Skype coaching session, 05 May 2019. The game discussed (39 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: W. Bills. Black: L. Isaacs. Event: 56th U.S. Open (Oklahoma City) 1956. Result: 1-0 in 39 moves. Opening: King's Indian Defence, Four Pawns Attack, E76. | Editorial. The opening moves here follow the coaching session of 28 April 2019 up to white move 6. The annotations given for that session up to white m || 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f4 O-O 6. b4 | Welcome to the, "Five Pawns Attack, Queenside Push". Well, if a move with only 2 games in the limited database consulted for these session can be given a name, then there it is. Incidentally, had white instead played, 6. h4, we would have been in the, "Five Pawns Attack, Kingside Push". So just what is white doing playing, 6. b4, when so far behind in development? The idea is to prevent black from playing, pawn c5, an important move as part of the process of undermining/attacking the white pawn centre. Why have so few people tried it? Surely if it was so good, then Grand Masters would be playing it,? This must be true, but as this game flows, ask yourself just where are the obvious improvements for both sides. || 6. ... c6 | Black is adopting strategy known against the Polish system, 1. b4 c6 2. Bb2 a5, perhaps called the Outflank Defence? Of course, this game is nothing like a Polish, but the idea is valid as far as the queenside is concerned. || 7. e5 | Commital, but definitely in the spirit of the Four Pawns Attack. Instead, 7. Nf3 Bg4, would be pleasant for black, an important defender of the central dark squares, the f3 knight, can be removed if black chooses. || 7. ... dxe5 | Black cannot have a white pawn permanently lodged on e5, this is the first step in the necessary challenge to the white centre. || 8. fxe5 | Instead, 8. dxe5 Qxd1+, would please black, white needs queens on if the Four Pawns Attack is to have any bite. || 8. ... Nfd7 | Understandable, on d7 this knight nibbles on the white e5 pawn, however 7. ... Ne8, would avoid the congested queenside which will soon arise. || 9. Nf3 a5 | The outflank plan continues, squares must be made available for the black queenside pieces. || 10. b5 | Instead, 10. bxa5 Rxa5, will leave white worrying over the a-pawn for a long time to come. || 10. ... cxb5 | This clears the c6 square for the black b8 knight. A different approach could have been tried with, 10. ... c5, reverting to the more usual method of undermining the white pawn centre. || 11. Nxb5 | White does not want a symmetric pawn structure, so, 11. cxb5, must be rejected. || 11. ... Nc6 12. Bf4 b6 | The beginning of the second phase of attacking the white e5 pawn. The logic-flow for the black plan construction runs as follows: Black wishes to challenge with, pawn f6, but white will reply with, pawn e6, immediately followed by, pawn d5, setting up a very strong centre. So before black can play, pawn f6, there must be a black pawn sitting on e6. However, if black plays, pawn e6, immediately, then white will surely jump in with, Nd6, not to black's liking. So, how can black hit with, pawn f6, without allowing the white knight onto the d6 square? There are 3 answers: (A). Protect the d6 square sufficiently that white, Nd6, is discouraged. (B). Push the white b5 knight back to either a3 or c3. (C). Eliminate the white b5 knight. So, black plans, Ba6, to either scare the white b5 knight away, or simply trade it off if it stands firm, then the plan will continue, play, pawn e6, then challenge with, pawn f6. Plan construction is a tricky beast, in this instance a certain retro-logic is needed to ensure the desired black central challenge move is adequately prepared. || 13. Be2 Ba6 | Black plans to eliminate the white b5 knight, assuming it does not voluntarily retreat, far more efficient than trying to over-protect the d6 square, a plan which would require so much convoluted shuffling. || 14. a4 | White is happy for the b5 knight to be eliminated, this support from the a-pawn is designed to capture with, axb5, and so maintain a flexible pawn centre. || 14. ... Nb4 | The black knight takes up an outpost, but how much influence does it have on b4? || 15. O-O Rc8 | Again, a black piece takes up a, "Natural-Looking", square, but if the white e2 bishop does not stray, jut what can the black c8 rook do? || 16. Qb3 | The white queen cannot do much by force from here, but where else was she to go? || 16. ... Bxb5 | Commital. Instead a precautionary evasion of the x-ray attack from the white b3 queen with, 16. ... Kh8, might have been wise. Sure, there are 2 pawns in between the white queen and black king, but bear in mind the previously discussed plan for black involving, pawn f6, which will make the yet-to-arrive pawn on e6 into a potential target captureable with check if the black king is still on g8. || 17. axb5 e6 18. Rad1 | White sets up another x-ray attack, target the black d8 queen, again nothing can happen by force here, but as more moves get played vague threats can turn into real danger. || 18. ... f6 | Consistent, the plan to challenge the white e5 pawn continues. However, caution in the shape of, 18. ... Qe7, escaping the x-ray attack from the white d1 rook seems sensible, with the added bonus that the e6 pawn would be protected. Is it essential to run away every time an x-ray attack appears? Not necessarily, but if you let them just sit there, you must be certain of your ability to calculate tactics both deeply and accurately. || 19. exf6 | White now has the semi-open e-file down which to place pressure on the black e6 pawn. Had white permitted black to capture with, fxe5, there would have followed piece exchanges on e5, not desirable for white who is trying to squeeze something from the space advantage. || 19. ... Bxf6 | Instead, 19. ... Nxf6, would avoid the annoyance about to arise in game. || 20. Bd6 | Not just an attack for the sake of it. White needs the bishop on the a3 - f8 diagonal in order to initiate another space-gaining plan. Note that if black had previously escaped the d-file x-ray attack with, Qe7, this white finesse would not be available. || 20. ... Be7 | A sad necessity. Instead, 20. ... Re8, would concede the f-file to the white f1 rook as long as white still has the dark square bishop on d6. White to play and take advantage of the latent x-ray attacks. || 21. c5 | This dynamic move could have been played after black challenged with, 19. ... f6, which left the e6 pawn undefended. White held back on the immediate queenside commitment, instead choosing to stabilise the centre/kingside first. Black however has chosen to counter-attack while a couple of white x-ray attacks are still in operation, the d1 rook onto the d8 queen, the b3 queen onto the g8 king, only advisable if you are an excellent tactician. || 21. ... Nd5 | Black must play defensively, the tactics fail, a few sample lines run: (A). If,21. ... Bxd6 22. Qxe6+ Kh8 23. Qxd6, white has won a safe pawn. (B). Or if, 21. ... bxc5 22. Qxe6+ Kh8 23. Qxe7, white has won a piece. (C). Or if, 21. ... bxc5 22. Qxe6+ Rf7 23. Ng5 Bxg5 24. Rxf7, with strong threats of moving the f7 rook with check to win more material. White to play and show how tactical threats can produce a positional gain. || 22. Bxe7 | This trade is necessary to make that mentioned positional gain. || 22. ... Qxe7 23. c6 | A protected passed pawn on the 6th rank, as more pieces are removed from play this asset will grow in value, black will need to keep a piece close by to prevent promotion. Such an advantage is not automatically decisive, but it will reduce the mobility of whichever black unit is given the task. Continually accumulating small advantages, such as a 6th rank protected passed pawn, should lead to a difficult defensive task becoming impossible. || 23. ... N7f6 24. Bc4 | A tripler. Firstly, the bishop moves off the e-file, permitting a rook to shuffle sideways to pressure the backward isolated black e6 pawn. Secondly, the white b3 queen and c4 bishop battery produce a strong x-ray attack onto that vulnerable black e6 pawn. Thirdly, depending on the demands of the position, white has an options to trade, Bxd5, eliminating the black d5 knight and thus moving a little closer to a favourable endgame. || 24. ... Qd6 | A tripler. Firstly, the black queen escapes a potential e-file x-ray attack before white gets a rook onto the e1 square. Secondly, the d5 knight is now over-protected, 3 defences outnumbering the 2 white aggressors. Thirdly, on d6 the black queen is nibbling at the white h2 pawn. || 25. Rde1 | The process of ganging up on the black e6 pawn begins. The d-file rook is moved so that the f1 rook can remain to fight for the only file on the board likely to be fully open, yes, there are a couple of knights also on the f-file, but these could quickly depart. || 25. ... Kg7 | A sign that black has no active plan and is instead waiting for white to put his plan into action. Instead, 25. ... Rce8, getting in an over-protection on the e6 pawn before it is needed would have been useful. || 26. Ng5 | A move which needs careful consideration. There is a double-attack on the black e6 pawn, fine, but defensive support to both the white d4 and h2 pawns has been given up. || 26. ... Rce8 | Had black previously chosen, 25. ... Rce8, over-protecting in advance, instead of waiting to be forced to give the e6 pawn a double-defence as here, then, 26. h6, kicking the white knight back would have been available. || 27. Bxd5 | Giving black the time-consuming joy of having to calculate tactical and strategic consequences of all 3 recaptures. White is beginning the process of trading pieces, the endgame is not an automatic win, but that advanced passed c6 pawn demands black always has a unit dedicated of preventing promotion. || 27. ... Nxd5 | Black follows the strategic principle of placing the knight on an outpost, on d5 it cannot be pushed away by any enemy pawn. Fine, but are there tactical arguments against this policy? The other captures give differing outcomes: (A). If, 27. ... Qxd5 28. Qxd5 exd5 29. Ne6+, costs black an exchange, whether black permits, Nxf8, or captures immediately with, Rxe6. (B). Or if, 27. ... Qxd5 28. Qxd5 Nxd5 29. Nxe6+ Kg8 30. Rxf8+ Rxf8 31. Nxf8 Kxf8, white is a clear exchange and pawn up. So black capturing on d5 with the queen leads to a winning position for white. (C). Or if, 27. ... exd5, black still has a double-guard on the e6 square, white cannot win an exchange there, the middlegame fight continues. It is likely there will be an exchange of rooks on the e-file, any exchanges will slightly favour white as the endgame becomes nearer, but it is not obviously losing for black. However, the game move is definitely in the class of: "Win Something, Lose Something". || 28. Rxf8 | When the black f6 knight migrated to d5 it opened up the f-file for rook activity to both players. There is however still a white double-attack on the backward black e6 pawn. White is taking advantage of both these features to make an incisive invasion. || 28. ... Kxf8 | Black dare not claim the f-file with, 28. ... Rxf8, as, 29. Nxe6+, wins an exchange and a pawn. || 29. Qf3+ | The white queen is seeking an invasion on f7. Every white piece is much better than every black piece, unsurprisingly there are very serious threats. Instead the materialistic, 29. Nxh7+, wins a useful pawn, but would miss a big opportunity to take complete control of the position. || 29. ... Nf4 | The best of a bad lot, instead permitting the white queen entry costs black heavily: (A). If, 29. ... Kg8 30. Qf7+ Kh8 31. Qxh7+ mate. (B). Or if, 29. Kg7 30. Qf7+ Kh6 31. Qxe8 Kxg5 32. Qxe6, white is an exchange and pawn up, but perhaps white can scent blood? (C). Or if, 29. ... Kg7 30. Qf7+ Kh6 31. Qxh7+ Kxg5 32. h4+ Kg4 33. Qxg6+ Kxh4 34. Re4+ Nf4 35. Kh2, and black cannot prevent the humble, 36. g3+ mate. (D). Or if, 29. ... Kg7 30. Qf7+ Kh6 31. Qxh7+ Kxg5 32. h4+ Kf4 33. Qh6+ Kf5 or Kg4 or Kg3 34. Qg5+ mate. (E). Or if, 29. ... Ke7 30. Qf7+ Kd8 31. Nxe6+ Kc8 32. Qb7+ mate. (F). Or if, 29. ... Ke7 30. Qf7+ Kd8 31. Nxe6+ Rxe6 32. Qxe6, white is an exchange and pawn up. (G). Or if, 29. ... Qf4 30. Qxf4+ Nxf4 31. Rf1 e5 32. dxe5 Rxe5 33. Rxf4+ Ke8 34. Re4, forces rooks off, the white knight has sufficient time to prevent the black passed a5 pawn promotion. (H). Or if, 29. ... Qf4 30. Qxf4+ Nxf4 31. Rf1 e5 32. dxe5 Rxe5 33. Rxf4+ Kg8 34. c7 Rc5 35. Rf8+ Kxf8 36. Ne6+ Ke7 37. Nxc5, black cannot prevent white, c8=Q. || 30. g3 | White pins and wins the black f4 knight at the cost of the d4 pawn. The rest as they say, is just a matter of technique. || 30. ... Qxd4+ 31. Kh1 | White must move the king, instead piece interventions gain nothing: (A). If, 31. Qf2 Qxf2+ 32. Kxf2 Nd3+, losing an exchange is a disaster for white. (B). Or if, 31. Re3 Qa1+ 32. Qf1 Qxf1+ 33. Kxf1 Nd5 34. Rxe6, is material equality, but each player will need to take care over those passed queenside pawns. (C). Or if, 31. Kf1 Qc4+ 32. Kg1 Qd4+, hints at a possible 3-fold repetition, white will not accept this. So after, 31. Kh1, the white king is out of trouble, right? Not so clear, with the black knight still hovering on f4, the white king is in an uncommon potential back-rank mating pattern. || 31. ... h6 | Black tries to confuse matters. Instead, 31. ... Qd5, was the only other trick worth trying, the ideas run: (A).If, 31. ... Qd5 32. Qxd5 Nxd5, black has escaped the pin, white can regain the pawn, each player must then take care of those queenside passed pawns, but by trading queens white has missed the chance to win a piece. (B). Or if, 31. ... Qd5 32. Rf1 Qxg5 33. gxf4 Qxb5, white is 2 pawns down and struggling severely. (C). Or if, 31. ... Qd5 32. Rf1 Qxg5 33. Qxf4+ Qxf4 34. gxf4, white is a pawn down in a single rook ending, not pleasant. So, is there a remedy to this quiet black queen retreat? (D). Or if, 31. ... Qd5 32. Ne4 Qxb5 33. Qxf4+ Ke7 34. Rd1 Rf8 35. Qd6+ Kd8 36. Qd7+ mate. (E). Or if, 31. ... Qd5 32. Ne4 Qxb5 33. Qxf4+ Ke7 34. Rd1 Rf8 35. Qd6+ Kf7 36. Qd7+ Kg8 37. Qxe6+ Kh8 38. Nf6, white is a piece up for a pawn, care required to convert this but the point should not be in doubt. (F). Or if, 31. ... Qd5 32. Ne4 Qxb5 33. Qxf4+ Ke7 34. Rd1 Qxc6 35. Qf6+ mate. (G). Or if, 31. ... Qd5 32. Ne4 Qxb5 33. Qxf4+ Kg7 34. Qf6+ Kg8 35. Rc1, white transfers focus onto promoting the c6 pawn while there is an immediate threat of, Nd6, winning an exchange to be neutralised by black. (H). Or if, 31. ... Qd5 32. Ne4 Qxb5 33. Qxf4+ Kg8 34. Nf6+ Kh8 35. Nxe8+ Qxc6+ 36. Qe4 Qxe8 37. Qxe6, white is a rook up for 2 black queenside pawns, a comfortable win for white. It appears that after, 31. ... Qd5 32. Ne4, black is just losing the f4 knight with options of more horrors to be avoided. White in the game must now not get greedy, the mistakes are always out there waiting to be played. || 32. Ne4 | White had to resist the disastrous, 32. Nxe6+, royal fork, because, 32. ... Rxe6 33. Rxe6 Qa1+, back-rank mate net, 34 Re1 Qxe1 35. Qf1 Qxf1+ mate, a painful lesson. || 32. ... Kg7 | Vacating the f8 square so after white captures on f4, there will at least be some activity for the black rook with, Rf8. || 33. gxf4 | Instead, 33. Qxf4 Rf8, allows black some activity, capturing with the pawn makes it harder for the black e8 rook to enter the game. || 33. ... e5 | A doubler. Firstly, an attempt to activate the passive black e8 rook is under way. Secondly, black has avoided the white threat of, 34. Qc3, which without a pawn on e5 closing the long a1 - h8 diagonal, would force a queen trade, not favourable to black when a piece down. Unfortunately for black, when playing, pawn e5, white might at the right moment take the opportunity to open up the f-file again with, fxe5. So, is, 33. ... e5, a mistake? Not really, white has a decisive material plus, black needs activity at all costs, so take whatever risky idea offers the best chance, if it loses do not worry, it was surely going to happen with slower play anyway, go down fighting and flailing. White is now to play and activate his own passive unit. || 34. Rd1 | White places a rook on what is to be the only fully-open file on the board, destination 7th rank with check. || 34. ... Qa4 | A doubler. Firstly, the black queen is nibbling at the white d1 rook, it is protected by the f3 queen, but this attack at least immobilises the white queen for a while. Secondly, the backward white b5 pawn is attacked, if black can wipe out all the white queenside pawns then salvation becomes a distant possibility. Black prefers activity by hitting the white d1 rook and b5 pawn, the only defensive try could have been, 34. ... Qb4, intending to interpose a rook on e7 should white try an, Rd7+, invasion. This would permit white to further trade down, very disappointing for black, in essence, black is busted, defending gains nothing, just keep whatever activity you can and hope. || 35. fxe5 | There is no need to hurry, the white 7th rank rook invasion cannot be prevented. With the opening of the f-file there are now 2 motorways leading toward the black king, there are no defences here, it is now just a test of how aware and awake white is. And oh yes, the white e4 knight is not missing out on the fun, f6 has just been claimed as a massive entry square. || 35. ... Rf8 | Instead the defensive, 35. ... Re7, fails, the ideas run: (A). If, 35. ... Re7 36. Qf6+ Kg8 37. Rd8+ Kh7 38. Rh8+ mate. (B). Or if, 35. ... Re7 36. Qf6+ Kh7 37. Qxe7+ Kg8 38. Rd8+ mate. While the aggressive, 35. ... Rxe5, is similarly crushed: (C). Or if, 35. ... Rxe5 36. Rd7+ Kh8 36. Qf8+ mate. (D). Or if, 35. ... Rxe5 36. Rd7+ Kg8 37. Qf7+ Kh8 38. Qh7+ mate. || 36. Rd7+ Kg8 | Instead, 36. ... Kh8 37. Qxf8+ mate, could really only happen in a time-scramble. || 37. Nf6+ | Creating, what should be, a familiar mating pattern of rook + knight focusing on the h7 square. || 37. ... Rxf6 | Instead, 37. ... Kh8 38. Rh7+ mate, is that referenced mating pattern, which must be ingrained in the memory, necessary to drive the analytical processes to work forwards to find such a mate. White to play, can play, "The Obvious", and still win, black has no perpetual checks on the white king, the f6 queen can retreat to block satisfactorily, fine, but is there something better? This is a, "White to play and win, very quickly", problem, a test of personal pride, which requires only a little calculation. || 38. Qd5+ | The white queen is invading with checks, forcing moves cannot be ignored. Sure, 38. exf6, or, 38. Qxf6, both win, but will take more moves if black insists. || 38. ... Kh8 | Instead, 38. ... Kf8, will be treated in the same fashion as game. || 39. Rd8+ Black resigns, 1-0 | After either, 39. ... Kg7, or, 39. ... Kh7, white has, 40. Qg8+ mate, an opposing queen plus rook on your back rank create tremendous threats. || * * * ## Repeat Annotations From 28 April 2019 Coaching Notes. 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 are, 5. Bd3, 5. Nge2. Finally for those systems which must be playable for white but receive limited support there are, 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. || * * * ## Unannotated Game. White: W. Bills. Black: L. Isaacs. Event: 56th U.S. Open (Oklahoma City) 1956. Result: 1-0 in 39 moves. Opening: King's Indian Defence, Four Pawns Attack, E76. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f4 O-O 6. b4 c6 7. e5 dxe5 8. fxe5 Nfd7 9. Nf3 a5 10. b5 cxb5 11. Nxb5 Nc6 12. Bf4 b6 13. Be2 Ba6 14. a4 Nb4 15. O-O Rc8 16. Qb3 Bxb5 17. axb5 e6 18. Rad1 f6 19. exf6 Bxf6 20. Bd6 Be7 21. c5 Nd5 22. Bxe7 Qxe7 23. c6 N7f6 24. Bc4 Qd6 25. Rde1 Kg7 26. Ng5 Rce8 27. Bxd5 Nxd5 28. Rxf8 Kxf8 29. Qf3+ Nf4 30. g3 Qxd4+ 31. Kh1 h6 32. Ne4 Kg7 33. gxf4 e5 34. Rd1 Qa4 35. fxe5 Rf8 36. Rd7+ Kg8 37. Nf6+ Rxf6 38. Qd5+ Kh8 39. Rd8+ Black resigns, 1-0 * * *