“Desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions.”

― Dallin H. Oaks

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im  Tate,Emory  (2268)

 gm  Akobian,Varuzhan

North American Open Las Vegas 2014.12.27  Position after 15 moves.  One should not expect to get away with not castling against a grandmaster.

WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!

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fm  Brustkern, Juergen  (2236)

gm  Hawkins,Jonathan

Hastings Masters 2014.12.29 Position after 18 moves.  Black had just played the cheeky 18…Qg5, proposing a Queen exchange.  The young English grandmaster, however, had forseen a clever tactic that will cost Black’s insolence dearly…

WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!

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fm  Kvisvik, Brede  (2275)

gm  Turov,Maxim

44th Rilton Cup Stockholm 2014.12.27  Position after 27 moves. Opposite-side castling is serious business, and here Black’s counterattack against the White King is far behind the White attack against Black’s monarch.  In such positions, pawns don’t count.  Open lines do!

WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!

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North American Open Las Vegas 2014.12.27 Akobian,Varuzhan–Tate,Emory:  16.Qg7! Rf8 17.Nb5!! 1-0  Playing on will cost Black his Queen.

Hastings Masters 2014.12.29 Hawkins,Jonathan–Brustkern, Juergen: 19.f4!  1-0  White will emerge atleast a piece ahead after 19…QxN 20.Nf5!

44th Rilton Cup Stockholm 2014.12.27  Turov,Maxim–Kvisvik, Brede: 28.Bxb6! 1-0  Ofcourse!  After 28…PxB 29.Qa6! Black has a check or two, and then must resign in view of White’s unstoppable attack.