How good are your tactics?
Year end 5-sec tactics!
How are you today? To celebrate the end of 2018 I present some dozen (12) examples of tactical skill from recent tournaments.
Most are from master and grandmaster games. Some are relatively easy to solve, but others are quite difficult and will require more work.
Good luck! You can download the PGN at the end, which will give some extra lines and variations.
‘‘When you see a good move, look for a better one.” Emanuel Lasker
Black had just played 23…g6??. Well, I understand that not everyone knows this classic mistake, but even so it is hard to understand how a strong FideMaster would not know this. White to play and crush!
Poor Simon must have had a bad day (or a worse night before!?). Black to play and crush!
White had just captured the Black pawn on f5, a very serious mistake. Black to play and crush!
”Without error there can be no brilliancy.” Emanuel Lasker
An enemy knight on f5 almost always is bad news for the defender. White to play and crush!
Ofcourse, 2 pawns up White can simply trade Rooks and he must eventually win. But this is not the point here: White to play and crush!
Black has just played his Knight to e3 attacking the Rook. White to play and crush!
“The game gives us a satisfaction that Life denies us. And for the Chess player, the success which crowns his work, the great dispeller of sorrows, is named ‘combination’.” ― Emanuel Lasker
A complex game hides many ‘secrets’. Here White can get a big advantage with one of those hidden ‘secrets’. What is it?
White’s last move (Qc3) threatens mate in one move. If Black blocks with his Knight on f6, then Re1 follows, with a good game for White. But Black has an ace up his sleave: Black to play and win!
White has constructed with a promising attacking position. If he attacks directly with 18.Qh4 then Black can defend with 18…f6. How should White proceed (and get a BIG advantage)?
”On the chessboard, lies and hypocrisy do not survive long. The creative combination lays bare the presumption of a lie; the merciless fact, culminating in the checkmate, contradicts the hypocrite.” ― Emanuel Lasker
A calm looking position, about to explode. How can White get a BIG advantage?
Black has riskily won a pawn at the price of delaying his development. How should White proceed? (And in the process, crush Black!)
Seems like a very tranquil position, but a storm is about to set in. Black to play and crush!
How did you do? Excellently, I hope! You can download the PGN here.