Monday’s 5-second tactics!
SPRAGGETT ON CHESS
All of the examples below are taken from actual games from the strong Zonal tournament in Tagaytay City (PHI). Try your luck and see if you can solve each in 5 seconds or less. Good luck! Solutions tomorrow.
gm BARCENILLA,R
im NGUYEN,DUC HAO
White is a clear pawn up but has numerous technical obstacles in his path. But there exists a tactical solution! Do you see it?
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!
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im GUNDAVAA,B
gm SO,WESLEY
Black had just confidently played 20…Rac8, increasing the pressure on the White Knight on c4. Surprisingly, Black has just fallen into a clever trap by the young So.
HOW DOES WHITE OBTAIN A DECISIVE ADVANTAGE?
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PAEZ,A
gm CAO,S
Ofcourse, White is a clear pawn up, but the fight is by no means over. Black intends to resist to the very end, placing hopes in the opposite-colour Bishops.
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN IN JUST 2 MOVES!
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gm PARAGUA,M
gm SO,WESLEY
The young So is a well known opening theoretician and has trapped his opponent in a complex sacrificial line of the Najdorf. Black appears to be holding, for the time being, and is a piece up.
WHITE TO PLAY AND CRUSH BLACK!
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TOLENTINO,R
gm SO,WESLEY
Once more So on the attack! The active White Rooks dominate the centre of the board. Even so, Black is holding for the moment. But So has some tricks up his sleave…
WHITE TO PLAY AND OBTAIN A DECISIVE ADVANTAGE!
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gm DAO,T
fm MUNKHGAL,G
Black had just played 16…Qc8, hoping to pick up the White c-pawn. But the Black Knight on e4 is dangling, with only one defender. Maybe there is a way to exploit this fact!
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!
SOLUTIONS:
Nguyen, Duc Hoa–Barcenilla, Rogelio: White wins with 42.Nxg6! 1-0 Black resigned. After taking the Knight White has 43.Qd5+ picking up another pawn and forcing an easily won Rook and Pawn ending two paws up!
So, Wesley–Gundavaa, Bayarsaikhan; White played the clever 21.Nd6! which forces advantage in every line. The game continued 21… Rxc1 22.Bxc1 Rxc1 23.Rxc1 Bxd3 24.Ke3! Ba6 25.Rc7! and Black’s material losses are only beginning
Cao, Sang–Paez, Alfredo; White has hidden mating threats against the King! After 35.Rg6! Bf8 36.Rg8! Black either loses a piece or gets mated (Qg6+) 1-0
So, Wesley–Paragua, Mark; 20.Bd7+! Rxd7 21.cxd7+ Qxd7 22.Qa8+ Qd8 23.Rxe7+! 1-0
So, Wesley–Tolentino, Rustum; White won quickly with 26.d5! Rf5 27.Re8! Qc7 28.Rxc8 1-0
Munkhgal, G–Dao, T; White won with the crushing 17.c6! (Relatively best is 17…Qxc6 but after 18.Nd4! White wins a piece) 17…Nxd6? 18.cxd7 1-0