Skype coaching session, 17 July 2016. 

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. 

* * * 

Annotated game. 

White: Kharlov, 2496. 
Black: B. Ofitserian, 2109. 
Event: Russian Team Championship, 2014. 
Result: 0-1 in 40 moves. 
Opening: Queen's Pawn Opening, London System, Morris Counter-Gambit, D00. 

1. d4 d5 
2. Bf4 c5 

| Black adopts a reverse Queen's Gambit set-up. White has an extra tempo but this does not seem to encourage players of the white pieces to play, 3. dxc5, entering into a reversed form of the Queens Gambit Accepted. || 

3. e4 

| Aggressive. There are now similarities to the Albin Counter Gambit which arises after, 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e5, which contains some rather sneaky tricks. Instead, 3. e3, possibly aiming for Slav-style formations is more solid. || 

3. ... dxe4 

| Instead, 3. ... Nc6 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. Nc3, needs careful preparation by players of the black pieces. This variation quite often involves black giving up the a8 rook to a marauding white knight, not for the faint of heart and definitely not for the unprepared. || 

4. d5 

| Controlling the c6 square and denying the black b8 knight a good central post while fishing for that famous trap known in the Albin Counter Gambit. || 

4. ... g6 

| Instead, 4. ... e6 is a blunder which can allow a quick win of material with, 5. Bb5+ Bd7 6. dxe6. Yes, white has left the b5 bishop unprotected. However after, 6. ... Bxb5, there follows, 7. exf7+ Ke7. Note, if, 7. ... Kxf7 8. Qxd8, white wins the black queen. So after, 7. ... Ke7, white produces the unexpected, 8. fxg8=N+, an under-promotion to a knight with check. If black captures with, 8. ... Rxg8, then, 9. Bg5+, and the black queen is lost. So after the white promotion to a knight, black must sulk out with, 8. ... Ke8, but white then invades with, 9. Qh5+, and black has problems. If, 9. ... g6, then, 10. Qe5+, black loses the h8 rook. Instead if, 9. ... Kd7 10. Qd5+ Ke8 11. Qxe4+, and white has won a pawn and stands much better as well. 

So after, 4. d5 e6 5. Bb5+, black could try, 5. ... Nd7, but then, 6. dxe6 fxe6, leaves black with doubled e-pawns and some problems in completing development while white will not suffer similarly. Lastly after, 4. d5 e6 5. Bb5+, the bizarre, 5. ... Ke7, can be answered with, 6. d6+ Kf6 7. Nc3 Qa5 8. Qh5, and white is all over black. || 

5. Nc3 Nf6 
6. Qe2 

| The blocking of the f1 bishop is only a temporary problem which can easily be solved. White is seeking rapid development combined with central control. An opposite wing attack middlegame is on the horizon. Such positions usually require immediate pawn activity by the attacker to open up the defences in front of the opposing king. || 

6. ... Bg7 
7. O-O-O O-O 

| Opposite wing castling - Let the pawn race to strip bare the defences of both kings begin. || 

8. d6 

| Annotator Grand Rabbit made to look stupid again. This is quite a complex move by white. Instead the strategically simpler, 8. Nxe4, leaves the centre open for piece activity. || 

8. ... e5 

| If, 8. ... exd6 9. Bxd6 Re8 10. Bxc5, and white has snatched a pawn. Instead, 8. ... e6, would restrict the development options of the black c8 bishop. By pushing with, 8. ... e5, black is now saddled with the problem of how to eliminate the advanced white d6 pawn. || 

9. Bg5 

| White prefers to leave the black e-pawn blocking the activity of the black g7 bishop. Instead, 9. Bxe5 Nc6 10. Bf4 a6, and the opposite wing attack will begin with all the black pieces able to contribute, especially the so-called "Dragon bishop" lurking on the g7 square. || 

9. ... Nc6 
10. Nxe4 Nd4 

| Black had to act immediately. White was threatening, 11. Qf3, triply attacking the pinned black f6 knight. If black waits for this to happen and then tries to disrupt it with, 11. Nd4, white can reply with, 12. Rxd4 cxd4 13. Nxf6+, and white has too much piece activity around the black king. || 

11. Qe1 Bf5 

| Black is beginning to build pressure against the white c2 pawn. || 

12. f3 Rc8 
13. Bxf6 

| White removes a potential defender of the black kingside and leaves the black dark square bishop firing into the fixed e5 pawn. || 

13. ... Bxf6 
14. c3 

| Trying to push the black knight back. Advancing pawns in front of the king in an opposite wing attack middlegame needs very careful thought. In general, it is advisable to only move defensive pawns when absolutely necessary. In this game each attacking player has at least 3 files available for pawn advances. This means it should always be possible for the attacker to open lines in front of the opposing king, even if it costs a pawn or two along the way. || 

14. ... Bxe4 

| Setting white the tricky decision of which black minor piece to capture. This can often win time on the clock as the alternate variations are calculated and their positional ramifications considered. || 

15. fxe4 

| White chooses the capture which keeps the centre fixed and so limits the play of the black f6 bishop. Instead, 15. cxd4 Bg5+, and white must block the check with, 16. Rd2. Black then opens up the queenside with, 16. ... cxd4+, after which, 17. Kd1 Bxd2 18. Qxd2 Bf5, and black has a decisive advantage. || 

15. ... Nc6 
16. Nf3 Qa5 
17. Bc4 b5 
18. Bd5 c4 

| In dynamic terms, black is ahead in the opposite-wing race for the attack. Strategically speaking, the opposite bishops should assist whoever has the initiative. The white light square bishop is very difficult for black to challenge but unfortunately for white it has little support. The black dark square bishop cannot easily join the attack and instead must be content to remain a defender. || 

19. a3 

| White is trying to prevent the black pawns from making contact. There are two possible outcomes. White manages to set up a blockade or black finds a way to force some lines open. It is very unlikely that a blockade can be constructed, so why is white trying at all? It is a question of speed of attacks. If by spending some time on the defence one can force the opponent to take even more time to break through then this will buy time for one's own attack on the other side of the board. Black to play and find a piece re-location necessary to increase the queenside pressure before the break-through should be attempted. || 

19. ... Nb8 

| White has strengthened the dark squares on the queenside, in particular the b4 square. So this knight takes the opportunity to relocate in order to contribute to the attack in a different manner. The beauty of knights is that they can switch square colours to bring pressure on newly-weakened squares. || 

20. Qg3 Nd7 
21. h4 

| The white attack has an easy target, the black g6 pawn. The black king dare not attempt to escape the white bishop pin on the f7 pawn with, Kh8, this would then walk into a different set of dangers as the h-file inevitably open. So, it seems that white is holding the queenside and about to open up the black kingside. Black to play must do something quickly, but what? || 

21. ... b4 

| Clearly this pawn cannot be allowed the luxury of, bxa3, and, axb2+. The black b-pawn is being sacrificed to alter the defensive white pawn formation, previously without any points of easy contact, to one where there are now targets to be exploited with dynamic play. || 

22. cxb4 Qa4 

| Now the black queen is aiming to invade on the light squares. White to play must make a decision outlined by Bobby Fischer in My 60 Memorable Games: "Chess is a matter of delicate judgement, knowing when to punch and how to duck." || 

23. Ng5 

| Moving the knight allows the white queen on g3 to offer some strengthening of the c3 square. However, as indicated by Bobby Fischer, knowing how to duck is also a necessary chess asset. This knight, instead of trying for a kingside punch, could have assisted the defence with, 23. Nd2, when the black attack might look dangerous but doesn't quite crash through. 

Instead playing for a tactical melee with, 23. h5 c3 24. hxg6 cxb2+ 25. Kd2 Qc2+ 26. Ke3 Rc3+ 27. Rd3 Rxd3+, ends in mate. 
A different escape plan of, 23. h5 c3 24. hxg6 cxb2+ 25. Kd2 Qc2+ 26. Ke1 Qxd1+ 27. Kxd1 b1=Q+ 28. Ke2 Qxh1, leaves black with an extra couple of rooks. 
Or trying to hide the king on the queenside with, 23. h5 c3 24. hxg6 cxb2+ 25. Kb1 Qc2+ 26. Ka2 b1=Q+, is also mate. 
Lastly, 23. h5 c3 24. hxg6 cxb2+ 25. Kxb2 Qc2+ 26. Ka1 Rc3, and black threatens a mate in two with, Rxa3+, Ba2 Rxa2+ mate. || 

23. ... c3 
24. Qd3 

| The white queen now protects the c2 square so black must now find a different means of invasion other than the immediate, 24. ... cxb2+, which would be premature. Instead, 24. bxc3 Qxa3+ 25. Kc2 Qxb4, black wins a pawn. || 

24. ... a5 
25. b5 

| White must find a means to keep the queenside closed for as long as possible. Black will re-group pieces on the queenside in anticipation of lines opening with maximum effect. || 

25. ... Rc5 
26. Bc6 Nb6 
27. Rdf1 

| Attacking the unprotected black f6 bishop which will surely retreat, won't it? || 

27. ... Qb3 

| Attacked pieces are under no moral obligation to move. Black instead increases the pressure. The threat now is, 28. ... Qxb2+ 29. Kd1 c2+ 30. Ke2 c1=Q+, and black has an extra queen. || 

28. Rf2 cxb2+ 
29. Kd2 Bxg5+ 

| Trading off the vulnerable f6 bishop which ensures the maximum material gain can be achieved from the passed black b2 pawn. || 

30. hxg5 Qxd3+ 
31. Kxd3 Rc1 

| The black rook interferes with the white h1 rook's defence of the b1 promotion square. The fight is effectively over. || 

32. Rxb2 Rxh1 

| Yes, black is now a whole rook up for a pawn. White does have two passed pawns on the queenside but black has adequate resources to keep them under control. Perhaps the game continues to move 40 because either black or both players are in severe time trouble. || 

33. Ke2 

| Instead, 33. d7 Rd1+ 34. Ke2 Rd6 35. Rc2 Rd8, and black is ready for, 36, ... Nxd7. || 

33. ... Nc4 
34. Rc2 Nxd6 
35. Rc5 Rb1 

| With a rook on the b1 square the white passed b5 pawn has little chance of advancing. Useful maxim: Rooks belong behind a passed pawn, whether it is the attacking rook offering support to advance, or a defending rook aiming to prevent the advance. || 

36. Rxe5 Nc4 
37. Rc5 Nxa3 

| And now black has a passed a5 pawn to take into account. || 

38. Bd5 Nxb5 
39. Bc4 Rb8 
40. Ke3 a4 
White resigns, 0-1 

| The time control of move 40 has been reached and there are no tricks available now for white. || 

* * * 

## Unannotated game. 

White: Kharlov, 2496. 
Black: B. Ofitserian, 2109. 
Event: Russian Team Championship, 2014. 
Result: 0-1 in 40 moves. 
Opening: Queen's Pawn Opening, London System, Morris Counter-Gambit, D00. 

1. d4 d5 
2. Bf4 c5 
3. e4 dxe4 
4. d5 g6 
5. Nc3 Nf6 
6. Qe2 Bg7 
7. O-O-O O-O 
8. d6 e5 
9. Bg5 Nc6 
10. Nxe4 Nd4 
11. Qe1 Bf5 
12. f3 Rc8 
13. Bxf6 Bxf6 
14. c3 Bxe4 
15. fxe4 Nc6 
16. Nf3 Qa5 
17. Bc4 b5 
18. Bd5 c4 
19. a3 Nb8 
20. Qg3 Nd7 
21. h4 b4 
22. cxb4 Qa4 
23. Ng5 c3 
24. Qd3 a5 
25. b5 Rc5 
26. Bc6 Nb6 
27. Rdf1 Qb3 
28. Rf2 cxb2+ 
29. Kd2 Bxg5+ 
30. hxg5 Qxd3+ 
31. Kxd3 Rc1 
32. Rxb2 Rxh1 
33. Ke2 Nc4 
34. Rc2 Nxd6 
35. Rc5 Rb1 
36. Rxe5 Nc4 
37. Rc5 Nxa3 
38. Bd5 Nxb5 
39. Bc4 Rb8 
40. Ke3 a4 
White resigns, 0-1 

* * *