Today’s winning 5-second tactics
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Someone showed this to me just yesterday, and I was so impressed that I decided to post it here today on my blog. From the game played in 2010 at Wijk aam Zee:
POSITION AFTER WHITE’S 31st MOVE (31.Rd1)
gm Short,N

gm Karjakin,S
It has been a tough game so far (from an interesting line in the Spanish Opening) with Karjakin trying very hard to get some sort of momentum rolling. Finally he seems to be making some progress: if now 31…Qb2 32.d6! Rf7 33.PxP and it will not be easy for Black to stop White’s pawns.
31…exf4!

A very creative solution, taking advantage of the pin of the Black Queen against White’s King, that manages to keep Short’s game alive.
32.Rxd4! Rxe3!

Where should White move the Queen, d2 or f2?
It was later established that White’s best chances of an edge were to be had with 33.Qf2! when after 33…cxd4 34.Qxf4 Black should not rush with 34…d3 (34…R3e7! 35.Qxd4 Nd6 would keep White’s winning chances to a minimum) as after 35.Bxd3! Rxd3 36.Qc7! and White wins!
33.Qd2!?

The natural move, and to be honest, it seems stronger (at first sight) than 33.Qf2: after 33…cxd4(?!) 34.Qxd4 R3e7 35.d6 Rf7 36.b4! White keeps up the pressure; and White can improve with the sly 34.d6! first in this line, when it is indeed not easy to see how Black can keep things together…
33…Re1+! 34.Kh2!

Now if 34…PxR 35.d6! (preventing a Rook to return to e7) followed by Qxd4 is crushing!
34… f3!!
