TACTICS EXAM: part II
SPRAGGETT ON CHESS
PART II
WADSWORTH,M
im PANJWANI,R
4NCL, from last month’s meet. White wants to attack on the Kingside, but Black’s last move –20…Ng4?!–seems to expulse the White pieces.
WHAT IS WHITE’S STRONGEST CONTINUATION?
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DEMENTIEV,O
gm KLOVANS
From a tournament in the Soviet Union, 1984. White has spent the previous ten moves trying to attack , and all he has to show for it is a pawn on the 7th rank. Is it really enough?
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!
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gm KERES
gm MIKENAS
From the Soviet Championship, 1949. Black’s position seems pretty shaky, especially with the pawn on g5 dangling. BUT WAIT: White has not yet castled!
BLACK TO PLAY AND GET A WINNING ADVANTAGE!
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im PETROV,V
gm KERES
From the 1940 Soviet Championship. An oldie but goodie! Keres has played fast and loose: the Kings Gambit (!) and castling long. However, there is sense in all of this: the two Bishops are powerful and give rise to all sorts of tactical motives…
HOW CAN WHITE GET A DECISIVE ADVANTAGE?
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im SOKOLSKY
gm KHOLMOV
From the Soviet Championship, 1949. White had just played the flashy 22.Nxe6?!. The game continued 22…PxN? 23.Bc5! Nxf3+ 24.Kh1! and Black resigned, as he is getting mated. HOWEVER, in the position above Black has a defence and can not only save himself but he can actually win the game!
HOW SHOULD BLACK PLAY?
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gm GELLER
gm KORCHNOI
From the Soviet Championship, Kiev 1954. Clearly White must be winning as the Black King is stuck in the middle of the board. HOWEVER, that is all beside the point! Having a winning game and actually winning it are OFTEN not the same thing…
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN IN ONE MOVE!
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gm SPASSKY
gm FURMAN
From the USSR Championship in 1957. The young Spassky was already a great attacker back then! Here he has sacrificed a piece to attack the White King, which seems to be safely tucked into the corner, atleast for the moment. The move 23…Nxh2 just does not work…HOWEVER, there is a trick in the position. Do you see it?
BLACK TO PLAY AND WIN!
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gm POLUGAEVSKY
gm AVERBAKH
From the Soviet Championship, 1961. A wild game! Opposite side castling and both Black Rooks lined up on open files…. White is fully developed , centralized and has an extra pawn. Here White should play 22.Nb3!, and it is still anybody’s game. HOWEVER, Averbakh played what he thought was a better move:
22.Ne6 (?)
BLACK TO PLAY AND WIN!
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gm GRIGORYAN,K
gm SMYSLOV
From the Soviet Championship, Moscow 1976. Smyslov was beginning to regain his former strength and in just a half-dozen years time he would once again find himself fighting for the world championship! HERE he has an obvious advantage, with the Black King in an uncomfortable position. This is a factor that Smyslov does not overlook…(!)
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!
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BUDO,A
VERLINSKY
From the Soviet Championship, 1931 Black had just played 18…Bg5 (?!), putting pressure on e3 (It would have been better to have played 18…NxB immediately). This gives White an opportunity to get a clear advantage! Do you see it?
WHAT IS WHITE’S BEST LINE OF PLAY?
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END OF PART II