Skype coaching session, 16 June 2019. Firstly,a couple of, "Find The Winning Tactic", positions were studied. Secondly, the game discussed (25 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. * * * Find The Winning Tactic, Diagram 1. Movsesian - Artur Kogan, Lazne Bohdanec, 1996. White to play. Algebraic Addresses. White: Ke3, Rb2, Nc2. Pa5, Pc5, Pf3, Pg2, Ph3. Black: Ke5, Rd1, Bb5. Pa6, Pd7, Pe6, Pg7, Ph7. Fenn (White units in upper case, black units in lower case). 8/ 3p2pp/ p3p3/ PbP1k3/ 8/ 4KP1P/ 1RN3P1/ 3r4. Winning Variations. (A). 1. Rxb5 axb5 2. a6 Rc1 3. Kd2 Rb1 4. a7 Rb2 5. a8=Q, the black rook is too slow to get onto the a-file. (B). 1. Rxb5 axb5 2. a6 Rb1 3. a7 Rb2 4. a8=Q, the black rook is too slow to get onto the a-file. (C). 1. Rxb5 axb5 2. a6 Rd5 3. a7 Rxc5 4. a8=Q, the black rook is too slow to get onto the a-file. (D). 1. Rxb5 axb5 2. a6 Kd5 3. a7 Kc6 4. a8=Q+, the black king is too slow to prevent promotion. (E). 1. Rxb5 Rc1 2. Rb2, black is a piece down. Discussion Of Tactics. Line-Clearance with forced recapture tempo: White plays, 1. Rxb5, black has little choice but to recapture, once the blockading black a6 pawn transfers to the b-file, the white passed a-pawn races to promotion. * * * ## Find The Winning Tactic, Diagram 2. Movsesian - Gerlef Meins, Groningen, 1997. White to play. Algebraic Addresses. White: Kc1, Qd2, Rg1, Rh1, Bd4, Bh3, Nc3. Pa2, Pb2, Pc2, Pe4, Pf3, Pg5. Black: Kc8, Qa5, Rd8, Rh8, Bc6, Be7, Nh5. Pa6, Pb7, Pd6, Pe6, Pf7, Pg7. Fenn (White units in upper case, black units in lower case). 2kr3r/ 1p2bpp1/ p1bpp3/ q5Pn/ 3BP3/ 2N2P1B/ PPPQ4/ 2K3RR. Winning Variations. (A). 1. Bg4 g6 2. Bxh8 Rxh8, white is an exchange up, black has no compensation. (B). 1. Bg4 Ng3 2. Rxh8 Rxh8 3. Rxg3 Rh1+ 4. Rg1, white is a piece up, black has no compensation. Discussion Of Tactics. Overloading: In variation (A), the black g6 pawn is needed to defend the h5 knight and also block the a1 - h8 diagonal, it cannot do both, such units are declared to be, "Overloaded". Lack of flight squares: Notice how the black h5 knight does not have a single safe move, such pieces should be focused on as a potential victim of a tactic. Double-Attack: When white plays, 1. Bg4, a Double-Attack hits the singly-defended black h5 knight, this demands some response from black. Retreat Block: In variation (B), the white rook retreated to block the check from the invading black rook, retreating moves by safe units for defensive purposes are easy to overlook, one is usually only planning their advance. * * * ## Annotated Game. White: Y. Kruppa, 2535. Black: O. Gladyszev, 2420. Event: Chigorin Memorial St. Petersburg 1997. Result: 1-0 in 25 moves. Opening: King's Indian Defence, Four Pawns Attack, E76. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f4 c5 6. d5 O-O 7. Nf3 e6 8. dxe6 fxe6 | White to play and produce (according to limited databases) a never-seen-before plan. Inventing something new creates difficulties for both players. White could be inventing at the board, or perhaps producing some homework. Black has no way of knowing how much preparation has been undergone. Whatever psychological battles occur during a game is presently being won by white. || 9. g3 | This fairly, "Obvious", developing move has seemingly been overlooked by all up to here. The usual choices of, 9. Bd3, aggressive intent, and, 9. Be2, a calmer approach, have many games for their supporters to reference. Those bishop moves indicate style of play, as it happens, 9. Be2, scores better, but middlegames are not won on move 9. It is the mutual move-by-move interactions followed by an escalation of, "Tactical Event Horizons", which offers chances for each to try to outplay their opponent in the middlegame. || 9. ... Nc6 | Black probably recognises the white 9th move as a rarity and decides to just follow standard development patterns. || 10. Bh3 | Possibly a revolutionary method of play for the white light square bishop in this particular King's Indian system. With either, Bd3, or, Be2, it tends to skulk in the white centre simply waiting for the position to open up. Here it is actively seeking an exchange, this idea shows some sense as on either d3 or e2, there is some restriction due to the earlier decision to have pawns on c4 and e4. || 10. ... e5 | Black chooses immediate commitment bordering on retaliation. Sure, pawn e5, fixing the centre is definitely part of the black system against the Four Pawns Attack, but it is the timing of the advance which needs care. Instead a slower approach with, 10. ... Qe7, does no harm and gets a useful support to the e5 square in anticipation of a later, pawn e5. || 11. Bxc8 Rxc8 | So white has spent 3 moves to eliminate the light square bishops while black has played 2 moves, Nc6, and, pawn e5, which definitely fit in with the usual black plans. The placement of the black rook on c8 is not usual, but might be of use here. || 12. O-O exf4 | International Master confuses Grand Rabbit. Black is already 2 tempi ahead in development but chooses to give white an opportunity to catch up a move. Why not simply wait for white to move the c1 bishop and only then capture on f4, costing white a tempo? Black must have a good reason for disregarding this concept fully understood by club players. Capturing on f4 offers white the recapture, Bxf4, after which the white e4 pawn is sitting isolated on a semi-open file. Instead, 12. ... Qe7, keeps white guessing as to black's intentions while preparing a possible thematic, Nd4, advance. || 13. Bxf4 | Black has by his own action arrived at a very important fork in the road. The singly-defended black d6 pawn is doubly-attacked by white from f4 and d1. Fork #1: Go defensive with, 13. ... Ne8, which has the gain of the g7 bishop supporting a useful, Nd4, advance. This approach will tie black down to defending the d6 pawn until it can somehow be liquidated, with the emphasis on how this can be achieved. Fork #2: Go aggressive with, 13. ... Re8, doubly-attacking the singly-defended white e4 pawn. This approach will start a slow-but-sure ever-escalating tactical tension. Both players would be about to enter a period of mutual and difficult, "Tactical Event Horizon", testing. || 13. ... Re8 | Black chooses tactical tension. Expect hard work now, gone are the simple decisions, each move needs careful calculation, a single slip is likely to cost material. || 14. Bxd6 | First punch on the nose for white, with a follow-up blow of, 15. Bxc5, on the way. Black is surely not going to let this aggression pass unanswered, right? || 14. ... Nd4 | A tripler, sort of. Firstly, black avoids, 14. ... Nxe4 15. Nxe4 Rxe4 16. Qd5+ Kh8 17. Qxe5 Qxd6 18. Rb1, when white is a clean exchange up. Secondly, the previously-undefended black c5 pawn is now supported by the c8 rook. Thirdly, the white d6 bishop defence from the d1 queen is blocked. Of course, when advancing with, 14. ... Nd4, the tactical tension begins to rise, the ramifications of white capturing on d4 needed to be calculated. White to play now has both the d6 bishop and e4 pawn en prise, lots of options available, some better than others. || 15. e5 | A tripler. Firstly, the white d6 bishop receives a protection. Secondly, the target pawn advances to a square where it is doubly-protected. Thirdly, should there be a sequence of captures on d4, then the white queen would not be in any immediate threats of an x-ray attack from the black g7 bishop due to the interference created by having a pawn on e5. White had to avoid the greedy, 15. Bxc5 Nxf3+ 16. Qxf3 Rxc5, and black is a piece up for 2 pawns. || 15. ... Ng4 | A manoeuvre which should be in the repertoire of all players who fianchetto a king's bishop. With a single move a further double-attack lands on the white e5 pawn, which is now triply-attacked. Howevver there is often a black bishop on c8 protecting the black knight as it lands on g4, does this difference matter? Warning: Underestimate x-ray attacks at your peril. Lastly, knights have been known to threaten forwards as well, right? || 16. Nxd4 | The tactics continue. The x-ray attack from the white d1 queen onto the black g4 knight is set to work. Defending lacks ambition, 16. Re1, and if black wishes there is the material-equalising, 16. ... Nxf3+ 17. Qxf3 Nxe5 18. Bxe5 Bxe5, when variations are too numerous to offer here, though note, 19. Qxb7 Rb8 20. Qxa7 Rxb2, looks good for black. The risk-free, 16. Re1, which is of no real attacking value for white, does however guard against a possible black, Ne3. || 16. ... cxd4 | Black chooses to avoid material imbalance. Instead, 16. ... Ne3, seeking to win a white rook for 2 knights, leaves white with good development. A sample line runs, 16. ... Ne3 17. Qe2 Nxf1 18. Nf3 Nxh2 19. Kxh2, when the white minor pieces have good prospects while the black rooks languish on their back rank. || 17. Qxg4 | White wishes to keep the central e5 pawn for as long as possible. Instead releasing the black pieces gains nothing, some example lines run: (A). If, 17. Qxd4 Nxe5 18. c5 Nf3+ 19. Rxf3 Bxd4+, white loses queen for a knight, this is easily avoidable. (B). Or if, 17. Qxd4 Nxe5 18. Bxe5 Qxd4+ 19. Bxd4 Bxd4+ 20. Kg2 Bxc3 21. bxc3 Rxc4, white has a slightly worse double rook ending to defend. Though there is a white zwischenzug to take into account, it goes: (C). Or if, 17. Qxd4 Nxe5 18. Qd5+ Kh8 19. c5, white has stabilised the centre, is a pawn up on the queenside and is ready to centralise rooks, looks good from here, however there is a crucial difference from the game choice, black still has a centralised knight controlling a few useful squares. || 17. ... dxc3 | And white now has the d6 bishop, the c4 pawn, and the b2 pawn attacked, surely by capturing with, 17. Qxg4, white is permitting black to regain the pawn? Yes, and not only that, but white seems likely to emerge with the worse queenside pawn structure. || 18. c5 | White safeguards both the attacked c4 pawn and d6 bishop, but surely this permits black, cxb2, with a 7th rank pawn to be eliminated? || 18. ... cxb2 | Black is perhaps not expecting to keep this pawn, but white dare not leave it there for long, can he? || 19. Rad1 | The flow of tactics slows to a halt, but don't worry, more are in store. The white rook on d1 is sending an x-ray attack onto the black d8 queen, but as it happens, white has no productive move with the d6 bishop. Nevertheless, from the black perspective, it is good strategy to get out of such an x-ray glare, unless of course, you can calculate tactics excellently and enjoy living dangerously. Instead, 19. Rab1, is relatively risk-free, but it appears white is in the mood to start winding up the tactical spring as quickly as possible. || 19. ... Qa5 | A doubler. Firstly, the black queen escapes the x-ray attack up the d-file. Secondly, she threatens, 20. ... Qxa2, and all of a sudden the black queenside takes on significance. White to play must not allow the loss of the a2 pawn. || 20. Qc4+ | White almost certainly envisaged this move when setting the tactics running with, 16. Nxd4. Remember that somewhat strange tempo-expending plan beginning with, 9. g3, to trade off the light square bishops? Well, it seems the plan of eliminating those bishops is beginning to bear fruit. The white queen is enjoying much fun on those deserted light squares, in particular f7 and g8, just what the black king does not want. General hint: With the emphasis on the word, "General". If one of your bishops is eliminated, consider placing your queen on the colour complex of that eliminated bishop. || 20. ... Kh8 21. Rf7 | Yet again we witness the phrase that pays: "Initiative Over Material!" This rook advance is not only a powerful invasion, but due to the white d6 bishop controlling dark squares in the black defences, the white f7 rook is extremely difficult to dislodge. Instead, defending with, 21. Rfe1, would only leave white having to defend for some time. Black to play is about to, almost certainly unknowingly, open up another tactical bag of tricks. || 21. ... Bxe5 | Understandable. Black snatches a central pawn, perhaps expects to eliminate dark square bishops along the way, then target the white c5 pawn. And if all this comes to pass, will not that passed black b2 pawn start to look threatening? Best laid plans of mice and all that. Instead, 21. ... b6, when white will most likely push past with, 22. c6, after which, 22. ... Bxe5, is back on the agenda. White to play and give black a little surprise, take as long as you want. Clue: In terms of good-old-fashioned sword-fighting, this is rapier-like subtlety rather than brutal broadsword slashing. || 22. Rf8+ | Hopefully the previous clue deflected you from chasing, 22. Rxh7+, which seems the, "Obvious", way to crush black, sadly, it gets nowhere. So, assuming white, a Grand Master, knows what he is doing, then just what is he doing? Perhaps the wrong question. Instead after black played, 21. ... Bxe5, one should say to oneself: "A pity. If black did not have a rook on e8, I could play, 22. Bxe5+ mate." So, how do we remove the black rook from e8? And now we know just what the Grand Master is doing by playing, 22. Rf8, he is seeking to deflect the black rook from e8. Fine, but is the black reply of, Rxf8, forced? If not, then more analysis at this point is required. Lastly, recall the previous suggestion that black could have tried, 21. ... b6, in order to invite, 22. c6, and only then, 22. ... Bxe5, to win the white e-pawn? Well, had black forced white to play, 22. c6, then this white tactic involving, Rf8+, would not work, as the black a5 queen would provide another protection to a potential black, Bxe5, capture. || 22. ... Kg7 | So, 22. ... Rxf8 23. Bxe5+ Rf6 24. Bxf6+ mate, is confined to the notes. White to play must find some more inspiration, right? Clue: Just because a good idea fails once, does not mean it will fail twice. || 23. Rg8+ | Of course if white cannot find inspiration then there is, 23. Rf7+ Kh8 24. Rf8+ Kg7, intending 3-fold repetition, but white does not need to run for a draw. Ah yes, there is also lots of tricks in the mainline, 23. Qf7+ Kh6 24. Rxe8 Rxe8 25. Qxe8, going a rook up, but after, 25. ... Bxd6 26. cxd6 Qb6+ 27. Kg2 b1=Q 28. Rxb1 Qxb1, white has all the joys of trying to promote the passed d6 pawn while avoiding a perpetual check, good luck. || 23. ... Rxg8 | Not quite forced, this only lengthens the game. Instead king moves fail as follows: (A). If, 23. ... Kh6 24. Qh4+ mate. (B). Or if, 23. ... Kf6 24. Rf1+ Kg5 25. Qh4+ mate. (C). Or if, 23. ... Kf6 24. Rf1+ Bf4 25. Rxf4+ Kg5 26. Qd5+ Kh6 27. Rh4+ mate. Deflection satisfactorily achieved, white closes in for the kill. || 24. Bxe5+ Kf8 | Instead, 24. ... Kh6 25. Qh4+ mate. || 25. Rf1+ Black resigns, 1-0 | Appropriate Fischerism: "Tactics flow from a positionally superior game." Examine the black heavy pieces, queen on a5, rook on c8, rook on g8, completely uncoordinated and idling on the edge. In direct contrast, the centralised white queen and dark square bishop are firing on parallel diagonals, a very strong formation when pursuing a fleeing king. The most efficient reasons for resignation run: (A). If, 25. ... Ke7 26. Qf7+ Kd8 27. Bf6+ mate. (B). Or if, 25. ... Ke8 26. Qf7+ Kd8 27. Bf6+ mate. Other mates are available after, 25. ... Ke7 26. Rf7+, with the white queen coming in with check on the file onto which the black king retreats. There is also, 25. ... Ke7 26. Qf7+ Kd8 27. Rd1+, leading to mate, but this is not as pretty as the bishop mate on f6. || * * * ## Unannotated Game. White: Y. Kruppa, 2535. Black: O. Gladyszev, 2420. Event: Chigorin Memorial St. Petersburg 1997. Result: 1-0 in 25 moves. Opening: King's Indian Defence, Four Pawns Attack, E76. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f4 c5 6. d5 O-O 7. Nf3 e6 8. dxe6 fxe6 9. g3 Nc6 10. Bh3 e5 11. Bxc8 Rxc8 12. O-O exf4 13. Bxf4 Re8 14. Bxd6 Nd4 15. e5 Ng4 16. Nxd4 cxd4 17. Qxg4 dxc3 18. c5 cxb2 19. Rad1 Qa5 20. Qc4+ Kh8 21. Rf7 Bxe5 22. Rf8+ Kg7 23. Rg8+ Rxg8 24. Bxe5+ Kf8 25. Rf1+ Black resigns, 1-0 * * *