Tuesday’s tactical magic!
SPRAGGETT ON CHESS
Hello Tuesday! Try the combinative exercises below to sharpen your skills! Each of these has been taken from actual master and grandmaster games played this past week. I will add more examples as the day progresses. Solutions later this evening. GOOD LUCK!
1.
gm FISH,G
gm NIELSEN,PH
Position after 25 moves, played this past weekend in the German Bundesliga. Though material is even here, White has the Bishop pair and a strong passed c-pawn. There should be a way to improve White’s positional advantage…
WHAT IS WHITE’S STRONGEST CONTINUATION?
Degree of difficulty: 7/10
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2.
im LAUBER
Degree of difficulty: 7/10
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2.
im LAUBER
gm RIBLI
German Bundesliga. Position after 25 moves. Once more, material is even and White has the Bishop pair. While there is no passed pawn on c6, the Knight is worth its weight in gold and dominates the central squares, making the Black Queen feel uncomfortable.
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!
Degree of difficulty: moderate
Degree of difficulty: moderate
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3.
gm PALAC
gm JONES, GW
Bundesliga this past weekend. Position after 29 moves. White has the Bishop pair and a more active position. Black has an extra pawn, but it is meaningless. He should be more concerned about the lack of coordination amongst this pieces…
Play continued
30.Rxb5! Nd7!? (30…PxR 31.Bxc4-ch and 32.BxN and White should win)
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!
Degree of difficulty: 8/10
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4.
fm JOCHENS,A
im FEYGIN,M
Bundesliga. Position after 27 moves. The White Knight on f6 has been dangling for several moves now, but Black has not found a good opportunity to take it. If now 28.Rh3 then Black must and can take the Knight: 28…PxN! 29.gxf Rg8-ch! 30.Ng5 Bf8 and Black is holding his own.
BUT WHITE HAS OTHER ATTACKING IDEAS IN THE POSITION ABOVE……
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!
Degree of difficulty: 6/10
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5.
gm LUPULESCU,C
im BURG,T
Bundesliga again! Position after White’s 24th move (24.Rh3) White has snatched a pawn on the Kingside while ignoring Black’s Queenside counterplay. Now is Black’s chance to strike!
BLACK TO PLAY AND WIN!
Degree of difficulty: 3/10
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6.
gm ARESHCHENKO
gm SHIROV
Bundesliga. Position after 28 moves. Black had just taken the pawn on b2 with his Knight. Should White now take then Knight then Black would get a devastating attack with 29…Rxc3.
BUT ofcourse, Shirov had forseen Black’s last desperate move! With the h-file open and almost all of White’s pieces in play, Shirov made a strong counterattack on the other side of the board:
29.g5! Bxc3 (what else?) 30.Qh4! threatening mate 30… Bg7
WHAT STRONG MOVE DID SHIROV PLAY THAT CONVINCED BLACK TO RESIGN?
Degree of difficulty: 2/10
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7.
gm BACROT
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7.
gm BACROT
gm EFIMENKO
Bundesliga. Position after White’s 40th move (40.Re6). Despite being some pawns up, White’s pieces are lacking coordination and, especially, his King is in a dangerous situation, so close to Black’s pieces.
BLACK TO PLAY AND WIN IN JUST A FEW MOVES!
Degree of difficulty: 1/10
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SOLUTIONS
1.
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SOLUTIONS
1.
26.Rxe6 {!} fxe6 27.c7 {!} b4 {?!} loses quickly, but there is no good defence: 27…Nf5 28.Bc5 Nh6 29.Bb7 Nf7 30.f4 g6 31.Kf2 with a zugzwang position; or 27…Nd5 28.Be5 {!} g6 ( 28…Nxc7 29.Bxc7 b4 30.Be4 g6 31.Be5 zugzwang )29.Be4 Re7 {?} 30.Bxd5 {!} ) 28.Bb7 {!} 1-0 Black will lose significant material
2.
26.Ra5! Qb6 27.Be3! Qc7 28.Ra7 Qc8 29.Qd2! 1-0 A bit premature, but after 29…Nd5 30.BxN PxB 31.Qxd5 Black is in a bad way and must find 31…Nb8 to keep fighting, though White should win in the long run.
3.
31.Rb7 {!} Qxb7 ( 31…Nxb7 32.Qe7 {!} ) 32.Qxd6 Qb2( 32…Re8 33.Bxc4+ Kh7 34.Bf7 ) ( 32…Rb8 33.Qe6+ Kh8( 33…Kh7 34.Qf7 Nb6 35.Qg6+ Kh8 36.Bxb6 ) 34.Bxh6 ) 33.Qe7!Qxe2+ 34.Bf2 Qxe4+ 35.Kg1 1-0 It is forced mate
4.
28.Nxh7 {!} Qf5 ( 28…Qxh7 29.Qxf7 {!} ) ( 28…Kxh7 29.Qxf7 Qg6 30.Rh3+ )( 28…Kg8 29.Nf6+ gxf6 30.gxf6+ Kf8 31.Rg7 Qe4 32.Qxe4 dxe433.Ng5 Bd8 34.Rxf7+ Kg8 35.Rg7+ Kf8 36.Nxe6+ ) 29.Rh3 {!} Kg830.Qh4 {!} f6 31.gxf6 ( 31.Nxf6+ is even faster ) Qg6+ 32.Nhg5 1-0 It is forced mate
5.
24…Rxa2{!} 25.Kxa2 Ra8+ 26.Kb1 Qa5 27.Ra3 {only hope} bxa3 28.Qe1b4 29.b3 a2+ 30.Ka1 Qc5 Black has a completely winning position and the attack to boot 31.g4 Qd4+ 32.c3 bxc3 33.Rc2 Bd2 34.Qd1Rb8 {!} 35.Qf1 Rxb3 36.Qa6 Qg1+ 37.Kxa2 Qb1# 0-1
6.
31.Nd4! 1-0 There is no defence to Qh7-ch and Ne6-ch; and if 31…BxN 32.QxB f6 33.Qh4 is forced mate
7.
Black wins after 40…Rd2 41.Ke1 Rd1 42.Kf2 Ng3!
SPRAGGETT ON CHESS