Today’s 5-second tactics
“She had that rare virtue of never existing completely except for that opportune moment”
― Gabriel García Márquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude
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Some of today’s examples, rather than models of tactical ingenuity, show how easy it is to make mistakes or outright blunders. Chess can be a cruel mistress (as they say) and no matter how many good moves one makes, our fate is more often decided by our mistakes and blunders. Especially, our last one!
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MISSED OPPORTUNITY
Perez Pacheco, Ricardo
im Bergez, Luc
From the San Sebastian International Open last week ( 2014.4.13) Position after 18 moves of play. Black had just played 18…h6?. After thinking a while, White played 19.Bd2 (admittedly, with a good game) and won some 20-odd moves later. HOWEVER, White has the shot 19.Bxh6!, when the Bishop can not be taken as 20.Qg3+ is crushing (20…Kmoves 21.N+ wins the Queen!
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THE GAME ENDING BLUNDER
gm Damljanovic, Branko
im Sarenac, Ivan
Serbia CH ,Subotica 2014.4.12 Position after 35 moves of play. Black stands a bit better (the White King is open to attack) but with correct play White should not be in any danger of losing. Probably 36.Nb4 (with the idea of Nc6 and harrassing Black) is the correct way to proceed. HOWEVER, White blundered , playing an obvious move:
36.Ne5?
BLACK TO PLAY AND WIN!
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(36… Rxf2! 37.Qxf2 Qxe5 with two extra pawns and the better game. Things ended after 38.Kh2 h5 39.Kg1 Kg7 40.Qa7+ Kg6 0-1)
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HELPING YOUR OPPONENT
gm Damljanovic, Branko
gm Popovic, Dusan
Also from the Serbia CH, Subotica 2014.4.11 . Position before Black’s 46th move. White has an extra pawn, but because everything is on the same side of the board and Black has no weaknesses whatever, the game should end in a draw with normal play. Praxis has thousands of such examples on record, and while the stronger side does occasionally win, it is usually because he gets considerable help from the opponent.
HERE probably Black should just play his Queen to a safe square (h1, h2 come readily to mind), or just a King move. INSTEAD, Branko let his guard down for a single move and resigned the next move:
46…Qg4?
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!
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47.Qd8+ 1-0 After 47…Kmoves 48.Qd4+ forces the Exchange of Queens into an easily won King and Pawn ending.
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ONE OF THOSE DAYS…
gm Plaskett, H James
gm Burmakin, Vladimir
La Roda (Albacete) 2014.4.19 Position after White’s 18th move (18.Ne2?) This last move loses two pawns for nothing, and the experienced English grandmaster did not refuse the gift: the game continued: 18… Nxf2! 19.Kxf2 Qxe3+ 20.Kg2 Qxe2+ 21.Qxe2 Rxe2+ 22.Kf1 Re7 and Black should win (easily)
BUT, the truth is that White won this game!
(Moral of the story: one bad move cancels out a dozen good moves!)
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SHARP TACTIC!
gm Indjic, Aleksandar
im Nestorovic, Dejan
Serbia CH Subotica 2014.4.14 A really nice tactical execution by the winner of the tournament! White has misplayed the opening ever so slightly, but something that can have the gravest consequences when playing against the Benoni.
BLACK TO PLAY AND WIN!
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15…Nxe4! 16.Nxe4 ( 16.Bxg4 Nxc3! ) Bd4+ 17.Kh1 ( 17.Nf2 Bf5 18.Qd1 Qh4! Winning quickly) 17…Nxh2!! 18.g3Nxf1 19.Bxf1 Bf5 20.Ncd2 Rxe4 21.Nxe4 Qe7 22.Bd3 Re8 0-1——————————————-
MISSED OPPORTUNITY
im Lajthajm, Borko
gm Sedlak, Nikola
Also from the Serbian Championship, 14- 4-2014. Position after 29 moves of play. White has an obvious positional advantage, the most prominent being the open a1–h8 diagonal, a path directly to His majesty’s residence. The immediate 30.Qc3 can be met by 30…Ng7! (30…Bg7? 31.RxN+!). Therefore, the strong Serbian grandmaster Sedlak played the immediate:
30. Rxe8! Qxe8 31. Qc3
There is no good defence , and perhaps some grandmasters would even resign here with the Black pieces….
31… f6 32. Bc4+ Kh8
Now the most precise is the immediate 33.Re1 (33. Re1! Qd8 34. Nc7! Rc8 35. Ne6! etc) when Black is helpless, but, probably thinking that everyone wins, Sedlak played:
33. Nc7??
This rash move gives Black the opportunity to change things: 33…Qe4!, threatening mate on g2 and attacking the Rook on b1. White would be suddenly lost!
INSTEAD, Black did not see it!
33… Rxc7? 34. dxc7 Bg7
35. Qxf6!! [1:0]
Moral of the story: all is well that ends well!