Today’s quizzes
SPRAGGETT ON CHESS
From the recently completed Georgian Championship which saw Jobava win in brilliant style with a margin of 2.5 points! In this game, however, the national hero was on the ropes for a long time since the opening, but his opponent allowed to claw his back into the game.
A good player needs to stay in shape and solving chess problems is the best way to do it. Try your hand on these quizzes below! They are all from actual games in international tournaments. I will add more as the day progresses. Good luck! Solutions later today.
1.
gm GALKIN
gm YEMELIN
WHAT IS WHITE’S STRONGEST CONTINUATION?
______________________________________
2.
POSITION AFTER 33 MOVES:
gm JOBAVA
im CHIGHLADZE
Here White can play the safe 34.Rc1 when Black has nothing better than to give a perpetual check after the forced continuation 34…Qf2-ch 35.Kh1 Qxg3! 36.NxR Qxh3-ch etc.
BUT the question is whether White can do better? CAN WHITE GET AWAY WITH 34.NxR ?
_______________________________________________________________________
3.
POSITION AFTER 25 MOVES
im BERADZE
im ZARKUA
Also from the Georgian Championship.
WHAT IS WHITE’S FASTEST WAY TO WIN?
_______________________________________
4.
POSITION AFTER 15 MOVES:
Quparadze
Shanava
Also from the Georgian Championship.
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!
_____________________________________
5.
POSITION AFTER WHITE’S 20th MOVE:
gm ADAMS
im AMANOV
From the Chicago Open that finished just yesterday. Adams has White on the run, who can’t seem to decide which side to castle on! Black has a tactic in the position that crystalizes his plusses into something concrete: a clear advantage!
WHAT IS BLACK’S BEST CONTINUATION?
_______________________________________
6.
POSITION AFTER 23 MOVES:
im AMANOV
gm SHULMAN
Also from Chicago. Black looks solid enough, but you should never let the enemy’s Queen near your King! Let this be a lesson to you…
WHITE TO PLAY AND LAUNCH A WINNING ATTACK!
_________________________________________
7.
POSITION AFTER WHITE’S 17th MOVE (17.Bg3):
WANG, T.H.
ALAVI
From the recently completed Asian Team Championship. With White’s last move Black is faced with a tough decision to make! To take the d-pawn with the Rook or not to take the pawn! Black finally decided to take it…
CAN BLACK GET AWAY WITH TAKING THE d-PAWN?
_____________________________________________________________
8.
POSITION AFTER 19 MOVES:
POSITION AFTER 19 MOVES:
gm SHIROV
gm FLORES
HOW DOES WHITE BEST CONTINUE THE ATTACK?
A couple of moves later:
POSITION AFTER 25 MOVES:
From the Buenos Aires Magistral taking place right now. Shirov has played recklessly in the opening and now finds himself not only behind in development, but also facing a very strong attack! Here Flores played 20.Ng6!? which is good enough to maintain his advantage, but is not the fastest way to win.
WHAT IS WHITE’S STRONGEST CONTINUATION?
A few moves later:
POSITION AFTER 23 MOVES:
The game has proceeded with bravo dispayed by both players, but Shirov has not been successful in beating back the attack.
HOW DOES WHITE BEST CONTINUE THE ATTACK?
A couple of moves later:
POSITION AFTER 25 MOVES:
The game has reached its concluding moments. Here Flores blundered with 26.Kd1?? overlooking the exchange of Queens with 26…Qd8-ch! after which he is lost (for the first time in the game, but Shirov did not let him out!)
HOW CAN WHITE WIN IN THE POSITION ABOVE?
______________________________
9.
POSITION AFTER WHITE’S 30th MOVE (30.Bd5):
gm IVANISEVIC
gm FINEGOLD
WHAT BRILLIANT CONTINUATION DID BLACK PLAY TO WIN IN 2 MOVES?
SOLUTIONS
______________________________
9.
POSITION AFTER WHITE’S 30th MOVE (30.Bd5):
gm IVANISEVIC
From the Chicago Open. Ofcourse, White is lost but Finegold is not going down without a fight! With his last move White threatens to capture on f7, which might be enough to turn the tables on the Serbian champion.
WHAT BRILLIANT CONTINUATION DID BLACK PLAY TO WIN IN 2 MOVES?
SOLUTIONS
Yemelin vs Galkin/St.Petersburg 1994; White won after 21.Nxe6! Qxc3; 22.Rxd7 Bc8; 23.NxR BxN; 24.e6! PxP; 25.Rd8 etc
Chighladze vs Jobava/Georgian Ch 2012; It was a mistake to take the Rook: Black won after 34… Qf2 35. Kh1 Qf1 36. Kh2 Qxe2! 37. Kh1 Qe1 Even more precise is 37… Qf1 38. Kh2 Qf2 39. Kh1 Qxg3 40. Rc2 Qe1 41. Kg2 e2 42. Rxe2 Qxe2 43. Kh1 Qf3 44. Kg1 Qxd3 etc.38. Kg2 Qd2 39. Kh1 e2 40. Rxe5 e1=Q 41. Rxe1 Qxe1 42. Kh2 Qe2 43. Kh1 Qxe7 The rest is easy: 44. Nxa7 Qe1 45. Kg2 Nd5 46. Qc6 Ne3 47. Kf3 Nf5 48. Qc5 Qf1 49. Qf2 Qxd3 50. Kg2 Ne3 51. Kh2 Qd4 [0:1]
Zarkua vs Beradze/Georgian Ch 2012; White won after 26.Rxf7! NxR 27.Rf1 There is no defence. Black resigned.
Shanava vs Quparadze/Georgian Ch 2012; White won after 16.Rxf7!! The Rook can not be :16…KxR?; 17.Qh5-ch Kg8; (17…g6 18.Bxg6-ch!) 18.Rf1! Bf8; 19.Rxf8-ch! And 20.Bc5-ch etc Nor can Black take the e-Pawn: 16…Qxe5? 17.Rxe7-ch! Wins. The game continued 16…Nc6 but after 17.Rxg7 Qxe5 18.Rg3 Black is busted.
Amanov vs Adams/Chicago Open 2012; Adams got a clear advantage by giving up his 2 Rooks for the White Queen: 20… Rxe2-ch!; 21. Bxe2 Re8; 22. Qe3!? Rxe3; 23. fxe3 Bd5!; 24. Rg1 Qe6; 25. Rg3 Qb6; 26. Rd1 Qa5; and White’s Pawns fall like apples while his Rooks struggle to get play. Adams won effortlessly in 56 moves.
Shulman vs Amanov/Chicago Open 2012; White has a winning attack after 24. e5! dxe5; White’s idea is if 24… fxe5 25. Bxg6 hxg6; 26. Rxf8 Kxf8; 27. Qh8 Kf7; 28. Ne4 and Black is defenceless 25.Rh4! The point! 25… f5 26. Qxh7 Kf7; 27. Nf3 Rh8; 28. Qxh8 Even better is 28. Qxg6! Kxg6; 29. Rxh8 Qe7; 30. Nxe5 Kf6; 31. Re1 winning the house. 28… Nxh8; 29. Nxe5 Again 29. Rxh8! is a recurring idea 29… Kf6? Tougher, but also lost is the ending after 29… Kg8; 30. Rxh8 Kxh8; 31. Nf7 Kg8; 32. Nxd8 Rxd8; 33. a4 and so on 30. Rxh8 g5; 31. Rf8 (31.Rh7! is even faster) [1:0] Black loses all of his pieces. Crushing attack! Worth remembering the ideas!
Alavi vs Wang/Asian Team Ch 2012; After 17…Rxd4??; White wins beautifully with 18.RxR QxR; 19.Qxc6-ch!! With a forced mate!
Flores vs Shirov/Buenos Aires 2012;
A: The fastest win is with 20. Rxg6-ch! fxg6 (20… Kf8 is useless: 21. Rh6 Ne5 22. Rh8 Ke7 23. Qe4 etc; worse still is 20… Kh8 21. Rh6 Kg8 22. Qh7 Kf8 23. Ng6 etc) 21. Qxg6-ch Kf8 22. Nf5! Re7 23. Qh6! and it is all over
B: 24. Rdxg4! hxg4 25. Qxf6! With a crushing attack Not 25. Rxg4? c5! which turns the tables
C: Pity! After 26. Kd2! White wins easily 26… Rd8-ch; 27. Kc1 Qd4!?; 28. Qxd4 Rxd4; 29. fxe3 Rc4; 30. Kb2 fxg6; 31. Kb3 Re4; 32. Rg3 etc. The ending is a piece of cake.
Finegold vs Ivanisevic/Chicago 2012; Black won cleverly with 30…Rxd5! 31.NxR Qd2!! Winning a piece or mating. Finegold threw in the towel.
SPRAGGETT ON CHESS