Skype coaching session, 09 October 2016.
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 were examined:
The Philidor position is reviewed (on mp3 audio only).
King and rook with a bishop-file pawn against king and rook - The Philidor
position is not achievable, Defender plays accurately and draws (on mp3 audio
only).
Study position #2 from practical play.
Guest game, 34 moves with brief notes and without notes.
Paul Benson.
* * *
Study position #2 from practical play.
White to play.
White: Kh5, Rg7, Pf6.
Black: Kh8, Ra8, Pg5.
Material is equal but white is pushing hard for the win. Understanding how to
make a draw when the Philidor position is not achievable will prove invaluable
here. Examine the position from the black perspective while thinking about the
strategy required for black to draw. The attacking pawn is already on the 6th
rank which tells us the Philidor position cannot be achieved. If black is to
make a draw then at some point the defending rook must take up position on the
back rank of the attacker, but the important question is: "When?"
Black begins with, 1. ... Rf8. The black king is effectively stalemated and so
black sets a neat trap. Instead playing actively with, 1. ... Ra1, allows white
to win quickly with, 2. Kg6. White is advised to leave the black g5 pawn alone
as it provides useful shelter from the black rook planning to give check along
the white 1st rank. The white threat now is the sequence of forcing moves,
Rh7+, awn f7+, Rh8+, and promotion of the f-pawn. Black can stop this with, 2.
... Rh1, but white simply advances with, 3. f7, and there is an unstoppable
threat of, 4. Rg8+ mate, white is winning.
From the start position, if black tries a different form of activity with
either, 1. ... Ra5, or, 1. ... Ra6, white still plays, 2. Kg6. Black is again
facing the unstoppable white plan of, Rh7+, pawn f7+, Rh8+, and promotion of
the f-pawn.
From the start position, 1. ... Rf8, and if white falls into temptation with,
2. Kxg5, then black has the simplest of drawing methods available with, 2. ...
Rxf6, because, 3. Kxf6, is stalemate.
From the start position, 1. ... Rf8 2. Kg6, and white again threatens the
forcing sequence of moves, Rh7+, followed by, pawn f7+, which then demands
black give up the rook to avoid it being immediate mate. So after, 2. Kg6,
black needs to break this pattern with, 2. ... Rg8, pinning the white rook to
the king. White must not trade rooks which only leads to a draw but instead
advance with, 3. Kf7. Black must similarly avoid trading rooks which would
allow white to recapture with the f-pawn giving check and then promote next
move. So after 3. Kf7, black throws the rook as far from the white king as
possible with, 3. ... Ra8. White now breaks the stalemate pattern created by
the rook being on the g7 square with, 4. Rxg5, which also threatens a cute mate
with, Rh5+. Black disrupts the sneak mate threat with, 4. ... Ra7+, when the
only sensible reply for white to avoid a continual checking attack is, 5. Kg6.
So, white now has both the king and passed pawn on the 6th rank, dangerous but
not decisive, if you know how to defend.
The white king on the g6 square has now gained shelter from the opposing rook,
black is now approaching a big test of imagination combined with an awareness
of how to draw when the Philidor position cannot be achieved. The necessary
imagination involves recognising a drawn pattern found in king and pawn
endings. Yes, a drawn king and pawn position must be the inspiration for the
next black move. Black plays, 5. ... Kg8, taking the opposition, but what value
does this have? White continues to play for a back rank mating net with, 6.
Rb5, threatening, Rb8+ mate. Looks bleak. How does black respond? There is only
one move to save the game.
Black produces the startling, 6. ... Rg7+, revealing why on the previous move
the black king shuffled onto the g8 square. If white accepts the offered rook
with, 7. fxg7, the black king has no legal moves, another surprise stalemate
which appears only in the notes. White escapes the clever rook check with, 7.
Kf5, leaving black to show understanding of how to draw when the Philidor
position cannot be achieved. The attacking pawn is on the 6th rank and the
attacking king is on the 5th rank. This is the ideal position for the defender
to keep hitting the attacking king with a series of distant checks. So, 7. ...
Rg1, and white has no shelter against the black threats of check from the safe
distance of the white 1st rank. It is a draw.
The drawing line without any annotations is:
1. ... Rf8 2. Kg6 Rg8 3. Kf7 Ra8 4. Rxg5 Ra7+ 5. Kg6 Kg8 6. Rb5 Rg7+ 7. Kf5
Rg1.
* * *
## Annotated Guest Game.
White: Michael Lowery.
Black: Robert McCewan.
Event: Club Game (All moves in 1 hour per player).
Result: 1/2-1/2 in 34 moves.
Opening: Queen's Pawn Opening, London System, D00.
1. d4 d5
2. Bf4 Nc6
| More popular choices here are, Nf6, c5, e6, c6, Bf5. ||
3. c3
| This fits in with the general white plan, but perhaps just getting on with
the kingside development with, 3. Nf3, was a more preferable choice of move
order. ||
3. ... Nf6
4. Nf3 Bg4
5. e3 a6
6. Be2
| Whenever black plays, Bg4, white should consider asking the question of the
bishop with, pawn h3, once potential doubled f-pawns has been ruled out. If
black does trade bishop for knight then the white queen will be fine on the f3
square. ||
6. ... e6
7. O-O Be7
8. Na3
| The more natural square for this piece is d2, where it can contribute to the
fight for control of the e4 square. ||
8. ... Bxa3
| Creating interesting positional plusses and minuses. White receives doubled
a-pawns while black concedes the bishop pair. Which is better? Impossible to
say just now. It is how each player handles the middlegame which will determine
if the pawns are a weakness or if black struggles in the fighting on the dark
squares. ||
9. bxa3 O-O
10. h3 Bh5
11. Qb3 Bg6
| Putting that old Hungarian proverb to the test. "It is never safe to take the
b-pawn with your queen - Even when it is safe." Well, actually there are times
when it is definitely poisoned, there are times when it causes stomach ache,
there are times when it takes some time to digest, and there are times when it
is a dainty morsel just waiting to be swallowed whole. Perhaps, 11. ... Rb8,
was a sensible choice here for black, which hints at the toxicity or otherwise
of the black b7 pawn. ||
12. Qxb7 Na5
13. Qb2 Rb8
14. Qc1 Ne4
| So black has a little activity for the offered b-pawn but there is no harmony
between the pieces. Furthermore there are no obvious targets in the white
position. On balance it seems the black b-pawn was a tasty snack for the white
queen. ||
15. Bxa6
| In for a penny, in for a pound. Black gains an attack tempo for the a-pawn,
but is it enough? ||
15. ... Rb6
16. Bd3 Rc6
| Ah, the black master-plan is revealed. Operation Target c3 Pawn is well under
way. Unfortunately for black, there is a way for white to save it while
relieving some central pressure at the same time. ||
17. Bxe4 dxe4
| Another of those decisions with positional plusses and minuses to weigh in
the balance. The pawn capture kicks the white f3 knight away from defensive
duties but the pawn on e4 makes the black g6 bishop into a spectator hemmed in
by his own pawns. ||
18. Nd2
| The alternative was, 18. Ne5, forking the black c6 rook and g6 bishop,
perhaps intending to remove the bishop when convenient. The down side of
trading knight for the black light square bishop is that white will have no
sensible means to evict a black knight from the c4 square. Win some, lose some.
||
18. ... Qd5
19. Rb1
| Perhaps 19. Qc2, guarding the a2 pawn was preferable. ||
19. ... Bf5
| A mystery. Black can quite safely snatch back a pawn with, 19. ... Qxa2. The
white rook on b1 has no sensible entry squares up the b-file, so the a2 pawn
should be gratefully accepted. ||
20. Qb2
| Instead, 20. Qc2, protecting the a2 pawn while permitting doubling of rooks
up the b-file seems sensible. ||
20. ... Rb6
21. Qc1
| Again, 20. Qc2, for the same reasons. ||
21. ... Rfb8
22. Rxb6 Rxb6
23. Qd1 c5
| Difficult to believe, but this natural counter-attacking move turns out to
cause confusion in the black position. ||
24. Qa4
| Amazing. The white queen has been shuffling with little strength for a few
moves and suddenly she threatens to end the game immediately with, 25. Qe8+
mate. ||
24. ... Nc6
25. Qa8+ Nd8
| It is beginning to get tricky for black. Accuracy is required now to avoid
losing material. ||
26. Qxd5 exd5
27. Bc7
| Black must find the correct move here or lose material. ||
27. ... Rc6
| This is not it. Instead, 27. ... Rb2, attacking the unprotected white d2
knight avoids losing a piece. ||
28. Bxd8 cxd4
29. Rb1
| There is no need to hurry. White has a comfortable decisive material
advantage. Simply, 29. cxd4, is fine. While black can then win a pawn with, 29.
... Rc2 30. Nb3 Rxa2 31. Ra1 Rb2 33. Nc5, white is ready to push the passed a3
pawn all the way up the board as quickly as it can go. ||
29. ... h6
| Instead, 29. ... dxc3, seems safe. If white tries for back rank tricks with,
30. Rb8, then simply, 30. ... h6, and the white d8 bishop has no useful
discovered checks available. ||
30. exd4
| Again, 30. cxd4, leaves white with a decisive material advantage. ||
30. ... Rxc3
31. Ba5
| Instead, 31. Be7, saves the a3 pawn. ||
31. ... Rxa3
32. Rb8+ Kh7
33. Bb4 Rxa2
| The black rook has mopped up 3 white pawns while the white pieces have
shuffled around without achieving any coordination. ||
34. f3
| The white position has deteriorated since winning a piece. The passed a-pawns
which could have been extremely difficult for black to prevent from promoting
have been let go. Instead white might have tried, 34. g4, giving the king a
little breathing space. Once black moves the f5 bishop somewhere, re-locating
the d2 knight with, Nf1, to be followed with, Ne3, was a plan for
consideration. The white king could then enter the game via the g2 and g3
squares. With the game move of, 34. f3, white concedes all the advantage the
extra piece brings to the position. ||
34. ... e3
Draw agreed, 1/2-1/2
| Hostilities cease in a position which is far from clear. Black seems to be
about to win a piece in all variations. Here are a few sample lines of how the
game might have proceeded:
(A). 35. Nf1 Ra1 36. Bc3 e2 37. Bxa1 e1=Q 38. Ra8 Bd3, and black is about to
weave a light square mating net. If then, 39. Kh2 Bxf1 40. Ra2, to prevent
black from playing, Qf2. But black wins anyway with, 40. ... Qb1, and the white
rook has the impossible task of protecting the a1 bishop and preventing the
black queen from taking the 2nd rank with, Qc2, threatening a powerful invasion
with, Qxg2+.
(B). 35. Nf1 Ra1 36. Re8 Be6, and now that the e-file is blocked black will
advance with, pawn e2, which both wins the white f1 knight and promotes to a
queen on f1 with one capture.
(C). 35. Nb3 Rb2 36. Bc3 Rb1+ 37. Kh2 e2, and this time black only wins a piece
after, 38. Rb4 e1=Q 39. Bxe1 Rxe1 40. Nc5, creating the knight versus bishop
stand-off and this should be drawn, though black might choose to try to find
something over on the kingside with pawn advances.
(D). 35. Nb3 Rb2 36. Ba3 Rb1+ 37. Bc1 Bc2 38. Kh2 e2 39. Bd2 Bxb3 40. Kg3 Rd1
41. Bc3 Ba4 42. Ra8 Bc6 43. Rc8 Bd7 44. Rc7 Be6 45. Kf2, and white seems to be
hanging on for a draw.
(E). 35. Nb3 Rb2 36. Ba3 Rb1+ 37. Bc1 Bc2 38. Kh2 e2 39. Bd2 Bxb3 40. Kg3 Rd1
41. Bc3 Bc4 42. Re8, and white has gained sufficient control of the e1
promotion square and is again holding it for a draw.
(F). 35. Nb3 Rb2 36. Ba3 Rb1+ 37. Bc1 Bc2 38. Kh2 e2 39. Bd2 Bxb3 40. Kg3 Rd1
41. Bc3 Ba4 42. Ra8 Rxd4 43. Kf2 Rc4 44. Be1 Bd1 45. Rd8 Rc5 46. Rd7 Kg6, and
black will find problems in both defending the kingside pawns while trying to
offer support to the passed d5 pawn. Without feeding this line to Fritz a
definitive conclusion cannot be offered here. Feelings suggest white should be
able to hang on for a draw, easier said than done. Over the board it is most
likely the correct defence would be very difficult to find and the black centre
pawns would find a way through. ||
* * *
## Unannotated Guest Game.
White: Michael Lowery.
Black: Robert McCewan.
Event: Club Game (All moves in 1 hour per player).
Result: 1/2-1/2 in 34 moves.
Opening: Queen's Pawn Opening, London System, D00.
1. d4 d5
2. Bf4 Nc6
3. c3 Nf6
4. Nf3 Bg4
5. e3 a6
6. Be2 e6
7. O-O Be7
8. Na3 Bxa3
9. bxa3 O-O
10. h3 Bh5
11. Qb3 Bg6
12. Qxb7 Na5
13. Qb2 Rb8
14. Qc1 Ne4
15. Bxa6 Rb6
16. Bd3 Rc6
17. Bxe4 dxe4
18. Nd2 Qd5
19. Rb1 Bf5
20. Qb2 Rb6
21. Qc1 Rfb8
22. Rxb6 Rxb6
23. Qd1 c5
24. Qa4 Nc6
25. Qa8+ Nd8
26. Qxd5 exd5
27. Bc7 Rc6
28. Bxd8 cxd4
29. Rb1 h6
30. exd4 Rxc3
31. Ba5 Rxa3
32. Rb8+ Kh7
33. Bb4 Rxa2
34. f3 e3
Draw agreed, 1/2-1/2
* * *
