½-½
SIGNAL: Knight fork distance.
THEME: Discovered attack, Decoy.
Back
Solution 41 (page 196)
17…c4!
Opening the a7-g1 diagonal and the d-file, in case White takes.
18.dxc4
18.Ka1 is more solid. Black is better, but not winning, after 18…cxd3 19.cxd3 Qb5.
18…Nc3+!
Opening the d-file.
19.Bxc3
Forced.
19…Qxf2!
This deflection is not easy to spot in the first diagram position. Black is winning.
20.Rxd7
20.Qxf2 Rxd1+ leads to a back-rank mate.
20…Qxe2 21.Rxd8+ Kxd8 22.Nd4 Qh5 23.f6 exf6 24.e6 Bf8 25.Re1 c5 26.e7+ Bxe7 27.Nf5 Bf8 28.Bxf6+ Kd7 29.Ne3 Qxh3 30.Nd5 g4 31.a3 g3 32.Rd1 Bd6 33.Be5 g2 34.Nf4 Qh1
0-1
SIGNAL: Alignments, knight fork distance.
THEME: Line clearance, Deflection.
Back
Solution 42 (page 196)
1.Bg8!
1.Ra8? b3! 2.Kb7+ Kb4=.
1…Rb2
1…Rxa4 2.Rh5#.
2.Bb3!!
An obstruction, threatening mate on h5.
2…Rxb3 3.Ra8
4.Kb7 mate is threatened.
3…Kxa4 4.Kb6#
SIGNAL: King position.
THEME: Line closing.
Back
Solution 43 (page 196)
In this difficult position, White could have achieved a draw if he had sacrificed material in order to denude the enemy king.
32.Bxh6!!
32.Nh5 Bc8 33.Nxf6+ Qxf6 34.Kg1 Bb7 35.Nd2 Qxf2+ 36.Bxf2 Rd3 37.a6 Bxe4 38.Re1 Ba8 39.Ne4 Nf4 40.a7 f6 41.h4 c3 42.Nc5 c2 and Black won in the actual game.
32…gxh6 33.Rxd7! Nxd7
Two defenders, the g7-pawn and the f6-knight, have been re moved from the defence of their king. Now it is time to look for a perpetual:
34.Ng5+! Kh8
On 34…hxg5 35.Qxf7+ Kh8 36.Nh5 even wins for White!
35.Nxf7+ Kg8 36.Nxh6+ Kh7 37.Qf7+ Kxh6 38.Nf5+ Kg5 39.Qxd7 Rd3 40.Qh7 Kf4 41.Nh4 Kg5=
If 41…Nxh4 42.Qxh4+ Ke3 43.Qe1+, winning the b4-rook.
42.Nf5
½-½
SIGNAL: Unprotected pieces.
THEME: Line clearance, Deflection.
Back
Solution 44 (page 197)
The white pieces lack coordination here:
- there is a possible pin on the h-file (the rook on h1 is unprotected, and the h3-knight cannot go to f2;
- in general, White’s pieces lack space because each of them takes ‘breathing space’ from the others; the g3-bishop and the h3-knight restrict each other.
Those factors allow a combination that was left unnoticed by these two elite players.
13.f3 is normal, thus allowing the knight to come into play via the f2-square and in so doing protect the h1-rook.
13…Nxg4!
13…Qd7 was the move played in the actual game, which was later won by White.
14.Bxg4 Qd7!
This slow move is a very difficult one to find, just after you have sacrificed a knight. There is no defence:
15.Bxe6
15.f3 f5!, trapping the bishop, is the point.
15…Qxe6
1-0
White lacks the agility to protect his knight.
SIGNAL: Alignment, Impotent defence.
THEME: Pin, Domination.
Queen and rook are very powerful when they are attacking the king together. Nevertheless, in the following game, you have to be very accurate in the calculations in order to find the forced win that follows.
Back
Solution 45 (page 197)
65.Re7+ Kf6
65…Kh6 leads to mate after 66.Qh8+ Kg6 67.Qh7+ Kf6 68.Qg7#.
65…Rf7 is bad, because after a general exchange, the a-pawn promotes.
66.Qf8+ Kg6 67.Rg7+ Kh5 68.Qh8+ Kg4
69.Qh4+ Kf3 70.Qh5+ Ke4
70…g4 71.Qxg4#.
71.Qe2+Kd4
After this sequence, White has to have foreseen the following move, the only clear winner:
72.Rd7!
1-0
Winning the queen.
SIGNAL: King position, Alignment.
THEME: Pin, Skewer.
Back
Solution 46 (page 197)
28.Rxf6!
25…Nc5!!
The knight wants to land on the strong d3-square. White has to take it.
25…Ke8 was played in the game, which ended in a draw.
26.dxc5
Or 26.Rxc5 Bxc5 27.dxc5 Rxc5! 28.Kg2 Rc2+ 29.Kh3 Qf2 30.Qg3 Rxh5+, winning for Black.
26…Bxc5+ 27.Kg2 Bxg1 28.Rxg1 Rc2+ 29.Kh3
29.Kh1 e3 with …Qc6+ to come.
29…Qf2 30.Qg3 Rxh5+
0-1
SIGNAL: Alignment.
THEME: Line clearance.
Back
Solution 47 (page 198)
28.Rxf6!
The beginning of a deep combination. White deflects the bishop from the defence of c5.
28…Bxf6 29.Nc5 Bh4
If 29…Qa7 30.Nd7! Rd8 31.Nxf6+ Kh8 32.Nh5 and White is winning.
30.Qxh4 Qd5 31.Ncb3
31.Ne4!+− was even better: 31…Qa2+ 32.Kc1 Qa1+ 33.Kd2 Qxb2 seems to offer compensation, but 34.Nf6+ gxf6 35.Qg3+ Kf8 36.Qxb8+ wins for White.
31…a5
The best defence is 31…e5! (pin) 32.Qg3 (counterpin) 32…Nc6 (32…f5 33.c3 Nc6 34.Qxg7+ Kxg7 35.Nxf5+ Kf6 36.Rxd5 Kxf5 offers better chances of resistance)
33.Re1! Nxd4 (33…exd4 34.Qxb8+ Nxb8 35.Re8#) 34.Rxe5 Qb7 (34…Qd8 35.Rd5!+−) 35.Re7! Qb5 36.Qf4+− Nf5 37.Re5.
32.Rd2 h6 33.Nf3 Qa8 34.Rd7 Qc6 35.Rd8+ Kh7 36.Nfd4
1-0
SIGNAL: Knight fork, Unprotected piece (the rook on b8).
THEME: Deflection.
Back
Solution 48 (page 198)
21…Bh3!!
Both defending against the checkmate on h8, and attacking along the c-file thanks to the square clearance. After this move, Black’s attack is quicker.
The actual game went 21…Qc5+ 22.Kd2 Qb4+ 23.Bc3 Qxc3+ 24.bxc3 Rd8 25.Nxf7 Nxc3+ 26.Nxd8+ and White won.
22.Rxh3
The best defence according to the programs was 22.Qe4! Qa1+ 23.Kd2 Qxhl 24.Bxd5.
White is threatening checkmate in one with 25.Qxg6. But now comes another deflection: 24…Bb4+!! 25.Qxb4 Rad8 26.Qd4 Bxg2 27.Bxf7+ Rxf7 28.Qxd8+ Rf8 29.Qd3 Rxf2+ 30.Kc3 Qc1+ 31.Kb3 Qc6+ when Black should be winning.
22…Qe1+ 23.Bd1
23.Kc2 Nb4#.
23…Rac8+ 24.Bc3 Nxc3−+
1-0
SIGNAL: King position.
THEME: Line clearance. Deflection.
Back
Solution 49 (page 199)
54.Qxh6+!
54.exf7 Bd5+ 55.Qf2 (if 55.Kg3 R8a3+ checkmates on the next move because White does not benefit from the empty h4-square!; if 55.Rg2 Rxg2+ 56.Kh1 Ra1+) 55…Rxf2+ 56.Kg3 Rf3+ 57.Kh4 (57.Kh2 Bxf7 with a winning edge for Black) 57…Raa3 and Black wins.
54.Rxg2 Rxg2+ 55.Kxg2 Ra2+ 56.Kf1 Qg6! and White has no defence.
54…gxh6 55.exf7 Bd5+ 56.Kg3 Bxf7 57.Kh4 Rg8 58.Rxg8 Kxg8 59.Rxd4
½-½
SIGNAL: King position.
THEME: Square clearance.
Back
Solution 50 (page 199)
1.Nf6 Qg1 2.Nh5!
I like this study because it contains a beautiful trick that makes it a great ‘spoiler’: if White confidently plays 2.Re8+ Kg7 3.Rg8+ he only can only draw after 3…Kh6!. This is the move that you have to consider as a solver: if 4.Rxg1 stalemate, or even 4.Ng4+ Kh5 5.Nf6+ Kh6=.
2…Qg8
If 2…h6, now 3.Re8+ Kh7 4.Nf6+ Kg6 5.Rg8+ wins.
3.Ng7!!Qxg7
3…Kxg7 4.Rg2+ Kf8 5.Rxg8+ Kxg8 6.a5+−.
3…h5 4.Re8 Qxe8 5.Nxe8 h4 6.Nf6 h3 7.Ng4f5 8.Nh2+−;
4.Re8+ Qg8 5.Rxg8+ Kxg8 6.a5+−
1-0
/> SIGNAL: Alignment.
THEME: Skewer, Pin.
Back
Footnote
10 Probably the then owner.
Bibliography
Leonard Barden, Batsford Chess Puzzles, Batsford 2002
Valeri Beim The Enigma of Chess Intuition, New In Chess 2012
Mark Dvoretsky, Secrets of Chess Tactics, Batsford 1996
Paata Gaprindashvili, Imagination in Chess, Batsford 2004
August Livshitz, Test your chess IQ: First Challenge Cadogan 1997
August Livshitz, Test your chess IQ: Master Challenge Cadogan 1997
August Livshitz, Test your chess IQ: Grandmaster Challenge Cadogan 1993
Emmanuel Neiman, L’Œil tactique, Payot 2003, 2nd ed. 2010
Emmanuel Neiman, Yochanan Afek, Invisible Chess Moves, New In Chess 2011
Yakov Neishtadt, Improve Your Chess Tactics, New In Chess 2011
John Nunn, Secrets of Practical Chess, Gambit 1998 (new enlarged edition 2007)
Georges Renaud, Victor Kahn, L’Art de faire mat, Payot 1997
Kurt Richter, Chess combinationas afine art, W Golz (ed.)/P Keres, Pitman 1976
John Shaw, Quality Chess Puzzle Book, Quality Chess 2010
Jonathan Tisdall, Improve your chess now, Cadogan 1997
Artur Yusupov, Mark Dvoretsky, Attack and Defence, Batsford 1998
Chess Today
Chess Base
Glossary of Terms
Attack
When a piece is threatened by capture or a king is threatened by checkmate.
Back rank
The first rank (for White) or the eighth rank (for Black).
Blitz game
Quick game in which each player gets five minutes (or less) for all his moves.
Capture
When a piece is removed by an enemy piece, which then takes the place of the captured piece.
Castling
A move by king and rook that serves to bring the former into safety and to activate the latter. The king is moved sideways two squares from its original square. At the same time, a rook moves from its original square to the adjacent square on the other side of the king.
A player may castle to the kingside or the queenside, but only if both the king and rook in question have not moved before in the game, if his king is not in check, and if his king does not pass a square on which it would be in check.
Check
When a king is under direct attack by an opposing piece.
(Check)mate
When a king is under direct attack by an opposing piece and there is no way to deal with the threat.
Combination
A clever and more or less forced sequence of moves which usually results in an advantage for the player who starts the sequence.
Connected pawns
A number of fellow pawns on adjacent files; they can protect each other and are usually less vulnerable than isolated pawns.
Correspondence game
A game between two players who send each other each move in turn by mail or (in recent years) by e-mail.
Diagonal
A line of squares running from top left to bottom right or the other way round (e.g. ‘the al-h8 diagonal’).
Doubled (tripled) pawns
Two (three) pawns on the same file (the result of a capture by one (two) of these pawns).
Endgame/Ending
The final phase of a chess game, when there are only few pieces left on the board.
En passant
When a pawn which has just moved forward two squares from its original square, is captured by an enemy pawn standing immediately beside it. This capturing pawn then occupies the square behind the captured pawn, as if it had made a normal capture.
En prise
When a piece is under attack and threatened with capture.
Exchange
1) When both sides capture pieces that are of equal value. A synonym is trading or swapping pieces.
2) The surplus in value of a rook above a minor piece (a bishop or a knight).
Fianchetto
The development of a bishop to the second square of the adjacent file of the knight (to b2 or g2 for White, to b7 or g7 for Black).
File
A line of squares from the top to the bottom of the board (e.g. ‘the e-file’).
Fork
When two (or more) pieces are attacked simultaneously by the same opposing piece.
Fortress
A defensive formation designed to prevent the opponent from breaking through.
Fritz
A computer programme with which games can be analysed.
Isolated pawn
A pawn which does not have any fellow pawns on adjacent files. It cannot be protected by another pawn and therefore may be vulnerable.
Kingside
The board half on the right (e-, f-, g- and h-files).
Liquidation
When the next phase of a game is entered by an exchange of a number of pieces.
Major piece
A queen or a rook.
Mating net
A situation where a king is attacked by enemy pieces and eventually cannot escape the mate threat.
Middlegame
The phase of the game that follows immediately after the *opening.
Minor piece
A bishop or a knight.
Open file/rank/diagonal
A file, rank or diagonal whose squares are not occupied by pieces or, especially, pawns.
Opening
The initial phase of the game.
Opposition
A situation where two kings are facing each other with one square in between. The king that is forced to move ‘loses’ the opposition and has to make way for the opponent. When the distance between the two kings is larger, but one of the two cannot avoid ‘losing’ the opposition, the other is said to have the ‘distant opposition’.
Overburdening/Overload
When a piece has to protect more than one fellow piece or square at the same time and is not able to maintain this situation satisfactorily.
Passed pawn
A pawn that has no enemy pawns on the same or an adjacent file. Its promotion can only be prevented by enemy pieces.
Perpetual (check)
An unstoppable series of checks that neither player can avoid without risking a loss. This means that the game ends in a draw.
Piece
All chessmen apart from the pawns. In this book, mostly queen, rook, bishop and knight are meant because many tactical motifs (sacrifices, for instance) cannot be carried out by a king.
Pin
An attack on a piece that cannot move away without exposing a more valuable piece behind it.
Pins can take place on a rank, file or diagonal.
Promotion
When a pawn reaches the 8th rank, it is turned into a more valuable piece (knight, bishop, rook or queen).
Queenside
The board half on the left (a-, b-, c- and d-files).
Rank
A line of squares running from side to side (e.g. ‘the third rank’).
Rapid game
Quick game in which each player gets fifteen to thirty minutes for all his moves, sometimes added with a number of seconds after each completed move.
Sacrifice
When material is deliberately given up for other gains.
Sealed move
A move which was written down and kept in cover when a game was *adjourned. When the arbiter opened the cover, the game was resumed starting with the sealed move. In the meantime, the players were allowed to analyse the position.
Simultaneous display
An event where a strong player takes on a number of weaker players on a number of boards at the same time.
Square
One of the 64 sections of the chess board that can be occupied by a pawn, piece or king.
Stalemate
When a player who is not in check has no legal move a
nd it is his turn. This means that the game ends in a draw.
Tempo
The duration of one move made by one side. A tempo can be won or deliberately lost by several methods, see e.g. Triangulation’.
Triangulation
A manoeuvre where the king first moves sideways and only then forward, in order to ‘lose’ a tempo, for example to gain the opposition.
Underpromotion
The promotion of a pawn to a piece of lesser value than the queen. This is quite rare.
Wing
Either the kingside or the queenside.
Zugzwang
When a player is to move and he cannot do anything without making an important concession.
Zwisehenschach
An intermediate check, disrupting a logical sequence of moves.
Zwischenzug
An intermediate move with a point that disrupts a logical sequence of moves.
List of Positions
Lingnau,Carsten -Orso,Miklos Budapest 1992
Christiansen,Larry -Karpov,Anatoly Wijkaan Zee 1993
Study position
Ganguly, Surya Shekhar -Basencyan, Mark Dubai Open 2012
Vallejo Pons,Francisco -Ponomariov,Ruslan Spain tt 2011
Barnes -NN 1876
Andruet,Gilles -Spassky,Boris Germany Bundesliga 1987/88
Bolbochan,Julio -Cruz, Walter Oswaldo Rio de Janeiro 1952
Külaots,Kaido -Chuchelov,Vladimir Istanbul Ech 2003
Kennedy -NN
Schulder -Boden,Samuel Standidge London 1860
Kudischewitsch,David -Neiman,Emmanuel Tel Aviv 2002
Gligoric,Svetozar -Rosenstein,Julis Chicago 1963
Rossolimo,Nicolas -NN Paris 1944
Rogers,Ian -Ris,Robert Gibraltar Masters 2007
Filipovic,Branko -De Filomeno,Simone Biel 2010
Savic,Miodrag -Miljkovic,Miroslav Neum tt 2011
Caruana,Fabiano -Vachier-Lagrave,Maxime Biel 2011
Rivera,Diego -Fischer, Robert James Varna ol 1962
Alexandrov,Alexey -Vaisser,Anatoly Aix-les-Bains Ech 2011
Tune Your Chess Tactics Antenna Page 18