Skype coaching session, 25 September 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 or a centre-file pawn against king and rook -
The Philidor position is not achievable, Defender plays inaccurately and loses
(on mp3 audio only).
The Lucena position is described.
King and rook with a knight-file pawn, a bishop-file pawn or a centre-file pawn
against king and rook - how to win from the Lucena position.
Guest game, 64 moves with brief notes and without notes.
Paul Benson.
* * *
The Lucena position is described.
White to play.
White: Kf8, Ra2, Pf7.
Black: Kd7, Rg1.
Here white is a pawn up and is therefore the attacker and black therefore the
defender.
In this example the pawn is located on the bishop-file. The general principles
also apply should the white pawn be located on the knight-file or centre-file.
When the pawn is on the rook-file there are extra conditions determining if a
win is possible, and a different technique is required. This will be dealt with
at a later date.
The conditions needed for the Lucena position are:
The defending king cannot occupy the promotion square.
The defending king is caught on the long side of the attacking pawn.
The defending king is restricting the movement of the attacking king.
The defending rook is located on a rank as far away as possible from the
attacking king.
The defending rook is located on a file restricting the movement of the
attacking king toward the short side.
The attacking king is occupying the promotion square of the attacking 7th rank
pawn.
The attacking rook is located on a rank as far away as possible from the
defending king.
To win, the attacker must find a means to move the king to permit pawn
promotion while avoiding a sequence of checks from the distant defending rook.
This process is given in the next section.
* * *
## King and rook with a knight-file pawn, a bishop-file pawn or a centre-file
pawn against king and rook - how to win from the Lucena position.
White to play.
White: Kf8, Ra2, Pf7.
Black: Kd7, Rf1.
Note: Strictly speaking, the defending rook in the Lucena position should be
located on the file next to the white pawn and king. In this case that would be
the g-file. However, there is some sense in the defending rook being located on
the same file as the attacking pawn, and this was the chosen strategy for the
coaching session. The general principle remains the same whether the defending
rook sits on the file of the attacking pawn and king, or on the adjacent file
which restricts the mobility of the attacking king toward the short side.
Both players have placed their rooks as far as possible from their kings. This
means when either rook gives check it will not be immediately under attack from
a reply move by the opposing king.
The attacker now needs to add two important features into the position.
Firstly, a distance of two files must be created between the defending king and
the attacking pawn.
Secondly, as Nimzowitsch comments, the attacker must build a bridge with the
rook.
Step one: White plays, 1. Rd2+. This gives the defending king a choice of which
way to move. If, 1. ... Ke6 2. Ke8, sets a little trap. If black unwisely
snatches the pawn with, 2. ... Rxf7, there follows, 3. Re2+ Kf6 4. Rf2+, and
black loses the rook. Should black instead try for a mate after, 2. Ke8, with,
2. ... Ra1, simply, 3. f8=Q Ra8+ 4. Rd8, and white is a queen up.
So after white plays, 1. Rd2+, black can try, 1. Kc7. The attacker has claimed
an extra file distance between the pawn and the defending king.
Step two: Now white must play, 2. Rd4. The rook is lifted to the 4th rank from
the perspective of the attacker. This is called: "Building a bridge." Black
replies with a waiting move, 2. ... Rf2.
Now the white king must travel toward the distant defending rook, but ensuring
the f7 pawn is not lost during the retreat. Play continues, 3. Ke7 Re2+ 4. Kf6
Rf2+ 5. Ke6 Re2+ 6. Kf5 Rf2+, and now the point of placing the attacking rook
on the 4th rank is revealed, 7. Rf4, and the checks have been successfully
blocked. Black might try, 7. ... Rxf4+ 8. Kxf4, but now the point of previously
pushing the defending king an extra file further from the attacking pawn is
shown. The defending king is too far away to prevent promotion on the next
attacker move.
The defending king has a different strategy to consider. We return to the start
position of:
White to play.
White: Kf8, Ra2, Pf7.
Black: Kd7, Rf1.
It begins with, 1. Rd2+ Kc7 2. Rd4, building that all-important bridge, 2. ...
Rf2 3. Ke7 Re2+ 4. Kf6 Rf2+ 5. Ke6, and here the defending rook declines to
further attack. Instead the defending king moves toward the attacking rook
with, 5. ... Kc6. The attacking king cannot make progress without losing the
passed pawn, it is instead now up to the attacking rook to make a different
contribution with, 6. Rc4+, yet again a rook check claims a necessary extra
file between the defending king and passed pawn. Play continues with, 6. ...
Kb6 7. Re4. The attacking king is now shielded from checks on the e-file and is
ready to advance to the e7 square next move to assist the pawn to promote, the
attacker is winning. The importance of that file-gaining rook check on move 6
should be clear. Had the defending king instead been on the c-file it would
have been able to move with, Kd8, and the attacker must then find a means to
push it out.
Another defending strategy for the attacker to overcome from the start position
is, 1. Rd2+ Kc7 2. Rd4 Rf2 3. Ke7 Re2+ 4. Kf6 Rf2+ 5. Ke6 Rf1, again the
defending rook calls off the chase but this time the wasted move does not place
the two kings in opposition to each other. The principle of building a bridge
almost always takes place on the 4th rank of the attacker. However there are
exceptions, and this is one. We now observe the attacker building a bridge
using the 5th rank with, 6. Rd5, intending to create an interference on the f5
square. The defending rook can only try, 6. ... Re1+ 7. Kf6 Rf1+ 8. Rf5, the
interference is achieved and the pawn will promote.
The defender still has a few tricks to try against an unwary attacker. From the
start position, 1. Rd2+ Kc6. The defending king is going to try aggressive
defence. The idea is to attempt to disrupt the location of the attacking rook
on that desired 4th rank. Play continues with, 2. Rd4 Kc5. There it is, now
what does the attacking rook do? The answer is suggested by the location of the
defending king. In the original example of play, the defending king kept close
to the 1st and 2nd ranks. Here the advance up the board has lost control of the
defending 2nd rank, which is of course the attacking 7th rank. The attacker has
a couple of options here. One is to build a 7th rank bridge to avoid those
annoying defending rook checks with, 3. Rd7 Kc6 4. Re7 Kd6 5. Ke8, and the pawn
will promote next move. The desperate, 5. ... Ra1 6. f8=Q Ra8+ 7. Kf7, gains
nothing.
* * *
## Annotated Guest Game.
White: Jim Slagle, 1697 (FTP).
Black: Mahendra Galani, 1030 (FTP).
Event: Skype Chess, Kathy Mertz Memorial 2016.
Result: 1-0 in 64 moves.
Opening: Queen's Gambit Declined, Marshall Defence, D06.
| Note: The ratings given are taken from the FTP email group. The newly created
Skype Chess group has started a rating list but insufficient games have been
played thus far to produce meaningful ratings. ||
1. d4 d5
2. c4 Nf6
| The Marshall Defence. Black offers white the chance to claim space in the
centre intending to undermine any central pawn formation in the middlegame.
Instead, 2. ... e6, or, 2. ... c6, are more solid choices where black can
choose to have a pawn influencing the centre if desired. ||
3. cxd5 Nxd5
4. Nf3 Nd7
5. e4 N5b6
6. Nc3 Nf6
7. h3
| White wishes to prevent the pin, Bg4. The black c8 bishop will now struggle
to find a development square from where it can contribute harmoniously to the
black position. ||
7. ... e6
8. Bd3 Bb4
9. Bg5 h6
10. Bh4 Bd7
11. O-O
| There is an option here for white to enter into murky tactics with, 11. e5 g5
12. Nxg5 hxg5 13. Bxg5 Be7 14. exf6 Bxf6, and white has won a pawn. Black can
play for a tricky tactical sequence by varying in the above line, 11. e5 g5 12.
Nxg5 Nd5 13. Nf3 Nxc3, creating complexity which might not be to some players
taste. The game choice of, 11. O-O, is sensible. Whhite does not have to play
dangerously so early, preferring instead to have a far more comfortable
position and to wait for the fun to begin in the middlegame. ||
11. ... g5
12. Bg3 Rg8
| Very direct. Black plans to create open lines in front of the white king. ||
13. Nb5
| Threatening a material-winning fork with, Nxc7+. The black reply is forced
and leaves white with the bishop pair in an open middlegame. ||
13. ... Bxb5
| Instead, 13. ... Bd6 14. e5, costs black a piece. ||
14. Bxb5+ c6
15. Bd3 g4
16. hxg4 Rxg4
| The open line in front of the white king might look dangerous, but at the
moment white has good piece protection in that region. ||
17. a3 Be7
| Perhaps the somewhat paradoxical, 17. ... Bf8, was worthy of consideration.
Such a retreat would leave the e7 square vacant for the black queen and permit
quick queenside castling. Black now starts some kingside piece activity which
creates unnecessary targets for tactics. ||
18. Re1 Nh5
19. Ne5 Rg5
20. Qf3
| Aiming at the weak black f7 pawn and offering the a1 rook the opportunity to
centralise on the vacated d1 square. However, there was, 20. Bh4, attacking the
black g5 rook to consider. Clearly if black replies, 20. ... Rg7, then, 21.
Qxh5, and white wins a piece. So after, 20. Bh4, black must do something about
the h5 knight such as, 20. ... Ng7, and leave white to decide if winning the
exchange at the cost of dark square control is good trading. ||
20. ... Nf6
21. Bh4 Rg7
22. Rad1 Nfd7
| White has completed development and is now looking for a central pawn break
to catch the black royalty trapped in the centre. Black is still a queen and
rook in need of development. Everything points to white having chances of
favourably opening up the position. All it needs is some inspiration combined
with mental perspiration and the game should be there for white to claim. ||
23. Bxe7 Qxe7
24. Nxd7 Qxd7
| Two black pieces have been removed from the game. This could be interpreted
as assisting in sorting out the congestion in the black camp. It could also be
interpreted as removing a couple of vital defenders in advance of important
central line-opening. White to play and find an idea thematic in this type of
pawn formation. ||
25. d5 cxd5
26. exd5 Nxd5
| So white has offered a pawn to increase the activity of the remaining pieces.
Everything suggests that there should be a winning plan here for white, but
where is it? ||
27. Bc4
| The centralised white rooks contribute to the threat to win a piece with, 28.
Bxd5, the black e6 pawn being pinned by the white e1 rook. Black has a neat
solution to escape the e-file pin and also place a necessary third defence on
the d5 knight. All well and good as far as it goes... ||
27. ... O-O-O
| It appears that black is holding the position together. This is an illusion,
but with three moves to play to reach the time-control and not much time
available it is quite easy to miss an opportunity. ||
28. bxd5 exd5
| White to play and gain a decisive advantage. ||
29. Rd4
| Played to restrain the passed black d-pawn. However, 29. Qc3+, forking the
black king and the unprotected black g7 rook is decisive. ||
29. ... Qb5
30. b4 Rg5
| The time-control is reached just as a heavy piece ending emerges. The
position is sufficiently open for the queen and rooks on both side to begin to
show their strengths. Black has the slightly worse of it. The white king has
more shelter than the black king and the white pawn structure, two islands, is
better than the scattered four pawn islands of black. ||
31. Qxf7 Qc6
32. Qf4
| White is trying to exploit the black royalty who are lined up on the fully
open c-file. This is the right idea but perhaps not the best method? Instead,
32. Rdd1, threatening, 33. Rc1, would have given black much more to think
about. ||
32. ... Qd6
| The black queen neutralises the white queen. ||
33. Qxd6 Rxd6
| The double rook ending should be comfortably drawn despite the weaknesses in
the black pawns. The black d-pawn has a somewhat schizophrenic personality.
Under the right circumstances, being able to advance with good support, then it
is a passed pawn. However, if it becomes a target to the combined white forces
of king and both rooks, then it is an isolated pawn. In essence, it is not the
pawn itself that determines what character it has, it is instead the
surrounding pieces of both sides which will tell us if it is either passed or
isolated. ||
34. Re7 Rc6
| Rook endings are difficult at the best of times. Sometimes one must play
actively, other times passive defence is required. If the white rook is allowed
to rule the black 2nd rank then the black king will need several moves to
advance into the centre, perhaps, pawn a6, followed by escaping via a7 onto b6,
though white can make this difficult by placing a pawn on a5. Instead of
seeking activity, black could challenge with, 34. ... Rd7, and no matter how
white replies, the black king will soon be able to centralise and
support/defend the d5 pawn. ||
35. g3 Rc1+
36. Kg2 Rh5
| There is no possible mating net for the black rooks to weave, black needs to
get the king into the centre/queenside quickly. ||
37. Rd3 Rc7
38. Rxc7+ Kxc7
39. Kf3 Rf5+
40. Ke3 Re5+
41. Kf3 Kd6
| The black d5 pawn is looking like a passed pawn, plenty of support. ||
42. Re3 Rf5+
43. Ke2 d4
| Now the black pawn on d4 lacks immediate support and is beginning to look
somewhat isolated. ||
44. Re8
| Again a white rook manages to get deep into the black position and this time
it will not be easy to evict. ||
44. ... Kd5
45. Re7
| And now the invading white rook picks up a pawn. One would have thought as
the double rook ending arose that if black was going to lose a pawn it would be
either the d-pawn or h-pawn. ||
45. ... b5
46. Rxa7 Kc4
| On the queenside the black king must now think about making the white
queenside pawn majority ineffectual. Meanwhile over on the kingside black must
find a method to trade off the isolated d-pawn for one of the white connected
kingside pawns. ||
47. Rc7+ Kb3
| Black seems to be getting back into the game. Not only is the a3 pawn weak
but black also has ideas of pushing, pawn d3+, such that if white captures
with, Kxd3 Rxf2, and the white kingside pawn majority has been neutralised. ||
48. Rd7
| White prevents the black plan of, pawn d3+, deflecting the white king from
the defence of the f2 pawn. ||
48. ... Kc3
| Instead, 48. ... Kxa3 49. Rxd4, and the passed white f2 pawn will be assisted
to advance by the white king while the black king will be unable to assist the
defence, white will be winning. ||
49. Rc7+ Kb3
| White must find a different plan or three-fold repetition beckons. ||
50. f4
| Instead, 50. Rc5, allows, 50. ... d3+, when the white king should capture on
d3 and let the f2 pawn go. If white instead responds with, 51 Ke3 d2, and the
white king is now virtually forced to take the black passed pawn and in turn
white loses the f2 pawn but this time with check. ||
50. ... Rd5
51. Rc5 d3+
| Black dare not capture with, 51. ... Rxc5 52. bxc5, and the newly-passed
white c-pawn will promote first, e.g. 52. ... Kxa3 53. c6 b4 54. c7 b3 55. c8=Q
b2. White has many ways to win from here, perhaps the neatest variation is, 56.
f5d3+ 57. Kd2 b1=Q, and appearances might suggest black is now doing very well.
Not so, after, 58. Qa8+ Kb2 59. Qb8+ Ka1, 60. Qxb1+, and the white f-pawn
marches to promotion.
Instead of the chosen game move black could have tried, 51. ... Rd6 52. Rxb5
Kxa3, which should be winning for white but requires a little care. ||
52. Kd2 Rd6
53. Rc3+
| Black is about to lose the isolated d-pawn, the king on b2 can offer no
assistance to stopping the advance of the white f-pawn, white is winning. ||
53. ... Kb2
54. Rxd3 Rc6
| Black dare not exchange rooks, the white f-pawn would then be free to promote
in 4 moves. ||
55. f5 Rc2+
| Black can only attempt to slow down the process of the white king assisting
the promotion of the passed f-pawn. ||
56. Ke3 Rc6
57. Kf4 Kc2
58. Rf3 Rc4+
59. Ke5 Rg4
60. f6 Rg5+
61. Ke6 Kd2
62. f7 Rg6+
63. f7 Rg7
64. Ke8
Black resigns, 1-0
* * *
## Unannotated Guest Game.
White: Jim Slagle, 1697 (FTP).
Black: Mahendra Galani, 1030 (FTP).
Event: Skype Chess, Kathy Mertz Memorial 2016.
Result: 1-0 in 64 moves.
Opening: Queen's Gambit Declined, Marshall Defence, D06.
1. d4 d5
2. c4 Nf6
3. cxd5 Nxd5
4. Nf3 Nd7
5. e4 N5b6
6. Nc3 Nf6
7. h3 e6
8. Bd3 Bb4
9. Bg5 h6
10. Bh4 Bd7
11. O-O g5
12. Bg3 Rg8
13. Nb5 Bxb5
14. Bxb5+ c6
15. Bd3 g4
16. hxg4 Rxg4
17. a3 Be7
18. Re1 Nh5
19. Ne5 Rg5
20. Qf3 Nf6
21. Bh4 Rg7
22. Rad1 Nfd7
23. Bxe7 Qxe7
24. Nxd7 Qxd7
25. d5 cxd5
26. exd5 Nxd5
27. Bc4 O-O-O
28. bxd5 exd5
29. Rd4 Qb5
30. b4 Rg5
31. Qxf7 Qc6
32. Qf4 Qd6
33. Qxd6 Rxd6
34. Re7 Rc6
35. g3 Rc1+
36. Kg2 Rh5
37. Rd3 Rc7
38. Rxc7+ Kxc7
39. Kf3 Rf5+
40. Ke3 Re5+
41. Kf3 Kd6
42. Re3 Rf5+
43. Ke2 d4
44. Re8 Kd5
45. Re7 b5 xx checked upto here for accuracy in typing of moves.
46. Rxa7 Kc4
47. Rc7+ Kb3
48. Rd7 Kc3
49. Rc7+ Kb3
50. f4 Rd5
51. Rc5 d3+
52. Kd2 Rd6
53. Rc3+ Kb2
54. Rxd3 Rc6
55. f5 Rc2+
56. Ke3 Rc6
57. Kf4 Kc2
58. Rf3 Rc4+
59. Ke5 Rg4
60. f6 Rg5+
61. Ke6 Kd2
62. f7 Rg6+
63. f7 Rg7
64. Ke8
Black resigns, 1-0
* * *
