Sunday’s winning 5-second tactics
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MATING ATTACK!
im Eltigani Omar (2261)
im Bluebaum Matthias (2530)
Durban WYCC U18.2014.9.21 Position after Black’s 36th move (36…Qxf3). An exciting position! Black threatens mate on the move three ways and is a piece up. BUT, it is White’s move and, what is more, the Black King is without any pawn coverage.
WHITE TO PLAY AND MATE BY FORCE!
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NO COMPROMISE!
im Huss,Andreas (2385)
im Georgiadis, Nico (2450)
114th ch-SUI Bern 2014.9.27 Yesterday! Position after White’s 15th move, 15.Nh5!?. A tricky move, typical of this kind of position. Black must be wary and not play 15…Ng6? as 16.Bh6! is a deadly sting. Correct is 15…f5!, with a reasonable game, despite the slight weakening on e5. INSTEAD, Black decided to ‘compromise’: defend against the immediate threat while at the same time not weaken e5:
15…f6?
WHITE TO PLAY AND CRUSH!
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POWER PLAY!
Latvian superstars Alexi Shirov and Vladimir Sveshnikov (of Sveshnikov Sicilian fame) contested a friendly rapid-game match (50 minutes plus 10 seconds per move) between the 26th and 28th of September in Riga. As expected, lots of fighting chess! However, Alexi proved unstoppable…
gm Sveshnikov,V
gm Shirov,A
From Sveshnikov vs Shirov. Riga, yesterday. Position after 30 moves. White has an obvious positional advantage. White can now increase his advantage with 31.Rxd6! , winning a pawn. I am not certain if Shirov loverlooked this little trick (it is a rapid game, afterall) or whether he thought his own idea was better…in either case Black is lost!
31.c5!?
A typical pawn thrust in this kind of position. Black has little choice…
31…PxP 32.Rd7!
Pretty! The Rook threatens mate and Black can not play 32…RxR? as 33.QxR+ is game over. Perhaps Shirov thought that his move wins immediately, overlooking Sveshnikov’s defence…
32…Re7!
Taking advantage of White’s weak backrank…
33.RxR+ NxR 34.Nxe5!
Probably best now is 34…Nb7 when 35.Nc4! leaves Black in a bad way…Notice that White can not play 35.Rd7? as 35…Qxe5 wins.
34…Nf7? 35.NxN RxN 36.Qxe6
Now White is a pawn to the good and keeping his positional advantage. White won on the 63rd move.
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USING THE INITIATIVE
gm Mareco Sandro
gm Grover Sahaj
Durban Open 2014.9.27 Position after 18 moves of play. White had earlier sacrificed a piece to open the Black King position and now he must show that it was worth it. It is not easy; direct methods don’t lead anywhere promisting: if 19.Rg3+ Kf8 20.Bg6 (20.Ba2 Qc6) 20…f5! and Black is ok; similarly, 19.Ba2 Qc6 20.Ng5 Bxf2+! 21.Kxf2 Qb6+! and once Black has covered the d8-square he refutes the White attack; And useless is 19.Ng3 Nc6 20.Nh5+Kf8 when White’s attack has withered away…could it be that White has overestimated his chances?
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!
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