Today’s winning 5-second chess tactics
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Kopasov, Evgeny
Stachanczyk, Jacek
Prague Open 2015.1.9 Position after 19 moves. An easy one for my readers who are still recovering from the weekend…
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!
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Grishchenko, Sergey
Bartos, Jan
Prague Open 2015.1.10 Position before Black’s 21st move. White’s last move (21.Rfd1) invites a little combination that might still tax your calculation skills (given your weekend!), but I think that with a strong coffee you should be up to it!
BLACK TO PLAY AND WIN!
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Novak, Vaclav
Andreev, Eduard
Prague Open 2015.1.9 Position after 26 moves. Many players would now be content to pick up a clear exchange with 27.NxR (with a BIG edge), but White has better! Do you see it?
WHITE TO PLAY AND CRUSH!
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GETTING CRUSHED IN THE FRENCH
gm Potkin,Vlad
gm Wei,Yi
From yesterday’s round at the TATA (wijk ann zee) B-tournament. Position after 26 moves. Wei Yi is just 15 years old and holds the record for being the youngest grandmaster to have achieved a 2600-plus rating. Many expect Wei Yi to be a future world champion. Vlad Potkin is one of Russia’s most experienced top young grandmasters.
Here Black seems to be ok, his Kingside well defended by the Rook on f7 and the Bishop on f8. However, a closer look into the position reveals a lack of development and harmony amongst Black’s other pieces. This Wei manages to exploit in this game…
27.Rh3!!
A brilliant resource that leaves Black helpless to stop what happens in the game. The immediate threat is 28.Rxh7! KxR 29.Qg6+ and 30.Ng5 with a mating attack. If Black tries to stop this with 27…Ne7, then 28.Rxh7! (anyway!) KxR 29.Ng5+ Kg8 30.Be8! and it is all over.
27…g6!?
There is not really anything better
28.Ng5!!
Not just attacking the Rook, but threatening to allow the Queen into the game via d5. After some thought, Potkin decided that he had nothing better than to accept the Bishop on d5…
28…QxB 29.NxR
And Black is dead lost! Taking the Knight allows 30.Rxh7+ and 31.Qxg6+. In the game Potkin tried his best, but it is hopeless. The remaining moves were: 29…Ne7 30.Nh6+ ( 30.Qg5! Kxf7 31.Rxh7+ Ke8 32.Qf6 is faster) Bxh6 31.Rxh6 Ra7 32.Qh3 Qe2 33.Rxh7 Qxc2 34.Rh8+ Kf7 35.Qh7+ Ke6 36.Rxg6+ 1-0
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