Friday’s winning 5-second tactics
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gm Kritz, Leonid (2595)
Zhao, Parker (2395)
New England Masters; 2008.8.15 Position after Black’s 21st move, 21…Rb8, attack the b-pawn. I like this example! White can defend his pawn with 22.b3, or even better: 22.Na4, with a small positional advantage in each case. But there is better, MUCH better! Are you up to it?
WHITE TO PLAY AND CRUSH!
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gm Williams, Simon K
Allen, Keith (2197)
PokerStars IoM Masters ; Douglas 2014.10.9 Position before Black’s 18th move. White had just made a serious error (18.Re5), no doubt only considered 18…Qf6 19.Qe2! with a fine game. Now Black has a great opportunity…
BLACK TO PLAY AND CRUSH!
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wgm Paehtz,Elisabeth
im Ferguson,Mark
PokerStars IoM Masters ; Douglas 2014.10.9 Position after 26 moves of play. A great example of turn-around in chess. A couple of moves ago Black was on top, and had forced this position, thinking that she was winning. It is easy to understand why: if now White takes the exchange 27.Bxf8(?) Rxf8 Black’s attack is unstoppable: 28.Qh4 f6 29.Qh6 Qa3! etc.
HOWEVER, as the late great Dane,Bent Larsen, liked to say ”Long variation: Wrong variation!”
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!
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