Today’s 5-second chess tactics
“Well, pray if you like, only you’d do better to use your judgment.” ― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
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fm Malikentzos, Sotirios
gm Mastrovasilis, Athanasios
Championship of Greece, 2014,03,31 Position after White’s unnecessarily greedy 28.Qxg4?, attacking the Black Rook and trying to find a path for his Rooks to infiltrate to Black’s backrank. White’s sense of danger escaped him for a brief, but decisive moment. Black has a surprising counterattack based on White’s less secure King position…
BLACK TO PLAY AND WIN!
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im Dimitrov, Atanas
fm Pavlidis, Anastasios
Also from the same round of the Greek Championship as above. This one is EASY! (But still elegant and tímeles…I have lost count how many times I have used this tactical device in my own games!)
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!
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gm Kotronias, Vasilios
Zygouris, Hristos
Championship of Greece, the 30th of March. Position after 24 moves of play. The position is about even, and White should probably proceed with 25.Nb1 with an eye to exchanging along the c-file. INSTEAD, as so often happens in games arising from the Kings Indian Defence, White is lulled into a false sense of security and walks immediately into a tactical ambush!
25.Kh2?
Looks reasonably solid…but appearances can be deceptive!
BLACK TO PLAY AND WIN!
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SOLUTION
63rd Chessnale ch-GRE Athens 2014.3.31 Mastrovasilis, Athanasios–Malikentzos, Sotirios: 28… Qf2!! Decisive. It is curious that the Queen and Knight attack can not be held for long If now 29.Qe2 Qxe2 30.Rxe2 Rxh1+ etc, or if instead 29.Qxh5 Qd2+ 30.Kb1 Nc3+ 31.Ka1 Qxa2# So the game continued with White’s best chance: 29.Qxe6+ Kd8 30.Rd1 ( 30.Qg8+ Kc7! 31.Qg7+ Kb6 and the King escapes the checks ) Qxe3+ 31.Kb2 Qc3+ 32.Kb1 Nd2+ 0-1
63rd Chessnale ch-GRE Athens 2014.3.31 Pavlidis, Anastasios–Dimitrov, Atanas: 36.Rf8+ Rxf8 37.Qxd7 1-0
63rd Chessnale ch-GRE Athens 2014.3.30 Zygouris, Hristos–Kotronias, Vasilios: 25…Nxg3!! 26.Nd1 Too late, but nothing is good enough: 26.Qxg3 Bxd2 27.Rxd2 Qh6+ or 26.Kxg3 Bf4+ 27.Bxf4 Qxf4# In any case, it is now all over after Black’s next: 26… Nxe4! 0-1