Today’s 5-second tactics

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Today’s examples are all taken from the games of  Grandmaster Efim Bogoljubov (1889–1952).  At Bogo’s best, he was a candidate for the world championship, having beaten virtually every top player in the world.  Enjoy!

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gm Bogoljubov,E

gm  Janowski,D

Mannheim  1914 .  Position after 17 moves of play.  It  fascinates me how sometimes such strong players can fall for such cheap tricks as happens here.

WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!

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gm  Bogoljubov,E

gm  Tarrasch,S

Geteborg  1920   Position after White’s 7th move (7.Nbd2?).  Amazing!  Tarrasch was one of the top 5 players in the world for decades and here makes an elementary mistake in the first moves!

HOW CAN BLACK GET A BIG EDGE?

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gm  Flohr,S

gm  Bogoljubov,E

Bled, 1931.  Position after 12 moves (Black’s last was 12…b5).  Black made a quick calculation on his previous move, one unfortunately for him, falls for a very devilish trick.   I remember years later that Karpov used this same idea to defeat Boris Gulko!

WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!

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Mueller, Hans

gm Bogoljubov,E

Triberg  1934  Position after 14 moves of play.  All of those pieces in the centre…something un-natural about it!  (I have never trusted so many Knights in play.)

WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!

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gm  Bogoljubov,E

gm  Alekhine, A 

St. Petersburg 1914.  The Russian Championship (not the great international tournament)  The youthful Alekhine had just played 21.Qg5?, a subtle imprecision that costs the future world champion the game.  But we can forgive Alekhine for not seeing Black’s brilliant reply!

BLACK TO PLAY AND WIN!

PS.  You might want to take a look at this BBC article (dated Jan 9 of this year) to get a glimpse of what St.Petersburg was like back in 1914

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gm  Bogoljubov,E

Brinckmann,Alfred

Triberg  1921   Position after White’s 18th move (18.Kf2)  Something has gone wrong with White’s hoped-for Kingside attack and now the White monarch finds himself having to do menial work.  Bogoljubov is not impressed…

BLACK TO PLAY AND WIN!

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gm  Bogoljubov,E

gm Reti,Richard

New York, 1924.  One of the most famous positions in modern chess tactics!  Used often to demonstrate the attacking chances of Bishops of opposite colours, as well as weakness on the back rank.  Are you up to it?

WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!

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gm  Reti, Richard

gm Bogoljubov,E

Breslau 1925.  Revenge!  Positiion after 25 moves of play.  White has sacrificed a piece for the attack, but how to continue?  If 26.Nh7? Kd8!allows the Black King to slip away; or 26.Rf3? Ba4!  and Black should win.  Can you do better?

WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!

SOLUTIONS

Mannheim  1914  Janowski ,D–Bogoljubow ,E:  18.Bxf6! Bxf6 19.Bxh7+! 1-0  There is nothing to do against the coming Qh5 and Rh3 with a winning attack

Geteborg  1920  Tarasch,S—Bogoljubow,E:  7…g5! 8.Bg3 g4! 9.a3 ( 9.Ne5 Ne4 10.Qxg4 Bxd2+ and Qg5 ) 9…gxf3 10.axb4 fxg2 0-1  Black is a piece up for nothing

“Bled 1931  Bogoljubow,E –Flohr, Salo:  13.Nxb5!axb5 14.Bxb5 Bd7 15.Rxd7!!  It was necessary to have forseen this move.  15… Nxd7 16.Bxc6 Rc8  If instead 16…ooo then simply 17.Bxg7 with a huge advantage. 17.Ne5 O-O 18.Nxd7 Rfd8 19.b5 1-0

Triberg 1934  Bogoljubow Efim –Muller Hans:   15.Qxd4! 1-0  After Black captures the Queen follows 16.Ne7+! K-moves 17.Nxc6+

St. Petersburg 1914  Alekhine Alexander A –Bogoljubow E: 21… Rxf2!! 22.Bxf7+ Desperation.  Taking the Rook loses to …Re1+, and 22.QxQ allows mate in one on g2; Therefore Alekhine tries a trick which , ofcourse, Bogo does not fall for  22… Kh8! 23.Rd1 Qxf7 24.Rd2 h6 25.Rxf2 Re1+ 26.Kh2 Qxf2 27.Qg4 Bxg2 0-1

Triberg 1921  Brinckmann Alfred –Bogoljubow E: 18… Rxe3!! 19.Rxe3 Rxe3 20.Kxe3 Bf4+! 21.Rxf4 gxf4+ 22.Kxf4 Qg5+ 23.Ke5 Ng6+ 24.Kd6 Qe7# 0-1

New York  1924  Reti Richard –Bogoljubow Efim : 24.Bf7+ Kh8 25.Be8!! 1-0

Breslau 1925  Bogoljubow Efim –Reti Richard:  26.Nxf7 !! Qxf7 Reti decides that it is useless to try to resist.  If instead  26…Bc8 27.Nd6+!  he could hold on longer, but without any hope.  The game ended quickly:  27.Rg8+ Ke7 28.Qxf7+ Kxf7 29.R1g7# 1-0