Thursday 5-second chess tactics!

(Solutions later tonight.  Good luck!)

PRECISE CALCULATION, PLEASE!

Spornberger,Max

Friedrich,Nor

From the Italian tournament in Ortisei.  Yesterday’s round.  A very interesting game, lots of tactics, and– at times– it was not certain who was trying to win!  Now,  the position  after 31 moves, White is winning despite being a piece down.  However, things are not so simple as the White’s back rank is weak and his Queen and Rook lack easy entry points as the Black Bishop and Queen cover key squares, especially d7 and e7.

In the game White immediately erred with 32.Qd8(?) Qd4! when White has nothing better than to give a perpetual check starting with 33.Qe7+ Kh6 34.Qf8+ Kg5 35.Qe7+ Kh6  36.Qf8+ etc.

THERE IS a way to win from the position above, but it requires precise calculation.  Are you up to it?

WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN BY FORCE!

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 BLITZ ATTACK!

Hapala,Lisa (2035)

wgm  KOCHETKOVA,Julia

From the Mitropa Cup yesterday.   White had just played 24.Ng5 (threatening mate) and Black played the forced 24…h6.  Clearly Black is suffering from lack of coordination of his pieces.  The game continued:

25.Be4!  d5?!

It was necessary to take the Bishop on e4 with the Rook, though even in that case White has an overwhelming advantage.  Now, however, the game quickly ends!

WHITE TO PLAY AND FORCE MATE IN 6 MOVES!

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TOTAL COLLAPSE!

Klek,Hanna (2287)

Novosadova,Krystyna  (2180)

Also from the Mitropa Cup yesterday.  Position after White’s 27th move.  Black is clearly on top here, both materially and positionally.  Especially, Black’s pieces are very active; White’s Rooks are surprisingly ineffective and have difficulty finding play.  There is one bit of hope for White, though, and that is that his  opponent’s  King position is a bit airy.  However, with some care, there is no real danger there.  Probably Black should proceed cautiously , for example, 27…Ned2 and follow it up with …Re2.  I have no doubt that Black must prevail.

INSTEAD, Black lost her patience (and a good part of her advantage) with the hurried

27…c5(?!)

This move overlooks some tactics.

28.Bxc5!

Clearly overlooked by Black, this move reminds me of Steinitz’ writings where he pointed out that the player with the advantage must prove himself worthy of that advantage, rising to the occasion and exploiting it with accuracy and energy.  Otherwise, not only could he lose that advantage, but he might even risk losing…

28…NxB  29.Qf2!

Threatening Rf8+ as well as the Knight on c5.

Here Black can still save himself with a counter attack: 29…Qe5!, threatening to take on c3.  It seems then that White has nothing better than to give perpetual check on f8: 30.Rf8+ Kg7!  31.Rf7+ Kg8! 32.Rf8+ etc  HOWEVER, Black thought she still had the advantage…

29…Ne6?

30. Rxc4!  Rf8 (30…Qf5 would have prolonged the agony but not change the result)

31.Rc8!!

WINNING. 

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fm  Stajner,Samo

im  Petenyi,Tamas

From the Mitropa Cup.  White has a clear advantage and an extra pawn to boot!  He must win, but that is not the point of this exercise.  You must find the most crushing continuation for White, if only so that poor  Steinitz does not roll over in his grave…(!)

WHAT IS WHITE’S BEST COURSE OF PLAY?

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THE AMBUSH OF HER MAJESTY!

fm Juhasz,Kristof

gm  Donchenko,Alex

Mitropa Cup, once more!  Position after 17 moves of play, most of it normal up to Black’s last move (17…Nd7(?)), when all of a sudden a crisis appears on the chess board.

WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN MATERIAL!