An assortment of games from recent (and not so recent) tournaments that I was taking a look at earlier today, each with an instructive, interesting or humorous episode that I am certain my readers will find worthy. Enjoy!
Nice finish!
In the following game I am impressed with the surprisingly rapid demise of White’s King position, despite the apparent pawn fortress about the monarch. The reader should take note at how relatively simple tactical ideas can have such a devastating effect on the defence.
Kenneskog,T – Blomqvist,E Stockholm 2016Black to play and win!
Mirzoev,A – Mammodov,Z Azerbaijan Ch 2011White to play and win!
Guseinov,G – Bagirov,RAzerbaijan Ch 2011White to play and win!
Focus on your priorities!
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“Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.” –Johann Wolfgan von Goethe
The following example is von Goethe’s advice in action. White has a clearly dominant game, an exchange up to boot, and has to make a decision: to defend against Black’s diversionary threats, or to ignore these threats and plow ahead, using the resources he has in the position, and try to impose his advantage.
White chooses the latter, and we spectators come out delighting in some clever tactics…