Today’s winning 5-sec tactics

“There are some things which cannot be learned quickly, and time, which is all we have, must be paid heavily for their acquiring. They are the very simplest things and because it takes a man’s life to know them the little that each man gets from life is very costly and the only heritage he has to leave.”
― Ernest Hemingway, American Lit for Idiots – a one act play
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Bundesliga 2016.2.21 GM Braun, Arik–fm (2280) Pogan, Nikolas. Position after 26 moves. White has an obvious positional advantage, his Knight having taken up a strong and dominating position. There are a number of good ways to increase his advantage, but there is only one BEST way. Do you see it?
WHITE TO PLAY AND CRUSH!
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2.

Bundesliga 2016.2.20 GM Dvirnyy, Danyyil–GM Mainka, Romuald. Position after 23 moves. Black has been greedily grabbing pawns at the expense of his development, and only now (with his last move 23…e5) has he decided to do something about it…BUT it is too late. What Black hopes for is 24.Rd8 Be6! 25.Rxa8 Rxa8 26.Rd8+ Rxd8 27.Qxd8+ Qf8 and Black successfully defends.
WHITE TO PLAY AND CRUSH!
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3.

Bundesliga 2016.2.20 GM Rodshtein, Maxim–GM Tazbir, Marcin. Position after 25 moves. Black, desperate, had just played 25…Bxd6, attacking the Queen. If now 26.Rxd6? Rxd6 27.Qxd6 Qxc4 and Black wins. Ditto 26.Qa7+? Rd7!
WHITE TO PLAY AND CRUSH!
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4.

32nd Cappelle Open 2016.2.13 GM Kamsky, Gata–IM (2409) D’Costa, Lorin. Position after 25 moves. A typical Sicilian Defence middlegame where White has managed to coordinate all of his pieces on the Kingside before Black could get his counterplay going…
WHITE TO PLAY AND CRUSH!
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5.
