Saturday’s tactics!
SPRAGGETT ON CHESS
1.
GM-NORM PRESSURE!
gm ALSINA
im PANJWANI
From Friday’s round at the Hastings International Tournament. Position after 23 moves. White has played a very precise opening and then followed that up with some powerful middlegame play to reach a completely winning position. Black is tied up and can only wait for the axe to fall…The last moves were 23.f4 PxP.
Here Raja let his opponent off the hook with the imprecise 24.Re6!?, although he stands better even in that case! Unfortunately, later Raja blundered into a drawn Rook and Pawn ending, only to lose in the end.
THE RIGHT WAY TO WIN was the subtle 24.Bd2!! , intending to answer 24…PxP?! with 25.Rae3! , soon to crash down the e-file. Or if 24…Kf7?! 25.Bxf4 Bd6 26.Rae3! (again!) 26…Bc8!? 27.Re7+! winning easily.
Relatively best would be 24…g5!?, though after the simple 25.PxP there is no good way to stop White from simply doubling his Rooks on the e-file. Black is without defence….
Canadian youngster Raja Panjwani is no stranger to my blog readers. Raja is one of Canada’s top players and definitely will soon enough become GM. He has defeated more than 20-gms in over the board play! Raja is currently studying in Oxford and has very little (if any) time to play chess during the regular school year.
2.
Castaneda Jimenez
Chang,M
From the traditional Pere Noel tournament in Montreal just after Xmas! Position after White’s 22nd move. The open h-file is not good for White’s future…here Black was considering 22…Qb6+, when all of a sudden another idea came to mind!
WHAT IS THE FASTEST WAY FOR BLACK TO WIN?
SOLUTION:
Black wins quickly with 22…Rh1+!! and 23…Kd7!. After White’s checks run out it will be mate with ….Qh8+ etc