Skype coaching session, 05 February 2017. 

Please note: 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 

The following game was examined, the games 38 moves is given with annotations and then again without annotations. 

Paul Benson. 

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Annotated Game. 

White: B. Spassky. 
Black: M. Taimanov. 
Event: Russian Championship (Final) 1955. 
Result: 1-0 in 38 moves. 
Opening: Ruy Lopez, Norwegian Variation, C70. 

1. e4 e5 
2. Nf3 Nc6 
3. Bb5 a6 
4. Ba4 b5 
5. Bb3 Na5 
6. O-O 

| If, 6. Nxe5 Nxb3 7. axb3 Qg5, forking the unprotected white knight and g2 pawn, the limited experience of this continuation indicates black seems to get play, plenty of scope for home investigation for both players here. 
White cannot steamroller black with, 6. Nxe5 Nxb3 7. Qh5, trying to gain from the threatened mate on f7, because black calmly replies, 7. ... Qf6, and after, 8. axb3 g6, the white queen cannot keep a defence on the e5 knight, this piece is lost if she retreats, and tricks such as, 9. Ng4 gxh5 10. Nxf6+ Nxf6, similarly leave white a piece down. 
White can shuffle the move order with, 6. Nxe5 Nxb3 7. Qh5 Qf6 8. Ng4, but black has a couple of choices here: 
(A). The tactrickal, 8. ... Nxa1 9. Nxf6+ Nxf6 10. Qd1, and the trapped black a1 knight can only give itself up later for a pawn, this material imbalance seems to give white the better prospects. 
(B). 8. ... Qg6 9. Qxg6 hxg6 10. axb3 d5,unleashing the c8 bishop against the unprotected white g4 knight, when, 11. Ne3 dxe4, black has regained the pawn and has the bishop pair in an open middlegame, black should be happy with this. || 

6. ... d6 

| A feature of playing an early, Na5, is that black must at some point take time to protect the undefended e5 pawn. Instead executing the plan of eliminating the white light square bishop first with, 6. ... Nxb3, is also known here. || 

7. d4 

| Some players have tried, 7. c3, which seems to demand black continue with the plan of, 7. ... Nxb3, after which white according to my limited database, consistently tries, 8. axb3. It seems, 8. Qxb3, remains untested, possibly because with, axb3, white generates some play up the a-file using the apparently undeveloped a1 rook. || 

7. ... Nxb3 

| Liquidating the central tension with, 7. ... exd4, which white usually meets with, 8. Nxd4 scores quite well for white. However, the alternative recapture of, 8. Qxd4, shows only a handful of games all won by white. Take care here, because three of those few examples available were played in blitz games. This might be indicating there might be something doubtful with it, and white is gambling that black will not find the best continuation in the very limited time. Perhaps do your homework using the few games available, and 8. Qxd4, might work well for you to counter black's chosen less common system. || 

8. axb3 f6 

| The most popular and definitely the most solid choice for black. Again if black instead liquidates the tension with, 8. ... exd4 9. Nxd4, white scores very well. The pinning, 8. ... Bg4, has very little testing. Play has continued with, 9. dxe5 Bxf3 10. Qxf3 dxe5, when either, 11. Rd1, or, 11. Nc3, have been tried with success for white. || 

9. Nc3 

| The aggressive, 9. c4, doesn't seem to work well for white here. There is however, 9. Nh4, when black has tried, 9. ... Qd7, and white scores well. There is also, 9. Nh4 g6 10. f4, where white generates good play. || 

9. ... Bb7 
10. Nh4 

| The most aggressive option. White threatens a nasty, 11. Qh5+, disrupting black or winning material according to how black replies. Other calmer choices here are, 9. Qe2, or, 9. Be3. || 

10. ... Ne7 

| The alternative here for black is, 10. ... Qd7, intending, Qf7, if the white queen thinks of giving a check on the h5 square. || 

11. dxe5 

| White might instead consider starting kingside aggression with, 11. f4, here. || 

11. ... dxe5 
12. Qf3 

| A quadruple purpose move. Firstly, black would very much appreciate an exchange of queens which would significantly reduce the pressure, so white keeps queens on the board as a matter of principle. Secondly, the threats of tactics involving, Qh5+, are retained. Thirdly, The d1 square is vacated for the f1 rook to claim the d-file. Fourthly, once the f1 rook arrives on d1, there will be 4 white units fighting for control of the d5 square. There is the voluntary creation of an x-ray attack from the black b7 bishop on the h1 - a8 diagonal to consider, but as black will struggle to organise the break of, pawn f5, it appears there is no actual threat to the white queen. || 

12. ... Qd7 

| Also known here is, 12. Qc8 13. Rd1 h5 14. h3 Qe6 15. Nd5 O-O-O, with an interesting opposite-wing battle in motion. || 

13. Rd1 Qe6 

| The black queen retains option of answering any white, Qh5+, invasion with, Qf7. || 

14. Be3 

| The only other move played by white here saw, 14. Nd5 Nxd5 15. exd5 Qf7 16. c4 Be7 17. Nf5 Rd8 18. Be3 g6 19. Nh6 Qg7 20. Qg3, where white went on to win. || 

14. ... g5 

| Black has instead chosen a couple of ways of preventing, Qh5+, by white here with either, 14. ... g6, or, 14. ... h5, as at present just one game each for reference. Both of them are now considered considerable improvements over the chosen game move by black. The well-intentioned idea behind, 14. ... g5, is to force exchanges with any of the following: 
(A). After, 15. Nf5 Nxf5 16. Qxf5 Qxf5 17. exf5, the tension has been dissipated. 
(B). Or after, 15. Qh5+ Qf7 16. Qxf7+ Kxf7 18. Nf3, and again the tension has gone. 
(C). Or after, 15. Nf5 Nxf5 16. exf5 Bxf3 17. exf6 Bxd1 18. Rxd1, and white has lost an exchange, black would be winning. 

Warning: Very lengthy discussion begins here. 
White to play and show why, 14. ... g5, as well-intended as it was, has never been tried since. 
Please, there is a very fine concept to be discovered here. 
If this were a print book, there would be a diagram indicating there is a startling move to be found. 
So, if you cannot find the strong tactical sequence, here is the strategic reasoning your average Grand Rabbit might go through in order to find the move deserving of two exclamation marks. 

The obvious danger-move for white to analyse first is, 15. Qh5+. 
Black has two means to block the check, either, Qf7, or, Ng6. 
If, Qf7, the only defender to the queen is the black king. 
Wouldn't it be wonderful if he could be deflected from that responsibility, but how can this be achieved? 
Ah, there is, Rd8+, but black can reply with, Rxd8, and the king remains undeflected on the e8 square. 
So much for our little brilliancy, right? 
Hey hang on, what if that black a8 rook could be eliminated? 

O.K., keep calm, it's just an idea, check it again before proceeding. 
If there were no black rook on the a8 square, then the advance, Rd8+, would definitely deflect that defending black king. Yes, that is correct. 
So, the only way to remove that black rook is a rook trade up the a-file, but that file is blocked. 
Ah, but the blocking black a6 pawn is in a pin, and my c3 knight can sacrifice itself on the b5 pawn, can't it? 
Yes, why not try for the sequence, Qh5+ Qf7, then, Nxb5 axb5, and then, Rxa8+ Bxa8, and then, Rd8+ Kxd8, and finally the point of the combination, Qxf7, winning the black queen and a pawn for a rook and knight. 
Ah, but the tactics haven't quite finished. 
After, Qxf7 gxh4, black picks up another knight, but the white queen is about to run rampant through the shattered black pawn formation. 
This positional compensation should be well worth the material investment. 

I suppose after the proposed, Nxb5, black might do something else and leave my knight where it is. 
Must explore this possibility. 
Ah, it doesn't work. After, 15. Qh5+ Qf7, queens are opposed and mine is undefended. So if I follow up with, 16. Nxb5, black replies, 16. ... Qxh5, and it is me who loses a queen. 
Wait a second. What would happen if my proposed queen and knight moves were played in reverse order? 
This would mean my queen is not sitting unprotected on h5 as I try, Nxb5. 
So let's try reversing the move order a little with, Nxb5 axb5, then, Rxa8+ Bxa8, and now we play, Qh5+ Qf7, and at last the deflecting, Rd8+ Kxd8, leaving me to grab his queen with, Qxf7, brilliant. 
I deserve a couple of pints later if this works. 
And what's more, if I immediately crunch in with, 15. Nxb5, there is an immediate horrendous royal fork with, Nxc7+, to be guarded against. 
O.K., it seems that, 15. Nxb5, snatches a safe pawn and passes the big decision to black, should he enter the tactical sequence of material gain for the queen, or find something else? 

Now we need to examine the possibility of the black knight blocking my proposed queen check, remember I will be a knight down at this point. 
It goes, 15. Nxb5 axb5 16. Rxa8+ Bxa8+ 17. Qh5+ Ng6, and what now? 
I suppose, 18. Nxg6, sets up some tactics, clearly if black captures with, hxg6, then, Qxh8, I win a rook back, which means I am an exchange up. 
Ah, but instead of, hxg6, losing that h8 rook, he has instead, 18. ... Qf7, placing my g6 knight in an annoying pin to my queen, careful here, all this could leave me a piece down. 
Keep looking around, my feeling says there should be something good to be found here. 
How about after, 18. Nxg6 Qf7, I try a light square invasion threat with, 19. Qh3, escaping the pin on my g6 knight? 
This also keeps my pin up the h-file on the black h8 rook and threatens a strong invasion with, Qc8+. 
Hey, what's more, after, 19. Qh3 Qxg6, there is, 20. Qd7+ mate, for me. 
It seems his queen on f7 is overloaded, she needs to recapture on g6 and also defend against a mate on the d7 square, and she can't do both. 
The whole idea is looking promising, but there might be one last trick for him somewhere in all this, more work to be done. 

So, to summarise, if, 15. Nxb5 axb5 16. Rxa8+ Bxa8 17. Qh5+ Ng6 18. Nxg6 Qf7 19. Qh3, he might throw in, 19. ... g4, trying for an interference / deflection of my queen. 
Ah, if I capture that offered black g-pawn, the h-file pin is broken and, hxg6, is possible and he is a piece up. 
Mind you, why am I worrying about, 19. ... g4, because I have the tactical zwischenzug, 20. Nxh8, capturing his rook which leaves both queens under attack with me being ahead in material. 
So, he must reply with, Qg7 / Qg8, but then I flick in, Qh5+, and my queen is safe. 
Sure, the trapped h8 knight will soon be lost, but I will be an exchange and pawn up and the attack will still be on. 
This is looking more like a post-game three pints and curry reward to me. 

Well, there you have some of the disorganised rambling-shambling thoughts that Grand Rabbit needs to go through to find a move worthy of double exclamation marks. 
There will be a few more lines to discover in all that, but the essence of the combination is revealed. 
Let's find out if the Grand Masters have noticed the trickery on offer. || 

15. Nxb5 

| These Grand Masters know a thing or two about chess. || 

15. ... axb5 

| Not quite forced, but the other choices are not very appetizing. Instead, 15. ... gxh4 16. Nxc7+ Kf7 17. Nxe6 Kxe6 18. Bc5, and white is not only a queen up for two knights, but threatens a ruinous, 19. Qb3+, picking up the black b7 bishop. 
Black could have tried to sidestep the tactics with, 15. ... Rc8, which leaves both white knights under attack. 
White can still use some of the concepts of the previous analysis as given in the following sample lines: 
(A). If, 15. ... Rc8 16. Qh5+ Qf7 17. Rd8+ Kxd8 18. Qxf7 axb5 19. Rd1+ Nd5 20. Nf5, and white can follow up with either, exd5, or, Qxf6+, winning more material. White will clearly win this one. 
(B). Or if, 15. ... Rc8 16. Qh5+ Qf7 17. Rd8+ Kxd8 18. Qxf7 Ra8 19. Rd1+ Kc8 20. Qe8+ mate is neat, but black can always block the white, 19. Rd1+, with, Nd5, choosing to concede material to avoid the mate. 
(C). Or if, 15. ... Rc8 16. Qh5+ Qf7 17. Rd8+ Rxd8 18. Nxc7+, a smothered mate, is rather cute. 
(D). Or if, 15. ... Rc8 16. Qh5+ Ng6 17. Nxg6 Qf7 18. Qh3 Rg8 19. Nxf8 Rxf8 20. Nc3, and white has emerged from the tactics a piece and pawn up. 
One last look around reveals black might try, 15. g4, attacking the white queen but giving up the attack on the h4 knight. 
White can flick in, 16. Nxc7+, and all that is attacked now is the queen on f3. After, 16. ... Kf7, white simply retreats the queen with, 17. Qe2, leaving black with the queen and a8 rook in a fork. White will be an exchange and two pawns up, this is a white win. || 

16. Qh5+ 

| Grand Master confuses Grand Rabbit. There must be a reason for white playing the queen check before trading rooks up the a-file, but the differences are not obvious to me. Perhaps there aren't any differences, as whichever means black chooses to block,Qh5+, white can immediately trade rooks with check before carrying on with the kingside assault. || 

16. ... Qf7 

| Black cannot defend with, 16. ... Ng6 17. Nxg6 Qf7, because the pinning of the white g6 knight proves to be inadequate. White breaks the pin on the g6 knight with, 18. Qh3, and black has three choices: 
(A). If, 18. ... Qxg6 19. Qd7+ mate, is a painful demonstration that the black queen on f7 is overloaded. She has to guard against this white mate threat, but she also needs to capture on g6, she cannot do both, her overloading is exposed. 
(B). Or if, 18. ... hxg6 19. Qxh8, black has lost a rook for no compensation. 
(C). Or if black tries, 18. ... Rg8 19. Nxf8 Rxf8, then white emerges a piece up and is winning. || 

17. Rxa8+ Bxa8 
18. Rd8+ Kxd8 
19. Qxf7 gxh4 

| According to material-count black has gained two pieces and a rook for his queen and pawn, technically a plus of a pawn. However the black pieces are far from achieving anything resembling harmonious coordination. Furthermore, the black pawn formation of three islands will need to call on pieces to protect them, which means the pawns will not be providing protection to those protecting pieces. All this adds up to the white queen finding herself being able to fly in and out of the black position, picking up pawns as she goes. || 

20. Qxf6 Rg8 
21. f3 h3 
22. g3 

| The white pawn formation on both sides of the board is secure. In contrast, the black pawn formation is simply a scattering of targets waiting to be gobbled up by the white queen. || 

22. ... Ke8 

| The beginning of a slow and stuttering re-grouping of the black forces. 
The king on e8 offers immediate protection the f8 bishop while also preventing the white queen from returning to the f7 square, where she would inflict annoying paralysis on the black kingside pieces. 
If black had instead tried for development with, 22. ... Bg7, white has, 23. Qf7, intending, Bc5, threatening to exchange off the black e7 knight, undermining the only defence to the g8 rook. 
The black pieces will take some time to find a formation which protects themselves. 
Once this is achieved they can think of coordinating to put pressure on the white kingside, the f3 pawn is the only obvious target. 
This takes many moves, and the white queen is going to take full advantage of this necessary consumption of time. 
In just four moves she will gobble up three black pawns, such is the potential power of a rampant queen in a disrupted opposing pawn formation. || 

23. Qxe5 Rg6 
24. Qxb5+ Bc6 
25. Qb8+ Kf7 
26. Qxc7 

| The damage is done, those white queenside passed pawns will soon cost black material. Note how white keeps the queen active on the black 2nd and 1st ranks, pinning pieces in order to keep the activity of the black forces restricted while a distant passed pawn starts sprinting and shows us just how powerful such a beast can be. || 

26. ... Rf6 
27. Bg5 Re6 
28. b4 Kg8 

29. Qb8 

| A double purpose move. Firstly the white queen pins the black f8 bishop on the black 1st rank. Secondly on the b-file she is supporting the rapid advance of the passed b4 pawn. || 

29. ... Ng6 

| Desperately trying to get piece activity on the kingside, but the white queenside pawns are always going to be too quick. || 

30. Kf2 Ne5 
31. b5 Be8 

| Breaking the back rank pin, the dark square f8 bishop can at last move. But when the dark square bishop moves it will leave the light square bishop in a pin, which in turn ties down the black e6 rook to protecting it. It is positions like this one which must have inspired the famous phrase: "The power of the pin is to paralyse." || 

32. Be3 

| White denies the black dark square bishop any activity which could have started with, 32. ... Bc5+. || 

32. ... Bd6 
33. Qc8 Kf7 

| Again a back rank pin is broken, the black light square e8 bishop is free to move again. || 

34. b6 Rf6 

| Black is finally getting some play, but the white b-pawn is still running fast and free. || 

35. Bf4 Bd7 

| At last, the black pieces are beginning to work together. White must now move the queen, right? || 

36. b7 

| No, she stands her ground. If black takes the white queen then the b7 pawn recaptures and promotes itself to a replacement queen, which means white is winning a bishop into the bargain. White is also now threatening to advance with, 37. b8=Q, promoting to a queen which forces black to capture one of Her Majesties, and as such black again will lose a piece. At this level of play black could perhaps smile here and then resign. || 

36. ... Be6 
37. Bxe5 Bxe5 
38. b8=Q Bxc8 
Black resigns, 1-0 

| Perhaps black lost on time while playing his last move? The position is hopeless anyway, white can repeat the process of advancing the b-pawn to win another black piece, and then there is the c-pawn in reserve if need be. After, 39. Qxc8, if black tries, 39. ... Bxb2, then, 40. Qb7+, and white picks up the black b7 bishop next move, an easy white win. A final demonstration of how the lack of protective pawn cover can be costly when the opponent has a queen against a couple of pieces. || 

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## Unannotated Game. 

White: B. Spassky. 
Black: M. Taimanov. 
Event: Russian Championship (Final) 1955. 
Result: 1-0 in 38 moves. 
Opening: Ruy Lopez, Norwegian Variation, C70. 

1. e4 e5 
2. Nf3 Nc6 
3. Bb5 a6 
4. Ba4 b5 
5. Bb3 Na5 
6. O-O d6 
7. d4 Nxb3 
8. axb3 f6 
9. Nc3 Bb7 
10. Nh4 Ne7 
11. dxe5 dxe5 
12. Qf3 Qd7 
13. Rd1 Qe6 
14. Be3 g5 
15. Nxb5 axb5 
16. Qh5+ Qf7 
17. Rxa8+ Bxa8 
18. Rd8+ Kxd8 
19. Qxf7 gxh4 
20. Qxf6 Rg8 
21. f3 h3 
22. g3 Ke8 
23. Qxe5 Rg6 
24. Qxb5+ Bc6 
25. Qb8+ Kf7 
26. Qxc7 Rf6 
27. Bg5 Re6 
28. b4 Kg8 
29. Qb8 Ng6 
30. Kf2 Ne5 
31. b5 Be8 
32. Be3 Bd6 
33. Qc8 Kf7 
34. b6 Rf6 
35. Bf4 Bd7 
36. b7 Be6 
37. Bxe5 Bxe5 
38. b8=Q Bxc8 
Black resigns, 1-0 

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