Foguelman,Alberto
Olafsson,Fridrik
Mar del Plata 1960 (11)
White panicked due to the threat on g2 and was tempted to win a piece: 1.Bh7+? Kf8 2.Rb3 Bxg2! 3.Qh4 Qe5?! 3…Qf6!. 4.Rbe3 4.f4 Qd4+ 5.Kh2 Bd5!. 4…Be4+ 5.Kf1 Qb5+ 6.R3e2 Bxh7 7.Qxh7 Qd5 and Black soon won.
But he failed to see a nice trick:
1. Re3xe6!!
Naturally!
1. … f7-f5
1…fxe6 2.Qxe6+ Kh8 3.Qe8+ Rxe8 4.Rxe8#.
2. Re6-e8+ Kg8-f7
3. Bd3-c4+ Bb7-d5
4. Bc4xd5+ Rd8xd5
5. Re8-f8+! Kf7-g6
6. Re1-e6++−
Back
Exercise 22 **
Savchenko,Boris
Zabotin,Alexander
Ulan Ude tt 2009 (6)
White has two tactical ways to handle this situation. He chose the most obvious option, which proved efficient enough: 1.Nf5!? Rg8 Since 1…exf5 would enable 2.Re8+ Rxe8 3.Bxd6+ winning the queen. 2.Nxd6 Nxf4 3.Nxf7! Nxd3 4.cxd3 Rc8 5.Qf4! a3 6.Nd8+ Ke7 7.Rxe6+ Bxe6 8.Rxe6+ Kxd8 9.Qg5+ and mate next.
Nevertheless there was a more forceful method, deciding much more quickly:
1. Re5xh5! Nd5xf4
Or 1…Bxf4 2.Rxh8+ Ke7 3.Nf5+ Kf6 4.Qxg7+.
2. Rh5xh8+ Kf8-e7
3. Nd4-f5+ Ke7-f6
4. Qg3-g5#
Back
Exercise 23 **
Krasenkow,Michal
Tregubov,Pavel
Nancy 2009 (3)
The black knight is naturally opting for the outpost e5 from where it might join its ideally posted queen in front of the enemy king. Almost any bishop move would be sufficiently met by 2.f4. Any but one!
1. … Be5-c3!!
This intermediate move escaped the attention of the experienced Russian grandmaster, who preferred a more standard move which gave White the desired tempo: 1…Bd4?? 2.f4 Nf8 The knight seeks new horizons – to no avail. 3.Qf3 g6 4.Qg2 Qxg2+ 5.Kxg2 f6 6.Nf3 The danger has passed and White patiently converted his endgame edge.
2. b2xc3 Ng6-e5
The threatened queen cannot retreat and at the same time cover both the f3- and g4-squares which are fatally threatened by the black knight.
Back
Exercise 24 **
Prusikin,Michael
Gauglitz,Gernod
Germany 2009
The German GM chose the logical route to the kingside. Though this looks pretty promising, in fact it leads nowhere: 1.Kc4? Ka6 2.Be5 A key point is that 2.Kd5 is sufficiently met by 2…Re4!. 2…Kxb6 3.Kd5 Re8 4.Kd6 Kb5 5.Kd7 Ra8 6.Ke6 Kc4 7.Kxf5 Kd3 8.Bd4 Ra5+ 9.Be5 Kxe3 10.Kg5 Ke4=
The only road to success is with a paradoxical sacrifice on the best protected spot:
1. e3-e4!! f5xe4+
1…Rxe4 2.b7 Re8 3.Be5+−.
2. Kd3-e3 Ka5-a6
3. f4-f5
A decisive passer. The white king will soon join in while its counterpart is still stuck on the other side of the board.
Back
Exercise 25 **
Makropoulou,Marina
Banikas,Hristos
Athens 2007 (1)
For a fairly high price of three pawns White has gained a considerable initiative, mainly based on the open files for his rooks. Nevertheless Black needs just one move to castle and get away. Therefore, rather forceful action is called for:
1. Qe3-b6!!
With this surprising, powerful jump all the way to the queenside, which was overlooked by the Greek WGM, White threatens to give mate in one as well as to capture the black bishop.
White, however, chose the modest 1.c3?, somewhat naively hoping for 1…Bc5 2.Qxc5 Qxc5+ 3.Nxc5 Nxc5 4.Rd8+. 1…Be7 2.Qf3 f5 3.Qh5+ Kd8 4.Nd6 Rf8 and despite White’s strong initiative against the uncastled king Black eventually managed to defend successfully The game was eventually drawn.
1. … Bb4-e7
2. Qb6xc6 Ra8-b8
3. Be2-h5!!
3.Bxe7 Kxe7 4.Nd6 f5 5.Nxc8+ Rhxc8 6.Qxd7+ Kf6 7.Bd3 should be good enough, but the text is much stronger.
3. … Qe5xh5
Or 3…0-0 4.Bxe7 Qxh5 5.Bxf8 Nxf8 6.Qc7 Ra8 7.Nc5 and Black is doomed.
4. Bh4xe7 Ke8xe7
5. Rd1xd7+ Bc8xd7
6. Qc6-d6+ Ke7-d8
7. Qd6xb8++−
Back
Exercise 26 **
Adhiban,Baskaran
Hansen,Eric
Vung Tau jr 2008 (11)
In the actual game White neutralized the double threat by simply eliminating the knight and thus missed the light-squared bishop lying in ambush against the uncastled enemy king: 1.Bxc2? Qxc2 2.Qh5+ Qg6 3.Qxg6+ hxg6 4.Rac1 Nb8 5.Rxc8+ Bxc8 6.Rc1 Nd7 and a draw was agreed.
1. Rf142!! Nc2xa1
2. Qd1-h5+ g7-g6
3. Qh5xg6+ h7xg6
4. Bb1xg6#
Back
Exercise 27 **
Kozul,Zdenko
Bologan,Viktor
Sarajevo 2005 (8)
White actually noticed the threat to h3, but erroneously chose to give his king a flight square by moving his rook as far away as possible: 1.Ra1? Rxh3+!! 2.gxh3 Qxh3+ 3.Kg1 Qg4+ 4.Kh1 (4.Kf2 Qf3+ 5.Kg1 Ne2+ 6.Kh2 Qg3+ 7.Kh1 Qh3+), but had to call it a day after 4…Ne2−+.
The only way to meet Black’s deadly sacrificial threat is with a cold-blooded quiet move with the king:
1. Kh1-h2!! Qh4-f2
Now with the new threat of 3…Nf3+, however as so often the king acts as his own best defender.
2. Kh2-h1!
And Black cannot do better than a draw by repeating moves with 2…Qh4.
Back
Exercise 28 **
Akshayraj,Kore
Le Quang,Liem
Gaziantep Wch-jr 2008 (3)
Impressed by his world-class opponent White is content with perpetual check. The game ended peacefully after 1.Rf7+ Ke5 2.Re7+ Kf5 3.Rf7+ Ke5 4.Re7+.
His chess education seemed to have drawn a psychological barrier that stopped him from ‘weakening’ his own king’s position and, subsequently, cashing in the full point.
1. b2-b4! a4xb3
2. Re7xe3 Rc2-c8
3. g6-g7 Rc8-g8
4. Re3-e7 Kf5-f6
5. Re7-e6+ Kf6-f7
6. Re6xd6 Kf7-e7
7. a3-a4!
Winning
Back
Exercise 29 **
Sasikiran,Krishnan
Leyva,Hector
Dresden Olympiad 2008 (3)
The actual game continued: 1…Rxc3+? 2.Qxc3 Rc8 3.Bc4 Qc6 4.Rhd1 dxc4 5.e4 Ra8 6.a3 This hasty action has won some material, but led to no more than equality and later even to Black’s defeat.
1. … d5-d4!
The first intermediate move is actually paving the way for… a second one.
2. e3xd4
And only now
2. … Rc5xc3+!
3. Qa3xc3
after which the second intermediate move
3. Qd6-d5!
after 4.Re1 enables 4…Rc8 while preventing the defence 5.Bc4.
Back
Exercise 30 **
Sutovsky,Emil
Kamsky,Gata
Khanty-Mansiysk Olympiad 2010 (10)
Black carelessly lost a pawn in the opening and gave away another one to create slight saving chances with regard to the weakened pawn structure in front of the white king. White’s last move 1.f4? was aimed at reinforcing the kingside with a rook on the third rank. That was a serious mistake as it gave the American top player his one and only chance… but he failed to notice it!
1. … Ne6-g5!!
The actual game continued: 1…Nc5? 2.Qc3! Rfe8 3.Rxe8+ Rxe8 4.f3 Rd8 5.Rd5 Qe6 6.Qxc5 Rc8 7.Qxc8+! A nice move but 7.Re5 is equally good. 7…Qxc8 8.Be7 and Black resigned.
2. Re1-e3 Qc8-g4+
3. Kg1-f1 Ng5-f3!
4. Qd2-d5 Nf3xh2+
5. Kf1-e1 Qg4-g1+
6. Ke1-e2 Qg1-g6=
Back
Exercise 31 **
Pruijssers,Roeland
Afek,Yochanan
&nbs
p; Hoogeveen 2008 (9)
1. … Qb6-b7!!
Black failed to spot this move, which abandons a lovely diagonal for an even lovelier one! The queen is threatening a mate ‘Röntgen-wise’ and thus Black wins material.
After lengthy thought Black concluded that his powerful battery would not yield more than a couple of discovered checks and agreed the draw after 1…Ng4+ 2.Kh1 Nf2+ 3.Kg1 Nh3+ 4.Kh1 Nf2+.
2. Qe1xf2
2.Rg5 Nh3+.
2. … Qb7xd5
3. Qf2xh4 Qd5-d1+
4. Kg1-f2 Bd6-c5+
5. Kf2-g3 Qd1-e1+
6. Kg3-h3 Qe1-h1+
7. Kh3-g4
7.Kg3 Bf2+. Now also White is soon mated after 7…Qxg2+ 8.Kf4 Qf1+ 9.Kg4 f5+.
Back
Exercise 32 **
Levitt,Jonathan
Flear,Glenn
Plymouth ch GBR 1989 (5)
1.b4 was played in the game, which was ultimately drawn.
White missed an original win:
1. Nf7-d8!!
Threatening to give check on f8.
1. … Ke8-d7
1…Qe7 2.Nxe6! Kd7 3.Nc5+ Ke8 4.Qf5+−;
1…Rxd8 2.Qf8+ Kd7 3.Rf7+ Kc8 4.Rxc7+ Kxc7 5.Qxg7++−;
1…Qxd8 2.Qf7+;
1…Kxd8 2.Qf8+ Kd7 3.Rf7+.
2. Nd8xe6! Kd7xe6
3. Qf3-f5+
3 Bh3++−
3. … Ke6-e7
3…Kd6 4.Qe5+ Kd7 5.Rf7+.
4. Qf5-f7+ Ke7-d8
5. Qf7-g8+!
5.Qf8++−.
5. Kd8-d7
6. Rf1-f7+ Kd7-d6
7. e4-e5+ Kd6-e6
8. Rf7-f8+ Ke6-d7
9. Qg8-f7#
Back
Savchenko,Stanislav
Krivonosov,Oleg
USSR 1989
1…Be5?? was played in the game when after 2.Bxe5 Kd5
3.Kd3! (3.Bg7?? Kc4! and Black wins) 3…a2? (3…Kxe5 is a draw) 4.Bd4 a1Q 5.c4+ won for White. Black could have won with
1. … a3-a2!
1…Kd6−+; 1…Kd5−+ 2.c4+ Ke6; 1…Kd7−+.
2. c3-c4 Kc6-d6
3. c4-c5+ Kd6-e6
4. Bf6-b2 Bh2-e5−+
Back
Exercise 34 ***
Lasker,Edward
Moll,Kurt
Berlin 1904
White creates a passed pawn:
1. f5-f6!
1.f4?, played in the game, failed to the simple 1…f6! 2.g5 Kd4 and Black won.
1. … g7xf6
2. f2-f4 Kc4-d5
3. g4-g5 f6xg5
4. f4xg5 Kd5-e6
5. g5xh6 Ke6-f6
6. Kc1-c2+−
The zugzwang forces Black to play the king, losing immediately.
Back
Exercise 35 ***
Arulaid,Alexander
Gurgenidze,Bukhuti
Lugansk 1956
The game was adjourned here and White resigned without resuming. In fact, a draw would have been the normal result after
1. Ke6-d6!
The idea is to harass Black’s king with constant mating threats. The only escape is to the corner square a1, when White has another trick enabling him to stop the enemy pawns just in time.
1. … Kd8-c8
1…Ke8 2.Ke6 Kf8 3.Kf6=.
2. Rb1-c1+ Kc8-b7
2…Kd8 3.Rb1.
3. Rc1-b1+ Kb7-a6
4. Kd6-c6 Ka6-a5
5. Kc6-c5 Ka5-a4
6. Kc5-c4 Ka4-a3
7. Kc4-c3 Ka3-a2
It seems that Black has escaped, but White has another point.
8. Rb1-f1!
And White’s pieces manage to capture the black pawns just in time.
8. … h7-h5
9. Kc3-d3 Ka2-a3
10. Kd3-e2 g3-g2
11. Ke2xf2=
Back
Exercise 36 ***
Tukmakov,Vladimir
Gutrnan,Lev
Ashkhabad 1978 (3)
In the game, White could not win after 1.Rd7+ Nxd7 2.Qxd7+ Kg6 3.Qg4+ Kf7 4.Qd7+ Kg6 5.Qg4+ Kf7 6.Qd7+=.
The geometrical move
1. Be3-c5!
was winning, thanks to a mate threat on f8.
1. … Rh5xc5
1…g6 2.Rd7+ Nxd7 3.Qxd7+ Kf6 4.Be7+ Ke5 5.Rc5+.
Now the little pawn fork
2. b2-b4
gives White a decisive advantage: 2.b4 Qxb4 (2…Qa4 3.Rxc5; 2…Rxc8 3.bxa5) 3.Qxb4 Rxc8 4.Qb7+ Rc7 5.Qd5+ Re6 6.Kxh2.
Back
Exercise 37 ***
Orlov,Andrey
Pantaleoni,Claudio
Porto Mannu Open 2007 (4)
1.Qxf6 was played in the game, maintaining a great advantage: 1…Rxc7 2.Qxh6 Rxc2 3.Bh7+ Kh8 4.Bxc2+ Kg8 5.Bh7+ Kh8 6.Bd3+ Kg8 7.Qg5+ Kh8 8.Qxa5 8…Qd6±. 8…Bd5?? 9.Qc5! 1-0.
But the key to the position is
1. Nc7xe6!
with the point that on
1. … Rc8xc2
the surprising
2. Bd3-h7+!!
wins, allowing White to either checkmate on g7 or fork the king and the queen on f8, depending on how Black captures the bishop. See:
A) 2…Nxh7 3.Qg7#;
B) 2…Kh8 3.Qxf6+ Kxh7 4.Qg7#;
C) 2…Kxh7 3.Nf8+ Kg8 4.Nxd7 Nxd7 5.Qf5 Rc1+ 6.Kh2 Nf8 7.Qxg4++−.
Back
Exercise 38 ***
Turapov
Serper,Grigory
Uzbekistan rapid 1994
White missed a superb interception that leads to a quick win.
1. Rc6-e6!!
In the game 1.f6?! was played, when after 1…g6 the position was unclear.
The main idea lies in the variation 1…fxe6 2.f6 g6 and now the ‘invisible’ 3.Qc7! forces checkmate.
2. f5xe6 f7xe6
2…g6 3.Qc3!+−;
2…h6 3.Qb8+Kh7 4.exf7+−.
3. Ra1-a8+ Kg8-f7
4. Ra8-a7+ Kf7-f6
5. Qg3-f4+ Kf6-g6
6. h2-h4!
Weaving a mating net. The natural 6.Qf7+ also wins. Now, after 6…Rb1+ 7.Kh2 Qh5, White wins with 8.Qf7+ Kh6 9.Qxg7#.
Back
Exercise 39 ***
Kreiman,Boris
Kaidanov,Gregory
Key West ch USA 1994 (4)
In the game, White had to be content with a draw after 1.Qc7 f6 2.Qxb7 Kf7.
The winning move was a ‘long’ one:
1. Qf4-b8! Qd5-d7
And the winning retreat is
2. Qb8-d6!
again forcing the defence
2. … Qd7-c8
3. Re1-d1! f7-f6
4. Qd6-d8 Kg8-f7
5. Qd8xc8 Re8xc8
6. Rd1-d8
winning the rook and the game.
Back
Exercise 40 ***
Gdanski,Jacek
Kempinski,Robert
Gdansk ch POL 1994 (8)
After 1.Bxg7+?, Black replied 1…Nxg7 with an unclear game that Black won in the end.
With the invisible move
1. Nd5-f4!!
White could bring another attacking piece in front of the enemy king.
1. … Bc8-f5
1…gxh6 2.Ng6+ hxg6 (2…Kg7 3.Qxh6#) 3.Qxh6#;
1…exf4 2.Qxc5;
1…fxg5 2.Ng6+ hxg6 3.Bxg5#.
2. Qg5xf5 g7xh6
3. Rh4xh6
3.Ng6+Kg7 4.Rg4+−.
3. … Qc5-c7
4. Nf4-g6+ Kh8-g7
5. Rh6xh7+ Kg7xh7
6. Ng6-e7+ Kh7-g7
7. Qf5-g6+ Kg7-h8
8. Qg6-h6#
Back
Exercise 41 ***
Malakhov,Vladimir
Naer,Evgeny
Moscow 2007 (7)
In the game, after 1.Ke5? Kc5= 2.f3 (2.Kf6 Kd4 3.f4 Ke4=) 2…Kc6 3.f4 (3.Kf6 Kd5 4.Kxf7 Ke5=) 3…Kd7 4.Kf6 Ke8 5.Kg7 f5! Black waited for White to take the pawn, took the opposition with …Kf7, and drew.
White must keep the black king from counterattacking his
pawn, and wait with pushing the f-pawn.
1. Ke4-d4!! Kb4-b5
1…Kb3 2.f4! Kc2 3.6 Kd2 4.f6 Keg 5.Ke5 Kf3 6.Kd6 Kf4 7.Ke7+−.
2. Kd4-d5!
2.Ke5 Kc5=.
2. … Kb5-b6
Or 2…Kb4 3.f4 Kc3 4.f5 Kd3 5.f6 and White wins. But now
3. Kd5-d6!
wins, for instance 3…Kb5 4.f4 Kc4 5.f5 Kd4 6.f6 Ke4 7.Ke7+−.
Back
Exercise 42 ***
Magalashvili,Davit
Lajthajm,Borko
Kavala 2008 (8)
Which way should the troubled king go? The less likely road is apparently the one to glory.
1. Ke5-e6!!
Pieces on the same rank.
1. … Rh1-h6+?
1…Qe3+ 2.Qe5+ Qxe5+ 3.Rxe5 Rh6+ (3…c3 4.d6 c2 5.d7+−) 4.Kd7 c3 5.d6 c2 6.Rc5+−.
2. Ke6-f7! Qc3-g7+
The point! 2…Rxd6 3.Rh5+ mating.
3. Rg5xg7 Rh6xd6
4. Rg7-g5 Rd6-d7+
5. Kf7-e6 Rd7-d8
6. d5-d6+−
In the game White missed all this with 1.Kf5? Qd3+ 2.Ke6? A bit too late; however it wasn’t yet too late for rescuing half a point with 2.Kg4! Qd1+ 3.Kf5=. Now White even lost after 2…Rh6+.
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Exercise 43 ***
Muir, Andrew
Ragger,Markus
Heraklio Ech-tt 2007 (2)