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Today’s examples are all from Grandmaster and Master games played in the last day or two. Solutions later today, as usual. Good luck!
Part I. Hasselbacken Open
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The calm before the storm. The White King seems safe enough…Black to play and CRUSH!
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Black to play and win!
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An interesting position…BUT wait. What is the Black King doing? White to play and get a BIG advantage!
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White wants to double on the h-file, so Black must do something quickly. But what?
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White had been nursing an edge until his last move (Qf2). Now Black has the chance to turn the tables on White! How?
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Whte has active pieces, and a safer King. White to play and win!
Part II. Russian Team Championship
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In the game White played 31.Ng4 with a big edge (Black can defend for a while with 31…Pxd5!). Instead, White has a much simpler way to win. What?
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White to play and win!
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White to play and win!
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White played 66.QxR+and lost the game. How does White save the game?
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SOLUTIONS
(The examples on the left are odd-numbered; on the right they are even-numbered)
Part I: Hasselbacken Open
1) Hasselbacken Open Stockholm 2016.5.2 Backlund, Anders–Van Foreest, Jorden: 34…Ng3+! Very well calculated. White must play well to avoid mate and will emerge several pawns down. 35.hxg3 Qh6! 36.Bh2 forced 36…Bxg3 37.Kg1 ( 37.Bxg3? Nxf3+ 38.Bh2 Qxh2# ) 37…Bxh2+ 38.Kf2 ( 38.Kxh2? Nxf3+ ) 38…Qf6!? ( Even stronger was 38…Bf4! 39.Qd3 ( 39.Qc2 Ng6 (39…g4!)) 39…Ng6 with clear advantage ) 39.e5 Qxe5 40.Ne4 Bf4 1.Qc3 Nf5 42.Qxe5 Bxe5 43.b3 h6 And Black had little trouble converting the extra two pawns.
2) Hasselbacken Open Stockholm 2016.5.3 Geenen, Marc–Brunner, Nicolas: 33…Rxe3! 34.Qxe3 Bxd4 35.Qb3 Qxb3 0-1 Black will emerge a piece up
3) Hasselbacken Open Stockholm 2016.5.3 Andreikin, Dmitry–Forsberg, Viktor: 25.c5!! (This strong move does not allow Black the time to consolidate with Kb7.) 25… bxc5 ( 25…dxc5 is not a solution either, bu tis the lesser evil. After 26.Qa4! Rd4! 27.Rxd4 cxd4 28.Qxa7+ Kd6 29.Qxb6+ Ke7 30.Rxd4 White is a clear pawn up with the better game ) 26.Qa5+! Kd7 ( Cute is the mate after 26…Kb7 27.Rb1+ Ka8 28.Qxa7+!! Kxa7 29.Ra3# ) 27.Qb5+! Rc6 ( 27…Ke7 28.Qb7+ Kf8 29.Rxd6 is crushing also ) 28.Ra3! Rdc8 29.Rxa7+ Kd8 30.Rxh7 and Black is completely helpless. The game ended 30…R8c7 31.Qb8+ Rc8 32.Qb7 R8c7 33.Qa8+ Rc8 34.Qa5+ R6c7 35.Qb6 d5 36.exd5 Ke8 37.Rxc7 Rxc7 38.d6 1-0
4) Hasselbacken Open Stockholm 2016.5.3 Greenfeld, Alon–Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi: 30…Rxf2+! 31.Qxf2 (31.KxR Qxd4+) 31…Re2 (In this position Black’s Queen will be much better than White’s two Rooks) 32.Be3 Qd3 (Good enough, but 32…g6! Is even stronger) 33.Rah1 f6 34.Qxe2 Qxe2+ 35.Bf2 Qe4+ 36.Kg1 Qf3 37.R1h3 Kf7 And Black is effectively up a Queen as White’s two Rooks are out of play. The rest of the game was easy: 38.Rb5 a6 39.Rbh5 Bc7 40.Rc5 Bd6 41.Rch5 Bb4 42.R3h4 Kg6 43.g4 Bd2 44.Rf5 Qd1+ 0-1
5) Hasselbacken Open Stockholm 2016.5.3 Landa, Konstantin–Blomqvist, Erik: 33…Nxe4! 34.Rxc8 Nxf2 35.Rc7+! (The point of Black’s little combination is that after the natural 35.Rxd8 Rxd8 36.Kxf2 Ke6! wins back the piece with an extra P ) Ke6 36.Rd2 Ne4 37.fxe4 Rxd6 38.Rxd6+ Kxd6 39.Rxg7 a5! And Black is a tiny bit better. Even so, White held the draw with accurate play, which was agreed to on move 52.
6) Hasselbacken Open Stockholm 2016.5.3 Smirin, Ilia–Burmakin, Vladimir: 26.Rxf6! An excellent positional sacrífice. For the Exchange, White gets a pawn and the Bishop pair. And note that Black has no counterply. 26…Nxf6 27.Qxg5 Qe7 28.b4!? b6 29.Ne2! This Knight will play a decisive role 29…Rac8 30.Nf4 Bb7 31.Qh4! Kg8 32.Nh5! and the end is insight 32…Rc4 33.Qg5+ Kh8 34.Bxf6+ Rxf6 35.Nxf6 Rc8 1-0
