushing twin threats of either, 33. Nc3, or, 33. Ne3, both pinning the black d7 queen to her d8 king. This is a strong plan, but is it mis-timed? Black must find a defence to this idea, it is for the black f5 rook to come to the rescue by moving onto the d-file when the white d5 knight retreats to expose the white d1 rook x-ray attack. Clearly as it stands, the black rook can only interfere with, Rd5, a helpless move as white would simply take it with, Rxd5. However, is it possible for the black rook to find another interference square on the d-file? So, the game move has been played, but is, 32. Rd1, premature? Perhaps a little preparation seems necessary with, 32. g3, taking away the f4 square from a manoeuvring black f-file rook. The idea is that in the game position after, 32. Rd1, black can now play, 32. ... Rf4, when, 33. Nc3/Ne3 Rd4, satisfactorily blocks the d-file, black is surviving. So can black find a rook-shuffle after the precautionary, 32. g3, some sample lines run: (A). If, 32. g3 Rg5 33. Rd1 Rg4 34. Nc3 Rd4, the white threats have come to nothing, can white improve? (B). Or if, 32. g3 Rg5 33. Re3 Rg4 34. Rxe8+ Qxe8 35. Qxe8+ Kxe8 36. Nf6+, picks up the loose black g4 rook, white is a piece up. (C). Or if, 32. g3 Rg5 33. Re3 Rf5 34. Rd3, and the ruinous threat of, 35. Nf4, or, 35. Nb4, cannot be neutralised. If the black king tries to run with, 34. ... Kc8 35. Nb6+, wins the black queen for nothing. If instead the black queen tries to run, there is, 34. ... Qe6 35. Nf4+, picking her off, or, 34. ... Qc8 35. Nb6+, and again she falls, lastly, 34. ... Qc6 35. Ne7+, and again she falls, all variations give white a decisive material plus. Back to the game where black needs to find a rook move to block that white dangerous d-file discovery. || 32. ... Rf6 | Aha, perhaps you are wondering why this trick was missed in the previous comment? Surely if now, 33. Nc3 Rd6, black has claimed the d-file, the white threats are over, it is white who must be careful as, 34. Rxd6 Qxd6 35. Qxf7 Qd4+, picks off the undefended white c3 knight, but white can improve. Instead, 33. Ne3 Rd6 34. Rxd6 Qxd6 35. Qxf7 Qd3, attacking the loose white e3 knight while probing at b1, so a potential black, Qb1+, gets in amongst the white queenside pawns. The alternate method of blocking the d-file with, Rf4 - Rd4, needs examining, the ideas run: (A). If, 32. ... Rf4 33. Nc3 Rd4 35. Rxd4 Qxd4+ 36. Kf1 Qxf3, black wins a piece, white can avoid this by shuffling the d1 rook sideways when challenged on the d-file. (B). Or if, 32. ... Rf4 33. Ne3 Rd4 34. Rxd4 Qxd4 35. Kf2 Qd2+ 36. Kf3 Qxa2, with black playing aggressively (risky), or, 36. ... Qd7, with black playing defensively (safer). (C). Or if, 32. ... Rf4 33. g3 Re4 34. h3 Re6 35. Nf4 Rd6, black escapes the worst, but white has a new idea to try out. (D). Or if, 32. ... Rf4 33. Rd3 Re4 34. Nf4 Rd4, again black is out of trouble, but did white make the best of the d-file rook-lift? (E). Or if, 32. ... Rf4 33. Rd3 Re4 34. g3 Re6 35. c5 b6 36. Nf4, and black cannot avoid the loss of the queen for the white rook, but black in turn has something new to try. (F). Or if, 32. ... Rf4 33. Rd3 Re4 34. c5 f5, and nothing can push the black rook off the e4 square, but if the black rook must remain on e4, then all black pieces are in personal zugzwang. This means black must keep playing pawn moves, very quickly their advances will create weaknesses, white can release the big grip in trade for at least a pawn, possibly more as the f8 queen goes safely pawn-gobbling. Perhaps black, 32. ... Rf4, is not good enough to hold the position together, but was at least worth a shot, white would be forced to find the ideas of, Rd3, combined with, pawn c5. So, why did the comment to white, 32. Rd1, not mention black, 32. ... Rf6, apparently getting black out of difficulties, right? White to play and teach a young Bobby Fischer that, "Tactics flow from a positionally superior game." || 33. Qxe8+ Black resigns, 1-0 | A dramatic end to the game. The painful material-losing choices for black were: (A). If, 33. ... Kxe8 34. Nxf6+ Ke7 35. Nxd7, black is a rook and knight down. (B). Or if, 33. ... Qxe8 34. Nxf6+ Ke7 35. Nxe8 Kxe8, black is a rook down. || * * * ## Unannotated Game. White: A. Bisguier. Black: R. Fischer. Event: 3rd Rosenwald Trophy New York 1956. Result: 1-0 in 33 moves. Opening: King's Indian Defence, Four Pawns Attack, E78. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f4 O-O 6. Nf3 c5 7. Be2 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Nc6 9. Nc2 Bd7 10. O-O Rc8 11. Be3 Na5 12. b3 a6 13. e5 dxe5 14. fxe5 Ne8 15. Nd5 Rc6 16. Nd4 Rc8 17. Nc2 Rc6 18. Ncb4 Re6 19. Bg4 Rxe5 20. Bb6 Qc8 21. Bxd7 Qxd7 22. Bxa5 e6 23. Nd3 Rh5 24. N3f4 Rf5 25. Bb4 exd5 26. Bxf8 Bxa1 27. Qxa1 Kxf8 28. Qh8+ Ke7 29. Re1+ Kd8 30. Nxd5 Qc6 31. Qf8 Qd7 32. Rd1 Rf6 33. Qxe8+ Black resigns, 1-0 * * *