Skype coaching session, 29 March 2020. Two Sunday coaching sessions are planned for April, on the dates: 19, 26. Time: all sessions will start at UTC 14:00, which is, BMT 15:00. The game discussed (41 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: G. Morrison, 2335. Black: M. Basman, 2395. Event: Troon 1986. Result: 1-0 in 41 moves. Opening: Borg Defence, Troon Gambit, B00. | Editorial. Imagine you are playing a strong, "Gambiteer", with a reputation of whipping up tactics. A pawn is offered on move 4 in a system which is not only rare but probably being invented. Strategy #1: Grab everything on offer, if this idea was so good it would have been found by Steinitz and others of his time. Strategy #2: Step back from the immediate fight, ignore the offer, do not give the, "Gambiteer", the joy which they clearly desire. You choose. || 1. e4 g5 2. d4 h6 3. h4 g4 | The offer is on the table, the black g-pawn is en prise to the white d1 queen. The choice of strategy must be made, accept the gambit or decline. || 4. Nc3 | White declines, why give the opponent just what they want? Is accepting with, 4. Qxg4, safe? It might be, but if you do not know the precise means of gaining an advantage, then it is most likely you will stray down a difficult line. Moreover, taking gambit-pawns raises the spirit of the opponent who should have many ideas of just how to exploit the position. So should all gambit-pawns be declined? Not automatically. If you do the necessary homework on the gambit-system then matters should be fine. It is the age-old adage: "Fail To Prepare - Prepare To Fail." Try to invent at the board in the, "Land Of The Gambiteer", then expect to suffer the consequences. Here white chooses a non-interactive piece formation, simply placing them on good squares, waiting for black to show how leaving the gambit-pawn alone could be punished, or perhaps not. For those who insist in giving the, "Gambiteer", their fun, consider: (A). If, 4. Qxg4 d5 5. Qe2 dxe4 6. Qxe4 Nf6, and the white queen must keep guard on the d4 pawn, so either, 7. Qd3, or, 7. Qe3, or, 7. Qf4, all inhibiting the action of an undeveloped white bishop must be chosen. (B). Or if, 4. Qxg4 d5 5. Qf4 dxe4 6. Bc4 Nf6, white needs to defend the d4 pawn and then round up the black e4 pawn, experience shows black piece activity gains good play. || 4. ... d6 | Guards the g4 pawn, perhaps there are no sensible options for black if white immediately declines the offer? || 5. Be3 c6 | With a restraining-pawn on g4, black chooses to similarly limit white central action. This does however seem to suggest the usual, pawn c5, break might not be on the agenda, if so, then where is activity to be found by black? || 6. Nge2 Nf6 7. Ng3 | A tripler, denied the most natural square, f3, the white knight finds g3 to be a most comfortable substitute. Firstly, a fight is made for control of the h5 square. Secondly, options of, Nf5, are available when felt appropriate. Thirdly, the e4 pawn is over-protected, this relieves the c3 knight for duties elsewhere if desired. || 7. ... Qa5 | Aggressive, but without a fianchetto bishop on g7 this seems to lack bite. Instead thinking in terms of a Philidor Defence with, 7. ... Qc7, intending, Nbd7 - pawn e5, is another plan. || 8. Qd2 Nbd7 | A different plan of, pawn b5 - pawn b4, was available, but this sort of expansion is more usually tried with the black queen back on d8, allowing black, pawn a5, when appropriate. White to play decides to take an initiative in the region where surely black was expecting to play. || 9. a4 | If black was planning, pawn b5, then it now comes at a price. Fine, but surely the white a4 pawn is pinned to the unprotected white a1 rook? It is, but do not let that stop the imagination from flowing, white has an answer to black, 9. ... b5, ready. || 9. ... a6 | Black is slowly coming to the conclusion that the central break of, pawn c5, is necessary and sets about preparing it. Instead, 9. ... b5, gets hit by the surprising, 10. b4, leaving black to decide how white can have a good game: (A). If, 9. ... b5 10. b4 Qxb4 11. axb5 Bb7 12. bxc6 Bxc6 13. d5 Bb7 14. Rb1 Qa5 15. Rxb7 Nb6, black hopes to trap the invading white b7 rook, but, 16. Bxb6 axb6 17. Bb5+ Kd8 18. Bc6, locks up the queenside, white is a comfortable piece up. (B). Or if, 9. ... b5 10. b4 Qxb4 11. axb5 cxb5 12. Bxb5, white is ready to castle kingside followed by, Rfb1, which would trap the black queen, meaning the couple of moves before this trap must have black extracting the queen from the b4 square. (C). Or if, 9. ... b5 10. b4 Qc7 11. axb5 cxb5 12. Bxb5, white has won a pawn and has the better position as well. || 10. Be2 c5 11. O-O | White is ahead in development and can easily find good squares for those units yet to be activated, can the same be said for black? No, black has problems with 4 units still unmoved and finding squares on which they will coordinate is difficult. So white does not close the position with, 11. d5, instead leaving the position open when the lead in development will soon begin to count. || 11. ... cxd4 | A sort of Sicilian has arisen, though whether the black kingside pawn formation fits well with the black centre / queenside pawn formation is another question. || 12. Bxd4 Rg8 | Escaping the pin and saving the g4 pawn, anything else which does not threaten white could be hit with, 13. Bxg4, but white will almost certainly not take the bait. The idea runs: (A). If, 12. ... Qc7 13. Bxg4 e5 14. Be3 Nxg4, white loses a piece for a pawn, easily avoidable. (B). Or if, 12. ... Qc7 13. Bxg4 e5 14. Bxd7+ Bxd7 15. Be3 Rc8, and we must assess this position. Before the proposed capture the white, "Active Unit Count" = 6, plus king safety, the black, "Active Unit Count" = 3, plus the king stuck in the centre with no immediate prospects of improvement. After the proposed capture the white, "Active Unit Count" = 5, plus king safety, the black, "Active Unit Count" = 4, plus the king stuck in the centre with no immediate prospects of improvement. So for the black g4 pawn white would lose a developed unit and black would gain a developed unit, plus white would be giving up the bishop pair in a position which will further open up in time, is this really worth a pawn? A different method of assessing the potential capture is to consider the options of all the units involved in line B if the capture is declined. The white bishop on e2 would still be nibbling on the black g4 pawn and fighting for light squares on the f1 - a6 diagonal, the white d4 bishop would still be centralised, though retreating to e3 still keeps fighting for dark squares on the g1 - a7 diagonal. The black d7 knight would be blocking the development of the c8 bishop, which in turn restricts the development of the a8 rook. In essence, capturing the black g4 pawn gives black a much better game than is presently available. || 13. Rfd1 e6 | A doubler. Firstly, the e7 square is vacated for the f8 bishop. Secondly, the f5 square is covered, any awkward white, Nf5, invasions are probably prevented, though positional sacrifices to open lines can never be ruled out. White to play has a strategic plan to discover. || 14. b4 | White offers a pawn on the queenside for open lines, similar as black did on the kingside back on move 4, only this offer is supported with a significant lead in development. || 14. ... Qc7 | Black wisely declines. Is there a line of total refutation if black accepts the white b-pawn? Nothing obvious, but with 3 units still unmoved and the g8 rook hardly being developed, common sense suggests white will get a grip on the position such that black cannot develop without letting a pawn or more go. The main point would be, 14. ... Qxb4 15. a5, taking away a vital retreat-square, with white threats of, Rdb1, or, Ra4, to be considered. || 15. a5 | A doubler. Firstly, a squeeze is placed on the black queenside, any black ideas of, pawn b6 - Bb7, have been squashed. Secondly, the a4 square is vacated for someone else, but who? || 15. ...Ne5 | On e5 this knight might look dominating, but apart from highly-optimistic random threats of, Nf3+, it is doing little. However simply moving off the d7 square vacates it for the c8 bishop, black is slowly unravelling the queenside. || 16. Na4 | Beginning to take control of the queenside, the b6 square is owned by white, the only question is whether a knight or bishop should sit there. || 16. ... Bd7 17. Nb6 The knight is given the job of occupying b6, thoughts of capturing on d7 are not yet in mind, instead restricting the activity of the black a8 rook, denying it the c8 square, is why the knight is chosen. || 17. ... Rd8 18. c4 | White must play in the centre / queenside, lines must be opened, this means pawn moves which allows black to catch up on development. Fine, but development alone is not always sufficient, there needs to be coordination between pieces, and black is lacking in this department. || 18. ... Bc6 | Creating a double-attack on the white e4 pawn. || 19. Qe3 | White chooses to keep the position simple. Instead the more aggressive, 19. Qf4, might be setting white up for a tactic involving black, pawn e5, at some point. Of course, this takes some organising and white should have plenty of time to avoid it, but why create a risk at all? || 19. ... h5 | A sign that all is not good in the black camp. Covering the black g4 pawn again does no actual harm, but also hints that there is no sensible plan of action, meaning black is now in a state of waiting for white to produce a plan and react against it. White to play does indeed have a plan in mind and sets it rolling. || 20. Bxe5 | Creating a mobile queenside pawn majority with the long-term intention of gaining a distant passed pawn. Black can make little use of the centre / kingside pawn majority, it is white who will have activity, and black forced to defend the threats. || 20. ... dxe5 21. Rxd8+ | Counter-intuitive. When attacking the general advice is to avoid exchanges. But white has a strong reason for trading rooks and so the generalisation is overruled. || 21. ... Qxd8 22. Rd1 | The trade of rooks has actually benefited white. Black has lost a queenside defender while white has gained a centralised attacker. Furthermore the black g8 rook is several tempi away from getting over to the queenside to fight for the d-file. White has 4 units, Qe3, Rd1, Be2, Nb6, plus 3 pawns against 2, all black has to defend with is, Qc7, Bc6, Bf8, such differences in active units spells extreme difficulties for the defence. Matters are made worse with the black king still on e8 likely to be a target as the white activity increases. All these positional factors suggest white is ready to roll. || 22. ... Qc7 23. b5 | The only dynamic move to pressure black. || 23. ... Bd7 | Forcing white to work hard to get that all-important passed pawn. Instead, 23. ... axb5 24. cxb5, leaves white with connected pawns, a much easier formation from which a passed pawn can be created. White to play needs to bear in mind that there are 8 files across a chessboard. Clue: Someone in the black camp is overloaded, a deflection is in the air. || 24. Nxh5 | White has a double-attack on the black d7 bishop, fine, but surely black has that bishop triply-defended? Yes, but sometimes it is not the numbers of defenders, but who is doing the defending that matters. If a queen needed to be summed up in 4 words, what would you suggest? How about: "Loves attacking, hates defending"? Here the black queen has limited mobility and while giving the impression of defending the d7 bishop, it is only that, an impression. || 24. ... Nxh5 | No choice. Defending the black f6 knight fails, instead, 24. ... Be7 25. Nxf6+ Bxf6 26. Rxd7, black loses a piece plus pawn. || 25. Rxd7 Qb8 26. c5 | White has an overwhelming position, but won positions do not win themselves. Pushing, pawn c5, opens up the f1 - a6 diagonal for the white e2 bishop, now all white pieces are either active in or pointing into the black queenside. || 26. ... Nf6 27. Rd1 | Retreating all the way down the d-file for a specific reason, white anticipates tactics on the c5 pawn and needs the forthcoming, Rc1, to be protected by the e3 queen. || 27. ... Qc7 | Playing on the queenside just brings white even more into the game, some ideas run: (A). If, 27. ... axb5 28. Bxb5+ Ke7 29. c6 bxc6 30. Qc5+ Ke8 31. Qxc6+ Ke7 32. Qc5+ Qd6 33. Qxd6+ mate. (B). Or if, 27. ... axb5 28. Bxb5+ Ke7 29. c6 Ne8 30. Qc5+ Kf6 31. Qxf8 Rxf8 32. Nd7+ Ke7 33. Nxb8, white has won a piece. (C). Or if, 27. ... axb5 28. Bxb5+ Ke7 29. c6 Ne8 30. Qc5+ Nd6 31. c7 Qa7 32. Qxd6+ Kf6 33. Nd7+ Kg7 34. Nxf8 Rxf8 35. Qxf8+ Kxf8 36. c8=Q+, white would be a rook plus bishop up. || 28. bxa6 | White calculates that black can be allowed to capture the c5 pawn. Instead, 28. Rc1, would save the c5 pawn but lose control of the d-file, in particular white wishes to keep control of the d7 square. || 28. ... bxa6 | Black chooses to eliminate a potentially dangerous white passed pawn, depending on how the tactics work out in the centre, white might have found an opportunity to flick in, pawn a7, followed by promotion on a8. || 29. Bxa6 | A doubler. Firstly, white creates a passed a-pawn, note that the potential a8 promotion square is a light square, white has a bishop of this shade, black does not. Secondly, the b5 square is now available, Bb5+, to annoy the black king is a possibility. Again white can keep matters simple with, 28. Rc1, but assesses the game continuation as sufficient to gain a big plus. || 29. ... Bxc5 | Black has at last achieved some tactical threats, and rather strangely considering the opening involved the g7 pawn, the bishop is not on the h8 - a1 diagonal. || 30. Rc1 | Setting up an indirect queen trade, material trading will be equal, but white will have improved the position, while all black has done is develop the dark square bishop. || 30. ... Bxe3 | Forced. Instead, 30. ... Bxb6 31. axb6 Qb8 32. Qc5 Nd7 33. Bb5, pinning and soon winning at least the black d7 knight, more goodies should doubtless follow once the b-pawn gets rolling. || 31. Rxc7 | The positional gain, a 7th rank rook, not particularly in pawn-hunting mood, no, it is all to restrict the black king, who is restricting the action of the g8 rook. And as if black did not have enough problems, another tempo must be spent saving the e3 bishop. || 31. ... Bd4 | As a paraphrased Kasparov post-mortem comment went: "Every white piece is better than every black piece." True, but just because there is a massive positional plus does not mean one can go to sleep. Black has a threat which should not be permitted to happen, do not give a struggling opponent a sniff of a chance of counterplay. Clue: The black pieces might be capable of coordination if a certain x-ray attack can be exploited. || 32. Kf1 | Getting out of the black d4 bishop pin, this means if black pushes, pawn g3, white can close it all off with, pawn f3. Note that if we do have black, pawn g3, white pawn f3, and black tries for activity with, Rh8, then white, Rc8+, picks off the unprotected black h8 rook. || 32. ... Rg7 | Withe the idea just mentioned, black pawn g3, white pawn f3, but now, black Rh7, with safety on the 2nd rank while hitting the white h4 pawn, with dreams of, Rxh4 - Rh1+ - Rg1 - Rxg2+, and make something with the passed g3 pawn, white will not allow any of this. Also with a rook on g7 the black f7 pawn is protected, the black king can drift queenside. || 33. Bb5+ | Vacating the a6 square with tempo-gain, all white needs now is to protect the b7 knight and the a5 pawn is ready to roll. || 33. ... Kd8 | The black king lands on d8 creating a curious position, perhaps take careful note of just where all the pieces are located? || 34. Rc8+ | White flicks in a rook check where the black king has only a single flight square. Why? Perhaps both players are short of time and white decides to put a few extra moves on the scoresheet? Instead, 34. Rb7, over-protects the white b6 knight, the a5 pawn, previously the only defence to the b6 knight, would be free to advance. || 34. ... Ke7 35. Rc7+ | White places the rook back on the 7th rank, an extra couple of moves are now on the white scoresheet as the time-control of move 40 approaches. Instead, 35. Rb8, again over-protects the b6 knight, releasing the a5 pawn from defensive duties. || 35. ... Kd8 | The black king again lands on d8 creating a curious position, perhaps take careful note of just where all the pieces are located? || 36. Rc8+ | White is in the process of putting more moves on the scoresheet before transferring the rook to the b-file. || 36. ... Ke7 37. Rc7+ | These extra moves just keep flying onto the scoresheet. Could it be possible there is a mutual flag-hanging time-loss-avoidance blitz going on? || 37. ... Kd8 | The black king yet again lands on d8 creating a curious position, perhaps take careful note of just where all the pieces are located? Well, if you have been noting down the position, after black moves 33, 35, 37, say taking a quick photo with whatever device is available, you should find all 3 photos are exactly the same. Yes, a 3-fold repetition has occurred. Does the fact that when the black king initially visited the d8 square he was previously on the e8 square, and on subsequent returns to d8 he set out from the e7 square, make a difference? No, previous squares are not relevant, it is the arrival of the black king on the d8 square with the white rook on the c7 square which matters. So, here we have black in trouble on the queenside, the white passed a5 pawn is surely about to cost black a piece, assuming a piece could actually get close enough to give itself away. To avoid defeat all black needs to do is recall the correct procedure for claiming a draw and contact an arbiter. || 38. Rb7 | Black has permitted white to continue, why? Surely black, with a FIDE Elo of 2395, cannot be seriously thinking of playing for a win here? Perhaps the non-claim of 3-fold repetition has another explanation? The following is just a guess, this could easily be incorrect. Back in 1986 the rules concerning writing the games down on the scoresheet were almost certainly different. In those days a player could make moves on the board and simply put a tick on the scoresheet to keep count of the moves. In order to submit a 3-fole repetition a complete record of the moves is required, if black has no record of the moves but just a sequence of ticks for moves 33 - 37, then no claim can be made. Meanwhile away from the scoresheet, white has restricted the advance of the black king into the queenside, c8 is covered by the b6 knight, c7 is covered by the b7 rook, c6 is covered by the b5 bishop. || 38. ... g3 | With the white king feeling very lonely on the kingside, black tries to mix it up. Instead, 38. ... Nxe4 39. a6 Nc5 40. Rb8+ Kc7 41. a7, no sensible black plan can prevent promotion of the white a-pawn. White to play might wish to consider the Fischerism: "In chess it is important to know when to punch and when to duck." || 39. a6 | Aha, mention of the punch / duck Fischerism is usually suggesting some time should be given to the defence before continuing with an attack, right? Here black has a massive kingside superiority of force, but there is not yet any coordination. White must allow for the black plan of, gxf2 - Ng4 - Nh2+ - f1=Q+, it is the 3rd and 4th moves which give check which do the damage. The slower black plan of, gxf2 - Rg4 - Rxh4 - Rh1+ - f1=Q+, is less dangerous, the checking moves arrive on the 4th and 5th moves in the sequence. So white decides there is sufficient time to continue the queenside plan of promoting the a-pawn. || 39. ... Bxb6 | The white knight on b6 was covering the c8 square, eliminate it and black at least has, Kc8, but here as the only sensible white reply is, 40. Rxb6, then black, Kc7, will also be an option. || 40. Rxb6 Kc7 | Forcing white to notice the attack on the b6 rook, if there is time-trouble then anything is worth a try. Instead, 40. ... Kc8 41. a7, the white a-pawn promotes. || 41. Rb7+ Black resigns, 1-0 | Black is helpless, the finish could have been either of: (A). If, 41. ... Kc8 42. Bc6, and nothing sensible can stop, pawn a7 - pawna8=Q+ mate. (B). Or if, 41. ... Kd6 42. a7 Rg8 42. Rb8, again white promotes. || * * * ## Unannotated Game. White: G. Morrison, 2335. Black: M. Basman, 2395. Event: Troon 1986. Result: 1-0 in 41 moves. Opening: Borg Defence, Troon Gambit, B00. 1. e4 g5 2. d4 h6 3. h4 g4 4. Nc3 d6 5. Be3 c6 6. Nge2 Nf6 7. Ng3 Qa5 8. Qd2 Nbd7 9. a4 a6 10. Be2 c5 11. O-O cxd4 12. Bxd4 Rg8 13. Rfd1 e6 14. b4 Qc7 15. a5 Ne5 16. Na4 Bd7 17. Nb6 Rd8 18. c4 Bc6 19. Qe3 h5 20. Bxe5 dxe5 21. Rxd8+ Qxd8 22. Rd1 Qc7 23. b5 Bd7 24. Nxh5 Nxh5 25. Rxd7 Qb8 26. c5 Nf6 27. Rd1 Qc7 28. bxa6 bxa6 29. Bxa6 Bxc5 30. Rc1 Bxe3 31. Rxc7 Bd4 32. Kf1 Rg7 33. Bb5+ Kd8 34. Rc8+ Ke7 35. Rc7+ Kd8 36. Rc8+ Ke7 37. Rc7+ Kd8 38. Rb7 g3 39. a6 Bxb6 40. Rxb6 Kc7 41. Rb7+ Black resigns, 1-0 * * *