Monday’s 5-second tactics
“We all make choices, but in the end our choices make us.” ― Ken Levine
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gm Gunina, Valentina
im Bodnaruk, Anastasia
TCh-RUS w 2014.4.13 At first sight White does not seem to be doing so badly, attacking the Rook on d1 and being a pawn up (temporarily, atleast). However, chess can often be a game of hidden tactics and traps, sometimes so subtle that even the greatest are taken by surprise. Here the Queen and Knight duo will show why they are so feared…
HOW DOES BLACK GET A BIG ADVANTAGE?
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GOING DOWN IN FLAMES
im Antonsen, Mikkel
gm Rasmussen, Allan Stig
ch-DEN Skorping 2014.4.12 Position before Black’s 33rd move. White has an obvious positional advantage (better pawn structure and more actively placed pieces) and Black did not want to defend passively with 33…g6 34.Rc7! Qd6 35.QxQ when he would be a helpless spectator, having to wait and see if White can make progress- Black therefore played very actively:
33… Nxg3!?
Black seeks salvation in confusion! If now 34.PxN?! BxB and 35…Qe4 would give Black a good game.
34. Rc7 ! Qa3!
Attacking the Bishop on d3
35.BxB NxB
If now 36.Qxb7 Qa2! 37.Re2 Qa1+ 38.Kg2 Qd1 and White must be careful: 39.Rd2? Nxh4+! wins. Black’s defence is based on harrassing White and trying to trick him. Unfortunately, a bad position is a bad position, no matter how ingenious a player you might be…
36.Rxf7!!
A sharp refutation of Black’s active defence! The point is that 36… Rxf7 37. Qxd8+ Rf8 38. Qxd5 etc is crushing. Black tried to stop the hemmorage…
36…Nd6!?
Here White played the pedestrian 37.RxR+ and won the game, but there is better. Do you see it?
WHAT IS WHITE’S FASTEST WIN?
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SOLUTIONS MONDAY APRIL 14
TCh-RUS w 2014.4.13 Bodnaruk, Anastasia–Gunina, Valentina: 30… Ne3+!! Very surprising! 31.fxe3? Rd2+ followed by the Queen entering is immediately fatale: 32.Kh3 Qxe5 33.Bf3!? Qf5+! With a forced mate. The game continued 31…Kf3 Nxc4 32.Qxd1 now simply 32…Qxe5 33.Qd3 Nxb2 33.Qa6 Qxc3+ and Black probably should win, the Queen and Knight being much more flexible than the Queen and Bishop. As it was, Black played 32…Nxb2 and won anyway!
ch-DEN Skorping 2014.4.12: Rasmussen, Allan Stig–Antonsen, Mikkel: 37.Nxh5!! Nxf7 ( Also inadequate is 37…g6 38.Rg7+ Kh8 39.Qc7! and the weak Black second rank is fatale ; or 37…Rxf7 38.Qxd8+ Rf8 39.Qg5 etc ) 38.Qg6!