Today’s winning chess tactics
“Don’t live the same year 75 times and call it a life.”
― Robin Sharma
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Take my Queen, PLEASE!
Sid Belzberg
This is from a 5-minute game, played several weeks ago, and sent to me by Sid Belzberg (Thankyou, Sid!) Possibly Sid is Black here. Position before Black’s 27th move. It looks as though White is going to win the Bishop on e7. Possibly White was hoping for 27…Qc5 when 28.NxB+ Kh8 29.Ng6+! etc, winning easily. Black’s next move must have come as a BIG surprise…
27…Bxg5!!
Black finds a brilliant counter attack, using his doubled-passed pawns as leverage. Taking the Queen immediately would allow the pawns to advance unstopped: 28.Rxe3 fxe3 29.Nd4 e2 30.Nxe2 fxe2 31.Re1 Rf1 32.Rxf1 e1=Q etc. Should White not take the Queen, then he still has to deal with Black’s threat of …QxR!
28.Qf1!?
Hoping for Q-retreats, when Qxf3 still keeps White alive.
28…Bh4!!
A brutal move that finally forces White to take the Queen! The game soon ended once the pawns advanced. The final moves were: 29.Rxe3 fxe3 30.Nd4 e2 31.Qh1 exd1=Q 32.Qxd1 0-1 BRILLIANT!
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MORE PASSED PAWN HORRORS!
gm Dobrov,Vlad
Bar,Aviv (2142)
Groningen Open, 21-12-2014 Position after White’s 34th move (34.Ke2) White obviously has the better chances; Bishop vs Knight in an open position; plus Black must be careful as most of his pawns are on the same colour as White’s Bishop! On top of this, White threatens to march his King over to b6.
All this creates real problems for Black, but even so, he can resist with stubborn and precise play. He should put his Knight on d6 and then his King on d7. Even though the White King will go to b6, making progress is not so easy. And if in the end, Black loses, then he can recall Lasker’s famous words: ”All is lost save honor!”
HOWEVER, not getting his defensive priorities straight, Black decided to stop the White King from penetrating…
34…c5?! 35.a5!
Not allowing Black to play …b6
35…Nd6?!
All part of Black’s planned setup, but now White demonstrates why this setup is wrong…
36.Bd5!
Decisive! Black can not prevent White’s next move. The game continued 36…Kf6 37.Bxb7!!
1-0! The Bishop can not be taken as the a-pawn will make a touch down; not taking the Bishop also gives White an easy win.
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Merkesvik, Sondre (2218)
gm Cramling, Pia
44th Rilton Cup 2014.12.28 Position after 12 moves. Black has played the opening badly and is now counting on tactical themes (the pinned Knight to the Rook on h5) to hold things together. There is a surprise in store…moral of the story: rely on good moves and chess principles; not tricks!
WHITE TO PLAY AND CRUSH!
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gm Turov, Maxim
gm Grandelius, Nils
44th Rilton Cup 2014.12.30 Position after 14 moves of play. A game between two grandmasters where Black took a calculated risk and delayed castling…
WHITE TO PLAY AND CRUSH!
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gm Yermolinsky,Alex
gm So, Wesley
North American Open Las Vegas 2014.12.27 Position after 16 moves. Black’s position seems quite ok, but he overlooked a tactical shot that brings out the negative aspects of his game all at once. Do you see the idea?
WHAT IS WHITE’S BEST MOVE?
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