Wednesday’s 5-second tactics!
SPRAGGETT ON CHESS
BLITZ ATTACK!
AGUILAR,Andres
PRASCA SOSA,Raf
From the Continental in Bolívia this week. Black had just played 27…Qb8, attacking the White Rook. This is a serious error! White now has the opportunity to score the full point…
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!
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POISON PAWN!
im PEREZ,Rodney
gm MEKHITARIAN,Kri
Also from Bolivia! Position after White’s 25th move (25.g3–luft!). The position is about even, but with a lot of fight still left, especially because of the asymmetry (B vs N and unbalance pawn structure). Here Black should probably also create luft…
INSTEAD, Black played 25…Bxd4??
HOW DOES WHITE REFUTE BLACK’S GREEDINESS?
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DID YOU KNOW THAT…
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DID YOU KNOW THAT…
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..in the US alone, last year there were 73 million cases of food poisoning, requiring 325,000 hospitalizations! A total of 10,000 deaths were reported…surprisingly, none of these were well-known chess players! LINK
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THE OLDEST TRICK IN THE BOOK…
SALAZAR,Carlos
MOLINA,Jessica
Bolívia. Black has an obvious advantage with his active pieces and strong passed d-pawn. Hidden in the position is a tactic that I exploited often when I was first playing chess in highschool!
BLACK TO PLAY AND WIN!
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WEAK BACK-RANK!
gm ZAMBRANA,Osw
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WEAK BACK-RANK!
gm ZAMBRANA,Osw
gm VASQUEZ,Rod
Bolívia once more! Black, struggling down an exchange, must also watch out for a Kingside attack. For this reason he just played 29…Qf4, covering h6. If now 30.g3, then 30…Qf5 and Black is holding on, atleast for a while.
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN BY FORCE!
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BREAK-THRU!
gm TRATAR,Mar
gm CHEPARINOV,Ivan
From yesterday’s round of the European Individual Championships in Poland. Position after 27 moves. Who would have thought that the game would end in just a few moves?
Black is solid enough, but White has a strong concentration of pieces in the centre, each with easy entry into the Black Kingside. Especially, note the White Rook on the 3rd rank…always a useful attacking avenue. BUT most important is the weakness on f6.
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!
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MATE IN 3-MOVES!
gm GALLAGHER,Joe
gm KISLINSKY,A
Poland, the day before yesterday. It is rare that a mate in 3 surprises a grandmaster, but here White is about to be both surprised and mated!
BLACK TO PLAY AND MATE IN 3!
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SOLUTIONS:
Prasca Sosa, R–Aguilar, A : 28.Nxf5! Now taking the Knight allows 29.Bd5+ and a mate 28…Rd7 There is no good move. 29.Nh6+ 1-0
Mekhitarian, K–Perez Garcia, R : 25… Bxd4?? 26.Nxd4 Rxd4 27.Qe3! 1-0 It is a piece or mate on the first rank!
Molina, J–Salazar, C : 21… Bh3! Ouch 22.e5 Taking the Bishop either gets mate dor lose the Queen. 22…Qh6! 23.Ne1 Bxg2! And White can resign with a clear conscience. The game ended 24.Qxf4 Qxf4 25.Nxg2 Qxe5 26.Re1 Qa5 27.Re7 Kf8 28.Rxb7 Qd2 29.Bh5 Qc1+30.Ne1 Qxe1+ 0-1
Vasquez Schroeder, R–Zambrana, O : 30.Re4!! Taking the Rook allows 31.Qh6+ and 32.Nf6+! leading to mate 30…Qf5 31.Re5! Qf4 32.Rg5! And Black can not save himself. 32… e5 33.Qh6+ Kg8 34.Nxe5 1-0
Cheparinov, I–Tratar, M : 28.Nh5! Taking the Knight allows 29.Qxh5 Kf8 30.Rg3! with an unstoppable attack 28… Qxb4 29.Bc3 Qc5 30.Nf6+ 1-0
Kislinsky,A–Gallagher,J : 26… Qa1+ 0-1 Mate with 27…Nd3+ and 28…Qc3++