Skype coaching session, 22 March 2020.
Note: Daylight saving time might be in operation in your time zone, check your
calendar to be certain when 14:00 UTC occurs for you.
1 coaching session is planned for March on Sunday: 29, at 14:00 UTC, which is
15:00 BST.
The game discussed (21 moves) is given below with annotations and without
annotations.
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
Paul Benson.
* * *
Annotated Game.
White: P. Giulian, 2225.
Black: M. Basman, 2395.
Event: Troon 1986.
Result: 0-1 in 21 moves.
Opening: Borg Defence, Troon Gambit, B00.
| Editorial.
All gambit-pawns are equal,but some gambit-pawns are more equal than others.
How can the long-term effects of accepting a pawn on move 4 be calculated?
Not possible.
Instead trawl the databases for the results in games where the material is
taken, but take care.
There can be many reasons why a result arises, it is not automatically due to
what happened in the opening.
||
1. d4 h6
| Yes, the Borg Defence can be played against, 1. d4, it just takes a little
sleight of hand.
||
2. e4 g5
| Back on track again.
Big decision here for white, directly interact or calmly ignore it?
||
3. h4
| Direct interaction!
A calmer plan for white is, Nc3 - Be3 - Qd2 - O-O-O - Nge2 - Ng3, all assuming
black does not create an immediate threat in need of neutralisation.
Black is at a crossroad, the future of the g-pawn needs careful consideration.
||
3. ... g4
| Welcome to the Troon Gambit, named after a Scottish town where this gambit
was born.
Instead, 3. ... gxh4 4. Rxh4, gives an interesting imbalance in the pawn
structure, black has the more long-term worrying over potential weaknesses on
the kingside semi-open files.
White to play has yet again a big decision to make, choose between acceptance
or refusal of the offered black g4 pawn.
||
4. Qxg4
| "Gambit" - Could this be a shortened version of: "Gamble it"?
White is taking a pawn, anticipating being able to keep the position under
control, intending to later challenge pieces, forcing black to either back off
or allow trades.
Black is anticipating much early piece activity, hoping the initiative will
carry on through the middlegame until something in the white position gives
way.
This is not a test of, "Tactical Event Horizons".
More a test of what the white position can withstand or the black forces can
generate.
||
4. ... d5
| Exposing an attack from the black c8 bishop onto the white g4 queen.
||
5. Qe2
| Attacking ideas gain little.
Instead, 5. Qf4 dxe4 6. Bc4 Nf6, and the white threat against f7 is
neutralised.
||
5. ... dxe4
| Black wants open lines for the pieces, early activity is the aim.
||
6. Qxe4 Nf6
| Gain of tempo on the white queen who will be moving to a square which must
still guard the d4 pawn.
||
7. Qd3
| Other moves also block white bishop development.
Instead, 7. Qe3, or, 7. Qf4, limit options of the white c1 bishop.
||
7. ... Nc6
| A quick summary of the gambit so far might assist.
White has spent 4 moves with the queen to have her sitting awkwardly on d3,
blocking the activity of the f1 bishop.
Black has developed 2 knights, the c8 bishop and d8 queen have options to move,
permitting queenside castling, and there is a semi-open g-file for rook
activity should white think of castling kingside.
Who has the better of it?
Too early to say, ask again in about 10 moves.
||
8. c3
| Trying to create a strong pawn centre.
Instead the plan of, Be3 - Nc3 - O-O-O - Qd2, and play against whatever
development plan black has chosen was worthy of consideration.
||
8. ... Qd5
| A doubler.
Firstly, taking advantage of white placing a pawn on the c3 square, she cannot
be pushed around with white, Nc3.
Secondly, the white g2 pawn is under pressure, the f1 bishop is tied down to
defensive duties.
The gains for the gambit pawn now stand at black having 3 active units with
reasonable squares available to all other units, except for the f8 bishop.
||
9. Nf3 Rg8
| Keeping the white f1 bishop on defensive duty, if the g2 pawn falls off then
black will be better.
||
10. Nbd2
| If the white b1 knight cannot kick the black d5 queen from the c3 square,
then perhaps an alternative is available, but what?
A different plan for white could be, 10. Qc4, or, 10. Qb5, giving the black
queen a challenge, if she replies, 10. ... Qe4+, or, 10. ... Qe6+, white has,
11. Qe2, and we start the light square queen-chase again.
Though perhaps we should have a guess at the aspirations of the players?
White, a pawn up, must be thinking of holding onto the material and convert a
favourable endgame.
Black, with a lead in development, is seeking to catch white with a tactic
somewhere due to the activity of the pieces.
So surely white will be seeking exchanges at every opportunity?
Not automatically so.
Well-trained players know that sometimes the best means of heading for a
favourable endgame is to first withstand the pressures of a hard-fought
middlegame.
White might be accepting that black is going to create threats, and be willing
to have to keep shuffling around to escape them, though in time a sequence of
minor-neutralisations will slowly but surely relieve the pressure, then the
extra pawn can start to count.
||
10. ... Bg4
| Black has no clear threats yet, pieces are simply going to active squares.
||
11. Nc4
| Aiming to land on e3 where it will push the black queen away while also
protecting the g2 pawn.
||
11. ... O-O-O
| Time to assess the effects of the gambit.
White, 3 developed units and the king still stuck in the middle.
Black, 6 developed units and the king ready to slip to b8 for safety.
A good return for a single pawn, but development alone might not be enough.
Black must find a weak point to attack before white completes development.
||
12. Ne3 Qd6
| With the black f8 bishop at home with no immediate prospect of getting
developed in the centre, the black queen fights for control of some dark
squares, f4, and e5.
Retreating further with, 12. ... Qd7, allows white some opportunities to
liquidate a little:
(A). If, 12. ... Qd7 13. Ne5 Nxe5 14. dxe5 Qxd3 15. Bxd3 Rxd3 16. exf6 exf6 17.
Nxg4 Rxg4 18. Ke2 Rd5 19. g3, black still has a lead in development but the
kingside pawn formation is not healthy.
(B). Or if, 12. ... Qd7 13. Ne5 Qe8 14. N3xg4 Nxg4 15. Nxg4 Rxg4 16. Qf5+ Qd7
17. Qxd7+ Rxd7 18. Be3, white has the plan, O-O-O - pawn g3 - Bh3, and still
has the extra pawn.
||
13. Nxg4 Nxg4
| Another tempo is lost by white.
The white b1 knight used up 4 moves to depart the game.
At the end of the trade black has used 3 moves and still has an active piece on
the g4 square.
This seems bad house-keeping by white, but there is a follow-up, the trading on
g4 was all part of a plan.
||
14. Qf5+
| Playing actively, white is trying to get the c1 bishop into the kingside.
Instead, 14. Be3, intending, 15. O-O-O, was less ambitious but gets the king
out of the centre.
||
14. ... Kb8
15. Bf4
| White gains a development tempo on the black queen but there are still 3
units unmoved on the white back rank plus the king has yet to achieve safety.
Instead, 15. Be3, trying to keep it all under control, was still an option.
A curious white idea of, 15. Bg5, was offered during the coaching session, a
tactic which places a piece en prise, but interferes with the defence of the g4
knight, the black g8 rook would no longer be protecting g4.
The idea is, 15. Bg5 hxg5 16. Qxg4, and black will struggle to avoid losing the
g5 pawn.
Black to play must have an answer against this white f4 bishop attack, but
what?
Clue: If white succeeds in completing development, which includes king safety,
then the gambit-strategy will be declared a failure.
So black must, "Punch The Random Button", probably accompanied with crossing
fingers.
||
15. ... e5
| Aha, complicating while ahead in development, right?
Fine, but surely a quick count of, "Attackers And Defenders", on the black e5
pawn tells a different story?
The black e5 pawn has 3 defenders, Qd6, Nc6, Ng4.
It has 4 white attackers bearing down on it, Qf5, Bf4, Nf3, Pd4, so it can be
safely captured by white, right?
||
16. Nxe5
| And why not take another pawn?
Any sequence of piece captures on e5 favour white.
However if the black rooks were connected such that, Rde8, were available at
some point, matters might be different, but the f8 bishop is unmoved, there is
no danger for white up the e-file.
A calmer approach of, 15. Bg3, keeps the black e5 pawn in a pin and also guards
the f2 square, permitting, O-O-O, next move.
Black to play must have anticipated this white knight capture and have a
satisfactory answer ready, but what?
Clue: Having, "Punched The Random Button", once, then sometimes it needs
another and much stronger hit.
||
16. ... Nxd4
| Generally, to take advantage of a lead in development there must be open
lines, especially so when a king-hunt is underway.
Black is offering a knight in order to break through on the dark squares, quite
amusing, as the gambit-pawn gifting plus much of the skirmishing so far has
taken place on the light squares.
Fritz and friends, as a matter of the laws of programming, will examine this
capture and tirelessly crunch far down many lines.
As a Human you can try to copy this style of analysing, hard work but extremely
satisfying when all lines seem to produce the desired effect.
The alternative is to take a general view of possibilities.
Something like, there are a couple of threats in different directions, plenty
of movement available for the remaining pieces, a lack of development in the
opposing defences, and an exposed king to be hunted.
These all sound a little vague, but when all seem to be in the position then
such a sacrifice can be made by first checking a few lines and if no obvious
defence arises, then simply play it.
White to play must do something about the backward black d4 knight attack on
the f5 queen, but what?
||
17. Nxg4
| White wisely chooses the most complicated line, both queens are now under
attack as white snatches the black g4 knight.
Instead capturing with, 17. cxd4, gives black everything a gambiteer desires:
(A). If, 17. cxd4 Qxd4, threatens, Qxf2+ mate, 18. Bg3 Qd2+ mate.
(B). Or if, 17. cxd4 Qxd4 18. Be3 Bb4+ 19. Bd2 Qxd2+ mate.
(C). Or if, 17. cxd4 Qxd4 18. Be3 Bb4+ 19. Ke2 Qxb2+ 20. Kf3 Nxe5+ 21. Ke4 Qxa1
22. Qxe5 Qxe5+ 23. Kxe5, black is an exchange plus a pawn up.
(D). Or if, 17. cxd4 Qxd4 18. Qc2 Bb4+ 19. Bd2 Qxf2+ 20. Kd1 Rxd2+, with a
variety of mates available.
(E). Or if, 17. cxd4 Qxd4 18. Nd3 Bb4+ 19. Nxb4 Qxf2+ mate.
(F). Or if, 17. cxd4 Qxd4 18. Nd3 Bb4+ 19. Bd2 Bxd2+ 20. Kxd2 Qxb2+ 21. Ke1
Qxa1+ 22. Ke2 Qxa2+, black is an exchange plus 2 pawns up.
(G). Or if, 17. cxd4 Qxd4 18. Nd3 Bb4+ 19. Ke2 Nxf2 20. Nxf2 Qxb2+ 21. Kf3
Qxa1, black has rook plus 2 pawns against white bishop and knight, with the
white king still to find safety.
(H). Or if, 17. cxd4 Qxd4 18. Nd3 Bb4+ 19. Kd1 Nxf2+ 20. Kc1 Nxh1, black is an
exchange plus pawn up.
It is variations like these which lead to the advice to get pieces such as the
a1 rook, f1 bishop, h1 rook, developed as soon as possible.
Black to play has a big decision to make.
||
17. ... Nc2+
| Keeping the complications going, black is prepared to gamble the whole point
on tactricks.
Instead, 17. ... Nxf5 18. Bxd6 Bxd6, black is a pawn down but has lots of
pressure, however the presence of opposite bishops might give white ideas of
heading for such an ending.
||
18. Qxc2
| Wandering the king up the board requires some nerve, 18. Ke2 Qa6+ 19. Kf3
Qc6+ 20. Kg3 Nxa1, and while black is an exchange up for a pawn, the a1 knight
is going to be difficult to extract.
||
18. ... Qxf4
| Black is a piece plus pawn down but still has a lead in development, white
has 3 units sitting on their home squares.
Despite all this, white is in the process of escaping the worst.
||
19. Ne3
| A tripler.
Firstly, the e-file is blocked.
Secondly, black is almost certainly going to develop with, Bc5, the f2 pawn is
shielded which releases the c2 queen from 2nd rank guard duty.
Thirdly, the g2 pawn is given extra protection, the f1 bishop is free to move.
||
19. ... Bc5
| The threats just keep coming, hardly surprising when white has 3 units
unmoved plus a king stuck on his home square.
White to play must do something about the black threat of, Bxe3, but what?
||
20. g3
| White has been under pressure since move 4 after taking the offered black g4
pawn.
This created a semi-open g-file for black, but so far there has been no
opportunity for black to make use of it.
Instead, 20. Rh3, received favourable support from all in the coaching session,
some ideas run:
(A). If, 20. Rh3 Bxe3 21. Rxe3 Qxh4 22. Rd1, simply leaves white a piece up.
(B). Or if, 20. Rh3 Rge8 21. Rd1 Bxe3 22. Rxd8+ Rxd8 23. Rxe3 Qxh4, again white
is a clear piece up.
(C). Or if, 20. Rh3 Rde8 21. O-O-O Bxe3+ 22. Rxe3 Rxe3 23. fxe3 Qxe3+ 24. Qd2,
white is a clear piece up.
In these lines black does not have to trade on e3, but if this is avoided then
white will have time for the plan, Rd1 - Rd2 - Re2, and then run the king
across to the b-file.
Black to play must move the attacked f4 queen, right?
||
20. ... Rxg3
| The gamble taken when playing, 17. ... Nc2+, pays off.
Depending on your viewpoint, white has either fallen for a tactrick, or the
black activity combined with bold play finally worked.
||
21. fxg3
| White essentially gives up the fight.
Instead, 21. Rh2, would at least give black something to analyse, some ideas
run:
(A). If, 21. Rh2 Bxe3 22. fxe3 Rxe3+ 23. Re2 Qg3+ mate.
(B). Or if, 21. Rh2 Bxe3 22. fxe3 Rxe3+ 23. Be2 Qxh2, black is an exchange plus
pawn up and the attack continues.
(C). Or if, 21. Rh2 Bxe3 22. fxg3 Qxg3+ 23. Ke2 Qxh2+ 24. Kxe3 Qxc2, black is a
queen plus pawn against a white bishop.
(D). Or if, 21. Rh2 Bxe3 22. fxg3 Qxg3+ 23. Rf2 Rd2 24. Qxd2 Bxd2+ 25. Kxd2
Qxf2+ 26. Be2 Qxh4, the black queen plus 2 kingside pawns against the white
rook and bishop should win for black.
(E). Or if, 21. Rh2 Bxe3 22. fxg3 Qxg3+ 23. Rf2 Rd2 24. Qxd2 Bxd2+ 25. Ke2 Qe3+
26. Kd1 Qxf2, black is a queen for rook up and will soon pick off the white h4
pawn, an easy black win.
(F). Or if, 21. Rh2 Bxe3 22. fxg3 Qxg3+ 23. Qf2 Bxf2+ 24. Rxf2 Qxh4, the black
kingside pawns should give black the win.
However, 21. Rh3, also demands black sift the wheat from the chaff:
(G). If, 21. Rh3 Rxh3 22. Bxh3 Bxe3 23. fxe3 Qxe3+ 24. Qe2 Qxh3, the extra 2
black kingside pawns should be enough to take the full point.
(H). Or if, 21. Rh3 Rxh3 22. Bxh3 Bxe3 23. Qf5 Bxf2+ 24. Kf1 Qxh4 25. Qxf2
Qxh3+, those 2 extra black kingside pawns should give black the win.
(I). Or if, 21. Rh3 Rxh3 22. Bxh3 Bxe3 23. Qf5 Bxf2+ 24. Kf1 Qxh4 25. Qg4 Qf6
26. Qf5, forcing queens off, but if black manages to keep rooks on then white
is unlikely to hold this.
(J). Or if, 21. Rh3 Rxh3 22. Bxh3 Bxe3 23. Qf5 Bxf2+ 24. Kf1 Qxf5 25. Bxf5
Bxh4, again black must keep rooks on to put maximum pressure on white.
But is there another try for white in these lines?
(K). Or if, 21. Rh3 Rxh3 22. Bxh3 Bxe3 23. Rd1 Rxd1+ 24. Qxd1 Qxf2+ mate should
not happen.
(L). Or if, 21. Rh3 Rxh3 22. Bxh3 Bxe3 23. Rd1 Rxd1+ 24. Kxd1 Bxf2 25. Qf5,
with threats of, Qc8+ mate, this seems to force, 25. ... Qxf5 26. Bxf5 Bxh4,
and white has achieved the opposite colour bishops ending, 2 pawns down, with
care this should be defensible.
(M). Or if, 21. Rh3 Rxh3 22. Bxh3 Bxe3 23. Rd1 Re8 24. Kf1 Qxh4 25. Bg2 Bc5,
black has pressure, the passed h6 pawn can roll, but white is fighting, just.
There must be more ideas in the above variations to be explored, quite a rich
position considering the amount of material in play.
||
21. ... Qxe3+
White resigns, 0-1
| The painful finishes could be:
(A). If, 22. Be2 Qf2+ mate.
(B). Or if, 22. Qe2 Qxg3+ 23. Qf2 Qxf2+ mate.
It is possible to have rooks connected in just 8 moves, imagine white playing
the moves, 1. e4, 2. d4, 3. Nc3, 4. Nf3, 5. Bd3, 6. Be3, 7. Qd2 or 7. Qe2, and
then castles either wing.
In this game almost half of the white moves were consumed by the queen (6) and
the b1 knight (4), while 3 units remained unmoved.
That general advice about getting on with speedy development and keeping the
queen at home during the early phase of the game should only be ignored if top
Grand Masters adopt such systems.
||
* * *
## Unannotated Game.
White: P. Giulian, 2225.
Black: M. Basman, 2395.
Event: Troon 1986.
Result: 0-1 in 21 moves.
Opening: Borg Defence, Troon Gambit, B00.
1. d4 h6
2. e4 g5
3. h4 g4
4. Qxg4 d5
5. Qe2 dxe4
6. Qxe4 Nf6
7. Qd3 Nc6
8. c3 Qd5
9. Nf3 Rg8
10. Nbd2 Bg4
11. Nc4 O-O-O
12. Ne3 Qd6
13. Nxg4 Nxg4
14. Qf5+ Kb8
15. Bf4 e5
16. Nxe5 Nxd4
17. Nxg4 Nc2+
18. Qxc2 Qxf4
19. Ne3 Bc5
20. g3 Rxg3
21. fxg3 Qxe3+
White resigns, 0-1
* * *
