Skype coaching session, 20 December 2015. 

Recordings of some previous coaching sessions can be found at: 

http://www.open-aurec.com/Skype/PaulBenson/PaulBenson.htm 

The following game was examined, the game 40 moves) is given with annotations and then again without annotations. 

Paul Benson. 

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Annotated game. 

White: M. Essel. 
Black: P. Benson. 
Event: DESC ( German Email Chess Club) 2014 Round 2. 
Result: 1-0 in 40 moves. 
Opening: Sicilian Defence, Najdorf Variation, English Attack, B90. 

| This game follows Petzold - Benson, examined in the coaching session of 13 December 2015, until black varies on move 15. || 

1. e4 c5 
2. Nf3 d6 
3. d4 cxd4 
4. Nxd4 Nf6 
5. Nc3 a6 
6. Be3 e5 
7. Nb3 Be6 
8. f3 Be7 
9. Qd2 O-O 
10. O-O-O Nbd7 
11. g4 b5 
12. g5 b4 
13. Ne2 Ne8 
14. f4 a5 
15. f5 a4 

| Setting of a sequence of tactical moves. Both players follow the more popular choices, deviating seems to work out badly. Instead Petzold Benson DESC 2014 Round 2 continued: 15. ... Bxb3 16. cxb3 a4 17. bxa4 Rxa4 18. b3 Ra5 19. Kb1 d5 20. exd5 Bc5 21. Bxc5 Nxc5 22. d6 Qa8 23. d7 Nd6 24. Nc1 Qxh1 25. Qxd6 Nxd7 26. Qxd7, with a decisive advantage for white. || 

16. Nbd4 

| Surprising but quite logical, playing on the congestion of the black first and second ranks. White has a neat tactic which ensures this will not lose a piece. Instead, 16. fxe6 axb3, and black will have the a-file for active play. The retreat, 16. Na1, is just too lame, the only means of resuscitating the a1 knight is to open up the white queenside defences with pawn moves, which only assists the black attack. || 

16. ... exd4 

| No one has yet to try, 16. ... Bxa2, perhaps because of, 17. Nc6 Qc7 18. Nxe7+ Kh8 19. Nd5, and white is a comfortable piece up. || 

17. Nxd4 

| White replaces one knight with another with the possible advantage that the f1 bishop now has improved development options. || 

17. ... b3 

| Instead, 17. ... Bxa2 18. Nc6 Qc7 19. Nxe7+ Kh8, is material equality, but are attacking chances balanced? 
White has ideas of focusing on the kingside with, 20. h5, where the idea is, Ng6+, leading to winning an exchange or opening up lines in front of the black king. Black can try the advance, pawn a3, but white can put the e3 bishop on the d4 square to both attack and defend. || 

18. Kb1 

| In opposite wing attacks it is important to recognise when it is time to play defensively. White must not be allowed, 18. ... bxa2, and simply promotion of the a-pawn to a queen next move. || 

18. ... bxc2+ 
19. Nxc2 Bb3 

| Another surprising piece move. Black is of course a piece up and so can afford to give it back, and experience shows this is the most effective means to do so. Instead leaving the bishop on e6 will permit, 20. fxe6 fxe6, which is material equality but the black pawn structure is more vulnerable than the white formation. || 

20. axb3 axb3 

| So black finally gains some activity up the a-file, but white appears to have this covered. || 

21. Na3 Ne5 

| This black knight finds a good outpost with a few threats. Sadly, the e8 knight is not so lucky. || 

22. h4 

| A double purpose move. Firstly, the g5 pawn is over-protected which liberates either the white queen or e3 bishop for operations elsewhere. Secondly, such an advance of either the a-pawn or h-pawn permits an unmoved rook to develop by moving forward rather than the more conventional sideways movement towards the centre. || 

22. ... Ra4 

| A different means of gaining queenside activity is, 22. ... Ra5, when a common move sequence runs, 23. Qb4 Qa8 24. Bb6 Ra4 25. Qxb3 Qxe4+, when white can choose between, 26. Nc2, or, 26. Bd3, both with complications to follow. In the game white to play now introduces a good plan. || 

23. Rh3 Qa8 
24. Qd5 

| Forcing black to make an important decision. || 

24. ... Rxa3 

| Black goes for the attack. Is the exchange sacrifice sound? Impossible to state conclusively. White will have to keep plenty of piece cover for the king, black must keep as many pieces as active as possible while avoiding unnecessary exchanges. Each move on both sides will test strategic understanding and analytical ability. || 

25. bxa3 Qxa3 
26. Qd2 

| Preventing the threatened, 26. ... Qa2+ 27. Kc1 Qc2+ mate. While, 26. Rd2, also prevents the mate, it gets in the way of a good plan about to be unfolded by white. Take some time here to find a neat tactical plan for black to try to untangle the uncoordinated pieces. || 

26. ... Nf6 

| Offering a knight to activate the slumbering e7 bishop while also releasing the f8 rook to swing over to the queenside. || 

27. Bd4 

| Wisely declining the offer and also backwardly guarding the a1 square. Instead, 27. gxf6 Bxf6, gives black threats of, Nc4, attacking the white queen and a mate on the a1 square. White would be forced to give material back, and the least dangerous way is, 28. Bd4 Nf3 29. Qb2 Qa2+ 30. Qxa2 bxa2+ 31. Kxa2 Nxd4, when the presence of opposite colour bishops ensures black controls the dark squares, making it impossible for white to make use of the nominal material advantage. || 

27. ... Nfd7 

| All this is known to theory. Now comes a good T.N. from white which not surprisingly causes considerable consternation to black. || 

28. Rc3 

| Up till now white has tried, 28. Bxe5 Nxe5 29. Qb2 Qb4 30. Re3 Rb8 31. Rc1, when black has replied with either, 31. ... Qa4, or, 31. ... Bf8, both games being quickly agreed drawn. A third attempt of, 28. Qb2 Qa8 29. Rxb3, surely a mistake punished with, 29. ... Qxe4+ 30. Qc2 Qxh4 31. f6 gxf6 32. Rb7 fxg5, and black went on to win. The new move keeps the well-placed white d4 bishop waiting for the right moment to trade bishop for black e5 knight. || 

28. ... Rb8 

| A mistake. Fading memory circuits report spending about 9 days on this move with many changes of mind as to what the position demands. As a result as the time pressure mounted to play a move black was in escalating confusion. Nothing seemed to work. Black was in fact standing worse and had to find the plan to make matters as difficult as possible for white. Instead, 28. ... Qa8, however miserable it might seem, is necessary. || 

29. Rc7 Bf8 

| The bishop had to escape the pin through the d7 knight to avoid losing a piece. With the bishop sitting on e7 white could play, 30. Bxe5, and either, 30. ... Nxe5 31. Rxe7, or, 30. ... dxe5 31. Rxd7, and white would win a piece. || 

30. Ra7 

| Exposing the black queen who has only one flight square and demonstrating why, 28. ... Qa8, was necessary. Black needs the presence of queens to keep pressure on the white king. Once queens depart then black is simply an exchange down with no counterplay. Now it is just a question of technique for white, the fight is essentially over. || 

30. ... Qb4 
31. Qxb4 Rxb4 
32. Ra8 

| Black is almost paralysed. The pin along the black back rank leaves the d6 pawn without defence. Once the white d4 bishop moves it is exposed to capture by the white d1 rook. || 

32. ... h6 

| The only hope for black is to remove all the white pawns, it is unrealistic to think of this happening at 10 moves in 30 days. || 

33. Bxe5 Nxe5 
34. Rxd6 

| With two rooks on the attack the black back rank is impossible to defend. || 

34. ... Rxe4 

| One white pawn down, only three more to go. || 

35. Rdd8 Nd7 

| This act of desperation prevents the threatened, 36. Rxf8+ Kh7 37. Rh8+ mate. Instead, 35. ... g6 36. Rxf8+ Kh7 37. Rh8+ Kg7 38. Rag8+ mate. Curious that those early white pawn advances suggested the black king defences would be stripped away, but instead they now prevent his flight onto the black 3rd rank. || 

36. Rxd7 Re1+ 
37. Kb2 Rxf1 
38. Rdd8 

| Threatening mate again. || 

38. ... Rxf5 

| Ah, but now it is different. The loss of the white f5 pawn gives the black king access to the g6 square. Black is a rook down but if all the white pawns disappear then white will be called upon to show the necessary technique to claim the full point. || 

39. Rxf8+ Kh7 
40. h5 

| Yet again white prevents the black king from escaping onto the g6 square so, Rh8+, will be mate. Black does not bother with, 40. ... Rf2+ 41. Kxb3 Rf3+ 42. Kc4 Rf4+ 43. Kd5 Rf5+ 44. Ke4, and the black rook checks run out. || 

Black resigns, 1-0 

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## Unannotated game. 

White: M. Essel. 
Black: P. Benson. 
Event: DESC ( German Email Chess Club) 2014 Round 2. 
Result: 1-0 in 40 moves. 
Opening: Sicilian Defence, Najdorf Variation, English Attack, B90. 

1. e4 c5 
2. Nf3 d6 
3. d4 cxd4 
4. Nxd4 Nf6 
5. Nc3 a6 
6. Be3 e5 
7. Nb3 Be6 
8. f3 Be7 
9. Qd2 O-O 
10. O-O-O Nbd7 
11. g4 b5 
12. g5 b4 
13. Ne2 Ne8 
14. f4 a5 
15. f5 a4 
16. Nbd4 exd4 
17. Nxd4 b3 
18. Kb1 bxc2+ 
19. Nxc2 Bb3 
20. axb3 axb3 
21. Na3 Ne5 
22. h4 Ra4 
23. Rh3 Qa8 
24. Qd5 Rxa3 
25. bxa3 Qxa3 
26. Qd2 Nf6 
27. Bd4 Nfd7 
28. Rc3 Rb8 
29. Rc7 Bf8 
30. Ra7 Qb4 
31. Qxb4 Rxb4 
32. Ra8 h6 
33. Bxe5 Nxe5 
34. Rxd6 Rxe4 
35. Rdd8 Nd7 
36. Rxd7 Re1+ 
37. Kb2 Rxf1 
38. Rdd8 Rxf5 
39. Rxf8+ Kh7 
40. h5 
Black resigns, 1-0 

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