Today’s 5-second tactics
Bonzo and Edmund Gwenn playing chess, Hollywood, 1952
“Monkeys are superior to men in this: when a monkey looks into a mirror, he sees a monkey.” ― Malcolm de Chazal
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Vita,F (2059)
im Caprio,G
Capo d’Orso Open Porto Mannu 2014.6.11 Position after Black’s 17th move, 17…Qd5(?). Black panicked, rushing to exchange Queens, but in doing so walked into an ambush. Vita only reckonned on 18.QxQ NxQ 19.Rxg6+ Kf8! with reasonable survival chances.
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!
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Graziani, Sergio
gm Tischbierek, Raj
Capo d’Orso Open Porto Mannu 2014.6.12 Position after 24 moves. Something has clearly gone wrong with Black’s game, but atleast the Black King has plenty of company, surrounded by Queen, Rook,Knight and Bishop. One would think that it would be difficult to give mate in such situations, but you would be mistaken!
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!
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Bergsson, Stefan (2077)
gm Rombaldoni, Axel
Capo d’Orso Open Porto Mannu 2014.6.12 Position after 11 moves of play. Ofcourse, given time Black will win the pawn on e6, but White is not worried!
WHAT IS WHITE’S BEST MOVE?
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Capo d’Orso Open Porto Mannu 2014.6.11 Caprio,G–Vita,F: 18.Rxg6+! Surprise. Taking the Rook is answered by 19.QxQ, when recapturing is impossible because of mate. 18…Kf8 19.Rxh7!! 1-0 Avoiding mate will be costly.
Capo d’Orso Open Porto Mannu 2014.6.12 Tischbierek, Raj–Graziani, Sergio: 25.Bxg6! Surprisingly, the game ends very quickly as the Black King finds itself an easy target. 25…hxg6 26.h7! Not just winning back the piece, but opening up the King. 26…Kg7 (Relatively best is 26…f5, but after 27.PxN(Q) RxQ 28.Nh7+ is decisive; or 27…KxQ White exchanges Rooks and plays 29.Rd3, swinging the Rook to the Kingside with decisive effect.) 27.hxg8=Q+ Kxg8 (27…RxR 28.Nxe6+!) 28.Rxh8+ 1-0 It is a mating attack.
Capo d’Orso Open Porto Mannu 2014.6.12 Rombaldoni, Axel–Bergsson, Stefan: 12.Bc6!! The double-exclam is for the originality of the move; if Black takes the Bishop then he loses his Queen after 13.Nxc6. The best course is to simply give the Exchange, but there is no doubt that White must win!