Solutions to Wednesday’s test
SPRAGGETT ON CHESS
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Here are the solutions to Wednesday’s tactics training. I was going to wait a day or two before posting them since they are quite difficult, but apparently some of my readers have already tried them and are anxious to see their score! Congratulations!
My scoring system here is rigorous: you can get a maximum of 5 points per example. You get 1-pt for the 1st move; 1-point for the idea; and if you get the entire exact solution (that requires some more work and expertise) then you get an extra 3 points.
1.
Valenti vs Plachetka: Black wins with 31…Rxd3!; after 32. QxR Qb7-ch! 33.Rc2 QxR-ch! and 34…Nxe3-ch winning the house.
2.
Plachetka vs Ivanov: White wins material with 11.Bxf6! Bxf6 12. Ne4! the game continued 12…Nf5 13.Nxf6-ch Qxf6 14.bxc6 and Black resigned a few moves later
3.
Colombo vs Vikulov: Black wins with 12…Rxb2!! If 13.QxR then 13…Ne4! is deadly
4.
Kupreichik vs Tseitlin Great game! Play it over with the pgn-viewer below. White played the spectacular 17.Bd3! (hitting h7 indirectly, threatening e5). Black is defenceless. After 17…Re8 there followed 18. e5! h6 (what else?) 19.Bxh6 Re5!? 20. Bh7-ch!! KxB 21.Bg5-ch and Black resigned.
document.getElementById(“cwvpd_1304175883”).value=document.getElementById(“cwvpg_1304175883”).innerHTML;document.getElementById(“cwvfm_1304175883”).submit();
5.
Moiseenko vs Bogdanovic: White played 28.Ng7-ch!! and Black resigns. After the forced 28…RxN 29.Qxf6 threatens everything, including mate in one move!
6.
Sjugirov vs Konyshev: White won quickly with the stock sacrifice 25.Nxb7! after 25…QxN (there is nothing better; 25…Qxc3 loses quickly after 26.Qa2!; 25…Bxd3 loses to 26.Nxd8) 26.Nc5 Qc6 27.Rxa6 Bb6 (27…Qe8 goes off to 28.Qa2) 28.Na4 and Black resigned. He loses everything.7.
Plachetka vs Khmiadashvili: White crashed thru with 29.Rxf7! after 29…QxR 30.Rxe6-ch QxR 31.QxQ-ch Kd8 now either 32.Qf7 or 32.a3 (as in the game) lead to the win of large amounts of material.
8.
Lushenkov vs Najer: After 22.Rxc3 ?! Rxc3 23.Qd4 looks very threatening, but after the cool 23…Rc7!! what is White really threatening? 24.Nd7-dis.ch is answered by 24…e5! when 25.Nxe5 is forced (taking with the Queen loses the Knight after f6) and then 25…f6 forces White back, leaving Black with a clear advantage.
In the game continuation, White tried 23.Nxg6 (instead of 23.Qd4) but after 23…Rfc8 Black once more has a clear advantage and won without too many difficulties.
Moral of the story: While the threat is often stronger than its execution, a good poker player is rarely impressed!
9.
Moiseenko vs Scerbin: 27.Rc6!! (threatening 28.Rc6-a6) is crushing. Black can not take the Rook for obvious reasons. After 27…b6 Moiseenko could have played 28.Rc-c5! c6 (forced) 29.Bxc6-ch Rb7 30. Rb5! and the Black position collapses like a house of cards.
Moiseenko played , instead, 28.Rc-c4 (which is also winning easily, but less quickly) and after 28…c5 29.Bc6-ch Rb7 30. Ra6! b5!? 31.Rb6!! and Black can throw in the towel at any moment.
10.
Svidler bs Zolotukhin: Svidler played 31.Bf5! and after 31…RxQ 32.RxR-ch Kh8 33.Rf2 Black resigned. He can only stop mate for a move or two.
11.
Konyshev vs Bologan: Black played the pretty 31…Qxg3!! and White resigned. If White takes the Queen he gets mated : 32.PxQ Nxg3-ch 33.Kg1 f2-mate!!; and if instead 32.Rg1 then 32…Qxf2 with winning threats.12.
Inarkiev vs Pokozanjev: White attacked with the strong 29.N3-g5-ch! PxN 30.Nxg5-ch Kh8 (forced) 31.Qxf4! and now Black is in trouble; after 31…Bf6!? (relatively best try) 32.Qh4-ch Rh7 33.QxR-ch QxQ 34.NxQ KxN Black has survived the attack but after 35.Bd5! he finds himself with a very difficult and probably lost ending. A game worth playing over several times!document.getElementById(“cwvpd_1304178488”).value=document.getElementById(“cwvpg_1304178488”).innerHTML;document.getElementById(“cwvfm_1304178488”).submit();
Ah, if only we had such luxuries in our own games!
13.
Malakhov vs Sitnikov: White need not fear ghosts! He called Black’s bluff with 22.Pxf6! and after Black’s fury 22…Bxf2-ch 23.Kh1 BxR (what else?) 24.Nxd5!! Black finds himself dead lost
14.
Ni Hua vs Vokarev: White won with the beautifully ‘geometric’ 47.Ne8!! Black can not take the Knight without losing the Queen and White threatens 48.Qh8-ch with a winning attack. Black resigned because after the more or less forced 47…Qc6!? White has 48.Qh8-ch Ke7 49.Re1-ch and 50.Qd4-ch and Black loses large amounts of material just to avoid getting mated.15.
Kobanov vs Cheremnova: 22.Bxh6! and Black resigned.16.
Lintchevski vs Kurnosov: White’s last move loses his Rook on h1. After 22…Rxg3! White resigned17.
Zvjaginsev vs Gafner: White can win most simply with 24.Bh6! and after the forced 24…NxQ 25.Re-e8 it is forced mate! Instead, White played the ‘second best’ line: 24.RxB-ch with a forced mate in 8 moves!Ah, if only we had such luxuries in our own games!
18.
Efimenko vs Zhigalko: Attack and counter-attack! White struck with 31.Nf6-ch Bxf6 (losing quickly would be taking with the Pawn) 32.Pxf6 and Black must be careful. Black now played the excellent counter chance 32…c3!! and after 33.Bxc3 Rxc3! 34.f7-ch the game is unclear, though White has the slightly better chances.19.
Konyshev vs Efimenko: Too many of White’s pieces are committed to the Queenside attack, leaving the White monarch exposed and having to defend for himself. However, he is no match against what Black throws at him: 27…Nf4! (threatening mate) 28.g4 (taking the Knight gets mated quickly) 28…Nxh3! White resigns. After 29.KxN Rf4 is highly unpleasant and lethal.20.
Nepomniachtchi vs Frolyanov: Neat attacking game. Take a look at it in the pgn-viewer below! White struck with the strong 21.Nf6-ch Black can not take with the Pawn as he will get mated along the g-file. After the forced 21…Kh8 22.Qh5! the pressure builds. Now Black must take the Knight as 22…h6 allows 23.Ng4! threatening to sac on h6) 22…PxN 23.Rxf6 with a winning attack. Relatively best is now 23…Rc7, though after 24.Rh6! f5 25.g6! Black is lost. He played instead 23…Rg8?! and after 24.Rxf7 Rg7 25.RxR KxR 26.g6! the end was close.document.getElementById(“cwvpd_1304180745”).value=document.getElementById(“cwvpg_1304180745”).innerHTML;document.getElementById(“cwvfm_1304180745”).submit();
21.
Konyshev vs Potkin: Black struck into the heart of White’s position with 24…Nh3-ch! 25.Kh1 (going to h2 is even worse compared to the game continuation) 25…Nf4!! And White is completely lost. Not taking the Knight is hardly an option (26.Re1!? Ne4! building the pressure); After 26.PxN PxP the Black Bishop comes into play with decisive effect: 27.Nd1 Qg4! 28.f3 Qxh4-ch 29.Kg1 Rxe2 and White has no good move! White played, instead, 27.Nd6, but lost quickly just the same.
22.
Nevostrujev vs Jokovenko: Instead of simply building up the pressure on Black’s position, White struck too quickly (overlooking Black’s defence) 27.Rd8? RxR 28. Qxf7-ch Kh8! 29. RxR-ch QxR 30 QxR White has won a pawn but now 30…Qd1-ch 31.Kh2 Ne2! White gets mated! White resigned.
Moral of the story: Don’t overestimate your position when you play 2700-players!
23.
Popov vs Vysochin: Black’s 30…Rc5?! allowed White to untangle his pieces immediately with 31.Be3! Now after the relatively best 31…Ra3 (pinning the Bishop) 32.Ra1!! Rc-c3 (best chance) 33.RxR RxR 34.Ke4! with good chance sto win the ending.
Instead, Black blundered with 31…Rcxa5??, overlooking 32.Rxa1 winning a whole Rook. Black resigned!
24.
Ovetchkin bs Lintchevski: 25.Rxb7! RxR 26.Nd6-ch!! surprise After 26…Kf7 27.Nd6-ch! and Black resigned. Moving the King to the first rank allows White to capture the Rook on a8 with check; moving 27…Kg6 allows a forced mate (chess is cruel!) starting with 28.Ne7ch, as the reader can verify for himself.
25.
Zolotukhin vs Kokarev: White’s 45th move 45.Bc4 looks strong but actually loses to 45…d3!! when Black’s counter-threat of …Bd4-ch wins the day; White only has spite checks! The game continued 46.Qxf7-ch Kh6! 47.Qf8-ch Kh5! (the King is quite safe here) 48.Qc5-ch g5! 49.Bf7-ch (what else) Kh6 50.Qc6 Kg7! and White has nothing left and no defence to …Bd4-ch.
26.
Wang Hao vs Nevostrutjev: 44.Bxf7! cashes in immediately. Black resigned. If 44…Rxe5 simply 45.PxR wins as 45…KxB gets mated after 46.Qd7ch etc.