27…Rc7 28.Rxf8+ Qxf8 29.Qxe5.
28.Qe3!
1-0
SIGNAL: Overloaded defender (the queen simultaneously protects the two rooks and the knight).
THEME: Deflection, Double attack.
Back
Solution 16 (page 188)
55.Qe7+! Kg6 56.Qg7+
1-0
56…Kxg7 57.Nxf5+ Kf7 58.Nxh4.
SIGNAL: Knight fork distance.
THEME: Decoy.
Back
Solution 17 (page 188)
1-0
38…f4!
One of the white attackers of g7 will be deflected, so that Black will be able to take the b4-knight for free.
39.Bxf4
After 39.Qg4 the logical 39…h5! wins, as the white queen is unable to maintain the pressure on g7.
39…Bxb4 40.Bxh6 Qd6 41.Rc1 Qxh6 42.Rxc2 Bd6
0-1
SIGNAL: Unprotected piece.
THEME: Deflection.
Back
Solution 18 (page 189)
30.Nb8!
1-0
30…Raxb8 31.Qxb8 Rxb8 32.Rxb8+ Bf8 33.Rdd8.
SIGNAL: Piece trapping, King position.
THEME: Line closing.
Back
Solution 19 (page 189)
20.Bf6!
20.Rh4 f6! wins for Black.
20…gxf6
20…Qd5 21.Qg5 g6 22.Qh6.
21.Rh4
1-0
SIGNAL: Defence too far away (the queen, bishop and knight are no help for their king).
THEME: Line closing (blocking the f-pawn in anticipation of the only defence).
Back
Solution 20 (page 189)
1…Bxc4 2.Qxc4 Ne3 3.fxe3 Bxe3+
SIGNAL: Unprotected piece, Knight fork distance.
THEME: Double attack.
Back
Solution 20b
Golod, Vitali
Werle,Jan
Vlissingen 2000 (3)
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0-0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 b6 7.Bg5 Bb7 8.f3 h6 9.Bh4 d5 10.e3 Nbd7 11.cxd5 exd5 12.Bd3 c5 13.Ne2 Rc8 14.0-0 Ne4 15.Qe1 Nef6 16.Bf5 Rc7 17.e4 dxe4 18.fxe4 cxd4 19.Nxd4 Rc4
20.Ne6!+−
1-0
20.Rd1 is a good move, preserving White’s edge, but not as decisive as the main line.
20.Ne6! uses two motifs:
- the unprotected rook on c4;
-the knight fork distance on e6. 20…fxe6 21.Bxe6+ Kh8 22.Bxc4+−.
Back
Solution 21 (page 189)
The unprotected black queen is on the same line as White’s bishop – once again this factor must be considered even if some other men are separating them for the moment. Two points are visibly weak in Black’s camp: the bishop on e6 (protected once, attacked once) and the h7-pawn. Those two points are situated at a knight fork distance. Another, hidden but decisive factor is the lack of protection of the black queen along the semi-op en d-file, aligned with the white queen.
1.Bxh7+!Kxh7 2.Ne4 Qb4
The best defence.
3.Ng5+Kg8 4.Qxb4
4.Qd3 Bf5 5.Qxd5+ Kh8 6.Nf7+ Rxf7 7.Qxf7 is also interesting and gives White chances for a win.
4…Nxb4 5.Nxe6
With advantage to White.
SIGNAL: Unprotected pieces, Knight fork distance.
THEME: Double attack, pin.
Back
Solution 22 (page 190)
30.g4!
30.Rxc7 was played in the game, with a complicated ending, slightly favourable to White, who eventually won.
30…Rxd7
If 30…Bxg4 31.Nd6 Kf8 (31…Rxd7 32.cxd7 Rxc1+ 33.Kg2 and White promotes on d8; 31…Rxc6 32.Rxc6 Rxc6 (allowing the back-rank mate) 33.Rd8#) 32.Nxc8 Rxc8 33.Ra7+−.
31.cxd7 Rxc1+ 32.Kg2 Rd1 33.Nd6!
1-0
SIGNAL: King position (on both sides!).
THEME: Line closing (d-file), Square clearance (g2).
Back
Solution 23 (page 190)
49.Rb6
1-0
49…Rg8 50.cxb4+−.
49…Rxb6 50.axb6 Kb5 51.Rxc5+ Kxc5 52.b7.
SIGNAL: Alignment.
THEME: Pin.
Back
Solution 24 (page 190)
72.Rxc6! Rxc6 73.Ne5 Rb2+
73...Re6 74.Rh3#.
74.Kc1 Rb3 75.Rxb3 Rxc5+ 76.Kd2 Kh6 77.Rb6 Kh7
78.Nxg6 Rc4 79.f5 Ra4 80.Ne5 Rxa3 81.f6 Ra4 82.Rb7+ Kh6 83.Rb8
1-0
SIGNAL: Knight fork distance, King position.
THEME: Double attack.
Back
Solution 25 (page 191)
25.Qc8+! Rg8 26.Qh3! Rg7
White has an undisputed advantage after 26…Kg7 27.Qxh7+ Kf8 28.Qh6++−.
27.Bxh7! Rxh7
Or 27…Qd8 28.Bf5+Kg8
29.Bd7!.
28.Re8+ Kg7 29.Qg4+ Kh6 30.Rg8
Checkmate cannot be avoided.
SIGNAL: Defence too far away.
THEME: Decoy/Deflection.
Back
Solution 26 (page 191)
1-0
29.Qh1!
Threatening to take on h6 twice, with checkmate. The direct 29.Qcl fails to the defence 29…Qh5 or 29…Qh2.
29…h5
On 29…Qe3 White saves the rook with tempo, and is winning. Here are the best (computer) moves: 30.Rf3+− Qd2 31.Rf2 Qe3 32.Re2 Qf4 33.Nxd5! (other moves also win) 33…exd5 34.g3 Qf8 35.Rxe8 Qxe8 36.Rxh6+ Bxh6 37.Qxh6 checkmate.
30.Qc1!!
1-0
SIGNAL: King position.
THEME: Line closing.
Back
Solution 27 (page 192)
10.e6!+−fxe6
10…Nxc3 11.exd7+ Nxd7 12.Qd2+−. 10…Bxb5 11.exf7+ Kxf7 12.Qh5+ g6 13.Qd5+ Kg7 14.Ne6+ Kf7 15.Ng5+ Ke8 16.Nxe4+−.
11.Qh5+ Kd8
On 11 …g6 12.Bxd7+ wins the queen.
12.Nxe6+
If 12.Nb3 Qb4.
12…Bxe6 13.Qe8+ Kc7 14.Bf4+ Nd6 15.Bxd6+ Kxd6
15…exd6 16.Qxe6+−.
16.0-0-0+Ke5 17.Qh5+
1-0
SIGNAL: Alignment.
THEME: Line clearance, Pin, Discovered attack.
Back
Solution 28 (page 192)
26.d6 cxd6
26…Rxc5 27.Bxd4 Bxd6 (the ending after 27…Rc4 28.dxc7 Rxc7 29.Bxb6 Rb7 30.Rao is winning: White brings his king to c4, and exchanges rooks by Ra7 if Black’s king goes to the seventh rank: 30…f6 31.Kf1 Kf7 32.Ke2 Ke8 33.Kd3 (33.Ra8+ Kd7 34.Ra7 Rxa7 35.Bxa7) 33…Kd7 34.Kc4 Bd6 35.Ra7+−) 28.Bxc5 Bxc5 29.Ra8+ Kh7 30.Kf1 Kg6 31.Re8 h5 32.Ke2 Kf5 33.g3 g6 34.Kf3 g5 35.g4+ hxg4+ 36.hxg4+ Kf6 37.Rg8 Be7 38.Ke4 Ke6 39.Rh8 Bc5 40.Rh6+ f6 41.f4 gxf4 42.g5 Be7 43.Kxf4 Bd6+ 44.Kg4 Be5 45.Kh5 Bd4 46.g6 f5 47.Rh7 f4 48.Rf7. If 26…bxc5 27.dxc7 Re8 28.b6+−.
27.c6 Rxb5
27…Re8 28.Bxd4 Rb8 29.c7.
28.c7 Rc5 29.Rc1
1-0
SIGNAL: Defence too far away (the bishop can’t be used to stop the c-pawn).
THEME: Line closing (26.d6 closes the bishop’s diagonal).
Strangely enough, two days later, the same combination won for White in the following game, from the same championship:
Back
Solution 28b
Potkin, Vladimir
Grischuk,Alexander
Khanty-Mansiysk 2011 (4)
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 0-0 6.Bg5 Na6 7.f4 Qe8 8.Nf3 e5 9.fxe5 dxe5 10.d5 Nc5 11.Nd2 Nh5 12.Bxh5 gxh5 13.Qxh5 Nd3+ 14.Ke2 Nf4+ 15.Bxf4 exf4 16.Rhf1 Be5 17.g3 fxg3 18.Nf3 Bg7 19.e5 Bxe5 20.Nxe5 f6 21.Qxe8 Rxe8 22.hxg3 Rxe5+ 23.Kd2 Kf7 24.Rf4 Rf5 25.Raf1 Rxf4 26.Rxf4 Bd7 27.Ne4 f5 28.Nc5 Bc8 29.b4 b6 30.Nd3 Kf6 31.Rh4 Kg7 32.Kc3 Bd7 33.Ne5 Be8 34.Kd4 h5 35.Nd3 Bf7 36.Nf4 Re8 37.Nxh5+ Bxh5 38.Rxh5 Re4+ 39.Kd3 b5 40.c5 Re5
41.d6 cxd6
41…Rd5+ 42.Kc3 cxd6 43.c6! Rd1 44.Rh2! Re1 45.c7 Re8 46.Kd4 Rc8 47.Rc2 Kf6 48.Kd5 Ke7 49.Kc6+−.
42.c6 Re4
42…Re1 43.Rxf5 Rc1 44.Rxb5 Rxc6 45.Rb7+ Kf6 46.Rxa7+−.
42…Re7 43.Kd4+−.
43.Rxf5 Rxb4 44.Rf2
1-0
44…Rc4 45.Rc2!+−.
Back
Solution 29 (page 192)
29.Nf6+! Kh8
29…gxf6 30.Qh5.
30.Qf4! Bxc3 31.Qxh6+
1-0
31…gxh6 32.Rh7#.
SIGNAL: Defence too far away.
THEME: Elimination of the defender, Deflection.
Back
Solution 30 (page 193)
23…Rf3!! 24.Bxf3
24.Rxf3 exf3 25.Qxe5 Bxe5 26.Bd3 Rd2−+.
24…Rxh2+ 25.Kxh2 Qxg3+ 26.Kh1 Qh2#
0-1
SIGNAL: Unprotected pieces (Qe3, Be2, rook a1).
THEME: Line clearance, Line closing.
Back
Solution 31 (page 193)
Did you notice that this is another case of a ‘swing door’ combination? (see Standard Combination Themes, page 74)
27…Ne6!
27…Qd7 was played in the game; after 28.Ne4 Re8 29.Qf3 Ne6 30.Nd6 Ra8 31.h4f6 32.Qb3 Kf8 33.Re1 Nc7 34.a4 Rb8 35.Qc4 d3 36.Qxd3 Rxb4 37.Qxh7 Black resigned.
28.Ne4 f5!
And White loses his knight.
29.Nd6
After 29.Nc3!? Kf8! Black wins the knight, with a large advantage; not 29…dxc3? 30.Rxd8+ Qxd8 31.Qxe6+.
29…Nf4+−+
0-1
SIGNAL: Unprotected pieces.
THEME: Line closing and Line clearance, ‘Swing door’.
Back
Solution 32 (page 193)
37…hxg6!−+
would have been winning. 37…a2 was played in the game, and White won after 38.Bf7+ Qxf7 39.Rxf7 a1Q+ 40.Kh2 Qxe5+ 41.f4 with checkmate soon.
38.Qxg6+ Qg7 39.Qxg7+ Kxg7 40.Rxd7+ Kg8
Now White cannot play 41.Rxa3 because of 41…Rb1#. But 41.g3 also loses because after 41…a2 42.Ra3 Rb1+ White has to give up a rook to stop the passed a-pawn.
SIGNAL: King position.
THEME: Line clearance/Back-rank mate.
Back
Solution 33 (page 194)
20.Bxh6!± gxh6
20…cxd4 21.Nxd4 Qxc3 (21…gxh6 22.Qg3+ Kh8 23.Qf4 Kg7 24.Qf6+ Kg8 25.Qxh6 Qd8 26.Rbe1+−) 22.Qd1 gxh6 23.Qg4+ Kh8 24.Rb3 Qd2 25.Rg3 Qg5 26.Qf3 Qe7 27.Qf4 Bd2 28.Qxd2 f5 29.Bxf5 exf5 30.e6 Rad8 31.Qxh6+ Nh7 32.Nxf5 Qf8 33.exd7 Rxd7 34.Qg6+−.
21.Nh2!
Toward the dark squares! 21.Qe3 Kg7 22.Qf4 Qd8 23.Qg4+ Kh8 24.Qf4 Kg7=.
21…Qc7
21…Re7 22.Qe3 with a winning attack, for example 22…cxd4 23.Qxh6 Qxc3 24.Qg5+ Kh8 25.Qf6+ Kg8 26.h6.
22.Qe3 f5 23.exf6 Bc6 24.Ng4 Nh7 25.Qxh6 Rf8 26.Rfe1 Rae8 27.Ne5 Rxf6 28.Bxh7+ Qxh7 29.Qxf6+−
SIGNAL: Impotent defence. Here you should sacrifice because there is no available defence, regardless of how long it will take to checkmate the opponent.
THEME: Eliminating the defender (the g 7-pawn).
Back
Solution 34 (page 194)
27.Rxf6+! Nxf6 28.Qg5!!
The most important attacking tip is probably to bring the queen into play. The threat is 29.Qg7+ and 30.Qe7 mate. There is no defence, since the d6-pawn keeps Black from defending via c7.
28…Ng8
28…Rd7 29.Qxf6+ Nf7 (29…Ke8 30.Qxe5+) 30.Qg7+ Ke8 31.Qg8#.
28…Ne8 29.Qe7+ Kg8 30.Nh6+ Kh8 31.Qf8+ Kh7 32.Qg8+ Kxh6 33.Rh1#.
29.Qg7+ Ke8 30.d7+ Nxd7 31.Re1+
1-0
SIGNAL: Defence too far.
THEME: Elimination/Deflection of the defender.
Back
Solution 35 (page 194)
17.Qa7!
Changing the move order. Now 18.Nb5 is threatened. A possible idea was 17.Nb5 axb5 18.cxb5 Qd7 19.Qa7, winning the rook, but of course 18…Qa5 is winning here.
Once you have noticed the idea, and the possible defence, you should look for another move order.
The best reply for Black is:
17…Bd718.Nb5 Qa5
After 18…axb5 19.cxb5 the queen has no squares.
19.Nexd6± Bg5 20.f4 Bf6 21.Nxb7 Rxb7 22.Bxb7 Bxb2 23.Rb1 Bxb5 24.cxb5 Rxd1+ 25.Rxd1 g6 26.Bf3 Qa4 27.Rd8+ Kg7 28.Bxg4 Qe4 29.Bf3
1-0
SIGNAL: Unprotected piece (the b8-rook), Impotent defence, Alignment (on the c-file).
THEME: Line clearance (the c-file).
Back
Solution 36 (page 195)
1.Bxe8! Rxc7 2.Bd7!
The first obstruction: of the rook.
2…RC8 3.Bxc8 Qe2 4.Be6!
The second obstruction: of the queen.
4…Qxe6 5.Rb1 Qe5
The queen controls simultaneously the b8 and the e8-squares – a classical case of an overloaded defender.
After 5…Kg8 6.Rb8+ Kf7 7.e8Q+ Qxe8 8.Rxe8 Kxe8 9.Kg1+− White wins without trouble, as in the vast majority of the pawn endings with a pawn up: 9…Kd7 10.Kf2 Kd6 11.Ke3 Kc5 12.Ke4.
6.d4!
1-0
SIGNAL: Defence too far away.
THEME: Line closing, Deflection.
Back
Solution 37 (page 195)
1.Kb7+!!
To find this first move, you need to grasp the whole concept!
1…Kh7 2.Qh2+ Kg8 3.Qa2+ Kh7 4.Qf7
1-0
SIGNAL: Trapped pieces (queen and king!).
THEME: Domination/Zugzwang.
A recent game saw on the same square a zugzwang that was very similar to the one in the previous study:
Back
Solution 37b
Lalic,Bogdan
Del Rey,Diego
La Roda 2012 (9)
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 a5 6.e4 Bg4 7.Bxc4 e6 8.Be3 Bb4 9.Qc2 Nbd7 10.Be2 0-0 11.0-0 Bxf3 12.Bxf3 e5 13.Na2 Bd6 14.g3 Qe7 15.dxe5 Nxe5 16.Bg2 Rfe8 17.Rac1 Ned7 18.Rfe1 Ng4 19.Bd4 Be5 20.Bxe5 Qxe5 21.h3 Ngf6 22.f4 Qe6 23.b3 Nb6 24.Rcd1 Nfd7 25.Nc1 f6 26.Nd3 Qe7 27.Kh2 Kh8 28.Rd2 Nf8 29.e5 Red8 30.exf6 Qxf6 31.Ne5 Nd5 32.Bxd5 cxd5 33.Qc7 Kg8 34.Qxb7 Rab8 35.Qa7 Rxb3 36.Qxa5 Qb6 37.Qxb6 Rxb6 38.Red1 Ra6 39.a5 d4 40.Rxd4 Rxd4 41.Rxd4 Rxa5 42.Rd8 Ra7 43.g4 g6 44.Re8 Kg7 45.g5 Rc7 46.h4 Rb7 47.Kg3 Rb3+ 48.Kg4 Rb1 49.Re7+ Kg8 50.Nf7 Rg1+ 51.Kf3 Rf1+ 52.Kg3 Rd 53.Nh6+ Kh8 54.Rf7 Rc8 55.Ng4 Ne6 56.Nf6 Ng7 57.Kf2 Rb8 58.Ke3 Nf5+ 59.Kd2 Rd8+ 60.Kc3 Rc8+ 61.Kb4 Ng7
62.Kb5 Ra8 63.Kb6 Rd8 64.Kb7
1-0
It is a total zugzwang. If the rook moves, it is lost; if the knight moves it is checkmate on hi, if the h-pawn moves, White takes on h6 with a quick checkmate.
Back
Solution 38 (page 195)
32…Qxa6!
Black has calculated a forced win, and rejects the draw after 32…Qd1+ 33.Bf1 Qg4+ 34.Kh1 Qf3+ 35.Kg1.
33.Bh3
Apparently, the c-pawn will promote. But Black has seen further.
33…g4!
In order to open the g-file.
34.Bxg4 f5!
0-1
Opening the seventh rank. After 35.Bxf5 Black can achieve the winning double attack and win the c-pawn thanks to 35…Qa1+ 36.Kg2 Qg7+ 37.Kf3 Qxc7.
SIGNAL: Unprotected piece (the c7-pawn and then the king)
THEME: Double attack, Line clearance.
Back
Solution 39 (page 195)
15.Qd4!
Sacrificing the two rooks, like in Adolf Anderssen’s Immortal Game.
15…Qxh1+ 16.Kd2 Qxa1
16…Qxh2 17.Bf3 d5 18.Bxf8 Kxf8 19.Rh1 Qd6 20.Rxh7+−.
Interesting variations begin with 16…Qc6 17.Bxf8 Kxf8:
18.Re1! is the winning move, threatening 19.Qh8+ and 20.Bf3+: 18…f6 19.c5!+-. Now Bb5 is threatened (19.Bd3± was good enough, but 19.c5 is stronger). There is no defence: 19…b6 (on 19…a6, 20.Bc4, threatening Bd5 or Qe3, is lethal) 20.Bb5 Qf3 21.Qd6+ Kg7 22.Qe7+ Kh6 23.Qf8+ Kg5 (after 23…Kh5 24.Be2 wins) 24.Re5+! (showtime!) 24…f5 25.h4+ Kf4 26.Qd6! when mate is near.
Now comes the beauty:
17.Qf6!
1-0
With the irreparable threat of 18.Bh6 and 19.Qg7 mate. Black’s men are unable to assist the lone king.
SIGNAL: Defence too far, King position.
THE
ME: Line closing (blocking on f6 with the queen).
Back
Solution 40 (page 196)
Black’s idea is obvious, but it involves a nice piece of calculation.
17…Nd2! 18.Nxc6
18.f3 Nxf3+ 19.Nxf3 Qxf3 is close to winning for Black.
18…Nf3+19.Kh1
19…Bg2+
For a similar combination, see the game Andreev-Dolukhanov in ‘Is There a Combination?’, page 174.
20.Kxg2 Nxe1+ 21.Kh3 Nxc2
Black wins the exchange.
22.Nxe7+
22.Nxd8 Nxa1−+.
22…Kf8 23.Bxc5 Nxa1 24.Nc6+ Ke8 25.Nxd8 Kxd8
The ending should be winning, but White managed to draw.
26.Nd2 Nc2 27.Bf8 g6 28.Ne4 Kd7 29.Bg7 Rc8 30.c5 f5 31.Ng5 Kc6 32.Kh4 Rc7 33.Be5 Rd7 34.Nf3 Rd3 35.Ng5 Nd4 36.Bg7 Kxc5 37.f4 Nf3+ 38.Nxf3 Rxf3 39.Kg5 Rf2 40.h4 Rg2 41.Kh6
41…Rxg3
41…Kd5 was winning: 42.Kxh7 Ke6 43.Kxg6 Rxg3+ 44.Kh7 (44.Kh6 Rg4–+) 44…Rh3 and the rest is easy.
42.Kxh7 Rg4 43.Bf6 Rxf4 44.Kxg6 Rf1 45.h5 f4 46.h6 f3 47.h7 Rh1 48.Bg5 Rxh7 49.Be3+ Kc4 50.Kxh7 a5 51.Kg6 Kb3 52.Bd4 Kc4 53.Bb6 Kb3 54.Bd4 Kc4 55.Bb6 Kb3
Tune Your Chess Tactics Antenna Page 17