Quick chess tactics
SPRAGGETT ON CHESS
The Russian Team Championship is taking place between April 12th and April 23rd in Olginka. Many of the best players in the world are participating (Ivanchuk, Gelfand, Svidler, Ponomariov, Eljanov, Nepomniachtchi and many others). Live coverage can be found at http://russiachess.org/
Below are just a few quick tactics from actual games played in the championship. Test yourself! Good luck!
TACTIC 1:
CHEREMNOVA
GM ROIZ
This one everyone should get! Tactics 101…is the Black Queen and Black King within range of one of White’s Knights?
TACTIC 2:
KALUGIN
TACTIC 4:
Tactic 4: White can win more material with the cute 29.Bxa6! pxB 30.Rxc8! QxQ (forced) 31.Rc7-ch! followed by recapturing the Queen.
ANISIMOV
Black had counted on 10.BxR BxB 11.Rb1 when either 11…Rxa2 or 11…Nc5 leads to a messy position where Black’s counterchances (for the exchange) should not be underestimated because of the presence of Queens on the board. However, White has a very strong move in the diagram above. What is it?
TACTIC 3:
KUZNETSOV
GM MOTYLEV
Ok, White must be somewhat better with his c-pawn, but Black’s strong Knight on d4 and his passed e-pawn offer long-term practical chances of putting up a good fight. What tactical twists did Motylev discover that soon saw the Black pieces routed?
TACTIC 4:
KURNOSOV
SEMENOVA
How does White win more material?
TACTIC 5:
GM ELJANOV
GM CARUANA
White has a dangerous passed e-pawn. Should White now hurry things with 32.e7 then Black can try to hold on with 32…Re8 and 33…Kd7, containing the passed e-pawn. What move did Caruana play that saw his opponent resign immediately?
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SOLUTIONS
Tactic1: White played 24.Rxd7! and Black resigned since 24…Kxd7 allows the fork 25.Nc5-ch
Tactic 2: White has the intermediary 10.Qe2-ch! which forces Black to interpose Queens (allowing White to exchange Queens, take the exchange on h8, leaving Black with considerably less counterplay than he had wanted).
However, Black now mistakenly thought he could avoid the Queen exchange and played 10…Ne7 (?) which loses a piece to 11.Bxf6! (Black had not considered this!) 11…Nxf6 12. Qe5! (oops)
Tactic 3: Motylev uncorked the cute 28. a3!! which busts the Black Queen side. Now after 28…bxa3 (??) 29.b4! wins atleast a piece. Black should play 28…axb3, but after 28.axb4 the passed pawns must win easily.
So Black –by the process of elimination–played the logical looking 28…Rb8, –(diagram right) overlooking the finesse 29.Rxd4! exd4 30. axb4! winning a whole Rook because of the back-rank mate on e8 should Black recapture the pawn! Black resigned…
Tactic 4: White can win more material with the cute 29.Bxa6! pxB 30.Rxc8! QxQ (forced) 31.Rc7-ch! followed by recapturing the Queen.
Tactic 5: White played 32.Rf8!-threatening 33.e7 Re8 34.Bxd6 winning– Now 32…Ne8 loses to 33.e7. So Black resigned…