Yakov Neishtadt
Improve Your Chess Tactics 700 Practical Lessons & Exercises
New In Chess 2011 © 201 1 New In Chess Published by New In Chess, Alkmaar, The Netherlands www.newinchess.com
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Covl'r design: Volkcn Beck Tr.111sl.uion: Steve Giddins S11p<'rvisor: Peter Boel l'roofrt-.1ding: Rene Olthof l'md11ction: Anton Schermer
ISBN: 978-90-5691-3 34-2 Contents
ConcerningChess Improvement, and This Book ...... 7
The Alpha andOmega of Chess ...... 9
Combinative Themes ...... l S Deflection ...... 16
Exercises ...... 2 2 Decoying ...... 31
Exercises ...... 4 2
Eliminating Defenders ...... 49
Exercises ...... 5 2
Clearing Squares and Lines ...... 5 5
Clearing Squares ...... 5 5
Clearing Diagonals ...... 5 6
Clearing Files ...... 5 7
Clearing Ranks ...... 5 7
Exercises ...... 5 9
Pinning andUnpinning ...... 61
Exercises ...... 66
Interference andShutting-off ...... 69 Exercises ...... 7 2
Combining Themes ...... 7 5
Deflectionand Decoy ...... 7 5
Deflectionand Line Clearance ...... 7 6
Deflectionand Pinning ...... 7 6
Deflectionand Interference ...... 7 7
Deflectionand Clearing Squares/Lines ...... 7 8
Decoying and Pinning ...... 81
Decoy andlnrer�rence ...... 82
Eliminating Defenders and Deflection ...... 8 2
Eliminating Defenders and Decoying ...... 8 3
,Eliminating Defenders and Clearing Lines ...... 84
Eliminating Defenders and Interference ...... 84
Deflection,Decoy and Interference ...... 85
Deflection,Eliminating Defenders and Decoying ...... 8 5
Decoying, Interference and Clearing Squares ...... 85
Eliminating Defenders, Decoying and Clearing Lines ...... 86
Eliminating Defenders, Clearing Lines and Deflection ...... 8 7
Clearing Squares, Decoying and Deflecting ...... 87 5 Improve Your Chess Tactics
Clearing Lines, Eliminating Defenders, Deflection
and Piruting, Decoying ...... 89 Exercises ...... 9 0
Pawns on the Brink ...... 9 7 Exercises ...... 1 0 3
Miracle Saves...... 10 7 Exercises ...... 1 1 S
Exain.ination ...... 11 9 Exercises ...... 1 1 9
Solutions to exercises ...... 181 Deflection (No 35-86) ...... 18 3 Decoying (No 120-1SS) ...... 197 Eliminating Defenders (No 16 3-1 72) ...... 2 0 7 Clearing Squares and Lines (No 183-192) ...... 210 Pinning and Unpinning (No 208-223) ...... 213 Interference (No 23 2-245) ...... 218 Combining Themes (No 281-310) ...... 2 23 Pawns on the Brink (No 325-338) ...... 232 Miracle Saves (No 359-380) ...... 237 Examination (No 3 8 1-7 3 6) ...... 244
Index of Players ...... 369
Explanation of Syinbols...... •.. 377
Glossary of Terms ...... • 379
About the Author ...... 38 3
6 Concerning Chess Improvement, and This Book
It is well-known that the best form of training is practical play, and taking part in tournaments. In order to play better, one must play more, and with strong opponents wherever possible. However, this axiomatic advice requires a little amendment. Every game is an examination in itself.But it is an examination without precise model answers to the questions that are most important. Did we (and our oppo nent) handle the changing situation frommove to move correctly? Which moment was the turning point - where was the decisive mistake made, and was it exploited in the best way? 'To know that, we have to analyse the game', - the reader will doubtlessly tell us. Indeed, but it would be very usefulto compare our conclusions with those of a more qualified judge, a player who is significantly stronger than ourselves. Yo ur analysis, no matter how serious it may be, is limited by the level of your chess understanding. Suppose that you have found theplace where, it seems to you, your play departed fromthe best line, where you committed some inaccuracies and mis takes, and now you know how you should have played. But have you foundthe best moves forsure ? How accurate is your tactical vision? Can you be sure you have not missed any combinative possibilities for yourself or your opponent? Finally, no matter how well-developed your feeling forposition may be, are your assessments totally objective? In a word, aren't you taking on too much, and setting yourself a task that is unfulfillable? Have you missed a decisive continuation, before yo u are convinced that the position cannot possibly contain anything out of the ordinary? But even if you have an experience?!. helper on hand, you are unlikely to achieve great successes, if you only study your own games. You also have to study others' games, both classical and modern: instructive master games, typical and original combinations and characteristic plans. Added to that is the required basic knowl edge of opening and endgame theory. We can findal l of this (or, at least, we should be able to findit) in the traditional chess textbooks. When playing over the games given, one remembers what one has seen, and tries in similar situations to implement the knowledge obtained. How ever, it is hard to judge how and to what extent the material is mastered, since there is no direct contact between the book's author and its reader. In general, both methods of self-improvement - analysing one's games (not only won games, but losses as well) and working with textbooks, have their pluses and minuses, and complement each other.
But isn't it important to bring together knowledge and practical play? In your hands, you have a textbook (a schooling in combinations) and a collec tion of exercises (practice). In short, a self-tutor and a sparring-partner.
7 Improve Your Chess Tactics
These positions, taken from the games of masters and grandmasters, as well as lesser players, are given immediately before the decisive moment in the game. You have to find the winning line, or, in the case of difficult positions, the saving re source. A few of the positions are compositions, or are taken from compositions, close in style to practical play. In the first part of the book, the positions are grouped by theme, which, of course, makes them easier to solve. In the second part, the themes are not indicated, and so the reader has no extra hints in this 'Finishing School'. However, the basic factthat all of the positions require a combinative solution is itself a sufficient hint forthe experienced player to findthe correct path. Try at firstto solve the questions without moving the pieces, and go over to de tailed analysis, only when you are convinced that you cannot solve the exercise in your head. The reader will no doubt notice that farfrom all of the famousgrandmasters are represented here. But the book is not intended as an anthology of combinations by the great, and the examples have not been chosen on the principle of being repre sentative, but fortheir instructional value. The level of the event in which the game was played has also not been used as a factorin the selection. Alongside fragments fromthe games of the most famous masters, you will meet examples fromsimulta neous displays and quite insignificantcompetitions. And so, in conclusion: this book, which is aimed at a wide range of chess ama teurs, may also be used by an experienced player, a master, or even a grandmaster. Even he will find many positions that are unknown to him, and which he can use to show to his own pupils.
The author and the editors have checked all the combinations in this book with the computer. However, the book may still contain flaws. Readers who have found er rors are invited to notify us via email: [email protected].
8 The Alpha and Omega of Chess
Strategyand tactics. The definition of a combination. Classification.
Right from the very first page of most chess books, in almost every comment we encounter special terminology, without thinking much about their derivation and basic meaning. A chess game is an ideal representation of war, in which the sides (as distinct from a real war) followclearly -definedrules. The majority of the terms we use in chess are derived from military lexicon. Tactics and strategy. Attack and defence. Counter-attack. Flanks and the rear. Fortress, siege, blockade, breakthrough, pene tration, etc. STRATEGY is the most important part of the art of war, devoted to the prepara tion and carrying out of military actions, and the planning of operations. TACTICS is the art of conducting a specific battle. Because the specific battle is part of the overall (strategic) operation, tactics serve strategy, and fulfilits tasks. In this sense, chess strategy should occupy itself with planning, and the selection of the targets at which our play should be directed in the given position. Tactics are the specific concrete actions which we have to carry out to achieve our desired aims. In the words of Max Euwe, the distinction is between 'what to do' and 'how to do it'. In a word, tactics serve strategy and depend on it. Compared with a war situa tion, the chess definitionshave a slightly different sense. Ta ctics do not embrace all concrete operations (for example, exchanges) , but only actions of a sharp, combinative character, intended to change significantly the picture on the board, or to decide the game's outcome. In this sense, it does not matter whether the tactical operation is the logical outcome of events (i.e. whether it fitsin with the strategic plan) or whether it is unconnected with the general flow of the game, and arises randomly (forexample, because of a blunder by the oppo nent in a position that is better forhim) . In other words, tactics in chess do not always serve strategy - sometimes they exist of their own accord. Separate manoeuvres, aimed at fulfilling the strategic plan, are not usually regarded as part of tactics. In general, the terms 'tactics' and 'strategy', and, correspondingly, 'tactical play' and 'strategic play' are used almost as synonyms. When starting out using chess literature, it is worth remembering this change in military (and even political) terminology.
And now we turn to the play itself
Note: Throughout the book, we will use squares to the left of every diagram to in dicate which side is to move.
9 Improve Your Chm Taelics
Manca 3 Durao Braga Catozzi Reggio Emilia, 1992/93 Dublin, 1957
D
The queen was sacrificed - l.°iVc 7+!, Black was mated elegantly: 1.l:lf4+ and the game ended. Black is maced: 'lt>hS 2.l:lh4+! gxh43. g4# I ... CiJxc7 2.CiJb6+ axb6 3.l:ld8#.
2 Siegel 4 Cruz Lima V. Mikhalevski A. Hernandez Neuchatel, 1996 Cuba, 1994
• •
White thought his opponent had noth Here Black announced mate in five: ing better than to take the knight. How 1 . . . fixh2+! 2.'lt>xh2 CiJf4+ 3.'lt> g3 ever, there followed1 ....ih 4+ ! 2.'lt>x h4 l:lh3+ 4.'lt>g4hs+s. 'lt> gs l:lfS# 2.'lt>f3 fif2#. 2 ... 'ii'fl+ 3.'lt> gS h6+ - 4.'lt>x h6 fih4#.
In the followingexamples, after the sac In the following example, the king is rifice, there follow only checks and mated aftertwo sacrifices. forcedreplies.
10 The Alpha and Omega of Chess
5 Geller Arguments about formulaehave no real Novotelnov connection with practical play.But these Moscow, I 9 S I definitionsare the basis forthe classifi cation of combinations, and, corre D spondingly, forthe construction of our account ofthis important theme. So far, we have deliberately chosen combinations in which every move is a check. Checks are a powerfulmeans of control, of limiting the opponent's choice of replies. Calculating a combi nation in which the enemy king is continually chased around with checks (especially if the main line has few, if 1Jhf8+! Wxf8 If l...'i'xf8 2.i.h7 + any, deviations) is usually quite easy. @h8 3 ..ig6+ and 4.'i'h7#. 2.'ifhs+ However, such chances occur relatively @fl rarely. Other means of control are threats and captures (exchanges). De cisive threats can also be set up by 'quiet' (i.e. outwardly unremarkable) moves.
Here are a few examples.
6 Spielmann Landau Holland, I 9 3 2 3 . .ig6+! Inviting the king into the mat-
ing net. 3 ... Wxg6 3 . .. We6 4.'i'c8+ 0 'i'd7 s . .ifs+ '1t>f7 6.'i'xd7 + wfs 7 .°iYd8+ and 8.e6# does not change things. 4.°iV hS #
Moves (or series of moves) connected by a general idea and logically con nected with one another, are called a variation. When one side forces the other's moves , this isa forcin g variation. In all of the examples we have seen, the forcing character of the struggle resulted The game continued l,ll:) f6 +! gxf6 from a sacrifice. A combination is a 2.� g4+ Wh8. Mate became inevitable forcedvariation with a sacrifice . after the 'quiet' move3.W g2!.
11 Improve Your Chm Tactics
7 Hort In the following fragment, the means Portisch used to draw the opponent into a forc Madrid, 1973 ing variation was an exchange of pieces. D
9 Kubicek Privara Ostrava, 1976
1.li g4+! So as to open the bishop's di agonal. 1 ... fxg4 2.'if gs+ �h83. � h6! There is a threat not only of mate on h7, but also 4.'ifxf8# (hence the check on g5). Black resigned.
White has brought his rook to h3, to at 8 Botvinnik tack the opponent's castled position. To Keres defend against the threat of � d 1-hS, The Hague/Moscow, 1948 Black has played ...g7- g6.
How can we continue the assault? An exchange of minor pieces opens the possibility of a decisive sacrifice: 1.�xe4 Ensuring the rook has access to the square g3. 1. ..dxe 4 2.tlJ xd7 Remov ing the knight that could go to f6. 2 ...�x d7 (or 2...�xd7) Now the decisive blow: 3.'f!fhS!, and Black resigned. After3 ...gxhS the game is ended by 4.:g3+, and otherwise the h7 -square cannot be defended. After 1.li xg7+! �xg7 2.ttJ hs+ �g6 (on 2...�f8 there is 3.tlJxf6 tlJxf6 Now we see a combination devoted to 4.'ifxf6,) the game was ended with the material gain. 'quiet' move 3.tfe3!. (next page)
12 The Alpha and Omega of Chess
IO Rosenblatt 12 Sliwa Volk Stoltz Biel. 1977 Bucharest, I 9 5 3
D D
The simple combination 1.1:rb 8 White sacrificed his queen, for the sake
( l . . .ihb8 2 . .ixes+; l ....ixd4 of forcing hispawns through: 2.llxe8+) ended the game. 1.'f!Yxc6bx c6 2.b 7 'f!Yd 8 3.b 8'f!Y l:ldl + Is this the refutation of the combina 11 Beliavsky tion? ... Tavadian 4.lhdl 'fi'xb8 Yaroslavl, 1982 D
There followed 1 Jhe 5 ! 'f!Yxe5 White has only rook and knight forthe
( l ... .ixe5 2.Ild8#) 2.:ds+ .ixd8 queen, but his next 'quiet' move radi 3.'f!Y xe H i;¥;d 7 4.'f!Yd 4+ with a great cally clarifiesthe situation. material advantage ( 4 ...@e6 5 . .ixd8; 5.tl:Jb 7! 4 ...@e7 5 . .ics+and 6.'fi'xh8). Black resigned.
Besides mating the enemy king and gaining material, any favourablechange in the position can be the object of a combination (forexample strengthening an attack, improving piece coordination, transposing into a promising endgame, etc.), and in a bad position, a combination may be the basis forsaving the game (e.g. by setting up perpetual check, stalemate, re-establishing material equality, reaching a theoret ically drawn ending, etc.), obtaining counterplay and even weakening the enemy attack.
13 Improve Your Chess Tactics
A combination is the strongest means of achieving the aim. It is an extraordinary way of reaching the goal, a breakthrough that clarifies the situation on the board in .i short time-frame,reveals the truth about the position, and exposes falsevalues. Now let us look at combinations through the eyes of the spectator. Sacrificesand the subsequent extreme follow-ups create a strong emotional effect, whether we are watching the game in the tournament hall, or reading a book in which a game from long ago is presented. Original thoughts (not, in the final analysis, the amount sacrificed), accurate calculation, 'quiet' intermediate moves, and the final victory of a relatively small forcehave a striking effecton us. Aesthetic appreciation of a combination depends, of course, on the class of a player. A typical combination, using a hackneyed theme, can be a real revelation to one player, but little more than an element of technique to another. The main point, though, is that the scope for original combinative ideas is almost inexhaustible. This is the nature of chess. Even with respect to typical combinations, all chess po sitions are concrete and have their own unique characteristics, and so experience, although it helps, can never insure anyone against mistakes. There are as many combinations as there are chess positions. Afterthe reformof the moves of queen and bishop (in the I 5th- 16th centuries), the role of combina tions greatly increased. It is precisely in the existence and extent of combinations that other games invented by the human mind are unable to compare with chess. Thus, a combination is a forcing variation with a sacrifice, in pursuit of a positive aim, andleading to a significantchange in the situation on the board. Combinations can be classifiedby intention, and also by other formalattributes: the material which is sacrificed,the pieces taking part in the combination and play ing the major role therein, and the object against which the combination is directed.
However, the most important of all is the classificationof combinations by con tent. The MOTIF is the characteristic of the position, on which the player fastens in his search fora combination. This may be the cramped position of the enemy king, or, on the contrary, the distance by which its pieces are cut offfrom the defence, the weakness of the back rank, or of the squares in the immediate vicinity of the king, or the undefended position of a certain piece, or the lack of coordination between the pieces. The motif is nothing other than the initial signpost which directs the player's attention to the right area in his search fora combination. The THEME of a combination (sometimes called the 'idea') is the answer to the question of what the combination consists of For example, the deflection of the queen from thedefence of a key square (the deflection theme), the breaking of the connection between enemy pieces, the presence of pieces on a single line, etc.
14 Combinative Themes fmprove Your Chess Tactics
Deflection
In combinations on the theme of deflection,an enemy piece or pawn which is per formingan important functionis forced (or induced) to leave its position, thereby exposing a key line or square, or leaving another piece undefended. The finalaim of the operation can vary.
We start with a simple textbook exam White is prepared to give his knight for ple fromthe endgame. the c-pawn, which leads to a draw after
l . . . c3 2.llJxc3 llJxc3 3.Wg5 llJe2 4.Wg6 13 llJg3. However, after the deflection 1... t:Lib 6! D he has to resign - the pawn cannot be stopped.
1.5 Abrahams Winter London, 1946
D The black bishop has to control c7, else the white pawn queens. But by continu ing 1.�c3 White deflects the bishop from the key diagonal and after
1 ...�x c3 2.c 7 he wins.
14 Popov Emelyanenko 1.l:ths+
Now we will look at some examples where the deflection is followed by a · knight fork. As in the previous examples, the final aim is to secure a material advantage.
16 Deflection
16 Alexander 18 Panczyk Cordingley Schurade England, 1947 Zakopane, I 9 7 8
D
l .bb 7 'ifxb72. °iVdS! The simple I . .ieS llf7 2 . .ixb8 'i'xb8 Black resigned, because he loses a piece: 3.'i'xe6 or 3.llJeS and llJe5-c6 is 2 ...'i'xd S 3 .llJxe7 + and 4.llJxdS; strong, but the game ended with the re 2 ...llJc6 3 .'i'xc6!. markable long move l.°iVaS!!. If the queen is taken, there follows2. llJxe7+ and 3.llJx c8, remaining with an extra 17 Atlas piece. If I..J1b7, then 2.llJxe7+ lhe7 Wirthensohn 3.'i'xb8.
Wahlen, J 993 After l .. Jhg6 2.'i'xa7, and also I....td8 2.'i'xa7 llJc6 3.llJe7+! llJxe7 D (3 ...i.xe7 4.'i'xb6) 4.llfd I the realisa tion of the extra exchange should not be too difficult. In the last variation, White also wins the exchange after 2.'i'xb8 (instead of 2.'i'xa7) 2 ...'i'xb8 3.i.xb8 l:1b7,by playing 4.llJeS l:lxb8 5.llJd7.
Now let us acquaint ourselves with some of the many different motifs in volving the hidden weakness of the After lJ1e 8+! �xe8 2.llJ f6+ �e 7 back rank. (2 ...�fs 3 .llJd7+) 3.�el + �rs If the king does not have a bolthole (or 4.tlJd 7+ Black loses his queen to a fork. he cannot make use of it because the This combination did not actually occur square is attacked), the deflection of a in the game at hand, but was found in piece which is defending the back rank analysis. can result in catastrophe.
17 Improve Your Chess Tactics
19 Fuster 21 Mikenas Balogh Bronstein Budapest, 1946 Tallinn, 1965
•
White did not detect any danger: on There followed I...°i'b 2! ('mating the 1...'i'el + he does not take the queen, rook'!), and White acknowledged de but continues 2.'i'fl .
fe at. However, with the move l . ..l:tx a3 ! Black captured an apparently well defended pawn, afterwhich White had 20 Mechkarov to resign. Kaikamdzozov Bulgaria, 1969 22 Reshevsky D Fischer Palma de Mallorca, I 97 0
•
By playing I.l:tb 2, White prepared to exchange rooks. The reply l. .. 'i'f3! forced him to resign. After l. ..'i'd 4+ 2.'it> hl 'i'f2! White re
signed. On 3.'i'bS, and also 3.l:lgl ,
there follows3 ... Ue 1.
18 Deflection
23 Mileika 25 Madsen Vojtkevics Napolitano Riga. 1963 Correspondence game, I 9 S 3 • D
A decisive advantage could be obtained The key square d8, at which the White without any fussby l ...l:le2 2.@ fl 'i'e6. queen, supported by the rook, is look What instead happened has a direct con ing, is defended twice. It would be nection with our theme (as well as with good to deflect one of the pieces that chess aesthetics): 1 ... l:le1 + ! 2.l:lxe 1 defend this square, which can be done 'i'd4+! 3.'i'xd4dxe l'fV# by means of 1.l:la7!. After 1... 1i'b6 (it is easy to see that there is no other move) 26 Teschner the white rook places itself under a Portisch double attack - 2.l::t.b7!. After any cap Monaco, 1969 ture, 3.'i'd8+ decides. Black resigned.
24 Lepek Koonen Correspondence game, 1962
D
Black is not threatening to take the queen, and so White re-established ma terial equality by means of 1.l:lxdS. In reply, Portisch could have decided the game with the deflection 1... 'f!ffl! . White can stop the mate on fl and at the 1.l:lc2! 'i'xd4 2.l:lc4 'i'b6 There is no same time defend his rook by means of other reply - otherwise the 8th rank 2.ltJg3 , but then 2 ... 'i'el + leads to mate. will be undefended. 3.l:lc8+ l:ld8 The Hungarian GM played 1...'i'a6. The 4.�S! (or 4.'i'e3!). The deflection of reply2.ltJg3allowed White to liquidate the queen decides the game. the danger and the game was drawn.
19 Improve Your Chm Tactics
It can also happen that a piece is over The move 1...'i'a7!, deflecting the loaded with responsibilities - it has to de queen from the defence of c3, ended fe nd two or even more important objects the ga me. (pieces, squares or lines). Deflection of th e overloaded piece can result in one of 29 Alexeev th e objects being left undefended. Razuvaev Moscow, 1969 27 Ragozin Panov • Moscow, I 940
•
The pawn e4 defends against the pow erful bishops, so: 1... �d8! Or the 'sim ple' 1...'i'd6. 2.'i'f3'i'd l! 3.\t>g2Again
The move 1.•. �c6!, deflects the queen, the queen cannot be taken because of and after 2.'i'e2, the exploitation of its mate. 3 ...'i'c2+ 4.\t>h3 �xe4 White re overload and need to defend the rook signed. (2 .. Jhdl+ 3.'i'xd l 'i'xbS) forced White to resign. 3 O Petkevich Castaneda A few more examples of deflectingsac Russia, 1994 rifices.
28 Byvshev To lush Leningrad, 1954
•
Deflecting the rook from the f-file (or the queen from the defence of g7 ) ren ders mate unavoidable: t.tidS! lhd8 If l...�e6 or I...�fS , th en 2.°iff6+ and 3.'ifxf8#. And after l ... 'i'f7- 2.'i'xeS+
20 Deflection
Wg8 3 ..�c 4!, and Black is mated on g7 . 33 Polugaevsky 2.'iYf6+ Wg8 3 ..Q. c4+ with mate. Szilagyi Moscow, I 9 6 0 31 HOfer Felmy Hamburg, 197 S
White has the advantage, of course. He could play, say, 1.e6 followed by I..Jhd7 2.tlg1 +, and on 2 ...WhS or 1.tl.JhS! Deflecting the knight from the 2 ...Wh6 - 3.exd7 �d8 4.�d 1 . defence of h7 . 1 ... tl.JxhS After the new However, Polugaevsky found an origi deflection blow 2.tl.JdS! the king is de nal mating combination: 1.�gl + Wh6 prived of e7 - Black resigned. 2 . .if8+! Deflecting the rook from the White could have inverted moves, first cl-file allows the decisive manoeuvre playing 2.'i'h7 + and after 2 ...Wf8 - (note that 2.l:t.f7 was also enough to 3.tl.JdS!, with the same result. win). 2..Jhf8 3.U.d3!, and the mate is unstoppable. 32 Zak.ic Miljanic 34 Mackenzie Budva, 1996 NN Manchester, 1889 D D
1.�d8+! and Black resigned in view of Black will be mated on d8 ! To do so, the following variation: 1...'t'V xd8 White needs to open and clear the cl-file 2.�xb7+ We ? 3.�as+ Wd7 4.�c6+ and deflectthe enemy queen and rook. @cs ( 4 ... We7 s.�xcs+) s.'i'a6+ Wb8 Thus, 1.U.xes+! dxeS 2.'ifxes+! '*YxeS 6.'*Yb7#. 3.i.c6+l:txc6 4.U.d8#. 21 Improve Your Ches.s Tactics
Exercises
36
37 38 •
39 40 D •
22 Deflection
41 42 D
43 44 • •
45 46 D
23 Improve Your Chm Tactics
47 48 • •
49 50 • •
51 0 0
24 Deflection
53 54 • •
55 56 0 •
57 58 0 0 lmprove Your Chess Tactics
59 60 • •
61 62 •
63 64 D
26 Deflection
65 66 0
67 68 0
69 70 0 •
27 Improve Your Chess Tactics
71 72
On 1.'iVcH Black blocked the check What is your reply to 1...�c8 ? with 1. .. 'i'd4. Assess this move.
73 74 D
Black's last move was ...lt:Jf 6-g4. How Black did not want to give up the cl-file should it be met? (1 ... �xdS 2.�xdS cxb3 3.'ifd3or 3.'ifd4 with advantage to Whi te) and took the
pawn at once - l ...cxb 3. Was he right?
75 76 D D
White defended against mate by means Assess the continuation I .lhg7 lhg7 of l .f4. Continue the attack. 2.�xf6. 28 !Jcl led ion
77 78 0
White played 1.�d4, deciding that a di By putting his queen on c3, White rect attack on the kingside is not dan threatened mate, and attacked the gerous for him: 1 ...�h3 2.�f3 llc6 bishop at the same time. Is Black 3.Whl, and the bishop on h3 must re obliged to return the bishop to f8 ? treat. Were his calculations correct? 79 80 • 0
How should White's last move Can the pawn on c3 be taken? I J:ldl -d6 be met ? 81 82 •
By sacrificing a pawn, Black went into The black rooks have burst onto the 7th the variation 1 ... �xgS 2.�xf7+ Wh8 rank. Continue the attack. 3.�xe8 �xcl 4.�xg6 �xb2. Assess it.
29 Improve Your Chess Tactics
83 84 D D
Mate is threatened on c 2, and the On 1.l:th8+ Black plays I...@d7, in or bishop on c8 attacked. What should der after2.l:t xc8 to reply 2...l:txg7, and
White do? after2Jhf7 - 2 ...l:tx h8. Has he seen everything?
85 86 D
White has an extra pawn, but is well be White refrained from the move 1.l:ta3 hind in development, and with the with the threat of mate on a8 (first move 1 •.. f 4 Black went over to the at question: why?) and played I.l:th3,on tack. What happens after 2.�xd7 'i'xd7 which there followed1 ...'i'gS . 3.'i'xeS ? Analy se the position. Question two: how should the move 2.l:Ia3 be assessed now, the queen hav ing been driv�n away?
30 Decoying
In combinations on this theme, an enemy piece is again induced to leave its position, but in this case, it is lured to a specificposition. In this position, the piece then turns out to be badly placed, either foritself , or in relation to other pieces.
We begin with a textbook position. Now several examples in which the king is lured into a fork. 87 D 89 Raitza Casper
•
By continuing I.i.a3+! White either entices the king to a3 and gives mate, or (if the king retreats) wins the queen. l...d4+! After every capture of the 88 Stanciu pawn, as well as a king retreat, White Drimer loses his queen: 2.'i'xd4 ttJfs+; Bucharest, 1969 2.Wxd4 ltJc6+; 2.Wf4 ltJg6+; 2.We4 'i'e2+ 3.Wf4 ltJg6+ or 3.Wxd4 ltJc6+. • 90 D
With the tempting move l ... tllc6? Black attacked the pinned bishop. However, after 2.�f8+!he had to resign. The king In this textbook example, Black has is lured to f8 , allowing the pinned queen for rook, but l.�f6+! 'i'xf6 bishop to land a deadly blow (2 ... @xf8 2.eH saves White (2 ...@xe S 3.ltJg4+ 3.i.xg7 + ). or 2 ...'i'xeS 3. ltJf7+).
31 Improve Your Chess Tactics
91 Przepiorka - Ahues Byrne forced transpositiona into a win Kecskemet, 1927 ning endgame by means of 1. .. lLJfS+ 2.@d3 lhc3+! 3.@xc3 l2Je3! 4.�xf2 • tbdl + s.@d4 t2Jxf2. The king cannot cope with the pawns - 6.@eS l2Jg4+, and after 6.h4 the simplest is 6 ...l2Jg4 7 .@e4 l2Jh68. @f4 t2Jf7or 8.@es lLJfS .
94 Oszvath Honfi Budapest, 1953
1... �d l + 2.@g2 �gl +! 3.@xgl t2Jf3+ • and 4 ... lLJxeS - the queen is lost.
92 Euwe Davidson Amsterdam, 192 5 D
There followed 1... 'i'xc l ! 2.'i'xcl �xc3 3 3.'i'el If 3.'i'xc3, then . ..l2Je2 +, but now too, the queen is lost to a fork.
3..Jkl!4.'i' xcl l2Je2+ and 5 ... lLJxcI with an extra piece forBlack.
1.°fi'd8+ @g7 2.'i'xf6+! Wxf6 3.l2Jxe4+ Now, some examples of luring the king WeS 4.lLJxcSbxcS S.@fl and 1-0 . into a mating net.
93 Pirc 95 Ustinov R. Byrne Ilivitsky 10th Olympiad Helsinki, 19 5 2 Frunze, 195 9 • D
32 Decoying
The 'modest' check l.g5+! turned out 98 Glass to be a shock for Black. On 1...WxgS Russell there follows 2.fif4 #. He had to re Belfast, 195 8 sign. • 96 Eckhardt Tarrasch Nuremburg, 1887
•
Black responded to the queen exchange offer by mating in three: l... 'i'g 2+! 2.Wxg2 llJf4+ 3.Wgl llJh3# A standard combination, repeated many times.
99 Sunni The king is lured into a deadly discov Alivirta ered check: l... 'i'f2+! 2.Wxf2 .Udl+, Helsinki, 19S 7 and mate next move. • In the next two fragments, the king is lured into a double check.
9 7 S. Anderson Knutsen Sweden, 1974
• Black's position is winning, and after
the tempting l . . . 'i'h7 (2.�f3 'i'h2+ 3.Wf2 llJxf3 4.Wxf3 'i'g3+ 5.We2 .Uhe8 or 5 ... lih2), and also 1 ...'i'xg4 he would win. Instead, the final combination seen in the game showed two decoy sacrifices:
1.•• lihl +! 2.Wxhl 'i'h7+ 3.Wgl 'iVh.2+ 4.Wxh2 llJf3+ 5.Whl (or 5.Wh3) Now, l... 'i'd l+! 2.Wxdl .ig4+ and when the king no longer has the square
3 ....Ud l # . g1, there followed 5 ... lih8#.
33 Improve Your Chm Tactics
100 Nette 102 Vidmar Abente Euwe Paraguay, 1983 Carlsbad, I 929
• D
Instead of the prosaic l.. . .ih3 2 .Ue3. White's material advantage is irrelevant, lhe3 3.fxe3 'i'xe3+ 4.°ifxe3 lhe3 as he is threatened with mate. However, with a technically winning endgame, it is Black who gets mated: 1.fle8+i.f8
Black preferred mate in six: l... flel+ l ... Wh7 2.'ifd3+. 2.flxf8+! The first 2.lit>g2 l:lgl+! 3.lit>xgl 'iYel + 4.Wg2 decoying sacrifice.2 ...@xf8 Or 2 ...Wg7 'i'fl +! S.Wxfl �h3+, and mate next �.ltJe8+ Wg6 4.l:ld6+ mating. 3.lLif5+ move. Wg8 4.'i'f8+! Only this second decoy ing sacrifice leads to victory. After 4.l:td8+ Wh7 5.l:lh8+ Black is not 1o1 Heemsoth obliged to take the rook, and thereby Weber get mated - he can retreat the king to Correspondence game, 1973-74 g6. 4 ... @xf8s. l:ld8#
D 103 Levitina Gaprindashvili Tbilisi, 1979
D
The threat is l ...l:lxh2 + 2.Wxh2 'i'hs+ 3.Wg3 �h4+ and mate. However, it is White's move, and he can give mate more quickly:
1.l:lg8+ Wa7 l . ..i.c8 2.'ifb6#. 2.�8+! Black has just played her queen to f3,to �8 2 ...ha.8 3.'ifc7+. 3.'i'xa6+ and threaten mate. In reply to l.'iVc6 (or 4.�xb7#. I.°ifxes+ .if6 2.'i'e4 l:lfe8), Gaprin-
34 Decoying dashvili's original calculations had gone one with 4 ...tll e4#. 5.@b4 l'lxb3+ l... e4 and after 2.'ffxe4 the decoy sacri 6.@as tllxc4# fice 2 .•JHe8 3.tllxe8+ l'lxe8. But when the white queen appeared on c6, she 105 Voitsekhovsky realised that at the end of this variation, Gabaidullin White in her turn can attack the queen Kaluga, 2003 with 4.tlld4 0
1.'ffxh6+! (4 ...l'lx e4 5.tllxf3), and Gaprindashvili The follow-up moves I...'lti>xh6 2.l'lh3+ was forced to abandon her original in WgS (else mate on h7) 3.tllh7+ @g4 tention. Instead of l...e4 she played 4.�eH were not played; Black resigned. l .. .'i'fSand soon lost. However, the new decoy sacrifice 106 Rodl 4 ...'i'g2 +! leads to mate! Bliimich Wiesbaden, 1934 A special place amongst decoy sacrifices 0 is occupied by those cases where the king is forcedto fleetowards the enemy camp, and meets his end there.
104 Filip Ba jar Czechoslovakia, 19S 7 • The king hunt begins with a queen sac rifice, to set up a discovered check: 1.ff xf7 + ! @xf72 . .ixds+ @g6 2...@e 7 3 Jlf7#. 3.�f7+ @xg5 4 ..ic I+ @g4 Or
4 ...@h4. s.l'lf4+ @gs s ... wh3 6.l'ld3#. 6.l'le4# If Black had retreated his king instead of taking the queen, then after 2 . .Q.g4 his
I... l'lxe4!2.@xe4 tllxcs+ 3.@d4 l:ld8+ position would have been hopeless (e.g. 4.@c3 l'ld3+ It was possible to mate in L.'ffxeS 3 . .Q.xd7'i'xg s+ 4.1lg2).
35 Improve Your Chess Tactics
1o7 Kasparian There followed: Manvelian I. .. llJxf2! 2.Wxf2'i'cH 3. Wf3 Yerevan, 1936 If 3.We I, then 3 ...'i'e 3+ 4.Wd I �g4+ s.@c I .U.fc8 6.Wb2 b4. D
I.'*Vxc6+! 'Come into my parlour!' 1 ...Wxc6 2.tlleH Wc5 3.tlld3+ Wd4. 3 ...�g4+ ! 4.Wxg4 When calculating the combination, Black also had to reckon with the retreat of the king. After 4.Wg3 he can set up decisive threats by 4 ...'iV e3 + 5.tll f3 (s.@xg4 hS+ and 5.Wh4 tllg6+ ends in mate) 5 ... �xf3, and after6.g xf3, the inclusion of the rook in the attack - 6 ....U.a 6!. 4 ...'i¥f2! Cutting offthe king's retreat. 4.Wd2! A striking finish to the combi 5.g3 nation. There is no defence to 5.c3#, so Leads to mate. However, there was no Black resigned. way out. If 5 .�xeS, then 5 ...hS + 6.WgS (6.WfS tlixg2+) 6 .. .f6+ 7.�xf6 108 S. Farago (7.
If White had seen what was to follow, he could have declined the knight and, with a heavy heart, have played 2.tllc4. In this case, after 2 ...bxc 3 3.'i'xf2 fS Black would have had an extra pawn and a large advantage.
36 Decoyittg
109 Tietz Now we see a position from a more r� Ro mis ch cent game. Carlsbad, 1898 110 Karjakin D Malinin Sudak, 2002
By sacrificing rook, queen and bishop (!), White draws the enemy king from d7 to fS : 1.nxc6 @xc6 2.'i'xbs+ @xbS 3.�a4+! With such an undeveloped black @c4 queenside, White's first move, breaking 3 ...@xa4 leads to mate in two - into the king's defences, simply begs to 4.tlJc3+ @b3 5.tlJd2#. be played- l .tlJxg7. But what then? 4.bH Wd3 s . .ibs+ @e4 6.ng4+ @fs Answer: on l ... @xg7-2.�h6+! @xh6. 7.tlJe3# If 2 ...@g8, then 3.'i°d2 'i'aS (after This striking combination by the well 3 ...'i'h4 there is 4 . .igs 'i'hs 5.�xf6) known chess organiser, who ran the in 4.�xf8 @xf8 S.'i°h6+ We7 6.l:tae I+ ternational tournaments in Carlsbad, tt:Jes 7.f4 'i'cs+ 8.@h I tlJg49.'i' h4+. has been published many times. How 3.°i'dH @hS ever, there was not actually any need to chase the black king all round the board. Firstly, the move I .'i'c2! (threatening to take the bishop on c6, and at the same time breaking the pin on the rook) would end the game. Secondly, after l .�xc6 Wxc6 instead of the queen sacrifice,it was also possible to play 2.'i' c 2 +, in order then to take the rook and remain with an extra knight. 4.g4+! Thirdly, Black could also decline the It is impossible to believe that such a knight,and instead of 2 ...Wx bS? retreat king can escape mate after4.c4, isolat the king. After 2 ... Wb7 3.'i'xe8 tlJc7 ing the queen. But Karjakin accurately 4.'i'a4llxfl 5.'i'b3 White has the ad calculates the variation in the game. By vantage, but the game would continue. allowing the enemy queen into play, he 37 Improve Your Chess Tactics includes his rook in the attack, and con cludes the game by force. 4 ...lll xg4 S.fxg4+ 't'Hxg4+6.Wh l The queen's presence cannot save the black king. The threat is 7 .Ji..e2, which followsafter 6 .. .f6 or 6 ...lll eS. If instead 6 ...l:l.e 8, then 7 . .af6! 'i'gS 8.�e2+ with mate in a few moves. Also hopeless is 6 ...'i'gs 7 .l:l.fs 'ffxfs 8 ..ixf S. In the game, there followed 6 ...d6
7.l:l.f6 ! 'i'gs s . .Q.ei+ .Q.g4 9 . .bg4+. In calculating the combination, Black Black is mated. had to foreseethe finaldecoy sacrifice:
s . ...Q.xgS +! Despite having two extra rooks, White Ill Bouaziz is mated after6. Wxg 5 f6 +. Miles Riga, 1979 Decoy sacrifices can also be made with • a view to blockading. In mating combinations of this type, �ith a decoy sacrifice, an enemy piece is lured to a square on which it block ades its king's only escape route.
112 Polyansky Gerchikov Arkhangelsk, I 949
White has an extra exchange, and the 0 c-pawn is one step from promoting. It seems that all approaches to the king are well defended. However, there fol lowed:
I . . . l:l.xh3! 2.Wxh3 White thought his opponent's move was just a desperation sacrifice, else he would have refused the gift and played 2.°ii'fl. After 2 .. Jlg3+ 3.Wf2 l:l.xf3+ 4.Wxf3 'ifxfl + 5.We4 the game would Black has an extra rook, and after probably have ended in perpetual I .'ti'h7+ 38 Decoying The moves I.ft'h7+ 'lt>f8 were played, Instead of I . ..lid ?? he should have but now the king's escape route was played l. ..aS, and if 2.'iVeS+, then blocked by 2.e7+! lhe7 3.'i'hS#. 2 .. Jlf6. 113 Kwilecki It sometimes happens that the only de Reslinski fe nce to a kingside attack is to move a Poznan, 1963 pawn in front ofthe king. In that case, a blockading sacrifice, preventing the D pawn moving, may forcemate. With kingside castling. it is usually the pawn on fl (f2) that is blockaded, as happens in the following example. 114 Fischer Benko New York, 1963/64 After l .�e7, Black, without delving into the subtleties, played l ... lid7 and after 2.'i'es+ was probably very dis tressed: 2 ... 'lt>f8 (2 ...'lt>g8 ? 3.lie8+; 2...Wh6? 3.'iVf4+) On I.°l'hS Black replied 1.. . 'iVeS, in tending 2 ... fl - fs . There followed 2.�xd4 exd4. 3.J::[xd7 'iVxd7 4.'iVhS+ and 5.'iVxh7 leads to a queen ending a pawn down ... But White has no need to take the end game. With the 'quiet' move 3.'iVf6!, putting the rook en prise, he attacks fl. The rook is untouchable, since if it is taken, Black blocks his king's escape and is mated on h8. The fl-square can only be defended by 3 ...'iVe8 , giving up the The mate threat 3 .es is defeated by queen. He had to resign. 3 .. .fS (4.'i'xe8llaxe 8 5.exd6 dxc3). 39 Improve Your Chess Tactics But Benko had failedto see the striking move 3.l:1f6!, 'freezing' the f-pawn: now 3 ...�xf6 (3 ...dxc 3) 4.eS leads to mate. In the game, Black played 3 ... @gs 4.eS h6, and now not 5Jhd6? because of 5 ...�x eS, afterwhich the game would still continue, but s.tlie2!, which forced Black to resign. If he takes the rook, then 6.�xh6, whilst in the event of the knight re 7.@el! treating, there is 6.�fS. Afterother re If it were not for this 'quiet' move, the plies, White simply takes the knight on combination would be mistaken d6. (7.@xe2? 'i'xc2+, and White is mated) . As Fischer pointed out, instead of Now after the only check 7 ...'i'a s+ I...'if e8? Black should have played there follows8. b4. l ...cS or 1 ...tlie6. Black resigned. 116 Schaffer 115 Ravinsky Kalinitschew Ilivitsky Munster, 1990 Riga. 1952 D The immediate 1.i.e4 gives nothing, because of 1 .. .fS. However, barricading Black has an extra rook. On l .eS the the f-pawn by l.tlJf6! (because of the reply 1 .. .fS deals with all the threats. double threat, there is no time for However, 'freezing' the f7 pawn by . .. .ie6-f5 and the sacrifice has to be ac 1 . .if6! leads to a forced mate after cepted), White creates an unstoppable l... �xf6 2.eS ! tlixd3 3.exf6 tlJfl+ threat of mate after 1 ... �xf6 2.�e4. 4.@gl tlJh3+ s.@fl �c4+ If 5 ...'ifc 4+, then 6 . @e l . 6.tlJe2 The freezingof the pawn on e7 (e2) oc �xe2+. curs rather more rarely (see next page) . 40 Decoying 117 Friedman l... llixd4! 2.llixd4 'i'h4 3.tlJf3? 3.�e3 Thornbl om was compulsory. 3 ...'i'xfl+ h 4.@ l Stockholm, 197 3 'i'gl + The blocking sacrifice. SJhgl llifl# In the final position, the king is com pletely hemmed in by his own pieces and pawns, hence the name 'smothered mate'. After a classic example, a more subtle, modern-day interpretation. Black has sacrificed a piece for two 119 Kondolin pawns, and must find a way to crown his Ojanen attack. But after l ... tDh3 there follows Helsinki, I 9 S 2 2.e3, opening a bolthble for the king. The move l ... .tie3 ! prevents this, and carries the threats of both 2 ...llih3 , and 2 .. Jhf3 with mate on g2 or h I. After 2.fx.e3llih 3 it is mate on g I. It would be hard indeed to find a text book which did not feature some ex amples of the famous's mothered mate' combination, which was known as far back as the early days after the reform of the rules ofshatran j. One historical example comes fromthe 1 ... llig4was played. Believing this move end of a short game quoted by to be simply an offer to exchange bish Giacomo Greco, fromthe beginning of ops, White replied 2.Sixe7. the 1 7th century. But in reality, the knight manoeuvre was the prelude to the famous combi 118 nation. There followed2 ...'i'b6 !. The threat is 3 ...llif 3+ (or 3 ...llie 2+ ) and 4 ...llif2# (or 4 ...'i'g l#). White moved his king away - 3.@hl, but Black still carried out his idea, by inverting the moves: 3 ... llifl+ 4.@gl llie2+! S.�xe2 Other captures also re suh in mate. S ... ll\h3+ 6.'lthl 'iYgl + 7.tl.xg 1 t'i'ifl# 11 Improve Your Chm Tactics Exercises 120 121 0 122 123 D • 124 125 D 42 Dernying 126 127 • D 128 129 130 131 • • 43 fmprove Your Chm Tactics 132 133 Find the quickest win for White. 134 135 D D 136 137 44 Decoying 138 1 39 D D 140 141 D D 142 143 • D 45 Improve Your Chess Tactics 144 145 How should we answer I .�bl ? With his last move, Black put his queen under attack. What would you do? 146 147 D D Assess the continuation l.ttJfeS. After l ...�a6-g6 White's initiative on the kingside will be liquidated. What should he do? 148 149 • D Does Black have to exchange on d3? White checked on d8 with the queen, and Black moved his king to g7. Can the pawn on c7 now be taken? 46 Decoying 150 151 • • Assess the move l... ti'xh2. White went into this position, counting on meeting 1. ..tl:Jxb5 or I. .. tl:Jxdl with 152 2.i.xf6. What would you advise Black D to do? 153 • Black has defended against the check with his bishop and White must decide with which piece to take the dS pawn, his queen or the rook at eS. What is How would you reply to I... �b6 ? your opinion? 154 155 D White has an extra rook, but it is under Black has a material advantage, but the attack. At the same time, mate is threat bad position of his king allows White ened on h8. What should he do? to save the game. 47 Eliminating Defenders So far we have looked at the idea of taking defenders out by deflecting or luring them away from the defence. In combinations with elimination of defenders, we see the more basic method of the direct capture of the pieces or pawns which fulfil a valuable defensive function. This includes combinations designed to destroy the king's defensive pawn wall. 156 Petrosian I.'ti'gsg6 U2Je7+ The ex-world champion played 158 Auzins 1Jhd4!, and Ivkov stopped the clocks; Dudzinskis however he takes back, he is mated Correspondence game, I 9 8 S (2.llxe5+ 157 N ezhmetdinov A. Romanov USSR, 1950 The sacrifice of bishop and rook de stroys the pawn barrier: l.�xg6! fxg6 2.�xg6+ hxg6 3.'ti'xg6+ @hs 4.�gl (or 4.lld3). On 4 ...'if e7 there is S.'i°h6+ 'i'h7 6.i.xf6+and mate. 49 Improve Your Chm Tactics 159 Nowrouzi 161 Krasenkow Saks er Smagin Germany, 1996 Germany. 2003/04 D I.�xh6 gxh6 2.'iYxh6+ @gs 3.�c2 By eliminating the defender of the Iie84.�h 7+ @hS. And now what? An dS-square, White creates mating swer: mate in four: S.llJxfl+! �xfl threats: 1Jlxb6! axb6 After 1 ...'iVxb6 6.�g6+@g8 7.'i'h7+ and 8.'i'xfl#. the attack develops in the same way as in the game. 2.'iYhs+ @f8 2...g6 3 . .ixdS+. 3.�xdS 'iYc7. On 3 .. Jk7 160 Fernandez White wins with 4.i.f4 g6 (if 4 ...gS , Santos then 5.'i'h6+ l:tg7 6 . .ic7!) 5.i.h6+ Portugal, 1979 I:tg7 6.'iVf3.ic8 (orelse �el-e6) 7 . .ic6 @fl8.'iV b3+. 4.�f4 g6 4 ...'iVe7 5.�d6. S.�6+ �g7 6.'i'f3+, and mate. 162 Bareev Sakaev Moscow, 200 I l ...lLixg2 ! 2.@xg2 �xf2+ 3.@xf2 'i'xh2+ 4.@e3 nes+ S.llJe4 Fleeing was also unsuccessful: 5.@f3 l:r.f8+ 6.@e3 (6.@g4 .ic8+) 6 ...'i'f2+ 7.@d2 �f4+ 8.@c3 'Jiles# or s.@d2 'iVh6+ 6.@c3 i.b4+ mating. S ....tf4+ Here there are already several winning continuations. 6.@f3 6.lLixf4 'iVxc2. After l .�d3 Sakaev, not wishing to 6 ...dxe4+ 7.dxe4i.xe2+ After any cap weaken the dark squares ( l ...h6 2.'i'e4 ture of the bishop there is 8 ...'iV g #.3 fS 3.'iVd4), defended the h7-square so Eliminating Defenders with the move 1 . .. g6. In reply, by a knight sacrifice, Bareev destroyed the black king's pawn cover and drove it into the centre: 2.tllxf7! Wxf7 Declin ing the sacrifice by 2 ...llf8 3.tllgS hardly requires any comment. 3.'i'xh7+ Wf6 After 3 ...Wf8 4.�xg6 �e8 s.'ifh8+ We7 6.'if g7 + Wd6 the black king also ends up in the centre, and White wins in the same way as in the game. 4.'i'xg6+ We7 Or 4 ...WeS 8 •.U.ac 1 ! Black resigned. If the rook is s.'i'g7+ Wd6 6 . .l:lfd 1. For his knight, taken, then 9 .es#, whilst after 8 ...es White gets three pawns and a decisive the simplest is 9.�c2, although other attack. 5.1Wg7+ 51 lmprove Your Chess Tactics Exercises 163 164 D • 165 166 • 167 168 D D 52 Eliminating Defender.� 169 170 White's superiority is evident, but how Black is attacking the queen, counting does one crown the attack? on being able to play ...fl -fS afterit re treats. How does one continue the at tack? 171 172 • • How should White's last move ltJf2-e4 Can Black play l ... f3 ? be answered? 53 Clearing Squares and Lines Sometimes one's own pieces or pawns get in the way of a favourable manoeuvre or tactical blow. In such cases, we strive to free therelevan t square or line which the piece is occupying, oftenbeing prepared to sacrificein order to do so. Clearing Squares 1 7 3 Ravinsky There are various ways to win this posi Simagin tion. Ivkov preferred to give a prob Moscow, 1947 lem-like mate, by freeingthe cl-square forhis bishop. • 1.�c6+! �xc6 2.llJcs+ Wa5 3.�c7# 175 Hubner Penrose Cheltenham, 1971 D The knight prevents the bishop from landing the decisive blow, and there fore it is sacrificed: l... llJg4+ ! (or l ... llJf3+, with the same idea) No mat ter how White captures, there follows 2 . . . �e5+. 174 Ivkov Portisch 1Jhg6! Bled, 1961 By freeing the square c6, White wins a rook with the help of a fork, and ob tains a winning endgame ( 1...hxg6 2.llJc6+, 3.tlJxe7and 4.lLJxg6). Black cannot play 1...�xeS 2.fxeS hxg6, since after 3.e6 the pawn is un stoppable, whilst if he doesn't take ei ther the rook or the knight, but just de fends against the fork, he loses the fS pawn as well. 55 lmprove Your Chm Tactics 176 Vaisman gle move 1.�f4 ! to liquidate the mate Hoxha threat and at the same time create deci Tirana, 1954 sive threats himself, namely mate (2.l:tcI+ ) and the capture of the queen. Black defended the queen with the move 1 .. JldS, freeing d8 for the king, but after 2..tlcl + @dS 3 . .igs+ 9..e7 White ended the game with 4.tlJd6!. Clearing Diagonals 178 Solmanis Aravin White played t.'iVxg6, and expected his Jurmala, 1981 opponent to resign; there are mates threatened on g7 and h7 ... However, there followed 1... 'iV e 1 + (clearing the square for the knight fork) 2.lhel tt:Jfl+ 3.@gl tlJxh3+ 4.gxh3 hxg6. As a result, Black has the ex change fora pawn. 177 B. Shashin Kolevit After 1.tlJd6+! White, by clearing the Moscow, I 9 7 4 bishop's path to a6, announced mate. D 179 Karpov Csom Bad Lauterberg, 1977 The queen cannot be taken because of mate. On I.°iVe2? there follows l ... 'iVxe4, whilst if l .h3, then simply l ...'iVxg 4 2.hxg4 l:tdl + 3.@h2 9..e7. The rook is attacked and the h7-square However, the insecure position of the defended - Black feels quite safe and is black king allowed White with the sin- ready to realise hisextra piece. 56 Clearing Squares and Lines However, there followed, 1.tlJfS!, and Clearing Files he had to resign. The knight has freed the way for the 181 We sterinen queen to reach h2. On l ...llixd7 there Larsen follows 2.'i'h2+! Wg8 3.'i'g3+ Wh8 Havana, 1967 4. 'if 7g #. If l.. .exfS , then again 2.'i'h2+ with mate. • The deadly check on h2 can be pre vented by the move l ...'i'b8 , but then White has another mate, by freeing the square g7 for the queen: 2Jih7+. 180 Alekhine Rubinstein Carlsbad, 1923 D Expecting the exchange of rooks, White was ready to continue to resist in the knight endgame ( I ...llxeI 2 .llxe I lhe l 3.Wxel tllxc2+ 4.Wd2 tlJd4 S.tlJxd6tlJx b3+ 6.@d3). However, he was disappointed. The move l... tlJf3+! cleared the cl-file. On 2 .gxf3 there followed mate by 2 ...�ds +. How can the queen be brought to the h-file? The move I .i.bI (freeing the Clearing Ranks long diagonal forthe queen, in order to come via e4 or g2) is met by l...'i'eS 182 N eishtadt (not l...'i'b7 because of2.'i'c4). Baranov Alekhine solved the dilemma by Moscow, 1949 1.�g6!, winning an important tempo by the attack on f7. The variation which he had in mind was: l .. .fxg6 2.'i'g2 i.xb4 3.'i'h3+ Wg8 4.'i'h7+ wfs s.'i'hs+ We7 6.'i'xg7+ We8 (6 ...Wd6 7JHdI+) 7.'iYg8+ i.fs (7 ...We7 8.'i'f7+) 8.'i'xg6+ We7 9 .'flxe6#. Rubinstein declined the sacrifice by playing l... 'i'es . After 2.tlJxf7+ llxf7 3.i.xf7'i' fS 4.l:IfdlWhite had an extra exchange and pawn, and easily won the 1.fS! Clearing the 4th rank. By sacrific game. ing themselves, the f- and cl-pawns 57 Improve Your Chess Tactics open a path forthe queen to get to the 2.dS square b4. l ... exf5 If l...gxf5, then 2J1g3 'i'h8 (or 2 ...'i'h6 3.1:1g8+ We7 4.ltJd5+ with mate) 3.d5! with the terrible threat of 'i'h4-b4+. After l ... g5 White continues 2.'i'xh5 and on 2 ...'i¥xf6 - 3.fxe6! (with the threats 4.e7+ and 4.llfl) 3 ...'i'f4 4.llce l. There is also the intermediate move l ...'i'h 6. White replies 2.llce l. After both 2 ...gxf5 3.Ilg3 'i'h8 4.d5! and The threat of 3.'i'b4+ cannot be staved 2 ... exf5 3.l:re7 ltJd5 xd54.ltJ .ixd5 offwithout material loss. 5 . .ixd5 1:1xd5 6.'i'f6 White wins. And After 2 ...1:1d6 (or 2 ...'i'h6 3.'i'b4+ after2 ...g5 (objectively the best defence) Wg7 4.'i'd4! Wf8 5.'i'c5+) 3.ltJxhs 3.'i'xg5 'i'xg5 4.ltJh7+ and 5.ltJxg5 is 'i'h64.'i'e 7+ Wg8 S.dxc6 1:1f86Jk el ! good enough. White has an extra pawn l:rxc6 7 .ltJf6+ �g7 8.1:1h3 Black re- and a clear positional advantage. signed. 58 Clearing Sq uares and Lines Exercises 183 184 • • 185 186 0 0 187 188 0 0 59 lmprove Your Chm Tactics 189 190 D D On 1.f5 Black played 1 ... exf5. How With complete control of the long diag would you reply? onal, White can check on h8 and take the h7 pawn. But then the king hides on the other flank. Is there anything stron ger? 191 192 Finish offthe attack. lldl- d3 has just been played. What happens if the rook is taken? 60 Pinning and Unpinning When pinned by a queen, rook or bishop, a piece (or pawn) is wholly or partly limited in its mobility, since it has to protect another piece, more valuable than it self.or just undefended, along the same line. If it is the king that stands behind the pinned piece, then that piece's mobility is restricted to the maximum extent (it can only move up the same line). If the pinned piece is protecting not the king, but another piece, then the pin may not he total, since the pinned piece may quit its post, 'in pursuit of a higher goal', leaving the more valuable or undefended piece behind it under attack. 193 194 Samkov Yablonsky Riga, 1978 D In the left half of the diagram, White wins by pinning the rook - l.�d4. After 1.'ii'c4! Black has no defence and then attacking it again (I ... Pins may be made in pursuit of posi tional or tactical aims. We will look at some positions where a pin played the decisive role. 61 Improve Your Chm Tactics A double diagonal pin by 1.�e4 de 198 Pirc cided the game. Stoltz Prague Olympiad, 1931 1 96 Polugaevsky Hort Manila, 1976 • With the move l ...d4 Black wins a piece. The knight and the e3 pawn are both pinned. On 2.'i'xd4 there follows There followed 1... liel + 2.Wh2, and the 2 ...'i'a l+ (3.lLidl 'i'xd4). move 2 ... licl left White a rook down. 199 Dahl 197 Bykov Schultz Sinoviev Berlin, 1956 Odessa, 1983 • By playing 1..Jk3!, Black pinned the l.e6! .ixe62 • .id4 f6 rook on c2 along the c-fileand the sec Or 2 ....ig4 3. h3 cS 4 . .ieSc4 S . .id l. ond rank. The game ended: 2.lixa2 !. 2.lhc3 lixe2. 2 . . Jhcl + and 3 ... lih l# In all these examples, a pin and attack on the pinned piece led to a decisive material advantage. However, this was achieved without any initial sacrifice. In combinations, the decisive pin and/ or its exploitation is achieved by means of a sacrifice. 62 Pinning and Unpinning After the introductory moves, a double goal', in the cause of which the pinned diagonal pin on the bishop at e6 de piece may move away and expose a cides things: 3.'i'g4! On 3 ...@fl there more valuable or undefended colleague follows4.llf e I. Black resigned. to attack. 200 Nimzowitsch 20 I Alekhine Rubinstein Tenner Berlin, 1928 Cologne, I 9 I I D In reply to the 'energetic' 1... ttJe5? there White played 1.'i'g6!, leaving the rook followed 2.ttJxe5!.ixdl After2 ...'i'h4+ attacked, which, moreover, can be taken there could have followed 3.g3 ttJxg3 with check. But Black resigned: the g7 4.i.xfl+ Wd8 5.'i'xg4 'i'xg4 6.ltJxg4 pawn is pinned, and so 2.'i'g6xh6# is ttJxhI 7 .i.f2, also winning. 3 ..ixf7 + threatened. If 1...nxdl +, then 2.Wg2, We7 After 3 ...Wf8 4.i.xc5+ White and after2 ...lld2 + the king escapes the keeps an extra piece. 4.i.xcH �f6 checks on h3. Hopeless is 4 ...'i'd6 5.i.xd6+ and The only possibility of defending the 6.Iixd I. But now Black is mated. 5.0-0+ square h6 is to play 2 .. Jlgl + (instead Wxe5 After5 ... @gS it is mate in a few of 2 ...Ud 2 +) and then transfer the moves after6. i.e3+. 6.llf5# bishop to e3 with tempo: 3.Wxg I �cs+ 4.Wg2 i.e3. But then g7 is left 202 Mondolfo undefended. Kolisch One small addendum should be made Vienna, 1859 to this nice finishb y the two great mas ters. Instead of the rook sacrifice, the game could have been ended by the simple move I .1Id3. There is no de fence ag ainst 'i'e4-g6: l ...llxd 3 2.'i'xd3, 3.'i'g6 and 4.'i'xh6# or l ...nd s 2.ItxdS exdS 3.'i'g6 'i'h3 4.'i'xg7+ i.xg7 and 5.f8'i'+. As we have already said, sometimes a fa vourable tactical opportunity (or the lesser of two evils) provides that 'higher 63 Improve Your Chess Tactics An old and classical example of unpin White naively took the pawn - S.cxdS ning. White has an extra piece, and he exdS 6.tlJxdS? Nowadays, almost every threatens a discovered check. However, textbook warns for this trap. After the semi-pinned knight on f6 lands the 6 ... tlJxdS 7 .�xd8 �b4+ White was a deadly blow l ...l2Je4! 2.�x d8. piece down. If White does not take the queen, but plays 2.dxe4, then 2 ...'iYx gS, and after Many different such tactical rebounds 3.exd5 - 3 ...0-0-0! with unstoppable can occur with semi-pinned pieces. mating threats. The move 2.lDxf7 is refutedby 2...'i'c7! 204 (3.tlJxh8 tlJf3+ 4.gxf3 'i'g3+ 5.Wh I 'i'h3+ 6.Wg l gxf3 with mate; the same mechanism occurs in the variation 3.'i'xe4+ dxe4 4.tlJxh8l2Jf 3+ etc.). And if 2.°iYxe4, then 2 ...dxe4 (3.�xd8? l2Je2#) . Finally, after 2 .ixd5. Black wins with 2 ...l2Jg3 !- not one check helps White! In the game, after the capture of the queen, there followed: 2...l2Jg3! 3.tt:lc6+ l2Jde2+ Answering a check with a check. 4.�xe2+ l2Jxe2# In this textbook position, Black lands a deadly blow with the queen sacrifice Here the same operation takes place on l... .ixd3 !, and on 2.'ifxdS (2.'i'g4+ the queen's flank. .ig6+) - 2 ....ie 2#. 203 Mayet 205 Parr Harrwitz Wheatcroft Berlin, 1847 London, 1938 A position froma game between two In order to attack the square h6, the well-known masters of long ago, rook leaves the queen unguarded: reached via a Queen's Gambit (l.d4 d5 I.l:lh5! 'ifxd7 2.tlJgHW h8 And now a 2.c4 e6 3.tlJc3 t2Jf6 4 . .tgs t2Jbd7). different pin is exploited - 3Jhh6# 64 Pinning and Unpinning 206 Von Popiel 207 Silins Marco Tobak Monte Carlo, 1902 Polanica Zdroj, 1999 0 D In playing I.l::rdl, White attacked the White thought he would win the game bishop a third time and Marco re with I.tlixe6, since the kni�ht is im signed. However, he could have won mune because of the pin. with the move l ...�g l !. A classical ex But Black took the knight - 1 ...'i'xe6 ample of unpinning a partially-pinned and after 2.l::re 1 broke the pin by means piece. of2 ... �xfl+ 3.@xfl0-0+ . After 4.Wgl 'i'f7 (or... 4 'i'd7 as in the Castling can also be used as a means of game) Black has an extra pawn, with his unpinning. development already complete. 65 Improve Your Chm Tactics Exercises 208 209 D • 210 211 • 212 213 D D 66 Pinning and Unpinning 214 215 • 216 217 D D 218 219 • 67 Improve Your Chm Tactics 220 221 D Black is attacking the knight. How White is a pawn down. Can he re-estab would you answer? lish material equality? 222 223 D White has an extra pawn and excel In playing 1 ...dxc4, Black lefthis knight lently-placed heavy pieces. On t.'iYf6 under attack. Can it be taken? Black replied 1...'iYg4+. Where should the king retreat to - f2 or fl ? 68 Interference and Shutting-off In combinations using the theme of interference, we either see the connection be tween two long-range enemy pieces interrupted, or else the path of a long-range piece to a crucial square is shut off. 2 24 Kotloman 225 Neiman Zinman Haase Leningrad, 1985 Correspondence game, 1968 D White has already sacrificeda knight and In order to set his b-pawn going, Black two pawns and crowns his attack with sacrificed the exchange: l . . .lha4 1.lt.e7!. The rook can be taken neither 2.bxa4 b3 with the bishop (2.'i'xh7#) nor with After 3.Uxe7 (3.Wxf3 b2; 3.�e6+ the rook (2.'i'xf8#). After l... 'i'b 7+ i.f6) 3 ... b2 4.llb7the bishop shuts off 2.i.e4 'i'xe4+ 3.lt.gxe4 �xe7 4.Uxe7 the b-fileby 4 ...i.b4, ensuring that the mate still cannot be avoided. pawn promotes. White tried to stop the pawn by bring 226 Luchovsky ing his rook back to the first rank: 3.lt.g4 Gridnev Correspondence game, 1976 D But now the game was decided by an Black thought he was winning here. The other interference: after 3 •..i. el + the queen has to move, and after I .lld I pawn promotes. 'i'e6 Whitecannot avoid material loss. 69 Improve Your Chess Tactics One can easily imagine Black's reaction White is threatened with mate. But after when he received the postcard bearing 1..l::tdS ! it is Black's king which turns the move 1.g4! !... out to be in danger. After 1 . ..tLlxdS there follows 2.�d7#, whilst after 227 Fatalibekova 1 ...1::1'. xdS 2.exdS White wins the end Baumstark game. Nor does l ...c;tig4 help (2.l:.xd3 Tbilisi, 1976 tLlxd3 3.aS). The game went 1..• l2Je2+ 2.�hl �xdS 3.exdS gs 4.�d7+ g4 S.as l2Jc3 6.a6 lLlxdS 7 .a7 l2Jb6 8 .a8 'iV l2Jxa8 9 .ilc6. After a knight move, Black is mated on g2, and aftera pawn move, on d7. 229 Reti Bogoljubow New York, I 924 'g2 is attacked indirectly, so there is no threat of �g3-h3', decided the German player. So she played 1 ... tt:Jxe5. However, the shutting off of the long diagonal by means of the move 2.�dS ! made the threat real. After 2 ... exdS (or a queen retreat) the move 3.l::t.h3 de cides. Black resigned. Instead of l ... tLixeS? the correct contin uation was l...�cS . The shut-off then does not work, and the pressure on the White's position is markedly more ac g2-square neutralises White's threats tive. The inevitable opening up of the along the h-file. position will bring him good attacking prospects. In an attempt to change the 228 Sergeev picture, Bogoljubow played 1 ... exd4 Panchenko and after 2.exfS -2.. Jfad8. USSR, I 984 Here, one possible continuation was 3.'ifc4+ c;tihs 4.ilxd4 �xfs s.ilhs and 0 White retains the initiative. But Reti cal culated a variation, concluded by a hid den shut-off. There followed 3.�hS l::tes 4.�xd4 �xf5 S..lhfS �xfS6. 'if xfS �xd4 7 JHI.l::t d8. If 7 ...'ife 7, then 8.ilf7 + lit>h8 9.�dS !, shutting offthe d-file and not allowing the rook to retreat to d8 and defend the bishop (9 ...'iff6 10.'iVc8). 70 Interference and Shutting -off ..�Je er the text, a different shut-off de 1 ... �d6!! cides the game. But first the king must The bishop cannot take because the be deflected: 8.�f7+ @h8 d-pawn queens, and after 2 . .l::l'.xd6 White loses control of the diagonal b8-h2, and 2 ...h2 ends the game. 231 Simagin Bronstein Moscow, I 947 D ..\ classic position, which can be found in almost every textbook. 9.�e8!, breaking the coordination between rook and bishop, forced capitulation. For a shut-off in the endgame, here is another classic position. White has an extra bishop, but the black 230 Nenarokov pawn is only one square from queening. Grigoriev What should we do? Moscow, I 923 1.�gS ! Beautifully played! If 1.. .fxg5, then 2.f6 , and mate is unavoidable. After • 1...'if xg5 White takes the pawn on h2 and wins the queen ending: 2.'iVd8+ �g7 3.'ii'c7+ ®g8 4.'iVxh2 'ifxf5 5.a4. That just leaves what happened in the game: 1... hl 'iV 2.°iVe8+ 'it>g7 3.'li'g6+ @f8 4.°iVxf6+ @gs s.'iVd8+ @g7 Or 5 ... @f7 6.'ii'e7+ 'it>g8 7.'iWe8+. 6.'ii'e7+ @gs 7.'ii'e8+, and Black re The rook holds up the d-pawn, the signed because of the unavoidable mate bishop the h-pawn. Nevertheless, Black (7 ...'it>g7 8.f6+ 'it>h7 9.'iVf7 + and wins. 10.'ii'g7#) . Improve Your Chess Taccics Exercises 232 233 D 234 235 • D 236 237 D 72 Interference and Shulling-off 238 239 D The black king has no cover, but how The king's pawn cover is weakened, and can we create decisive threats? all the white pieces are in the attack. All that remains is to finishthe job. 240 241 D Continue the attack. White played l .lt:Je5, after which there followed l...\i'xd4 2.tt:Jxc6 'ife4+ 3 . .ie3 bxc6 4.lt:Jc3 'iYxg2. Black has won two pawns, but is behind in devel opment. What happens now? 73 lmprove Your Chess Tactics 242 243 D Black played l. . . ttJd3, threatening mate The g-pawn is ready to queen, and on h2 and attacking the bishop on b2 at White cannot create a mate threat with the same time. Assess the consequences l . Wg6 because the pawn promotes of2.�xh7+. with check. What can he do? 244 245 D • How should the game end? There are two tempting ways to pursue the attack: 1...'i'c2 and l.. . .ixc3. Which would you choose? 7A Combining Themes We have looked so farat examples containing one particular theme, but very often, two or more themes are combined in one situation. Deflection and Decoy 246 Smejkal 1 Jle8+ tlJf8 2.lLJh6+ Deflecting the Adorjan queen opens a path to the square d8. Vrnjacka Banja, 1972 2 ...'i'xh6 3.f:.xf8+ Decoying the king 0 to f8. 3 . ..@xf8 4.'i'd8# Here the ideas of deflection and decoy are realised by separate successive sacri fices. It is not hard to see that l .lLJh6+ would have been a mistake because of l ...�f 8. And now deflection and decoy in re verse order. White met the offer of a queen ex 248 Schmid change with l .lbh6+! , after which Rosso limo Black had to resign. He cannot take the Heidelberg, 1949 rook with the bishop because his queen will be undefended, and if l...�xh6, • then 2.'i'h 4#. The rook sacrifice on h6 realises the ideas of deflection (the bishop on g7) and decoy (the king is brought to h6) in one move. 247 Alekhine Freeman Simultaneous display, New York 1924 0 Here Rossolimo crowned his attack by sacrificingboth rooks: t.. .l:l'.xg2+! 2.Wxg2 f:.xf'!+! 3 • .ixf2 el+ White resigned. The first sacrifice drew the king onto the diagonal of the bishop at b7, and the second deflected the enemy bishop. 75 lmprove Your Chm Tactics 249 Polees Deflectionand Line Clearance Kremenietsky Moscow, I 9 7 3 2 SO Makogonov Flohr Tbilisi, 1942 D 1 ...'ifx b2+! A deflection, after which a discovered There followed l.�b8! (deflecting the check follows. queen and at the same time clearing the 2.Wxb2 tl:id3+ 3.Wa.3 cl-file ) and Black resigned: l ...'ifxb 8 Or 3.Wb3 (3.Wbl .l:iab8+) 3 .. Jleb8+ 2.°i'd7+ Wf8 3.°iVd8+ mating. 4.Wa4 ( 4.Wc4 lt:Jb2#)4 ...l:lb4+ 5. Wa3 Other bishop moves also work: l .�cS �b2#. and after l . ..'ifc7 - 2.�b6, and also 3 ... �b2+ 4.Wa.4 l .heS (1 . ..tt:Jds 2.h g7 llxg73. 'ifxfS). Deflection and Pinning 2 SI Pidorich Chernousov Tyurnen, I 98 I 4 .. Jhe4+! Now the rook deflects the queen - S. °iVxe4 lt:JcS#. Without this second sacrifice, the combination would not work. S.c4 Defending against the discovered check s.@b3 a4#. (�f7-c7 +), Black closed the bishop's s ...l hc4+ 6.Wb3 �c3+ 7.Wa.4 diagonal with l ... �dS. Even so, there �a.3# followed2J k7! 76 Combining Themes A deflection (2 ...'lfHxc7 3 ..�.xd S+) and l....Q.fl! a pin (2...�xc7 3.'lfHe4). Material loss is A deflection after 2.llxf2 'i'gI# and a inevitable, and Black resigned. shut-off of the f-file after 2.�.xf2 Instead of l...�dS? the move l...Wh8 �e4+. was obligatory, and after 2.'i'g4 not White's only way out is 2.'i'cs+ rlgS 2 ...Ilg 8? because of 3.'i'xg7+ and 3.'i'xg8+ Wxg8 4.Jlxfl (4 ..�.xf2 'fHc2). 4.llf8+, but 2 ....�g6. However, after 4 ...'i'e4+ S.kig2+ ©f8 6 . .Q.. gl 'i'f3 Black won the a-pawn and 252 Wo lf easily won the game. Burn Ostend, 1905 254 Finn D Nugent New York, I 900 1.'i'c7! rlxc7 l ... lla8 2.'i'xb7 1:1d8 3.'i'c7 only postpones defeat. 2.exf7+, and thanks to the pin, there is mate on e8 after any capture. With l.�e7! White placed the rook un der attack, forcing his opponent to re sign. After l ...'i'xe 7 (deflection) there Deflection and Interference follows 2. 'ifdS +, whilst after I...i.xe7 or l ...CfJxe7 (shut-of f) - 2.fifl#. 253 Hallbauer Here is a combination froman old line W. Mandel of the Two Knights Defence, best Berlin, 1952 known from the games Maroczy Vidmar, Ljubljana 1922, and Samisch • Reiman, Bremen 1927: l.e4 eS 2.CfJf3 CfJc6 3.i.c4 CfJf6 4.d4 exd4 5.0-0 i.cS 6.eS dS 7 .exf6 dxc4 8.lle1 + i.e6 9.CfJgS 'i'ds lO.CfJc3 fifs l I.CfJce4 iJ8?! (theory considers 11... 0-0-0 strongest; l l ...gxf6? loses after l 2.g4! fHeS l 3.CfJf3) 12.CfJxf?! Wxf7 13.CfJgs+ Wg8 (13... Wg 6) 14.g4 'ifxf6? (14... �g6) 15.llxe6 fid8 l 6.'t'if3 'i'd7. 77 Improve Your Chess Tactics 255 Eliskases White's position is hopeless, and after Holzl 1 ... £h4 he resigned. Austria, 193 1 Black could also have used deflection and square clearance to give mate with D two knights: l...t2Jg3+ 2.Wgl 'ti'g2+! 3.lhg2 t2Jh 3# 257 Baburin Adianto Liechtenstein, 1993 The stunning 1 Jld5 ! ended the game. The rook can be taken in several ways, but all lead to mate: l . . .lhdS 2.Wif8 # or 1...W/xdS 2.fif6# (deflection) ; l ...�xd S or l . ..exd S - 2.W/xd8# (shut-off). Putting the rook under four attacks looks striking, but it was played in a A typical combination, with a rook sac completely winning position ( 1.W/xf7, rifice, to lure the king to h I and freeh8 I JkgS or i .l:ieS were all good forthe queen: l...l::rhl +! 2.@xhl %ih 8+ enough). 3.Wgl .t:rh l + 4.@xhl Now the queen comes to h2 with tempo: 4 ...'i'h 8+, and mate on h2. Deflection and Clearing Squares/Lines 258 Richter NN 256 Daly Berlin, 1930 Rochev Bunratty 1999 D • How can the pawn be prevented from promoting? 78 Combining Themes l.llfS! ©xfS 2.g4+! The bridges are burned - White has to The black king, which has been lured to mate his opponent. fS , must now provide the tempo White In order to deprive the king of an es needs to free g2 for his king. After cape to the cl-file,Wh ite played a 'quiet' 2 ...©xg4 3.Wg2 Black resigned. move: 4.lldl! Creating the deadly threat of 5.f4+ and 2S9 Varavin 6.tlJe4#. Zavarnitsky 4 ...©f6 USSR, 1991 If 4 .. Jif8, then 5.f4+ �xf4 6.gxf4+ and 7.tlJe4# . s.t2Je4+ @es 6 . .if4+ @xe4 7.f3# Let us return to the position after Black's second move: i.'(Wxf7+! White has already sacrificed the rook on a 1, and now he sacrifices the queen, to force the enemy king to remain in the centre. l...©xf72 . .ie6+ ©f6 3.es+! Drawing the king onto the open file and If, instead of 3.eS+, White had chased freeingthe e4-square forthe knight (af the king by means of 3 . .igS+, he ter 3 ...ttJx eS or 3 ...dxe S there is would only have drawn against the best 4.tlJe4#). defence. The black king retreats: 3 ... @xeS 3 ...�g7 (not 3 ... 'it>xgS? 4.eS! and tlJc3-e4# and not 3 ...'it>e S? 4.l:!d 1 ! and 5.f4#) and after 4 . .ih6+ 'it>f6 ( 4 ...Wh7 ? s . .if8#) s . .igs+ 'it>g7 the game ends in a repetition. However, after 3.f4!, as after the move played in the game, mate cannot be avoided. The threat is 4.eS+ and after any capture: 5.tlJe4#. And if the e4 pawn is blockaded by 3 ...ttJeS , then 4 . .igs+ Wg7 5.fxeS dxeS 6 . .ih6+ \t>f6 7Jifl#. 79 Improve Your Chess Tactics 260 K. Herrmann Hussong Frankfurt am Main, 1930 • 9 ... tlfS! Elegantly freeingthe square. 10.CilxfS (or 10.exfS) 10 ...tl'Jf 4# A striking combination, with quite complicated lines. However, it could have been made rather easier, had Black I ...�x h2+! ut>xh2 l1h 6+ 3.©g3 played 5 . . JHf6 or 5 ...l:ifb4 ma ting, in ti\c2+ 4.Wg4 Jdf4+ S.WgS stead of 5 .. Jlh2. And finally, in the initial position, in stead of sacrificing the queen, Black could have played l...tlJd7, in order af ter 2.'1Wxc6 (or 2.'1Wd6, or any other re treat) to give mate without the need for any quiet moves: 2 ...'1Wx h2+ 3.Wxh2 .?:.h6+ 4.Wg3 lt:Je2+ s.'it>g4 .?:.f4+ 6.'it>gs.?:.g6+ 7. 261 K.islov Beribesov Voronezh, 1971 All that remains is to give mate, and D with S . . . l:th2 Black freed the square h6 forthe fatalcheck . 6.'1Wxf8+ Else mate. 6 ... @xf87.lLJf3 It seems that when playing 5 ....r:.h2 , Black had not calculated all of the varia tions out fully - 'with such a king, it has to be mate!', he no doubt thought). But his instinct did not deceive him. As 1Jhg7+! Drawing the king onto the the analysis shows, after both 7.tlJfS seventh rank. 1 ••• 'it>xg7 2.lDe6+! Free lt:JxgI, and 7 .lt:Jg4 h6+ White cannot ing the rook's path to the seventh rank. save himself. After 2 ...dxe6 there follows 3.l:id7+ 7 ... h6+ s.'it>g6 'it>gs9.tlJxh2 and mate. Black resigned. 80 Comhining Themes 262 Klaus However, White did not play the move Wetzel .tlb3-a3 immediately, but only after GDR, 1970 clearing the long diagonal by means of D 2.lLJf6! (2.lLJcS! was equally effective). A stunned Black stopped the clocks, since after 2 ...�xf 6 she is mated: 3 .'i'xa7+ (decoy) 3 ...Wxa 7 4 . .tla3+ and 5.'!!a8#. Decoying and Pinning 264 Madler Uhlmann How can White exploit the open h-file? Aschersleben, 1963 There followed l .lLJxh6 Wxh6 2.Wg2 gS, and the black king escapes to free • dom (in the variation 3 JleS Wg6 4.�e7 f6 5 .lhe6 l::tf7 Black has three pawns forthe piece). The correct path is the immediate line clearance l . Wg2!. On l ...tt:Jxg4 there followed 2.lihl+ lLJh6 3.llxh6+! (de coy) 3...Wxh6 4.l:Ih 1 #. Mate occurs slightlylater after I ... gs (in stead of I...lLJxg4) 2.lih l Wg6 3.lixh6+ WfS 4 . .tlel Wxg4 5.f3 + wfs 6.Wg3. By luring the king to h I, Black exploits the diagonal pin: I . . Jlel + 2.Wh2 263 M. Gasparian llh l +! 3.Wxhl 'i°hl+, and mate next P. Ornstein move. Yerevan, 1999 265 Ragozin D Boleslavsky Moscow, 1945 • After l .�b3 the Swedish girl answered l.. .exd4, preparing to meet an attack on a7 (2 . .tla3) with 2 ...aS. 81 Improve Your Chm Tudics The pawn can be stopped by l...�b8 or 267 Stolberg I ...Wf7 . Out of general considerations, Zak Boleslavsky preferred l.. . @f7 (the king Gorky, 1938 attacks the pawn and also covers the promotion square, whilst the rook is kept for other,more active tasks). How ever, after 2.e8'i'+!Wxe8 3.£a4 he had to resign; he loses a rook to the pin. Decoy and Interference 266 Koblents 0. Moiseev Riga, 1955 By cutting the queen offfrom f7,White crowns his attack: I.Ild7! £xd7 After l . • . . g6 2.llxc7 gxhS 3.tlJxf7 tlJe6 (3 ...i.e6 4.tlJx eS) 4.tlJh6+Wh8 s.ne7 tlJxcS 6.tlJf7 + Wg7 7 .t2Jd6+ Wf6 8.l:tc7 Black's position is hopeless. 2.'ifxf7+ Wh8 3.�c4 tlJg6 And now the well-known 'smothered mate' - 4.'ifgs+ lhgs s.t/Jf7# Eliminating Defenders and The pawn cannot promote because of Deflection the discovered check l:td6-f6, whilst af ter a king retreat, the same rook move 268 Zheliandinov stops the pawn, and White remains Mikhalchishin with an extra piece. Lvov, 1995 True, it is possible to play l .. Jle3, tak ing the bishop, but giving both • f-pawns, which leads to a very sharp situation. Moiseev found a striking combinative solution. With l. . . B+! he invites the white king onto the f-file (2.WxfS fl'iV+). If 2.gxf6, then after 2...fI'iV White doesn't have a good discovered check, as the line has been shut offNor does 2.\tixh3 (2...fl 'iV+ 3.Wh4 'ii'eI+ 4 .i.g3 'ifhI +) work, so White re Black has two powerful bishops, the signed. pawn on e3 is weak, and he could in- 82 Combining Themes crease the pressure by playing I ...1:td6 Eliminating Defenders and (2 . .Q.f3 �xf3 3.'i'xf3 lld3). Decoying However, the outcome ofthe game was decided by a tactic: 1..Jhd2! Eliminat 270 Zarovniatov ing the defender of the e3 pawn. Pankratov 2.nxd2 .2.xe3 Deflecting the queen Correspondence game, 1990 fromthe defence of g2. White resigned. 269 Lilienthal Johannessen Oslo, 1976 D l ..Jha4! Removing the defender of the bishop on b2. 2.bxa4 After the queen capture, there follows So as to give check with the queen from 2 ...nx a2+ 3.Wxa2 �a8+ 4.�a3 lixa3+ g3, White eliminates the enemy knight: 5.Wb2 tlic4+ 6.\ticl J:tal#. If 2.'i'xd3, I.l:lxe4!'i'xe4 then 2 ...�x a2+ 3.Wxa2 'i'a8+, whilst The same combination follows after the after 2.tlixd3 simply 2 ...tlix d3. capture by the pawn, whilst after 2 ...'i'xb2 +! l...1:tcl + 2.Wh2 'i'xf2 White wins by Decoying the king, which is then 3.'i'e3. hunted down. 2.'i'gH <&t>hs 3.Wxb2 lllc4+ 4.Wb3 4.Wcl i.b2#. 4 ...lLias + s.@xb4 l::rb8+ 6.WxaS .2.c3# The finalposition deserves a diagram: Now the deflection of the rook from the eighth rank decides: 3.lLixf7+ (3 ... J:txfl 4.1:ta8+). Black resigned. 83 Improve Your Chm Tactics Eliminating Defenders and surrendered: 3 ... @xh6 4 ..fl.xa6 Black's Clearing Lines position is lost. 2 71 Rubinstein Eliminating Defenders and Hirschbein Interference Lodz, 1927 273 Bologan Movsesian Sarajevo, 2005 1.llxd7! Eliminating the defender off6. l... i.xd7 2.tlJf6+ @f83. tlJdS! Clearing the long diagonal, with an attack on the queen. Black resigned. White sacrificedhis central pawn: I .dS exdS 2.cxdS tlJxdS 3.i.c4, intending after3 ...tlJ5f 6 or 3 ...tlJf 4 to play 4.tlJg3. 2 72 Levenfish Black, however, preferred 3 ...tlJb4, Freiman Leningrad, 1925 D believing he had nothing to fear from the opened diagonal. The queen sacrificeon h6 leaps to one's After 4.'ti'c3, the reply 4 ...tlJf6 is solid eye: 1 ..ixh6 gxh6 2.nxh6+ @g7, but enough. But what if this defender of the what next? kingside is eliminated? Answer: 3 . .ib7! There followed4.llxd 7! 'tfxd7. By attacking the queen, the bishop Understandably, not 4 ... �xd7, since af clears the diagonal with tempo. Mate is ter 5.'ff c3 the game ends. threatened on g6, so the queen must be 5.�c3 'tfg4 84 Combining Themes Deflection, Eliminating Defenders and Decoying 275 Skuja Rozenberg Riga, 1962 D The pawn on f7 is fixed because of the pin, but Black believed that his last move was perfectly good. And he would have been right, had it not been for the knight jump, shutting off the queen from the attacked square g7: af ter 6.tllfg 5 ! Black had to give up the queen - 6 .•.'ti'xg5 7.tllxg5 �f6 8.'ti°f3, The bishop on b3 is pinned and at and White easily realised his advantage. tacked. However, it plays a key role. There followed 1.'ti°xf8+!. Deflection(of the rook at fl)and at the Deflection, Decoy and same elimination of the defender of h7. Interference 1 ..•l:lxf8 2. lhh7+ Decoying. 2 7 4 Karafiath 2 .•.\tixh7 3. l:t.hl+ Black resigned. Neishtadt Correspondence game, 1965-66 Decoying, Interference and • Clearing Squares 276 Gershon Y. Zilberman Israel, 2000 D The game was ended by the tactical blow 1. .. U.e3! which illustrates both deflection and decoying into a fork: 2.�xe3 lLlf3+ 3.Wg3 lLixd4 4.�xd4 °i'd2; 2.'ti'xe3 tt:Jfl+, and also interfer ence: the rook on c3 is attacked, and af ter 2J1d3 the move 2 ...lLlf 3+ wins. 85 A general glance reveals that the posi tion is better for White, as confirmed by the tempting l .�xhS gxhS 2.tLlg3 kd4 3.�g2 (3 ... fx e4 4.tLlcxe4; 3 ... h4 4. tLlxfS kxfS 5.exfS llxfS 6. l:te1 or 6.tLle2). But the drawing out of the black king is much more decisive: 1Jhg6! @xg6 2.�xhs+ �xhs Forced, since 2 ...�h 7 3.i.xf7 and 4.tLlg3does not need any assessment. 6.'iVh3. 3.�gl ! Pretty, but not forced. Any of 6.tLlg3+, 6.tLlf4+, and 6.'iVe3were also possible. 6 ...'iVxh3 7.tLlf4+ @h4 8.�el+ 'iVg3 9.%:!:xg3 Black resigned. Eliminating Defenders, Decoying and Clearing Lines 2 7 7 Rosso limo NN Paris 1944 White has sacrificed a rook to reach this position. And not for nothing. One 0 imagines that he had not calculated ev- ery variation to the end, only looking at the first 2-3 moves. For example, 3 ...�g8 4.exf5 or 4.°iYd l �xc3 5.exf5 ; 3 ...�f6 4.exf5 ; 3 ...fx e4 4.'iVxe4 or 4.tLlg3+. 3 ...�xc3 This also loses. 4.�xc3 There is no satisfactory defence against the threat of�c3-h3+. 1.%:!:xf5 ! 4 ...fxe4 s .fs ! Eliminating the defender ofh6. Interference (after 5 ...�xfS , 6.'iVh3#) 1..• exf5 2.'ii°xh6+ ! and at the same time freeing the square Decoying. for theknight. 2 ...@xh6 5 ...'iVM If2 ...gx h6, then 3.tLlf6+and 4.�g8#. Mate also followsafter other replies. 3.%:!:hl+@g6 86 Combining Themes 1 . . Jhf3 ! 2.gxf3 Then the d-file is cleared. 2 •••�x b3+ Or 2 ... �e4+. 3.axb3 With the move 3 ... 'iVcl+! Black deflects the rook from the d-file and mates: 4Jhc l 1.1d2# But where is the mate? After all, White Clearing Squares, Decoying is a queen down ... and Deflecting 4.@f4! Clearing the diagonal for the bishop; 2 79 Kristanov the threat is s . ..ths+ and 6.�xf7#. Nikolov 4 ... 'ii'e6 s.l::i:h8! Sofia, 1979 The final subtlety. After 5.�hS+ �h7 6.�xf7 + there follows 6 ... °iYh6+. Now D there is no defence to mate on hS, so Black resigned. Eliminating Defenders, Clearing Lines and Deflection 278 Bulach Petrov Moscow, 1 9 5 1 In reply to g4-g5 Black pinned the queen, expecting to win it for rook and minor piece . • However, there followed 1.g6+!. The combination begins with the clear ing of the gS-square for the knight, if Black takes on g6 with the pawn. After other captures, the king is drawn into a mating net (l ...@xg6 2.�e4+ and 3.�h8#). If 1...@h6, then 2.l:th8+ and 3.�e4#. 1... fx.g6 2.°iixb2! The white king is clearly uncomfort Deflection. The queen cannot be taken able, the squares d2 and c 1 being his - 3.ti:JgS+ @h6 4.l::!:h8#. This means ..\chilles Heel. First the knight, which is that White has a decisive material ad defending d2, is eliminated. vantage. 87 Clearing Lines, Eliminating Defenders, Deflection and Pinning, Decoying 280 Korchmar Now 3.'i'xd7 lhd7 4.�e8+ Wf7 fa E. Polyak vours Black. USSR, 1938 However, the combination is not fin ished. By using the ideas of deflection 0 and pinning, White again puts his queen en prise: 3.'fVdS!! If it is taken, then 4.�e8+ l:If8 5.lixg7 + and 6.�xf8+. Meanwhile, there is a threat of 4.llxg7+. After 3 ... g6 there follows 4.�ge3 and Black is mated. That leaves the move 3 ... @f8, unpin ning the rook on f7. If it were not for the knight on d6, White could win immediately with a rook check on e8, and therefore he played 1.lllb4! Clearing the cl-file. 1. ••axb4 2.'fVxd6! Eliminating a de fe nder. The queen cannot be taken, but it seems that Black can defend against the threats by means of2 ... 'fVd7. 4.J:[xg7! Now another pin decides. After 4 .. Jhg7 the queen is undefended. After 4 ...'fVxdS there follows S.J:[gS+! (decoying) S ••• cbxg8 6.l:Ie8+ �f8 7.�xf8#. 89 Improve Your Chm Tactics Exercises 281 282 D 283 284 D 285 286 D • 90 Clea ring Lines, Eliminaling Defenders. Deflection and Pinning, Decoying 287 288 • D 289 290 D 291 292 D • 91 Improve Your Chm Tactics 293 294 D • 295 296 297 298 • D 92 Clearing Lines, Eliminating Defenders, Deflection and Pinning , Decoying 299 300 • D 1 .. Jlc2 was played. Can White take the White has sacrificed a piece to prevent pawn on dS? his opponent from castling. Discovered checks leap to the eye, but which one? 301 302 • • Finish offthe attack. At the end of a complicated variation, White attacks the queen (l:1a1- b I), as sessing the position as roughly equal ( l ... 'i'xa32. �xb8). Was he correct? 303 • 304 D After 1 . . . �e4 with the threat of 2 ... l::tf6-fl + {2.�xe4 �fl+) White re- plied 2.'i'dl . Assess this move. How should the game end? 93 Improve Your Chm Taccics 30S 306 D Is Black's kingside really well-defended? In the interests of rapid development, White has sacrificed two pawns. Now, by playing 1.tllde4, he puts his bishop en prise. Is this sacrifice correct? 307 308 D • White has sacrificed a piece to reach Black sacrificed a piece, ready to play a this position. The c2-square is attacked. sharp endgame after 1 ... tllb3 2.li'f2 What should White do? li'xf2+ 3.'it>xf2 tllxc l 4.�xcl �xg2. Check this variation. 94 Clea ring Lines, EliminatinH Defenders, Deflection and Pinning. Decoying 309 310 • White has sacrificed a knight to open Black opens the a-file with l... llib 3+ the h-file, and his pieces are aiming at 2.axb3 axb3 and threatens the move the kingside. By playing 1.'ii'e4, he 3 . ..l::ra l +.What can White do? threatens to bring the queen to h4. It cannot be taken because of mate on h8. How can Black defend ? 95 Pawns on the Brink Thus far, we have looked at how combinations are found.In this and the subsequent sections, we will look at examples where the finaloutcome is the connecting faccor. It was allegedly Napoleon who said that 'Every soldier carries a marshal's baton in his knapsack'. Even so, neither in the wars of Napoleon's time nor later ones do sol diers get to become marshals. But in the chessboard army, this fairytale transforma tion awaits any humble pawn which manages to reach the other end of the board. When looking at combinations on che theme of deflection and other themes, we have already seen how a sacrifice can open up the possibility of a pawn promoting. 311 Sokolsky The move 1.l:le7 was played, and Black Navrodsky decided that his opponent had over Omsk, 1944 looked an elementary fork. There followed l .... 0.xd7 2.�xd7 tlJcS+ 3.WfS! CiJ xd7. Black has achieved his aim, but his joy was short-lived. After 4.e6 'lt>c8 S.e7 he had Lo resign (from a game between two amateurs, played in Belgium in 1968). 313 Kataev Markov Bor, 1977 Black has an extra piece, and the bishop on e3 is attacked. But after l ...Q.d4 there • is no defence to �d4xg7 + and f7 -f8�. The pawn promotion could also be as sured by 1.-�.gS with the unstoppable threat of 2.�.e7 +. 312 D White threatens to take the pawn on f4, and Black can defend it by playing e.g. l . . . ltJd3, l ...ltJg6 or l ...i.h 6. But in the game, he played 1.•• �dl !, and White resigned - he cannot prevent the pawn promoting. 97 Improve Your Chess Tactics 314 Stoltz 3 1 S Medina Garcia Nimzowitsch Tal Berlin, 1928 Mallorca, 1979 • • With his last move, White offered the White has connected passed pawns. exchange of queens. Tal cheerfully ac Black has not yet created a second cepted with l...�xf3+ 2. D 2 ...@d6 ! Now the king watches securely over the Black's position is very poor - White a- and b-pawns, while one of the black only has to play I .°i'c3, l .�d4 or pawns reaches the firstrank. I .'ifdS. But a combination is the quick 3.as g3 4.a6 @c7 s.@e2 d3+ 6. 98 Pawns on the Brink 317 Dikchit 3 1 9 Patience Kaliansundaram Tilson India, 1964 England, 1964 D D How can the pawn on e7 be given wings? There followed l .'i'xd4+! cxd4 After l .�a4 Black replies l ...�d 6. 2 . .Q.g7+! Wxg7 2 ...lhg7 3.lixe8+. Instead, White decided things with 3.Ilxe7+ l:Xxe7 I.�c2+ @gs 2.ttf8+! lhf8 3.�bH!. After 3 ...@f6 4 . .l:1xe8 'irc2+ S.@g3 or Black resigned. 4 ...'i'g s+ 5.Wf2 'ti'd2+ 6.�e2 White gets a new queen, with two extra rooks. 318 Engels 4.hs'ti'+ wfl s.Ith7+ We6 6.'i'cs+ Maroczy Wf6 6 ...@dS 7.'i'xfS+ and 8 . .1:1xe7. Dresden, 1936 7.'i'f8+ Black resigned. D 320 Chistiakov Vakhsberg Moscow, I 9 3 8 D White has the advantage. He could play l .'i'b4. If l ...�d4 , then 2.�xeS (2 ...l:lc4 3.'i'el; 2 ...�xeS 3.'i'xb6), and after l...ltJa4- 2.d7 l:Id8 3.'i'e7. But there is a more effective com White has an extra knight, whilst binative route. By sacrificing the ex Black's hopes are pinned on the passed change and then the queen, White pawn. When playing l .lLle3, White opens up the path forthe pawn to pro counted on l...c3, when he intended mote: I.lhb2! 'ifxb2 2.'i'xc8+! tt:Jxc8 2.�dl. Then 2 ...'i'f6 ? loses at once to 3.d7 Black resigned. 3.'i'xf6. 'If 2 ...'i'xd l+ 3.lLlxdl l:hdl+ 99 Improve Your Chm Tactics 4.Wg2,' - he thought, 'Lhe pawn cannot 3 22 Ortueta Esteban advance because of the threat SanzAguado S.�c8+' ... Madrid, 1933 The moves 1 . ..c3 2 . .rtdl? 'tWxdl+ 3.tlJxdl were indeed played, but • Vaksberg did not take the knight. The finish to this seemingly simple ending was remarkable. There followed 1.. . l:td2 2.tlJa4, and There followed 3 ... c2 ! instead of now Black suddenly sacrificed a rook - 3 .. Jhdl+?. 4.tlJe3 cl'if+ s. • 1... tlJg3 +! A sacrificesolely forthe pur Now on 4 ...axb6 there follows S.tlJd3, pose of exchanging all the pieces and when White stops the pawns and wins. presenting the c-pawn with his mar What had Black planned? shal's baton. 4 ...c4 !! 2.fxg3 'iVf6+ 3.'iff2 lhel + 4.'1t>xel The pawns prove stronger than a rook 'ifxf2+ S.Wxf2 c2, and White re and a knight. Now if 5.tlJxc4, then signed. 5 ...c2, and the pawn promotes. Also 100 Pawns on the Brink bad for White is S Jie6 cxb2 6.tleI The combination still works. The 'sur- d. gical operation' to remove the pawns That only leaves sJib4. on e6 and gS, in the popularly-quoted position, can be explained by the fact that they are superfluous,since they do not take part in the combination and simply clutter the position. In addition, after I....tld2 2.tlJa4 Black could realise his material advantage by playing. say, 2 ...eS . If 3.ttJxb6 (on 3.Ue7 Black wins by 3 .. .lhb2 4.tlJxb2 c3 S.�xeS cxb2 6.J:reI c4+), then 3 ..Jhb2 4.llxa7c3. Even more remarkably, as Dutch author But then S ...aS ! - a third pawn comes Tim Krabbe has found out, the entire into play, with decisive effect. 6.ttJxc4 combination had been played before! 6.�xc4 cxb2. 6 ... c2 White resigned. Tylkowski Wojciechowski One of the most remarkable endgames Poznan, 193 1 in the history of chess. This bewitching finish was first pub lished in the Wiener Schachzeitung ( 1934) , and in Russia, in Shakhmatny Ezlzegodnik (I 9 3 7). With the above po sition (the preceding moves were not known), it appeared in my Chess Practice (I 9 8 0). Since then I have found the full score of the game, and it appears that the crucial position requires some amendment. Black had pawns on e6 and gS, whilst the white pawn stood Black won with the same sequence of not on h2, but h3. moves: 30 .. Jlxb2 3 I .ttJxb2 c3 32.l:lxb6 c4 33.�b4 aS 34.ttJxc4 c2 and with this pawn structure, Tylkowski could play on a little longer: 35.ttJxaS cl'i'+ 36.Wh2 'i'cS 37.kr.b2 'i'xaS 38.g4 'i'e l 39.g3 hS 40.gxhS Wh6 and fifteen moves later he resigned, as Krabbe wrote in his book Nieuwe Schaakkuriosa ('New Chess Curiosities'). More often, we see a pawn reach the promotion square in the endgame, IOI Improve Your Chess Taelics when few pieces remain on the board. Play lasted just two more moves: It is rarer in the middlegame, and rarest 4.Itxa7 rlxa7 S.c7 and 'the soldier be of all in the opening. comes a marshal'. Doubtless the French master's anony 323 V.Kahn mous opponent was unaware of the NN classic game Schlechter-Perlis, Vienna Paris, 1929 191 1, published in almost all text books: l .d4 dS 2.c4 c6 3.ttJf3 ttJf6 4.e3 �fS 5.'i'b3 'i'b6 6.cxdS 'i'xb3 7.axb3 �xb 1? 8.dxc6. Perlis slightly belatedly realised his mistake and did not retreat the bishop to e4. instead, he continued 8 ...ttJxc6 9.�xbl and remained a pawn down. And finally, a pawn under-promotion to a knight. In this opening position, play contin 324 Gulko ued 1.cxdS 'ifxb 3 2.axb3. Now, before K. Grigorian retaking on dS, Black exchanged bishop Vilnius, 1971 forknight - 2 ...�xb 1. His opponent's reply 3.dxc6 he as D sumed to be a blunder, and he happily retreated the bishop, so as to defend b7 -3... �e4 . After 1.llf8+!l'hf8 2.'ifds + Wh7 Black is mated: 3.exfStiJ+! Wh8 4.l2Jeg6#, whereas the simple-minded 3 .exf8'i'? would allow 3 ...'i'g l#. 1 IYJ Pawns on the Brink Exercises 325 326 D D 327 328 • D 329 330 • D 103 Improve Your Chess Tactics 331 332 • D All hopes rest on the e-pawn ... l.�bS? �f4! 2.\t>gl 'iVeH was played, and the game ended in a draw. But in the initial position, White could have won. How? 333 334 • D The pawn on d2 is attacked, and the Exploiting the pin, White played l .bS, promotion square is under control. attacking the c6-pawn fora fifth time. Even so... Assess the position afterthe reply I •..cs . 335 336 • Both 1...Ilxg2+, and l...�xf3 are Whom does this ending favour? threatened. What is your reply? 104 Pawns on !he 81 ink 337 338 D • Analyse the position. By attacking the rook, White breached a sigh of relief The worst is behind him ... or is it? 105 Miracle Saves Imagine we are at the cinema, watching a detective film.The hero is surrounded on all sides by enemies. His situation seems desperate, and a tragic end seems inevita ble. But at the very last moment, when no hope seems to remain, our hero makes a miraculous escape and emerges intact from the danger. The author manages to create a scenario in which a most unlikely salvation comes to the hero, so beloved by the viewers, who do not want to believe in his finaldo om. Such miracle escapes are described as 'like in a novel' or 'like in a film'. Chess players say 'like in an endgame study' to describe similar chessboard miracles. Indeed, we will start with a study. 339 A. Troitzky 2...@c6!! 1895 Now 3.b8'i'(J::l) leads to stalemate, after 3.b8ttJ+there is 3 ...Wb 7, and a piece is D lost, whilst after 3.b8� Wb7 the bish ops have to defend one another; the black king moves between the squares b7 and a8, and the approach of the white king results in stalemate. Many amazing occurrences are bound up with stalemate. After l .axb7 it is not obvious how a 340 G. Jones new queen can be prevented from ap Asmundsson pearing. But the black king can still Internet, 2004- move, and stalemate cannot be over looked ... D There is a way to save himself: I.. . l:te6+! 2.�xe6 One does not usually see such positions played on, since White now queens with l.b8'ir'. Nonetheless, the game continued: 107 Improve Your Chm Tactics t...Cild3 2.�gs+ ©hs 3.�xh7+ �g4 34 2 Tomay Gomez White can mate in various ways, e.g. Cuero Reid 4 . .tlc4+ CL.J f4 S.'ifh3#. However, he Vitoria, 2003 played 4.nxf6 ? (defending against mate from the knight at f2 , and chreatening D s.'i'h3#) . White decided co finish things: I..l::rd7+ <.-\> h6 2.h4, but ran into 2...'t+Vh3+!, and any captureis stalemate. And now: 4 ... t.i'if2+!S. llxf2.lh gl+. Af ter the rook is taken, il is stalemacc. 343 Fercec Cvitan 341 Lipok Croatia, 1996 Gnegel Germany, 2002/03 • D Of course, Black's position is winning. For example, he could play I...h4 or I ...eS. But, after looking ahead a couple 'Why not take the bishop? After l.�xb7 of moves, Black decided that the sim 'i'fl+ 2.@h4 Black does not get a stale plest thing to do was take the oppo mate: although the king has no moves, nent's last pawn: 1. . . .ixg2, expecting the bishop does .. .' 2.'i'xg2'i'd l + and 3 ...'i'xb3 ... These moves were played, and now The stunning reply was 2.llg3! and af 2 ... .ie7+ 3Jhe7 (3.WhS? 'i'h3#) ter 2 ...'i'xg3 3.'i'h6+! Wg8 (if the 3 . .. 'i'hH 4.@gs 'iVh4+ 5.gxh4 led to queen is taken it is stalemate) 4.'i'h8+ stalemate. Even the strongest players are not im 2.fxe3? (correct was 2.�e8+ <;tih7 mune to stalemate surprises. 3.'ii'd7+ and only then 4.fxd). White has three extra pawns. but the suicidal 344 Hubner black queen forceshim to agree a draw: Adorjan 2 ... '(Wh2+ Or 2 ...'ii' f2 +. 2 ...'ti'h I+ . Bad Lauterberg. 1980 2 ...'ti'h3 +. 3.@f3 'i'e2+ 4.@g3 '(Wg2+ (S.'ltixg2 - stalemate) . • 346 Greco I 7th century • Instead of taking the h-pawn by I .. . :txh3 with a line such as 2.:tdS @e6 3.l:tdl (3.Ugs �g3) 3 .. Jlb3 or 2.l:tg6+ @es 3.:tg7@d6 4.llxa7Wc S, Adorjan decided to win at once, by forcing the exchange of rooks: 1 •.• l:tcS? After the cold-blooded 2.®xh4! he had This example is taken from Greco's to agree a draw, because taking the rook book The Royall Game of Chcsse-play, leads to stalemate, and otherwise the written at the start of the I 7th century. rook ending is a draw. Here there is no mate, but there is a draw: 345 Browne 1.. . I:lal + um lhfl + 3.c;£;ixfl ..ih3! Planinc Yi -Vi Wijk aan Zee, 197 4 And after 4.gxh3 (if White does not take the bishop, Black sacrifices it for • the g-pawn anyway). we reach a theo retical ending. in which the king, bishop and rook's pawn cannot win against the lone king, if the bishop (in this case, a light-squared bishop) does nor control the queening square of the pawn. Stalemate combinations involving the Black played l.. . i.xe3, and Browne, in forceful offloading of superfluous time-trouble, automatically replied pieces are always entertaining. 109 Improve Your Chess Tactics 347 Stolberg But because he does not, and the f6 Pimenov pawn is blocked, Black can rid himself Rostov on Don I 94 1 of his remaining pieces: I...t2Jf4+! 2.gxf4 The same result D comes from 2.@f3 'ffe2+ 3.Wxf4 'fHf3+ 4.@xf3 - stalemate. 2 ... 'ifxfl+ 3.Wh3 'ifxh2+4.Wg4 'ifhH5. Wxh3- stalemate. 349 Reefschlager Seppeur West Germany 1982/83 • Hy a rook sacrifice, nlack has stripped away Lhe enemy king's pawn cover, and mate seems inevitable. However, White found a tactical resource in reply: by sacrificing all his remaining material, he saves himself: 1.I:rh8+! \t>xh8 1 . . . @g6 2.'fle6#. 2.l:rb8+ @h7 3.l:th8+ \t>xh8 4.'ifxg7+ However Black takes the queen, White is stalemated. After the capture of the bishop on b8 White has an extra (and very powerful) knight. Black's hopes are connected 348 Karacsony with the exposed position of the enemy Borbely king. Roumenia, 1948 There followed 1... l:rcl + 2.\t>g2 'ffc2+ 3.�h3 . • White has four extra pawns, the black king is exposed and White threatens The rook cannot be taken because of the 'fib7-d5#. The game would be over, if deadly check on a7. But bearing in the black king had a square to move to. mind that the black king has no moves, 110 Miracle Sa\·cs and all five of his pawns are blockaded, 351 Rovner ic is easy co see the saving combinacion. Guldin 1939 3 ••• .tthl +! 4.llxhl 'i'g2+ 5.\ttxg2 - Leningrad, stale mace. D 350 Gogolev Var shavsky Aluksne, 1967 • In this fantastic position with four queens on the board, which occurred in a real game, White is an exchange and a pawn down. The queen on e I cannot be taken be cause of l . . . 'i'fs+ and 2 ...'i'g 4#. But With his last move White, who has an White can save himself by giving away extra knight, offered the exchange of his queens: queens, and at the same time attacked I.'i'g8+! �xg8 After l . ..Wh6 2.'if'f8+ the square h 7. The variation l... !td I+ Black would have to return the king to 2.@h2 'i'gl+ 3.@g3 suits him very h7, since it cannot go to gs because of well ... 3.'it'h4#. However, the queen could also have been sacrificed - 2.'iff4+ 'ifxf4 3.'i'xg6+, which leads to stale mate immediately. 2.'l'e8+ Preparing to immolate the other queen. 2 ... �h7 1.'i'gs+ �h6 4.'i'h7+ @gs s.Wh6+ Wxh6 - stalemate. The finalposition deserves a diagram. White had headed forthis position, in the belief that his king is safe.However, there followed 3 ••Jl d3+! 4.'i'xd3 'i'e3+! S.'i'xe3 stalemate. The un blocked pawn on gS turns out to be pinned. 111 Improve Your Chess Tactics No wonder Ta rtakower described stale 354 Marshall mate as the tragic-comedy of chess. NN New Yo rk, 1923 The following examplesshow stalemate in a prepared set-up with the help of a quiet move. 352 Zhdanov Pigits Riga, 1953 D The h7 pawn is lost and White is a rook down. Is it time to resign? But look: if the rook on f6 and the h-pawn are taken from the board, and we play b4-b5, White will have no moves. Therefore t..U.h6! �xh6 2.hs'if+ �xh8 3.bS. Black can only re lease the stalemate by playing 3 ...1Id 7, Black has too many pawns. After but after 4.cxd7 White will give the I .'i'd7 + @g8 2.'i'e8+ @g7 White can cl-pawn on his next move, and it will resign. since after the next check still be stalemate, whilst after4 ...cS ? (or 3.'i'd7+ there follows 3 ...'i'f7 +. 4 ... c6?) White actually wins. But with the quiet move 1.h4!! (threat There were also other solutions here, ening mate after 2.'i'g8+; if l ... 'i'd4, e.g. l.�xf7 lhf7 2.bS. then 2.'i'g6+ Wh8 3.'i'h7 +) White saved half a point. Now we will look at some miracle saves by means of perpetual check. 353 355 Kratkovsky • Laps is USSR, 1982 D In this textbook posltlon, Black is a rook down, but 1 . . . l::tb8! draws. 112 Mi raclc Sc1ve� In the previous play, White had lost a When playing 1.'iYh7, White was con bishop. But after a mistaken queen vinced that he was winning. After move to b6, he has a happy chance to l ...gxf6 there comes 2.'i'h8+ �el save himself: I.lhf8+ �xf8 2.'i'g8+! 3.'i'xf6 + \tif8 4.'ti'h8+ Wc7 \t>xg8 3.lDh6+ @hs 4.lDfl+ with per s.'i'xh4+. petual check. But Black found the saving line: 1...lDh3+ 2.@fl .ig2+! 3.Wxg2 The 356 Neumann bishop must he taken, since if the king NN retreats, there is 3 ...'i' xe 5 +. East Germany, 1956 3 ....Ua2 + 4.\t>hl The knight is immune White drew by 1.l:te8+! tDxe8 - 4.Wxh3? 'i'c8+, and if 4.Wf3?, then 2.°fVh7+! \t>xh7 3.lDf8+ @h8 4.lDg6+ 4 ...lDg S+. 4 ...tDf2+ S. Wgl (or 5.Wg2) with perpetual check. S ... lDhH and a draw, since the king A more complicated way was: 1.'i'h7 + cannot come to fl because of 6 . . J:l.f2+ lDxh7 (on 1 ...Wxh 7 there is 2.lDf8+ and 7.We 1 'ifxeS+. 3.lDg6+) 2.l::ie8+ lDf8 3.lhf8+ Wh7 4.�g8+ White has sacrificedtwo pawns for the attack, but the threats to his queenside 113 Improve Your Chm Tactics are more imporcant. A logical develop ment of the game was l ...tlJc4, in or der after2.f xg7 to reply 2 .. JHd8, with the advantage. For example: 3.�f3 �d7 4.�f2 d3 or L�a I �xa3 4.�f3 �el. The attack 2.�g3 (instead of 2.fxg7) 2 ...g6 3.'i'gS would be refuted by 3 ...Wh8 4.�h6 �g8, and after sJH3 (S.cxd4 gS and .l:tg8-g6) Black has S ...�cS . However, he had overlooked the queen However, Black decided that the simple sacrifice 4.�xh7+! @xh7 S.llh3+. Af 1 ...dxc3 promised a safe advantage, ter s .. . @g6 (or else it is mate) the game and after 2.fxg7 �fd8 3 . .tlxc3 - ended with a repetition of moves - 3 •.• tl:Jc4. 6.llgH 114 Miracle Saves Exercises 359 360 • • 361 362 • • 363 364 • • I I 5 Improve Your Chm Tactics 365 366 D • 367 368 • • 369 370 • D 116 Miracle Sam 371 372 0 0 373 374 0 375 376 0 117 Improve Your Chess Tactics 377 378 • • Black has an overwhelming material ad Black cannot fight against the passed vantage. Should he enter the pawn end pawn, supported by its queen, and at ing by means of a temporary queen sac the same time protect his back rank. rifice( 1... '(Wxf3 + 2.'(Wxf3 �a3 )? However, as they say, 'never stop try ing' ... 379 380 D • After 1 . .rlf3 there followed 1 ... l::tc2 + For Black, the exchange of queens is 2.i;t>fl .l::txh2. How should the game tantamount to resignation. Meanwhile, end? there are threats of '(Wg6-g8# and .l:lg4-h4.What should he do? 118 Examination 'But almost the whole of this book is an examination in tactics', the reader might object. 'So why is only this section called an examination?' In all sections of the book, when trying to solve the positions presented, you know that there is some extraordinary tactical possibility in the position. But in the earlier sections, you have also had another very helpful clue, inthe title of the sec tion concerned. The previous sections arc therefore more in the nature of a rein forcement of the topics discussed, rather than an examination. In this examination, you will still have the general hint that the solutions are of a tactical character. The reader is offered the opportunity to judge for himself how well he has passed the test. You have before you 3 5 6 test positions. 381 382 383 384 D 119 Improve Your Chess Tactics 38S 386 D • 387 388 D 389 390 • D 120 F.xC1minofion 391 392 • D 393 394 • 395 396 D 121 Improve Your Chm Tactics 397 398 • • 399 400 0 0 401 402 0 122 Exominolion 403 404 405 406 D • 407 408 • 123 Improve Your Chm Tactics 409 410 D 411 412 D D Find the most forcingwin. 413 414 124 Examination 415 416 D 417 418 D D 419 420 125 Improve Your Chess Taccics 421 422 D D 423 424 D D 425 426 • • 126 Examination 427 428 • • 429 430 0 431 432 • 0 127 lmprove Your Chm Tactics 433 434 • • 435 436 • 437 438 • 128 Examinacion 439 440 • 441 442 D D 443 444 129 Improve Your Chm Tcrclics 445 446 • 447 448 • 449 450 D 130 Examinarion 4S l 4S2 D 4S3 4S4 • D 4SS 4S6 D 131 Improve Your Chess Tactics 457 458 • 0 46 1 462 • • 132 haminalion 463 464 D D 465 466 • • 467 468 D 133 Improve Your Chess Tactics 469 470 D • 471 472 • 473 474 • D 134 Examination 475 476 • • 477 478 D D 479 480 D D 135 Improve Your Chm Tactics 481 482 48 3 484 • D 485 486 • • 136 Examination 487 488 D • 489 490 • 49 1 492 D D 137 Improve Your Chess Tactics 493 494 • • 495 496 • • 497 498 o l 0 Examination 499 500 501 502 D D 503 504 D D 139 Imp rove Your Chm Tactics 505 506 507 508 0 • 509 510 0 1 111 Exominoliun 511 512 o: 513 514 D 515 516 • 141 Improve Your Chm Tactics 517 518 • D 519 520 • 521 522 • • 142 Examination S23 S24 D D S2S S26 D S27 S28 • 143 Improve Your Chm Tactics 529 530 • 531 532 D • 533 534 • D 144 Examina tion 535 536 D 537 538 D 539 540 • • 145 Improve Your Chm Taclics 541 542 D 543 544 D • 545 546 D 146 Examination S47 S48 • D S49 HO D • HI H2 D D 147 Improve Your Chess Tactics SS3 554 D D SSS SS6 • D 557 558 D D 148 F.xamincr fion 559 560 • • 561 562 • 563 564 • • 149 Improve Your Chm Tactics 565 566 0 • 567 568 0 569 570 0 • 150 Examination 571 572 • • 573 574 D 575 576 D D 1 SI Improve Your Chess Tat:tics S77 S78 D D S79 S80 • S81 S82 D 152 Examinalion 583 584 D 585 586 • • 587 588 • 153 Imp rove Your Chm Tactics 589 590 D • 591 592 D D 593 594 D 154 Examination 595 596 597 598 D 599 600 D D 155 Improve Your Chm Tactics 601 602 603 604 D D 605 606 D D 156 Examination 607 608 D 609 610 0 D 611 612 • D 157 Improve Your Chm Tac£ics 613 614 • D 615 616 D 617 618 • 158 Examination 619 620 62 1 622 623 624 o l D 159 Improve You1 Chess Tactics 625 626 0 627 628 0 0 629 630 0 • 160 Examinatiu11 631 632 • D 633 634 D D 635 636 D 161 Improve Your Chm Tactics 637 638 639 640 641 642 D D 162 Examination 643 644 D 645 646 D • 647 648 D 163 Improve Your Chess Tactics 649 6SO D D 6Sl 6S2 D 653 6S4 D .. c How should 1 . hxgSbe answered? I . s was played. How would you reply? 164 Examin<1lion 655 656 How should the game end after Wo uld you take the pawn on b7? I .tlJf7+? 657 658 • D Black is two pawns down. What would White played I.�f4. What happens if you recommend? the bishop is taken? 659 660 D White played I . .ic3. What happens if How would you answer 1 •..tlJe5 ? Black replies 1 ... .ixc4? 165 Improve Your Chess Tactics 661 662 D I low should White respond to I.llfl was played. Hasn't White blun t .....G. xf3? dered a rook? 663 664 With his last move ( ...t2Jd6-c 4) Black Should Black castle queenside? closed the diagonal of the bishop on b3 and defended the square f7.Now the knight on g6 is attacked. What should White do? 666 D 665 With his last move ...Wg7-g6 Black cre ated a threat of mate. And what if we How should l.g4 be answered? now take the rook? 166 txamination 667 668 0 Can White take the bishop on fS , ex- Where should the knight go? plaiting the queen's overloading, and thereby win a piece? 669 670 Can the posmon of the undefended With the move 1 .. . t2Jf5Black offered an knight on hS be exploited? exchange. And White? 671 672 0 Realise White's advantage. Assess the continuation 1.lLlf4. 167 Improve Your Chm Tactics 673 674 Can White win a pawn? Your reply to I ... es ? 676 675 • Black moved the knight to e5, having cal Black accepted the offered draw, believ culated the variation 2.ttJxeS 'i'h4+ 3.g3 ing that he had nothing more than per (3.®d2 'ii'f4 + and 4 ...'ii' xe5) 3 ...'ii'xe4+ petual check (1..Jlg4+ 2.®h2 llh4+). and 4 ...'tixh l . Was he correct? Was he right? 678 677 • Black must decide whether to pursue the white king by I ....tt g8+ and 2 ...'i'x h2+, White's last move was .id2-g5. What is or to satisfy himself with taking the rook your reply? on fl andentering a rook ending. 168 Examination 679 680 • • Can the bishop be taken? Black is attacking b2, White is defend ing it. How can Black strengthen his po 681 sition? 682 White has a piece less, and is threatened with ...'i'd 2-e l+ and then ...'i'e l -fl . But the black king is also not totally safe... How would you answer I.tllc7 ? 683 684 • Exploiting Black's lag in development, White went over to active operations. How should the queen exchange offer He played l.f5 exf5 ( I ... .ixfS 2.tll xfS be met? exfs 3 .tllgS) 2.tllh4 fi.e7 3.tllgxf5 0-0 4.'fie2Ue 8. Continue the attack. 169 Improve Your Chess Tactics 68S 686 Should 1. the pawn be taken: ..�.xc4 How should the game end? 2.�xc4 tl.JxaS ? 687 688 D 1 The check I.tl:Je7+ was given. Where .•. tl:JxeS was played. What happens af should the king go? ter 2.dxeS ? 689 690 D • How can the pin on the bishop at gS be What is your reply lo I ... lla8 ? exploited? 170 Examinarion 691 692 • D What happens if we take the rook? Defending against the many threats, White played l.fxg4. How should this 693 be answered? 694 • In a sharp line of the Danish Gambit (1.e4 eS 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.�c4 cxb2 5.�xb2) White has sacrificedsev eral pawns, and his pieces are pointed at Defending the mate, White played the kingside. How should he continue l .�f3. Continue the attack. the attack? 695 696 D • White played I .gs. What happens after Realise the advantage. t ...fxgs ? 171 Improve Your Chm Tactics 697 698 D • The black king has no defenders, but In order to create the threat of 2 ...t2Jd4, how do we get at it? Black played 1. .. White deliberately went into this posi tion. In view of his threats (taking the Black has placed a bishop under attack, rook, and �c l-d2), he expected to win counting on exploiting the open posi a piece. What is your response? tion of the white king, to forceeither a repetition of moves or the regaining of 701 the piece. Analyse the position. D 702 • Exploiting the idea of interference, White played I.tlJd5. How should the game end? How would you reply to 1. ..lle4 ? 172 Exuminut ion 703 704 D Continue the attack. The black pieces are all grouped on the queenside, whilst his kingside is weak ened. Can this be exploited? 705 706 D • Wo uld you sacrificethe bishop on h7? How should one reply to 1 ... 'ifxf3 ? 707 708 Black's kingside has been weakened by Assess the consequences of the tactical the move ... g7 -g6. Is this significant? operation l . . .cxd4 2.cxd4 l2Jxd4. 173 Improve Your Chm Tactics 709 710 D • Bl.Kk threatens to play 1...'i'a3, and White has several extra pawns, but he is .d�o I ... G.xh3. What should White do? significantly lagging in development. How should Black conduct the attack? 71 1 712 D White has sacrificed the exchange for In order to create threats on the an attack. What should he do now? kingside, White deflected the knight from f6 - 1.ltJxd7 ttJxd7 and opened the long diagonal with 2.dS. Analyse 713 the position after2 ...�xdS . D 714 • Black has an extra rook, and the pawn on d6 is doomed. However, do not hurry to resign - consider what you can The rook is attacked, whilst mate is come up with. threatened on h I. What should one do? 174 Examination 715 716 0 • Assess the sacrificeon h7. Black played t...f4, trying to open up the position of the enemy king. Con sider the consequences of the combina 717 tion 2.exf4 exf4 3.tt:'lxf4 l:Ixd2+ 4.'i'xd2'ifxe4+ s. @h2 'ifxc4. 718 0 Both bishops are pomtmg at the kingside, which makes one think about the typical sacrificeon h7 and g7. What is your decision? Black has delayed castling. Can this be exploited? 719 720 • 0 What happens after 1 . . . Wh 3 ? How should the attack be carried out? 175 Improve Your Chess Tactics 721 722 White thought about bringing his There followed l .tlJxdS .ixgS 2.h4 knight via c2, to d4, and so played l.c3. 'iVas+. What happens if Black replies In giving this intermediate check, Black l ... �.xc3+ ? was not afraid of 3.b4 because of 3 ...cxb4, and if 4.lLJxgS or 4.hxgS, then 4 ...b3+. Was he correct? 723 724 • • Can Black take the bishop? In order to realise his material advan tage, Black decided to exchange the c and cl-pawns, and deprive the enemy bishop of the strong point d5. He played l . . . 'iYa2+, having in mind the variation 2.@h3 'iVxc4 3.l'We7+ Wg6 4.'iVxd6 @f6 with a technically win ning position. Check the correctness of this calculation. 176 Examina1ion 72S 726 A natural development of the play in Black has offered the exchange of this typical Sicilian position would be queens. Can White win? I.fS or l.�e3. White instead went over to the offen sive with l.gS hxgS 2.fxgS. Here, in stead of counterattacking with 2 . ..dS, Black played 2...tDg8. There followed 3.g6 tlJgf6 More tenacious is 3 ...tDe S. 4.gxfl+ 727 728 Assess the consequences of the queen Would you take the pawn on d4? sacrificeon h 2 after 1 ...'iVh3 2. 'l'fl . 177 Improve Your Chm Tactics 729 730 D White played I.tlJxd4, having in mind To develop his attack on the kingside, the sharp variation l ... �xg2 2.tlJfS White played l .g4 and after l ...tlJd6 - �b7 3.tlJd6 �f3 4.l:rd3 �a8 5.tlJxc8 2.�el. Now 2 ...tlJe4+ is impossible be �xfl 6.tlJe7+ @h8. Assess the resulting cause of 3.llxe4 dxe4 4.�h6 l:Ig8 position. 5.tlJgS with mate. But after 2...tlJe8 Black wins the pawn on f6 . How should we continue the attack? 731 732 D How should White meet the offer of a This position, typical for open games, queen exchange? arose fromthe Caro-Kann after l.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.f3 dxe4 4.fxe4 e5 s.tt:Jf3 exd4 6 . .ic4 �b4+7. c3 dxc3. Consider the consequences of the move 8.�xf7+ 178 Examination 733 734 0 The c-pawn is one square from promot Finish offthe attack. ing. What should be done? 735 736 • D Despite the weakening of his kingside, White played 1.d7. Assess the variation Black decided to break up the enemy 1 ...'ifxfl + 2. -2. . . fxe4. Assess the position and analyse the two sides' possibilities. 179 Solutions to Exercises Deflection (No 35-86) 35 There followed 1.�xeS!, and Black resigned. He cannot take the queen because of 2.ll.d8#, nor can he retreat (Paramonov-Shekhtman, Moscow 1961). 36 After 1.. . 'ti'h4! White resigned, because ofthe in evitable mate (Farboud-Panno, 15th Olympiad, Varna 1962). 37 I..Jlel ! Deflectingthe rook - 2.�xe I Wkg2#, and the queen - 2.�xe I 'i'hS#. 2.'ti'g4 �hi+! 3.l:lxhl Ihhl# (Belenky-Pirogov, Moscow 197 5) 183 f mprovc Your Chess Tactics 38 The knight on d4 is attacked and has no retreat. But if the queen did not control c2, White would be mated. Therefore the queen must somehow be deflected. This is achieved with the move l...�aS!, after which White had to resign (Gliksman-Popovic, Wroclaw 1979). 39 Black, who has an extra bishop, has defended against the mate threatened on h 7, offering the exchange of queens (the c8-square is covered by the knight). White needs to findan extreme tacti cal solution, as his rook and knight are attacked. The move 1.nf4!, deflecting the queen from the defence of either the square h7 (in the event of 1...'i'xf4) or the 8th rank (in the event of l.. .°i'xd3), forced Black to resign (Belov Ongemakh, Narva 1984). 40 l...�e2!, and White resigned (Panno-Bravo, Brazil 197 5). 41 The pin on the second rank prevents White mat ing by g2-g3, therefore I.°i'el+! (Stahlberg Becker, Buenos Aires I 944). 184 Solutions: Defied ion (No 3 5-86) 42 1.�fl! A deflection which forces resignation, since Black loses a knight: l . ..�c8 2.�xc4; I . . . Wb8 2.llxd8+ �xd8 3.�xc4 (Kcres-Trc)gcr, Hamburg 1960). 43 l...�bl! 2.�e2 �e4 White resigned (Stefanova-Peptan,Moscow I 9 9 4). 44 In reply to the offer of a queen exchange, Black deflectedthe bishop with the move 1 ...�a 6!, after which White resigned (Uhlmann-Larsen, Las Palmas 1971). 45 I .�c3 is strong, but mate is stronger: 1.�xeS+! �e6 l . ..ttJxeS 2.l::[d8#. 2.lLJf6+! gxf6 2 ...ttJxf 6 3 . .tid8#. 3.�xe6+ fxe6 4.�h5# (F. Zimmer mann-W Hubner, West Germany 197 5/76) 185 Improve Your Chess Tactics 46 l.�g6!, and Black resigned (1 ...�x g6 2.Uh8+!). (Katalymov-Kolpakov, Riga 197 5). 47 I...I:f.d8! 2.�e3 'fkxc2 3.Wfl �di+ White re signed, in view of 4.Uxd l �xd l+ 5.�e l �d3+ (Barcza-Tal, Ta llinn 197 I). 48 l...'fkeS! 2.�xeS t2Jd3+ and 3 ..Jh cl# (Demetriescu-Adam, correspondence game, 1934). 49 There followed l ..Jhe I+ (but not 1 . ..tt:Je 2 +? be cause of 2Jhe2 lhe2 3.'i'h6, and Black is mated) 2.Ihe l t2Je2+!, and White lost his queen, because he cannot take the knight in view of 3 ...�b l + (Browne-Haik, Reykjavik 1 986). 186 Solutions: Ddlection (No 35-8 6) 50 This position arose in the game Alekhine-Mikenas from Kemeri, l 9 3 7. Mikenas played l.. . .fl.xe4, and Alekhine could not refrain from exclaiming 'Young man, you could have mated in three!'. In deed, I..Jk2! (we would point out that l.. .llc4 is also strong) and if White takes 2.�xc2 it is mate in three after2 ...'iYxf H 3.Wgl �h3. 'Never mind', said Mikenas, overcoming his dis appointment, 'I will win it over again.' After 2.�xe4 'ifxe43.Il xe4 llc2Black retained his ad 51 vantage and eventually won. l.�h6! 'i¥g8 I...gxh6 2.g7 +. 2.�e6! After 2 ...�xe6 there follows 3.'i'h8+ 'i'g8 4.�xg7 +. Black resigned (Shelochilin-P. Chernikov, Lenin grad 1950). 52 Black has an extra knight and some powerful passed pawns. However, his king lacks pawn pro tection and White easily crowned his attack: l.�g8+ On I.llexe7 + Black replies not l...l:lxe7 2.�g8#, but l ...�x e7. I..JHS 2.1i'g6+! Deflec tion. 2 ... �xg6 3.l:texe7+ Wd8 4.l:Ibd7# (Hartston-Whiteley, England 1974) 53 There followed l ...'fi'e l!, and White resigned. Af ter the capture of the queen, there follows 2 ...tll f3 + and 3 ...l;Ix h2#, whilst after 2.�h I there is 2 ...�f2 (Ugoltsev-Ashin, USSR 1 976). 187 Improve Your Chm Tactics 54 l... Ilxe3 Deflecting the pawn f2 , with the aim of opening the path of the f-pawn. 2.fxe3 -�-e4 The bishop sets up the ambush. 3.Ilf2 3.li'eS f2+ 4.�xe4 fl� loses. 3 ..Jhal Deflecting the rook from f2 . 4.Ilgfl 4 .l:Ixa 2 f2+. 4 ... 'l'xfl+ Repeat ing the deflection of the rook leads to mate (Naumov-Petrushansky, USSR 1978). 55 l.e8�+! tt.Jxe8 2.lllfS The threat of 3.'l'e7+ is unstoppable, Black resigned (Doroshkievich Balitinov, Orel 1980). 56 Black could take the e4 pawn, but giving mate is becter: l.. . lllf3! (2.gxf3 l:td2) (Stahlberg-Keres, Bad Nauheim 1936) 1.'i¥xf6! gxf6 2.lllge4+ Wh8 Or 2 ...lll g6 3.lllxf6+ and 4.lllxd7. 3.lllxf6 Both 4.l:Ig8# and che capture of the queen are threatened. Black re signed (Tolush-Mitirelu, Warsaw 196 1). 188 Solutions: Deflection (Nu 35-86) 58 I.l:t.g5! In defending the mate, White offershis op ponent a choice of queen or rook. After either cap ture, there follows2 . CiJxfl# . But Black can content himself with a pawn, at the same time defending fl: l... �xf6. White has a rook and a knight at tacked, and there is also a threat of 2 ...'i'f 6-f2 +. .. 2.�d4! After this problem-like move, Black has only 2 .. J1g6, and 3.�xg6! ends the game: 3 ...'(Wxd4 4.tllxf7#(Sut a-Sutcu. Bucharest 1953). 59 l... t2Jf3 +! Deflection, with the aim of opening the g-file for the rook on c6. 2.gxf3 2.Wh I t2Jxf2+. 2 ... l:t.g6+ 3.Whl t2Jxf2+ Deflecting the rook from the firstra nk. 4.l:hf2 lld1 +, and mate next move (NN-Englisch, Vienna 1885). 60 Without burdening himself with the calculation of the variation 1...llc3 2.�d3 t2Jc7. Black de flectedthe enemy queen from the defence of the square f3 : l .. .lhc2! 2.'i'xc2 t2Jf3+ 3.@f2 If 3.Wh 1, then 3 ...'ti'g3 with mate on either h2 (if the knight moves) or g I. 3 ... 'i'gH. After4.W e2 there follows 4 ... t2Jed4+. White resigned (Paoli Smyslov, Ve nice I 9 5 0). Instead of 2.'ifxc2White could have given up the exchange by continuing 2.�xe5 , but after 2 ...'i'xe 5 3.'i'xc2'i'xa I his position is bad. 61 By continuing I .lhe5. White can reach a rook ending with an extra pawn: 1...llbxa6 2.nxa6 Iha6 3.Wxb3. However, the move l.�d3! im mediately forced Blackto resign. He cannot take the rook because of mate, whilst after l ...�e 8, White again deflectsthe rook from the back rank with the move 2.�xe5 (Capablanca-Rossolimo, Paris I 9 3 8) . 189 lmprove Your Chm Tactics 62 I..Jle2! 2.'iYxe2 .t:rxb3+ 3.@cl If 3.axb3, then 3...'iYa I+ 4.@c2 'iYb2+ 5.@d3 'iYc3#. 3 ...'i'c 3+ and then 4 ...Irb I+ mating (Pelaez-De Dovitiis, Havana 1993). 63 White wins by deflecting the queen from the de fe nce of the rook at d8: 1.'iYa7! 'iYa.S2.�xa6! 'i'c7 3.�a7! The queen cannot retreat further, so Black resigned (Rovner-Kamishov, Moscow 1947). The success of White's tactical operation was founded not only on the weakness of the back rank and the position of his heavy pieces. The bishop on f3 also played its role, by defending the rook on d 1. If the bishop had been on b3, forex ample, the move I.'ifa7 would not have been possible, as Black could reply with the zwischen 64 zug l . . Jlxd2, and then take the queen. 1.ttJe7+! 'i'Vxe7 On I...Irxe7 there follows 2.l:id8+ Ire8 3.�xe8+ (deflecting the queen from the defence ofh7) 3 ...'ifxe 8 4.'i'Vxh7+ Wf8 5.�c5+. But with his next move, White achieves his aim all the same: 2.l:lxe6 Black resigned (Pospisil-Keller, correspondence game, 1983-84) . 6.S I..t:rel! J:ldS If I..Jk8, then 2.'ifb7, whilst after 1...Irf8 Black is mated: 2.�xf8+ and 3.'ifb8+. Now 2.'iYbS ends the game. After 2 ...l:lxg2+ 3.Whl Black resigned (Wehnert-Leiss, East Ger many 1962). 190 Solutions: Deflection (No 3S-86) 66 I.' 67 I..ixf6 gxf6 2.�h6 fS If 2...fxeS, then 3.i.xh7+ Wh8 4.�g6+ mating. 3.ltJg4! Black resigned (Haik-Kiffmeyer, Stockholm I 9 7 4). 68 In the game Hiibner-Murey (Sukhumi 1972) White could have won by exploiting his powerful bishops and the open position of the enemy king: 1.gS! i.xgS2.�.d4+ .if6 3.'i'b8! Hubner missed the finaldcfle ccion blow and i 11- stead played l .'i'f7. Firstly, 1Jhe8ltxe8 2.'ifa4! and Blad cannol take the queen because of back-rank male, whilst the 69 counter-blow 2..Jkl+ fails to 3.Wfl.The second method was 1.�bS!. After I..Jhb8 (or 1..Jkl+ 2.�fl .Uc2+ 3.Wel .Ucl + 4. 191 Improve Your Chess Tactics 70 I..JH3!! Neither queen nor rook can be taken because of mate {2.gxf3 'i'h2#; 2.'iYxa2 .!hf! #), whilst there is a threat of 2 .. Jhh3+. The move 2.Wg l does not defend the threat, because of 2 ... 'i'a7 + 3. 71 The move l ...'i'd4? was a mistake in an equal po sition. 2.lldl! and Black resigned {2 ...�xc3 3.nxd7+ and 4.bxc3) {Stahlberg-Lundin, Stock holm 1937). 72 After I ..JkS? White could have won by deflect ing the queen from the defence of the back rank with 2.Ila7!. In the game Stephenson-Penrose from the British Championship, Bristol 1968, White failed to no tice this possibility, played 2.l:ic2 and eventually lost. 192 Solutions: Deflection (No 3 S-86) 73 I.°ifxds+ (with the idea 2.llJe7+) immediately fails, becausethe black queen takes with check. I.�d4! wins. White not only defends against the threat of ...llJg4-f 2 +, but also threatens the queen, the knight, and to give male. This ma noeuvre (to be more exact: this triple attack) , de flectingthe queen from thedef ence of el (after l.. .�xd4 there follows the discovered attack 2. {jje 7+ and 3 .lhf8 #), leads to material gains. Black's only chance is to give up queen for rook and knight: 1..Jhf5 2.'i'xcS �xfl + 3.@g2 l:rf8 4.'i'xdS+ @h8, which, of course, does not save him from defeat (Jansson-Pytel, Stockholm 197 5). 74 l ...cx b3? was the decisive mistake. After 2.'iYa7! Black had to resign (Minic-Honfi, Yugosla via-Hungary match, 1966). 75 1.. . l:.d3! Deflectingthe queen from the defence of g2. 2 . .ixes+ dxeS 3.'i'b2 3.'i'c2 nxd l 4Jhdl 'i'f3+. 3 ... 'i'f3+ (but not 3 ...nxd I ? because of 4.'i'xes+ l:ig7 5.'i'e8+ drawing), and White is mated (Varjomaa-Lundqvist, Sweden I 9 8 0). Instead of I .f4? White should have continued I . .ixes+ dxeS 2.'i'ds. 193 Improve Your Chm Tactics 76 The continuation I Jhg7? llxg7 2.�xf6 loses af ter the deflectioncounte rblow 2 ... �g2+! 3Jhg2 llel + mating (Uhlmann-P Dely, Budapest 1962). 77 The bishop does not have to retreat. There fol lowed 3 .. Jlg6! 4.gxh3? If White had seen his op ponent's reply, he would have surrendered the ex change with 4.g3 .ixfl 5.�xe4 dxe4 6.lhfl , al though this would not have changed the result. 4 ... �gl + S.�xgl (iJxf2# (Balanel-Pytlakowski, Marianske Lazne I 9 5 2) 78 No. Exploiting the insufficiently defended first rank, Black plays 1.•• (iJf2+! and after 2.llxfl - 2 ...�d4! with decisive material gains (Marciniak-Dobosz, Poland 1973). 79 I ..Jhf2 ! 2.lhe6 The squares g2 and fl are defended. White con sidered that his opponent had sacrificed the bishop forno good reason ... However, there followed 2...�e2!, and the game ended (V Kahn-Bernstein,Paris 1926). 194 Solutions: Deflection (No 35-86) 80 No. After I.tlJxc3? there follows l... lbxc 3 2Jhc3 llxc3 3.l:lxc3. Now Black achieves nothing by 3...'ifbl + in view of 4.'iffl ( 4 ... Ud l ?? 5.l:rc8+). But deflectingthe queen fromdef ending the first rank decides the game: 3...'ifb2! 4.llc2 4.'t!Ve I 'ifxc3 !. 4 ... 'iHbl+, and White loses a rook (Bernstein-Capablanca. Moscow I 9 14). 81 In the finalposition, Black had missed thl' dl'fll'rt ing sacrifice 5.�h4!, forcing him to rl'sig11 (5 ... .txd4+ 6.Wh I �g8 7JHH) (bmky Lelchuk, Smolensk 1950). O.xe8 a In addition, instead of 3 . . While could h ve continued 3.iil.xg5 f:fxg5 (3 ...'ii xd4+ L�e3) 4 . .txe8and after 4 ...i.h 3 - 5.�g3, keeping a de cisive material advantage. 82 Black wins by a rook sacrifice, deflecting the queen from the defence of e3: I..Jlbl! 2.�xbl tlJxe3+ 3.lit>gl Or 3.Wh3 'i'f5+. 3 ... �xf3, and mate. This interesting possibility was missed by Botvinnik in his game with Bouwmeester (Wageningen 1958). He played l . ..d4 2.exd4 lllxd4 3.'i'e3lll e6 4.�e5, and Bouwmeester, hav ing an extra pawn, offered a draw. 83 l .�fS! The doomed bishop deflects its opposite number fromthe defence of e8. l... �xfS 2.�c7! Now the queen is deflected from defending e8. 2..Jhdl+ 3.lit>xdl �xc2+ 4.lit>cl! �a4+ Because of the mate threat on the back rank, there is no other reply. 5.�xc6 �xc6 6Jle6 �bS 7Jhb6 Wg8 8.llb7with a technically winning endgame forWhit e (Khalifman-Ehlvest, Lvov 1985). 195 fmprove Your Chess Tactics 84 After I Jlh8+ Wd7 Black thought that he was safe. But there followed 2.�c6+!. The bishop, al though attacked by three pieces, is immune. If 2 ... tlJxc6, then the rook on f7 takes with check, whilst after2 .. Jhc6 there followssimply 3Jhf7. And if2... Wx c6, then 3.ld.xc8+ tlJxc84.ld. xf7 . 2 ... We6 3.ld.h6+ l:if6 4.�d7+! What a bishop! Black must capture, thereby losing the exchange. After4 ...@xd7 S.ld.xf6 l:ie8 6.l'hgS tlJg8 7.l:ig7+ tlle7 8.@g3 l:ih8 9.l:iff7l:ie8 IO.@g4 White won easily (Simagin-Zagoryansky, Ivanovo 1944). 85 After White took on eS Black replied 3...ld.fS 4.�e2. On 4.'i'e I the reply 4 ...'i'g S creates un answerable threats. 4 ... f3! S.gxf3 ld.e8 6.°ifdl The same mating attack follows after 6.'i'd3 l:igS+ 7 .\t>hI °iYh3. 6 ... l:igs+ 7.c;t>hI 'flh38.ll gl l:iel! A slightly later mate arises after ..8 Jh g 1 + 9. \t>xg I �e6. The deflection of the two pieces defending the king, the queen (9.'i'xe l 'i'xf3 +) and the rook (9.lhe l 'i'g2#), ends the game (Dille-Pigits, correspondence game, 1986). 86 A) The tempting move l .Ita3 loses to l...�xh2+ 2.\t>h1 (2.\t>fl 'ife2#) 2 ... �g3+ 3.Wg l (3.tlJh3ld.d l+) 3 ...Itd l+ 4.i:lxdl 'ifxdl+ s.tt:Jxdl llel#. B) After I.l:ih3 'ifgs 2.l:Ia3 Black deflects the enemy queen with a sacrifice: 2...'ifxcl+! 3.'ifxc l and now 3 ... �xb2!. The queen cannot be taken because of mate, so Black wins a rook and so achieves a decisive advantage (Sznapik Bronstein, Sandomierz 1976). 196 Decoying (No 120-155) 120 I.'fic4+! 'fkxc4 2.gs'fk+ and 3.'fkxc4 (Pihajlic Ivanka, Subotica 1976). 121 IJ1d8+ We7 I ...Wxd8 2.lt:Jxf7+ and 3.tlJxeS. 2.t1xh8 �xgS 3.'ifd2 winning. After 3 ... lt:JdS there follows4.c 4 (Tai-Benko, Amsterdam 1964). 122 I..ih7+ Wxh7 2.'fkxe6. The square f7 is unde fended, Black resigned (Kasparov-Browne, Banja Luka 1979). 197 Improve Your Chm Tactics 123 I..Jhfl +! 2.@xfl �xg2+! White resigned (Van den Berg-Donner, Beverwijk 1963). 124 1.'ifh8+! @xh8 2.tllg6+ @gs 3.�h8# (Tikhonenkov-Kruchev, Moscow 1973) 125 I.°ifxh7+! @xh7 2.�h5+ @g7 3.�h6+ @h7 4.�f8#(Santasier e-W Adams,USA 1926) 126 l. .. tlle2+ 2.�h l 'i'xh2+! 3.@xh2 �h4# (Meo-Giustolisi, Reggio Emilia 195 9 I 60) 198 Solutions: Decoying (No 120-1 SS) 127 By sacrificing queen and rook, White lures the enemy king to h8, after which there follows a deadly discovered check: 1.'i'xg8+! Wxg8 2.l:th8+ Wxh8 3.Qf7# (Krylov-Tarasov, Lenin grad 1961) 128 With the move l .tl'ib6! White won the exchange. The queen cannot be taken because of 2.JlaS, af ter which the queen is lost (Freiman-I. Rabinovich, Leningrad 1934). t.'i'g7+! @xg7 2.tl'ifs+ @gs 3.tl'ih6# (Mista Kloza, Poland 1955) 130 After L . . 'i'xfH! White resigned. On 2.Wxf3 there follows2. ...idS+ 3.t>f4 .ih6#. Other king retreats also lead to mate: 2.Wg I .idS; 2.Wh3 .ie6+ 3.Wh2 'i'xfl+ and 4 ....id S#; 2.Wh2 'i'xfl+ 3.Wh3 .ie6+ (Stoltz-Orienter, Vienna 1976). 199 Improve Your Chess Tactics 131 l ...d4! 2.llJe4After 2 . .Q.xc6 .rlxc6the knight can not retreat, because c2 is undefended. 2 ... 'i'xc2+! 3.Wxc2 .ixe4+White resigned. After 4.Wd2 comes 4 ....rlc2#, whilst in the event of 4.Wb3 there is 4 ...�c2# (Parma-Bielicki, Basle 1959). 132 After I.llJg5! Black resigned (Yates-Reti, New York 1924) . The knight cannot be taken because of 2 . .rlh8+ Wxh8 3.llJxf7+ and 4.llJxgS. Mean while, both 2.llJgxf7 and 3 . .t!h8#, and also 2.'i'g4followed by3. 'i'h4are threatened. I.°i'e3 and I.'i'f3 would also win eventually, but the text is the most direct and the most elegant. 133 l.. . b5 2.�d3 After 2 . .Q.xbS both 2 ....rlab8 fol lowed by ...a7- a6, and also 2 ...�xbS 3.'i'xbS llab8 and then ...llJeS -d3+ win. 2 ...'i'b 4+! Luring the king into a fork.Whether the queen is taken or the king retreats, (3.'i'xb4 llJxd3+ and 4 ...ttJxb4; 3.Wfl 'i'xb3 4.axb3 llJxd3) White ends up a piece down (Naranja-Portisch, 19th Olympiad, Siegen 1970). 134 A combination leads to favourablesimplifications: I.gs+! fxg5 2.'i'xh7+! Wxh7 3.ttJxgs+ and 4.llJxh3 with two extra pawns in a simple end game (Maroczy-Rubinstein, Prague 1908). 200 Solulions: Decoying (No 120- 1 SS) 135 I...G..xf7+! Wxf72.rl xc7+! �xc7 With the help of two sacrifices, White has lured the enemy king and queen onto the seventh rank and now gains a decisive material advantage: 3.'*fh7+ We6 4.�xc7 Irxd35. 'i'xa7 Black resigned (Mecking Ta n, Petropolis 1974). 136 1...'i'xf4+! 2.Wxf4 gs+ 3.'ltg4 llleH and 4 ...lll xc2, remaining with an extra knight (Wittek-Meitner, Vienna 1882). Note that in this classical example, the win could also have been achieved with the quiet move l ...'iYe 1 ! threatening the same fork, plus mate on g3. For l . ..'iY g l ! you would also get points. 137 I.°ifb8+'lte7 2.�f6+! @xf6 3.'ifd8+, and Black resigned, because he is mated: 3 ...Wg7 4.llg3+; 3 ...Wg6 4.°iVgS#; 3 ...@fs 4.°iVgS+ We4 5.'i'es# (R. Bogdanovic-Suetin, Budva 1967). 138 By sacrificing themselves, the queen and bishop open the path of the g6 pawn to promote: I.°i'h8+! @xh8 2.g7+ WgS 3.�h7+ @xh7 4.g8'i'#(Piotrowski-T enenbaum, Lvov 1926) 201 fmp rove Your Chm Tactics 139 The queen sacrifice led to a forcedperpetual check: 1.'i'xh7 + Wxh7 2.hxg6+ Wxg6 3.ilh6+ WgS 4 . .tl.hS+ (Von Scheve-Rubinstein, Ostend 1 907). However, after the preliminary I .gs 'i'e6 the same sacrifice would have mated: 2.'i'xh7+! @xh7 3.hxg6+ Wxg6 4.:h6+ Wxg5 5.@f3# This means that instead of 1... 'i'e6 Black would have been forced to play l ...'i'x gS+ 2.'i'xgSgxfS , although after 3.li'xg8+ \t>xg8 4.f3 (4.Wh4+ and S .f3 or 4.f4) White's win, with his extra exchange, 140 would have been a matter of technique. I.°i'h6 'i'f8 2.'i'xh7+! Wxh7 3.hxg6+ @xg6 4 . .ie4#(Fischer-Mjagmarsuren, Sousse 1967). Black is also mated after I.. .cl iY+ (instead of 1... 'i'f8) 2.ll xc l lhcl + 3.\tth2. 141 1.'i'xfS +! A well-known motif: the black king is lured into the enemy camp. l... WxfS 2 . .ie4+ Wg4 3.h3+ Wxg3 Mate results from 3 ...Wxh3 4 . .ifs+ \ttxg3 S.ile3+ Wh4 6.l:1h3#, and also 3 ...WhS 4.g4+ Wh4 S.I:te3 with the unstoppable threat of 6 . .iel #. 4 . .tl.e3Wh4 5 . .ig6! Cutting off the king's escape route and threatening 6.�d2-e I#. 5 ...'i'gH 6.fxg5 .ixe5 7.ile4+ Wxh3 8 . .ifH @g3 9.�el# (Zelinsky Skotorenko, correspondence game, l 9 7 4). 142 1..Jlxc4! 2.'i'xc4 'i'xb2+ 3 . .tl.xb2 llJa3+ 4.Wal �xb2+ 5.Wxb2 llJxc4+ 6.);f;c3 lhe4 and Black has two extra pawns in the endgame (Honfi Barczay, Kecskemet 197 7). A false trail is offered by I ... llxe4 (instead of I...llxc4!) 2.'i'xe4'i'xb 2+ 3.l:hb2 llJc3+ 4.Wc l llJxe4sJ k2 with mutual chances. 202 Solutions: Decoying {No 120-155) 143 1Jlxg6+! @xg6 L.l2Jxg6 2.lllxfs+. 2.Jlh6+! @xh6 3.lllxfs+ Wg6 4.lllxe7+ @f6 5.tlJgS+ and then 6.�b3 with a material advantage sufficient for vicmry. This variation is from the game Lukin-Fedorov (Leningrad 1983). White did not see the combination and played I Jks, after which the game later developed in Black's favour. 144 After the queen exchange offer 1.'l'b3 the game Schul ten-Horwitz (London 1846) continued I ... 'l'fl+ 2.@xfl �dH+ 3.@et Im#. 145 The queen cannot be taken. But with the help of checks, it is possible to reach a position where the e I -square is defended and then the queen can be taken: I.l:Ixg7+! @xg7 Or 1 . . . @h8 2.�g8+ llxg8 3.'i'c3+; L.@f8 2.l:.g8+ @xg8 and, as in the game, 3.'l'g3+. 2.'i'g3+ and 3.J:lxd5 (Sandlik Rybl, Prague 1937). 146 After l .ltJfeS, l... 'l'x g2+! was played and White resigned, not waiting for 2.@xg2 lbf4+ 3.@gl ltJh3# (Karner-Mikkov, Tallinn l 9 S 4). 203 Improve Your Chess Tactics 147 1 Jhg7 + ! �xg7 2.� g4 There is no defence to the twin threat of mate and the discovered check 3.tlJh6+, winning the queen. After 2...�xfS 3.YWxfS White's victory is only a matter of time (Keres-Gligoric, Yugoslavia 195 9). 148 On I.. . �xd3? there follows 2.�gS+!, and Black is mated afler 2 ...@xg 8 3 ..�. c6++ and 4.l:lg8# (Nei-Petrosian, Moscow 1960). 149 No. Afterl. �xc7? there followed I... 'iHh H!, and White stopped the clocks because mate is un avoidable: 2.@xh3 �fl # or 2.@h l 'iffl + 3.�gl Wixf3#. This is how the game U. Andersson Hartston (Hastings 1972/73) ended. 150 After I .. . Wixh2? White continues 2.l:lbS+ @d7 3.l:ldS+! If 3...Wxd8, then 4.�b6+, and the queen is lost, whilst after3 ...@e6 Black is mated on d6 (Gudju-Wexler, Bucharest 1923). 204 Solutions: DecoyinH (No 120 -15 5 ) ISi Black can boldly take the rook - l ...tiJ xd I. After 2.�.xf6 he has the decoying queen sacrifice 2 ...�h l + 3.�xhl tl:Jxfl+ and '4... <8xg4, ending up with an extra exchange and pawn, with a winning position. In the game Spiridonov-Estrin (Polanica Zdroj 197 1) Black missed this possibility, and offered the exchange of queens with I . . . 'i'e4. 1S2 With the queen, of course. The tempting I..trexdS? is refuted by l...�xg2+! (luring White into a pin) 2.�xg2 .�hc6, and White loses a rook (Olsen-Jakobsen, Aarhus 1953). 1S3 The move 2.�c7! wins the exchange and the game. After 2 ... .trxc7 3.'ifes g6 4.'ifxc7 White realised his material advantage (Spassky-Averkin, Moscow 1973). 1S4 White wins by I.IihS! l::txhS 2 . .Ua6+, 3.lias+ and 4.llxhs. This is a version of a position from the 15th century. 205 Improve Your Chess Tactics 155 In the event of I.llJxh4+ l:Ixh4 2 . .ixel+ @fs 3 . .ixc4 .ixh2 or 2 . .ie6+ (instead of 2.�xe2+) L..igS 3 . .tlxe2ld'.d4 Wh ite loses. The correct decision is: I..ihH! @xhS On I...@xfS? there follows 2 . .ig6#!. whilst after I ...@h7 ? there is 2 . .tlg7#. 2.llJg7+ with perpet ual check on the squares fS and g7. Black cannot avoid this by retreating the king to h7 (2...Wh6 3.llJfS+ @h?? 4 . .tlg7#) (Tarasevich-Zlotnik, Moscow 1971). 206 Eliminating Defenders (No 163-172) 163 I.tbxg6! hxg6 2.rlxe6 'flYd7 White is also better after 2 ...�c8 3.lhd6 £xg4 4.llxd8Ilxd 8 S . .llxc7 or 2 ... �dS 3.Ilxe7 Ilxe7 4.1lxe7 �xa2. 3.l:rxg6+ Wh7 4.rlee6! with the threat of 5.Ilg7+ Wh8 6.Ilh7+ and 7 .V/l/g7#. On 4 ....�.f6 , S.t1gxf6 fx e6 6.'ifg6+ Wh8 nw wins (Mukhina-Pavlenko, Russia 1996). 164 1..Jhb2+! 2.l::txb2 tllxc3+ 3.Wal ngt +, and mate next move (Riimmler-Mickeleit, Halle 1974). 165 White has two ways to win, both connected with the weakness of the squares g6 and fS : l.�xd4 exd4 2.tllf4 , and if the rook retreats from f8, 3.tl:Jg6+and 4.'iffs. The other is the more radical method of destroy ing the king's pawn cover: I.i.xh6! gxh6 2.::f.xh6+ tllxh6 3.'ifxh6+ Wg8 4.�c4! tlle6 If 4 ...Ilf 7, then S.tl:Jxe7 + 'ifxe7 6.lhf6 . s.'ifg6+ whs 6.Ilf3 tllgs 7.nhH Black resigned because of 7 ...tl:Jxh3 8.'ifh6+ @g8! 9.tl:Jxe7# (Komliakov-Gadjily, Nikolaev 1993). 207 Improve Your Chess Tactics 166 1. •.tlJfH 2.Whlnx g3! Eliminating the defender. 3.hxg3 3.CL.Jxg3.t1xh2 #. 3 ..Jig 2!, and mate is un stoppable ( Orlov-Chistiakov, USSR I 9 3 S). The combination also works in a different move order: I...t1g2+ 2.Wh I 1l8xg3! and ...tll eS-f3 ; but 2 ...tl.Jf 3? would be a mistake because of 3.tlJd2! (3 ...tlJxd2 ? 4 . .t1d8; 3 ....Jlxd2 4.lhd2 t2Jxd2 S . .Jld l .llxg3 6.hxg3 and .Jldl- d7; 3 ...t18x g3! is best but only draws after4. t2Jxf3 llxf3 5.llc6). 167 I.'ifxc8+! But not I.'i'xd3? because of l...�xf3 + 2.�g2 'i'f2!. 1.•• i.xc8 2.exd3 'i'xf3+ 3 . .ig2, and White wins (Ohlmann-Pietzsch, Halle 1984). 168 1.t2Jxg7! @xg7 2 . .ixh6+ @g8 Or 2...Wh8 3.�g7+ Wxg7 4.'i'xh7+ Wf8 5.'i'h8+@e7 6.l:hf7+ etc. 3.Ilg41:[g64. e6! Black resigned (Kotov-Unzicker, Stockholm 1952). 169 Black is mated in two moves: I.'ifxg7+! t2Jxg7 2.t2Jh6#(Lechtynsky-Kubicek, Prague 1968) 208 Solutions: Eliminating Defenders (No 163-1 7l) 170 1.�xe5! dxe5 2.exf7+Black resigned. After 2...Wf8 there follows 3.�.h6#, whilsl afler 2...Wd8 there is 3 .f8'i'+. That leaves 2...Wd7, but then 3 ..�fS + Wc6 4.Qe4+ tlJdS 5 ..ii.xd s+ wins (Tal-Suetin, Tbilisi 1969). Another version of the same idea is 1.J�.xb5+ axb5 2.�xe5, because if the queen is taken, there follows3 .exf7 +,mating. 171 The pawn can be taken: l ...cxd3 2.tlJf6+ Wc7. White cannot take the rook because of 3 ...tlJg3 +. After3. h3 (defending against the mate) 3 ...tlJg 3+ 4.Wh2 l:tdd8 s.'i'b7+ \tifB 6.'ifxa6 b4 or 6 ...Jle7 the black position is preferable, but play goes on. Instead, 1. ..'i'xe4! wins immedialely. By eliminal ing the knight, Black sets up a standard (to the initiated!) mating combination: 2.dxe4 llxdI+ 3.'li'xd l tlJg3+ 4.hxg3 hxg3+, and mate can only be delayed. Or 2.'i'xe4, after which mate occurs one move quicker - 2...tlJg3+ 3.hxg3 hxg3+. White resigned (Wilhelm-Maier, Mulhouse 1977). 172 On 1... f3? (much better is 1.. . .l:rfb8+) there fol lows 2.'i'xh6+! Not 2.lhg7+ Jlxg7 3.Ihg7+ �xg7 4.'li'gs+ and White only has perpetual check. However, 2.�g8+ kixg8 3.'i'xh6+ gxh6 4.�xg8 hS 5.I!8g7+ �h8 6.�7g5 e4 7.l::[xcS dxcS 8.dxe4 is another, less forceful win. 2 ...gxh6 2...Wxh6 3.�h4#. 3.�g7+ Wh8 4,j_gs! �xg8 Or else mate on h7. 5Jhg8+ ©h7 6.�lg7# (Rich ter-NN, Germany 1939). 209 Improve Your Chm Tactics Clearing Squares and Lines (No 183-192) 183 After I...d3! White resigned, due to inevitable material loss. If 2.exd3, then 2...lLJd4 3.'i'd i l2:Jxd2 (4.'i'xd2 tLlf3+) or 2.'i'dI (2.'i'xd3 'i'xd3 and 3 ...lLJxd 2) 2...dxe2 3.'i'xe2 tLlxd2 4.I1fd I lLJd4 (Demetriescu-Nagy, correspondence game, 1936). 184 Black is threatened with mate, but by sacrificinga rook, he opens the queen's path to the key square e3 and mates first: 1... 1:1f3+! 2.gxf3 If 2.@g I, then 2...'i'eI+ 3.@h2 'i'g3+ 4.Wg I IleI+ . 2 ... 'i'e3+ 3.Wg3 �xf3+ with mate (Kmoch Rubinstein, Semmering 1926). 185 1.tlldH! cxd5 2.'i'a3+ On 2...Wd8 the game is ended by 3.'i'd6+ Cit>c8 4.�cl + (K.lavins-V Zhuravlev, Riga 1968). 210 Solutions: Clea ring Sq uares and Lines (No 183- 192) 186 The 'quiet' move 1.�.e6 (in freeing the f-file,the bishop attacks g8) forcedBlack to resign. He can not take the queen because of mate, and after l . ..I:rgg8 2.'i'xd8 and 3 . .Q.xg8 White easily real ises his material advantage (Pisarsky-Markushev, Novosibirsk 1983). 187 1.fS!.Q.xfS 2.'i'c7!!, and Black resigned because he loses a rook (Cramling-Martin, Barcelona 1985). 188 With the move 1.tiJd4! White creates a deadly threat of 2.'i'g4+. On l ...tiJeS , 2.tDc6! wins (Csonkics-Porubszky, Budapest 1986). 189 After l .fS exfS, by freeing the c4-square for his knight with 2.�xf7+!, White wins the queen: 2 ... llxf7 3.tlJc4 (Botvinnik-Stepanov, Leningrad 1931). 211 Improve Your Chess Tactics 190 1.bS! Clearing the sixth rank allows White to win a rook. I. . . cxbS If 1 ...lla 8, then 2.'i'h8+ @f7 3.'l!Vg7 + \tle6 4.'i'f6+. 2.'i'hs+ @fl 3.�g7+ We6 4.�f6+ This is why the move l .bS was played - the rook at a6 is undefended. 4 ... @d7 s.Wxa6 Black resigned (Malich-Bueno, Leipzig 1977). 191 1.tLlh6+ \t>f8 Now, after moves like 2.l:I.h4 or 2.'i'h8+ We7 3.'f!Yg7 llf8 4.l:I.g3 (4.lle3, 4.�h4) White keeps the attack. However, the striking 2.tLlfS! ends the game at once. After 2 ...exfS (or 2...gxfS) there comes 3.lhh7 with inevitable mate (Timman Pomar Salamanca, Las Palmas 1 977). 192 1... exd4 2.�dl Threatening 3.g4 followed by a queen sacrifice on h7. If 2 ...lll xf6 3.lllxf6 l1g7, then 4.lllxh7! lit>g8 (4... llxh 7 s.'i'f8 #) s.lllf6+ @fs 6.'i'h8+ We7 7.lllds+. After 2 ...�e6 the attack breaks through by 3.g4 lllg7 (3 ...lll xf6 4.lllxf6 .llg7 5.lih3) 4.fxg7+ �xg7 5.lllf6 and 6 . .llh3. 2 •..gs 3.g4 llg6 4.'i'f8+ �gs s.'i'xfl b5 6.llle7 �e6 7.'i'xh7+ \t>xh7 8.�h3# (Planinc Matulovic, Novi Sad 1 965). But there was a defence after all! After2 ...bS! 3.g4 lllg7 the threats are parried, and 4.llle7 �e6 5.lllxg8 l:lxg8 6.fxg7 + �xg7 7 .'i'f4 hS leads to a position with roughly equal prospects. 212 Pinning and Unpinning (No 208-223) 208 l.'fig6 wins. After l . . .fxg6 there follows Ll:lxf8+ Wh7 3.hS, and mate next move. I . ..rs 2.exf6 �.xf6 3Jlxf6 Black resigned {Sajtar-Dietze, Prague 1943). 209 After l.. . �e2! White had to resign. After 2.'ifxcS there follows 2 ...�gxg 2+ 3.Whl �h2+ 4.@g l J:.eg 2 # (Bannik-Cherepkov, USSR I 9 6 I). 210 1.0-0-0! wins, since after L.Jhe3 White plays 2.�xd6+ rt;e? (or 2 ...@c 7) 3.tbdS+ (Pinkas Fialkowski, Katowice 1977). 213 Improve Your Chess Tactics 211 After I..Jk2+2.ll d2 a second attack on the rook decides: 2 ... 'iWdl !, after which White must lose his queen (3.1hc2 �xd6). 212 The rook on h8 is out of play, and White realises this advantage by means of a combinative blow: I.1*'a3+ 1*'e7 I...@g8 2 . .ixh7 +. 2 . .ic6! Black resigned (Evans-Bisguier, USA I 9 5 8 I 5 9). 213 White has a strong attack, a routine continuation of which would win: 1 . .ixf6+ �xf6 2 . .ixf5 .llb6 3.b3 .ixf5 4.1hf5. But White found a shorter way, by exploiting the idea of a pin. I.'iWgS! dS 2.�g7+! .ixg73 ..ixg7+ Wg84 . .tf6# (G. Zhuravlev-A. Romanov, Kalinin 1952). 214 I..ixe7 llxe7 I ...Wxe 7 2 . .ixd5. 2Jhe6! A tem porary exchange sacrifice, with the aid of which White obtains a winning pawn ending by force: 2 ... llxe6 3 . .txdS lle8 4.cxb6 axb6 5.llel lle7 6.llxe6 llxe6 7.Wb2 rtle7 8 . .ixe6 Wxe6 9.Wb3, and White won easily (Belov-Zhelnin, Narva 1986). 214 Solutions: Pinning and Unpinning (No 208-223) 215 I..Jlxg3+! 2.llxg3llg8 ! The triple pin (on the g-file, the third rank and the a7-g 1 diagonal) forced resignation - White loses his queen (Gendel-Sushkevich, USSR 1956). The quieter l ...ti:Jf 6 was also strong. 216 White wins the queen, with the help of a pin: I.'i'c7+ ©e8 2.'i'c8+. Here Black resigned, since after 2 ...We 7 there follows 3 .llxdS 'i'h1 + (or 3 ...'iV fl +) 4. lld1 , attacking the queen and at the same time threatening 5.'i'd8# (Kieninger-H. Herrmann, Bad Oeynhausen 1940). 217 I.'fVd5! �xh3 2.'i'a8+ @d7 3.'i'xa7+ 'ltc6 3 ...We6 4.ti:Jd4#. 4.ttJd4+ Wc5 5.llbl ltJb3 5 ... °ifd8 6.l:XbS#; 5 ...�d7 6.°i'c7+. 6.°i'a3# (Tsvetkov-Arnaudov, Sofia19 56) 218 The rook cannot be taken because of 2.°iYf8#. The subtle move 1 . ..f5 ! decides the game. Black takes control of g4, after which White is defenceless against the threat of 2 ...'iVg3 +! (unpinning) 3.�xg3 .l:thS#. This excellent tactical possibility was missed in Alekhine-Naegeli, Berne 1932. 1 should also point out another winning line, not mentioned by other commentators, starting with the move l...�gl, in order after 2.�f6 (defend ing the mate on e 1) to continue 2 ...'ife 1 + 3.fgf2 �d 1 ! 4.l:1f3 ( 4.'i'f3 l:lh5+) 4 .. Jlg 1 !. 215 Improve Your Chess Tactics 219 First Black drove out the enemy king by means of I..Jlal+ 2.@h2 'i'gl + 3.@g3, and then he played 3...1la3+. If 4.@g4 then 4 ... 'i'h2 wins (5.'i'f2 fS + and 6 .. .lhh3+ or immediately 5 ...llx h3). ThereforeWhite blocked the check with 4.l'.ld3. We are following the game Bogatyrcv Zagoryansky, Moscow 1947. Black missed the chance to win the game, thanks to the pin, with the move 4 ... 'ifd4! (he played 4 ...lda 7?, and the game eventually ended in a draw). 220 After I.'*Vd3! Black resigned. After l . ..hxg S there comes 2.'iYg6! mating (Bagirov-Machulsky, Chelyabinsk 1975) . 221 No. The tactical operation 1.tlJxe4? �xe4 2.lle 1 leads to defeat after 2 ....ig s+ 3.@dl 0-0!, and White loses a piece (De Mey-O'Kelly de Galway, Brussels 1935). The moves can also be inverted: 2...0-0! and if 3.llxe4 �gS+. 7.16 Solution�: Pinning and Unpinning (No 208-22 3) 222 Only ro fl , which wins. In rhe evenr of 2.Wf2? t:t.f8 3.t:t.d8 'iHh4+! White loses his queen (Makogonov-Chekhover, Tbilisi I 9 3 7). 223 No. Afler l. ..dxc4 2.slxe4? Black, exploiting the pins on rhc bishop on e4 (diagonal and vertical) wins: 2 ...'iWfS! 3Jlel llae8 4.CL.Jc3 t:t.xe4! S.tbxe4 �e8 (Yuriev-Tishler, USSR 1927) 217 Improve Your Chess Tac£ics Interference (No 232-245) 232 I J1d4! An interference, allowing the cl-pawn to promote. l . . . @xd4 2.d7 Black resigned (Vatnikov-Vietal, Czechoslovakia I 9 7 3). 233 1...Q.es '*Vfs Defending againsl the mate on d 7. 2.l:re6! By closing the c8-h3 diagonal, White wins (Auguslin-Lanc, Brno 197 5). 234 There followed I . ..�cl , and White stopped the clocks. The bishop shuts off the second rank, threatening 2 ...llxe l + and 3 ...'fkxg 2#. Neither the knight, nor the rook, nor the queen, can take the bishop (Ilyin-Genevsky-A. Kubbel, Leningrad 1925). 218 Solutions: Interference (No 2 32-245) 235 I .h6+ WhB 2.�e6! Interfering between queen and bishop; White wins. Taking on e6 is impossible because of mate: 2 ... 'i'xe6 3.'i'f8+ 'i'g8 4.'i'f6+. Meanwhile the bishop on e4 is attacked. If 2...dS, then 3.'i'es+, and if the bishop retreats, it is mate after 3.'i'd4+ (Ivanovic-Popovic, Yugoslavia 1973). 236 The move I... �h 3! is the prelude to a deeply-cal culated combination. The rook cannot he taken because of 2 ...'i'e4 3.f3 'i'xe2 mating, so White replied 2.'i'al, defending against the threats (2 ...'i'e4 3.'i'd3). There followed: 2 ...l:[cS ! Driv ing off the rook and preparing to shut off the third rank. 3Jiel 3.llxc8 'i'bl+. 3 .. Jk3! Inter fe rence. The queen is isolated from the kingside, after which Black realises his original threat. 4.bxc3 'i'e4S. f3 'i'el+ 6.@hl �fl 7.l:[gI 'i'xe2 8.cxd4 Now what? The contact between the queen and the king side has been re-established ... 8 ...e4! ! A 'quiet' move, which had to be foreseen when Black sacrificed the rook. The threat is both 9 ...e3 , and 9 ...exf3 followed by ...�h 3-g2+. The e4 pawn cannot be taken because of mate. 9.f4 el White resigned (Kitanov-Baum, Sterlitamak 1949). If White had defended with the move 2.'i'cS (in stead of 2. 'ifa3 ), there could have followed 2 ...l::i c8 3.�c7 'i'e4! 4.'i'c2 (4.f3 'i'e3+) 4 .. .fS!. After the exchange ofqueens, the pin on the c-file and the advance of the d-pawn decide the out come. 219 Improve Your Chm Taclics 237 l.a6 lth4If 1 ...1:1'.g then I, 2.a7 ltaI 3.lta3 (inter fe rence) 3...hxa3 4.a8'i'.2.1:1'. d8! Shutting offthe eighth rank prevents the rook stopping the pawn. 2 •.. �xd8 3.a7 Black resigned (from a simulta neous game by Alekhine. I 9 3 3). 238 l.il,e4+! Isolating the black king, afterwhich it is defence less. 1. ••fxe4 2.li'ds+ @cs 3.'ifc6# (Urzica-Honfi, Bucharest 1975) A similar variation is I .'ii'a6+ ®a8, and now the same move 2 . .ie4+! (2...fxe4 3.'ii'c6#), or I .'i'bs+ lDb62.lte7 + Wa8 3.�e4+. 239 Shutting offthe 6th rank with the move I.Ii 1e6! (or indeed I.1:17e6) ends the game (1...�xe6 2.'i'xh6) (Suhle-Mayet, Berlin 1860). Mate can be avoided by giving up the queen - I ... 'ifxe6 2.1:I.xe6 �xe6, but after 3.'i'xh6 f6 4.'i'g6+ the result is not changed. White also had another option, forcing mate: 1Jhf7! .tixfl2 . .r:tes+ l:lf8 (2 ...'ii' f8 3.'ii'g6+ ltg7 4.'ii'xg7#), and now 3.l:l'.e7! followed by 3...l:tf6 (or 3 ....r:tfs , or 3 ...l:rf4) 4.'i'e8+ l::If8 S.ltg7+ @h8 6.l::If7+ Wg8 7.l::Ixf8+ 'i'xf8 8.'i'g6+, and mate. If 3 ...'i'f 6, then 4 . .txf6llxf 6 S.'i'e8+ and 6.'ii'g6+. 220 Solutions: fnterfmncc (No 232-245) 240 I.1lf5! Shutting offthe diagonal c8-h3. 1...WhS I ...gxfS 2.fHgS+ and mate. 2.�h6 llgS 3.CL)g5 Black resigned (Zinkl-Metger, Berlin 1897). 241 White wins by exploiting the idea ofinterf erence. 5.�d5! Breaking the connection between the en emy queen and the c6-square. 5 . . . exd5 6.�xc6+ WdS If 6 ...We 7, then 7 .tlJxdS+. 7.'ifxa8+ Wd7 8.'ifb7+ @e6 9.'ifc6+ .id6 IO.kf4! Black re signed. After I O ...'i'xh I+ l I.Wd2 'i'Hxa I White mates with I 2.'i'xd6+ @fs 13.'iVeS+ and 14.'i'gS# (Janowski-Schallopp. Nuremberg 1896). 242 After 1 ...t2Jd3 2.�xh7+ \t>hS Of course, not 2 ...iixh 7? 3.'i'xd3+, when White defends the mate and has two extra pawns. 3.�h5 tlJf4! 4.�h4? Losing at once. However, after 4.tlJbS tlJxhS 5.t2Jxd6 �xd6 or 4.cS 'iff6 s.'i'f3 Wxh7 Black's material advantage would be enough to win. 4 ... t2Jh3+! White resigned (Shereshevsky Kupreichik, Minsk I 9 7 6). 243 The move fice l . �g5! After l...fxgS 2.Wg6 wins, whilst after l...gl'ifthere is 2.�xf6+ and 3.h7+. Black resigned (Perenyi-Brandics, Budapest 1985). 221 Improve Your Chm Tactics 244 It is clear that White is not losing. just from the variation I.CiJa6+ Wa8 2.tllxc7+. Black cannot take the knight because of 3.�d8+ mating, and thereforehe should acquiesce in a repetition after 2...Wb8 3.tlla6+ Wa8 • But is White forced to repeat? The study-like move 4.llb7! sets up a surprise mating net. The pawn cannot be taken because of 5J1b8#, and meanwhile there is a threat of 5Jlb8+! llxb8 6.CiJc7#. There is no defence, and Black resigned (Janowski-NN, Paris 1900). 24S l ... 'ifc2 (or 1...Wh8 with the same point) wins by force after 2.'ifxfl+ 'it>h8 3.I:lb1 'iYxb2+ 4.�xb2 I;leI + mating, or 3Jl7d2 (instead of 3.llbl) 3 ...'ifx d2. In the game Miles-Pritchett (London 1982) the apparently more energetic l ... �xc3 was played, afterwhich there followed2. 'i'xf7+ Wh8? 3.�e5!! Shutting offthe long diagonal and the e-file changes the picture fundamentally - it is Black who has to resign. It is easy to see that after 3 . ..'I' xd 7 or 3 ... 'I'xd I + Black gets only a rook for the queen. 2 ...Wh 7! would still have drawn, since after 3.�e5 'iVxd74.'ifxd7 �xe5 5.'i'xe8is not with check! 222 Combining Themes (No 281-310) 281 I.llxd6+! Deflection after l...exd6 (2.'i'd7+ 'tWxd7 3Jhd7#) and decoying after l... 'i'xd6 (2.'t!Hxe8+! Wxe8? 3.Ilh8#) (Paeren-Jaworski, correspondence game, I 9 7 4-7 6). 282 I.'iVxe7+! 'iVxe7 2 . .id6 'iYxd6 3.l:Ie8# (Gligoric-Rosenstein, Chicago 1963) 283 Black has just played ...h7 -h6, believing the knight will retreat. However, the deflecting 1.lLid5! forces him to resign in this textbook example. If I...lLixdS, then mate on h7, whilst in the event of I . ..exdS White eliminates the de fender ofh7 by 2.i.xf6. 223 f mprovc Your Chess Tactics 284 A position fromTo rre Repetto-Ed. Lasker, Chicago 1926. The tactical blow l...c3! could have de cided the game, whilst still in the opening. The theme is deflection (the bishop on b2 is deflected from defence of the queen) or interference (the diagonal of the bishop on b2), as a result of which the knight on eS is left undefended. The intermediate exchange 2.'i¥xd6 does not help, since after2 ...cxd6 two white pieces are attacked. But Ed Lasker instead kicked the knight with 285 I .. .f6 ... I.l:rg8+! Black resigned. If 1...rlxg8, then the queen is undefended, whilst after 1...Wxg8 there follows 2.�g3+ Wf8 3.�g7+ We8 4.�g8# (Barczay-Erdelyi, Hungary 197 5). 286 1 .. Jhd3 2.cxd3 .igS and White could have re signed immediately here (Shamaev-Ufimtsev, Le ningrad 1949). 287 With the move l ... x:IeI! Black wins. After 2 . .ixeI (or 2.lllxe l) 2 ...lll b2! both the queen and the rook fl (with mate) are attacked. Therefore, White is obliged to part with the queen (I. Jones Dueball, 2 lst Olympiad, Nice 1974). 224 Solutions: Combining Themes (No 281-31O) 288 l.�d8+! The queen must give the check, as the rook is needed on the 6th rank. I... @h7 l .. Jhd8 2 . .tlxd8+ and 3.tlh8#. 2.:rxhs+ gxhS 3J1h6+ @xh64.�f 6+ and Black is mated (Makov-Vazhenin, Novosibirsk 1976). 289 1.'i'xhs+! gxhS l...Wg8 2.'t'Hxg6 needs no as sessing. 2.tlJf6+ Clearing the ftfth rank and de flecting the bishop at the same time. 2...�xf6 3.:rxhS# (Bologan-Van Haastert, St Vincent 2005) 290 It only takes the single move 1.tlJxfS!, after which it becomes clear that the solid-looking black posi tion is in ruins. By decoying the enemy queen to fS , White then wins it: l ...'i'xfS 2.llxg3+ hxg3 3.llxg3+. In the game Schulz-Kostic, Bardejov 1926. Black replied 1 . . . Wfl andafter 2.tl'Jxe7�xe7 3.fS he re signed. 291 1.tlJe7+ 'i'xe7 2.'i'xh7+ �xh7 3.l:lhs+ �g8 4.l:th8#(Spielman n-Honlinger, Vienna 1929) 225 Improve Your Chess Tactics 292 I..Jlxg2+! 2.llxg2lLJfH 3. 3 ...'i'xg2 +! 4.Wxg2 tt:Jxel + White resigned (Finotti-Reinhardt, Hamburg 193 7). 293 A positional advantage is realised by combinative means: I.b4! Decoying the queen onto the open file. I... �xb4 2.�ebl 'ti'xc4 After 3.Ub8+ Black replies 3 .. Jk8. White, how ever, went into this position deliberately, and had prepared the deflecting sacrifice 3.i.e2!, after which Black cannot defend the eighth rank. The bishop cannot be taken because of mate and after 3 ...'iVc3 there follows 4.�b8+ llc8 5.'iYxc3, whilst in the event of 3 ...'iV c 2 the bishop contin ues to chase the queen: 4.�d3!, which ends the 294 game. Black resigned (Bukic-Romanishin, Mos cow 1977). A composed illustration of a classical combina tion: 1.. . l:ifl +! 2.&lxfl 'ifh2+! 3.'it>xh2 gxfl ttJ+! 4.'it>g2 tt:Jxd2 The endgame is hopeless forWhite ( 5.tlJe6+Wd 7 6.tlJd4 a4 7 .bxa4 b3 etc.). 226 Solutions: Combining Themes (No 28 J -3 IO) 295 I .. Jlc I+! Deflection- either of the rook fromde fe nce of the queen, or of the queen from defence of the second rank, in particular the square a2. 2.'tWxcl 2.llxc l 'i'xd2. 2 .. Jha3+! 3.\t>bl 3.bxa3 'Wia2#.3 ..Jl.a l +! And now, decoying the king to a I , after which mate follows from a geometrical manoeuvre by the queen. 4.\t>xal 'i'a8+! S.Wb I 't!Ha2#(Wheeler -Hall, England 1964). The mating combination could also have been started with the move l .. Jlxa3+. 296 Were it not forthe knight on e4, White could give mate. Therefore, the knight quits its post: I.tllf6 +! Clearing lines, as a result of which the black king gets a square on g7. l...gxf6 2.'i'f8+! Decoying, with the help of which the bolthole is closed. 2 ... @xf8 3.�h6+ \t>g84.lle8# (Richard son-Delmar, New York 1 887) 297 White is mated in five moves: I... llhl +! Deflect ing the knight. 2.tllxhl �h2+! Decoying the king. 3.Wxh2 llh8+ 4.Wg3 tllfS+S. Wf4 llh4# This is how the game Schiffers-Chigorin, St Pe tersburg 1 897, could have ended. Instead of I.. .�h I+ Chigorin isolated the enemy queen with I ...b6, after which there followed 2.�e3.Now, too, the combination works. How ever, Chigorin continued the attack with 2 ...tll fS , and Schiffers managed to fightoff the threats. The game was eventually drawn. 298 I.'i'gH Wxh6 Accepting the sacrifice is obliga tory, since after l...Wf8 2.'i'g8+, a rook is lost. 2.Wh I! Freeing the square g I for the rook. 2...'fNdS 2 ...c2 loses to 3.llg l with the threat of 4.'iNh4#. 3.llgl 'i'xfS 4.'i'h4+ 'fNhs s.'iNf4+ 'iNgS 6JhgS fxgS 7.'fNd6+ Black does not man age to play ...c3-c2, since the knight is taken ei ther with check, or a threat of mate. 7 ...@hS 8.'ti'xd7, and White won (Pillsbury-Tarrasch, Hastings 189 5). 227 Improve Your Chm Tactics 299 No. On 2.'ifxdS there follows 2 . . Jkl+! (ideas: deflection - 3 .l::txc I 'if xdS and interference - 3 .. �xc I 'ifbI# ). White resigned (Wisznewetzki Auerbach, Lvov 19 I 2). 300 1.tllc8+, and Black resigned (Kupreichik Tseshkovsky, Moscow 1976). After 1...tllcS (if I ... 'ifcs, then 2.'*YxcS+ tllxcS 3.lld8#) there fol lows the deflecting sacrifice2. 'ifxcs+ '*YxcS and 3.l::td8#. The discovered check has to be made with the move tlld6-c8: the interference shuts out the rook on b8. 301 1 ...tll xh2! After 2.'irxh2 there follows 2 ...'*Yxf 3+! 3.l::txf3 l:j;el+ 4.'ifgl llexgl+ S.Wh2 lllg2+ with a great material advantage (Polyak,E.-Kofman, Kiev 1941 ). 302 The opponent's combination turns out to have a fatal hole at the end of the variation: 1... 'i'xb l +! 2.tllxb 1 �a6! - Black remains with an extra ex change (Johansen-Metzing, Berlin 197 3). 228 Solutions: Combining Themes (No 181 310) 303 The move 2.'i'd I? is mistaken. Black obLains a material advantage by force, by using the ideas of deflection and pinning. 2 ...�xd l + 3Jhdl l:tfl ! 4.l:td2The realisalion of Black's advantage is not made much more diffi cult by 4.�xe4 l:txdI+ S.@c2 .rlgI 6.dS @fl. 4 .. Jhdl + SJhdl l:tfl 6.�xe4 l:txdl +, and Black wins (Timofeev-Lobanov, Chita 1935). Instead of 2.'i'd I? White should have played 2.b3, 2.a3 or 2.l:icl. 304 Black has to resign after the study-like move 1.�d6!. The ideas are interference (the knight cannot take the bishop because the queen on e6 is undefended) and deflection (after 1....rlxd6 there follows 2.'ifb8+ mating - Black has lost comrol of c8). In the meantime, the queen on e6 is unde fe nded, and 2.l:If8# is threatened (Berthold Lasker-Kagan, Berlin 1894). Emanuel Lasker's older brocher was also not a bad chess player... 305 No. After l.'ifxg6+! 'ifxg6 2.tlJxg6 Wxg6 (more tenacious was 2 ...�f6 3.tlJeS tlJxeS 4.fxeS+ 'ltxeS S.lhcS±) 3.g4! Black suffers material losses: 3 ... l:th2+ 4.Wg3 l:td2 s.�xfH Wf6 6.i.xd7 (Spielmann-Honlinger, Vienna 1936) 229 Improve Your Chm Tactics 306 The sacrifice t .CL!de4is correct. After 1 ... 1i'xb2in the game Krantz-Sellberg, played by correspon dence ( l 97 5), there followed 2.tlJxe6 'ifxeS 2 ...t2Jxe6 3.'i'xfS. 3.l:lxf5 flxe6 Or 3 ...'i'e 2 4.tlJxc7 + r:j;e7 s.'i'a3+ with mate. K 4.l:le5! Black resigned. 307 There is a forced win by means of I.1i'xg7+! First decoying the king to g7, afterwhich a discovered check follows. l ... Wxg7 2 . .id8+ Wh8 If 2 . . . Wf7, then 3 . .ihS#; 2...Wh6 3.l:lh3#. 3.1lg8+! Deflect ing the rook from f8. 3 •.. l:lxg8 4 ..if 6+ l:lg7 s ..ixg7+ Wg8 And now, the last discovered check. White not only regains the sacrificed ma terial, but remains with an extra piece: 6 • .ixd4+ 'J;;f7 7 .ltfl + We7 8 • .ixb2 Black resigned (Westerinen-Sigurjonsson, New Yo rk 1 978). 308 The ending finished in a draw. However, with the striking knight rebound 2.lt:Jf5! (instead of 2.'i'f2)Whit e could have won. After 2 ... 1i'g5 (if 2 ...flx g2+ 3.tlxg2 .ixg2, then 4 . .ixg7+ Wg8 S .l:lc7, threatening tlJf5-h6#, S ... hS 6.Wxg2 White has an extra piece) 3.'i'xd8+! 'i'xd8 4.l1c8! flxc8 5 • .ixg7+ it>g8 6 . .idH Black is mated, a chance missed in the game Yudovich-Ragozin, Tbilisi 193 7. 230 Solutions: ComhininH Themes (No 281-31O) 309 On I...CL.Jd6? there followed 2.l:lh8+ (if 2.�h4, then 2 ...lLJhS) 2 ...Wg7 (2 ...Wxh8 3 .'i°h4 Wg8 4.�.xf6) 3.llh7+W g8 4.'flih4,and Black resigned (Trockenheim-Wilczynski, Wa rsaw 1939). However, there was a saving line, and the move I . 'flie4 was not the best (the attack would have succeeded after 1.llh6!). Instead of 1...lLJd6? Black should have played 1...�xd2+!, returning the sacrificed piece: 2.�xd2 lLJxe4 3.tlJxe4 llfd8=. After 2.Wxd2? lLJxe4+ 3.tiJxe4 fS ! 4.llh8+ Wf7 5.llh7+ We8 the knight has no retreat so White has to go for 6.Ilxe7 + Wxe7 7 .lLJgs+. 310 3.�a6! By closing the a-file for a moment, White invites his opponent to take the bishop with the rook, and create the threat of a deadly check on a 1. But then, exploiting the factthat the rook has left the seventh rank, he is able to mate his opponent: 3 .. Jha6 4.�xh7+ Wxh7 5.lLJf6#. In the meantime, after 3 . .ia6 White threatens 4.'iYg3, and also 4.lLJf6. In the event of 3 ...llxg7 4.l:Ixg7 .ixa6 the same combination decides things: 5.llxh7+, 6.lLJf6+ and 7.'flih7#. After 3 ...'iYf2 White wins by 4.�7g2 ( 4 ..Jh a6 s.lhf2 .l:f.a1 + 6.Wd2 l:hg1 7Jffl ). whilst after 3 ...'iYa S, there is 4Jha7 'iVa1 + 5.Wd2 'flixg1 6Jhh7+. In the game there followed 3...�xa6, and after 4.'iYg3! Black resigned (Richter-NN, Germany 1930). Instead of the tempting 1...lLJb3+ Black should have played 1 ...a3 ! with extremely strong threats. 231 Improve Your Chm Tactics Pawns on the Brink (No 325-338) 325 By decoying the knight to f8 , White queens his pawn: I.Ilf8+!lll xf82.e7 326 It may appear that this position has nothing to do with pawn promotion, but this is not so. After 1.'iff8+'figs the move 2.e6! forced Black to resign. After 2 ... 'ifxf8 there follows 3.exd7 and the unavoidable 4.lle8. The pawn reaches the coveted spot (Malysheva-Hjelm, Stockholm 2003/04). 327 I . ..�d4! is a strong positional continuation. But there is also a forcingdecision: I... °iVd l! 2.lllxb6 If 2.:I.xdl, then 2 ...e2+ and 3 ...exd l +. 2...l:lcl! After3. Wfl there follows3 ...e2+. White resigned (Amold-Duras, Prague 1920). 232 Solulions: Pawns on the Brink (No 32 S-3 3 8) 328 I.a6 Towards the queening square! l... Uh7+ 2.'i'xh7+ Wxh7 3.a7 'i'f8 4.lh2 'i'a8 The pawn is stopped, but only for a short time. After S.b4 es Black is defenceless. The further mov S ... d4 6.exd4 @g6 7 .bS e3 8.fxe3were played, and then Black resigned (Lauberte-Semenova, Moscow 1945). 329 t .•• l:lft+ ! 2.Axfl Or 2.'ifxfl exfl 'if+ 3 . .ixfl 'iVe4+ 4.@g I 'ifxd4 +. winning another rook. 2 ...'ife4+ ! 3.'ifxe4 exfl 'if# (Ruchieva-Eidelson, Tbilisi 1976) I ...�fl 2.�xf7 e I 'if 3.'i'xe 1 'i'xeI+ 4.�fl 'i'e3 I was also winning. but much more cumbersome. 330 l.i.xf7+! lhf7 2.'i'xe8+ tDxe8 3.l:lxe8+ �f8 4.d7 'ifd6 SJUl ! Black resigned (Velimirovic-Csom, Am sterdam 197 4) 233 Improve Your Chm Tactics 331 t ••.eH 2.wfl Now after 2 ....ic4 +? there follows 3.lhc4+, and White wins. However, the deflecting sacrifice 2 ....0 .g2+! ensures the promotion of the pawn: 3.Wxg2 3.We2 exf2. 3 ...e2, and Black won (Hradeczky-Hardicsay, Hungary 1980). 332 White wins with l.�f3! 'i!Vxf3 2.gxf3 1hfl + 3.Wg2 (a variation from the game Zuidema Bonne, Zurich I 96 2) This is definitely the most elegant solution; 'un fortunately'White can also win more simply with l .�d8+, 2.�d7 and 3.�fs. 333 Black wins with the move l... ltJf3 !. The king cannot move ( 2.Wg 2 ltJeI +), and if 2 . .l::id6+, then 2...WgS with the threat of 3 ...lll d4. In the event of 2. b4 the simplest is 2 ...b6 and then ...Wh 6-g5-f4. However, the immediate 2 ...WgS (3.bxcS Wf4 4.i:rd7We3 and ... lllf3 -d4) also de cides things (Sternberg-Pawelczak, Berlin 1964) . 234 Solutions: Pawns on the Brink (No 325-338) The move 1.•• cS is well answered by 2.bxcS bxc5 3.llxcS, but also by 2.dxcS! �xeS Again, 2 ... bxcS 3.llxcS. But the text is refutedby a nice combina tion: 3.cxb6! llxc34.bx a7! llxc2s.llx c2. and the three black pieces are unable to prevent the pawn from queening (a variation from the game Kotov-Ragozin. Moscow 1949). 335 1.'fWe8+! llxe8Or l ...�xe8 2.c7+ llxf3 3.c8�#. 2.llxe8+.ixe8 3.c7 + lhf34.c8�# (Mieses-Von Bardeleben, Barmen 1905) The aim can also be achieved by reversing the move-order (I .c7 + llxf3 2. ti'e8+ etc.). 336 In trying to draw the enemy king away from his pawns, White's own king has strayed too far from his forces and Black wins by a pawn break through: l ... f4 ! If 2.gxf4, then 2 ... h4, and the h-pawn promotes. After 2.exf4 there again follows 2 ...h4 ! (deflect ing the g3 pawn) 3.gxh4 (otherwise 3 ... hxg3 and e4-e3) 3 ... g3 4.fxg3 e3. Nor does 2.@ds save White, because just as in the above variations, the fe arless h-pawn again throws itself on the barricades: 2 ... h4 3.@xe4 If 3.gxh4, then 3 ...g3 !; 3.exf4 h3 or 3 ...hx g3. 3 ... f3!4.g:xf3 h3, and White had to resign (Pomar Salamanca-Cuadras, Spain I 9 7 4). 235 Improve Your Chm Tactics 337 The position may seem drawn, hut by a study-like manoeuvre, White manages to instil some strength into his passed pawns: 1.Ilf6! 'lt>xd7 The threat was 2.a8'iV+ llxa8 3.l:tf8+ or 2.l:tf8+ and then 3.a8'if. If I . ..l:tx a7, then 2.:lf8+ @xd7 3.l:tfl+. 2.lifB! After 2 ...l:txa 7 there follows 3 .l:tfl +. Black resigned (Bukic-Marovic, Yugosla via I 968). 338 White's joy was misplaced. There followed 1.•. e2! 2 ..bf2. 2 ....ie 3!! A deflection sacrifice ensures the pro motion of the pawn (Voitsekhovsky-Sandler, Riga 1982). 2.l:txf4 (instead of2 . .ixf2)2 ..Jhf 4 3 . .ixg3 does not save White either. After 3 ...Wc6 4 . .ifZ @dS Black wins. 236 Miracle Saves (No 359-380) 359 White has an extra rook, but by putting his queen en prise with l. ..�c l+! Black draws (Titenko Murey, Moscow I 96 I). 360 The black king has no moves and his only pawn is blocked, so by sacrificing the queen he saves the game: l... 'lWg4+ 2.Wh6 'lWgs+ (after 2.\t>f6 there would follow 2 ...'i+Ye 6+ ). This was the finish of the game Portisch-Lengyel (Malaga I 964). 361 The black king has no retreat squares. By sacrific ing the rook, and then the queen, Black reaches a stalemate: l.. . �f7+!2. �xf7 If White declines the rook with 2.We8, stalemate is reached after 2 ...'i+Yc6+ 3.�xfl 'i'g6+ 4.We7 'i+Vfl+ 5.Wd6 'i+Yds+ 6.Wc7 'i+Yc6+. 2...'i'g6+ 3.�e7 'i+Yf7+. and the rest is as in the variation after 2 ...We8 (this is a slightly amended position from the game Pribyl-Ornstein, Tallinn 1977). 237 Improve Your Chess Tactics 362 1 ..Jlxgl+ 2.@fl If 2.@xg3, then 2 ...�xh 4+, whilst after 2.fxg3 a draw results from 2... �b2 + followed by a queen sacrifice. 2 ... 'i'al + 3.@e2 I!:e3+ 4.@xe3 'tWel + s.@f3 'tWel+ 6.@xe3 - stalemate (Danielsson-Lange, I 0th Olympiad, Helsinki 195 2) 363 After I...'ifc6+ 2.\t>fS Black saved himself by 2 ... tlig7+! 3.�xg7 'tWg6+!, and any capture leads to stalemate (Pietzsch-Fuchs, Berlin 1963). 364 1. •..ixg4! 2Jhg4If 2.@xg4, then 2 ...f s+ 3.@h4 I!:xf4+ 4.ltJxf4 - stalemate. 2 ...fS 3.lig8 �xf4+ 4.tllxf4 - stalemate (Luik-Hindre, Ta llinn I 9 5 5). 365 I..id3! 'tWxd3 2.'tWe8+ with perpetual check, since after 2 ...Wh6 4.�f8 + \t>hs s.'i'f7+ 'i'g6, both 6.�xg6+ and 6.�xh7 + lead to stalemate. If Black does not take the bishop immediately, but first plays I...llhI + 2. Wxh I and only now 2 ...�xd3 , trying to exploit his extra pawn in the queen ending, then 3.�e8+ Wh6 4.'iff8 + WhS 5.'i'f7 + at least draws by a repetition of moves, since 5 ...'i'g 6 6.'i'xdS+ gives White winning chances. 238 Solutions: Miracle Sam (No 359-380) 366 All attempts to create actlVlty (for example, l ...'iYd7 2.�g3) are clearly in White's favour.The draw was forced by I..JhhH! 2.Wxh3 'tWe6+! 3.�xe6 - stalemate (Walter-Nagy, Gyor 1924). 367 I... h3+! 2.®xh3 2 ...'iYf H! 3.'iYxf5 lhg3+! 4.�h4 �g4+ Ic is only possible to avoid the checks on g3 and g4 by tak ing the rook, and then it is stalemate (Tieberger Drelinkiewicz, Poland 1970). 368 Black is threatened with mate, and he is two pawns down. However, after I.. . �bl + 2.@h2 the sacrifice of three pieces results in stalemate: 2 ...1:%.h l +! 3.�xhl tllgH! 4.fx.g3 4.Wh2? lllxfS . 4 ...'iYx g2+ 5.�xg2 - stalemate (Ormos-Batoczky, Budapest 1951). 239 Improve Your Chess Tactics 369 I. ..lLJfl +! 2 . .fl.xfl But not 2.Wh2? �xh4+ 3.Wg I �g3+. 2 ... 'iYh3+! 3.Wgl 3.�xh3 - stalemate. 3 ... 't/Ug4+ 4.Wh2 'irh3+ draw (Rodriguez Vaisman, Bucharest 1974). 370 I.lLJd6+! �xd6 l...Wa7? 2.�fl+.2.lle 7+ 'tWxe7 3.�c7+ draw (Goldin-Ryabov, Novosibirsk 1982). In reply to i .t2:Jd6+ Black can also play l ...Wb8 . There are no more checks, but 2.�c6 forces Black to give perpetual check: 2 ...tlJa 2+ 3.Wd 1 tlJc3+. 371 1.lhg6+! hxg6 After a king move there follows 2.�g4. 2.l:td8+! J:ixd8 3.'tWb3+ Wh7 The king cannot go to a dark square because a discovered check costs him his queen. 4.'tWf7+ Wh8 S.�f6+, with good drawing chances (a variation from the game Panov-Abramov, Moscow 1949). 372 White saved his neck by I.l:lh7+Wg3 2..�e7! :1d8 3.l:td7(from Salvio's I 634 book). 240 Solutions: Miracle Sam (No 3 'i9- �80) 373 1.tllfs+!gxfS 2 . .ttxh7+! Wxh7 3.'iYxfS+ Wg7 He cannot flee to h6 because of 4 . .l:Ih8+ \.t>g7 s . .l:Ih7+ @gs 6.'i'g6+ @f87 . .l:Ih8#. 4.�xg4+ @f6 s.'i'Nf4+ @g7 6.'iit'g4+ \W6 7.ii'f4+ with perpetual check (Speelman-Rec, Lone Pine 1978). 374 White is threatened with mate, and he has noth ing else to do except give checks. i.ii'rs+ @f6 2.ii'hs+wrs And now what? Answer: 3.g4+! hxg4 (3... \t>e4 ?? 4.lld4#). Now, with the white king stalemated, the heavy pieces throw themselves on the fire: 4.l:I.ds+! exd5 s.ii'cs+ ii'xc8 - stalemate (Zazdis-Zemitis, Riga 1936). 375 After i.j,xe4+ fxe4 2.Jles+! (2. .axe4? l:!e2+) 2 ...Wd6 (if the rook is taken, it will be stalemate) 3.I;lxe4, play reaches a theoretical ending, in which the rook and knight cannot win against the rook (Lisitsin-Bondarevsky, Leningrad 1950). 241 Improve Your Chess Tactics 376 White's attack has hit a dead end - the rook on h3 is attacked and Black threatens to bring his rook to cl, with extremely strong threats. After 1.l2Jxg8Wxg 8 (but not l.. . .ixh3? on account of 2.llJe7!) 2.ltg3(and not 2.'i'xh6!? �xh3 LQ xg6 fx g6 4.'i'xg6+ Wf8 5.'i'f6 + We8 6.'i'g6+Wd 8 7.�d3+ 'i'd7 8.�xd7+ Wxd7 9.Wxc l £.xg4-+) 2....!la I or 2 ....ifl 3.l:[gI IleI! White is in a bad way. However, by sacrificing the queen, he saved the game: l.�xh6+! l2Jxh6 2.�xh6+ Wg7 3.llh7+ @f84.�h8+ @e7 S.l2Jg8+! Black must acquiesce in a repetition of moves, since if his king retreats along the c-file, he loses a piece, whilst after 5 ...'i'x g8 6.�xg8 the threat of 7 . .ib5 forces 6 .. Jk5, and after 7.f4 White reaches an endgame with an extra pawn. S ...@f8 6. lllf6 + There is also no point in running to g7 (7.!lh7+), so the play ers agreed a draw (Ragozin-Levenfish, Moscow 1935). 377 The queen sacrificeis incorrect. After l.. . �xf3+? 2.'i'xf3 .!la3 White saves himself in miraculous fashion: 3.@h4!! The forced reply 3 .. Jhf3 leads to stale mate (Horowitz-Pavey, New York 195 I). Instead of I ... 'i'xf3 +? it was simplest of all to play l ...@ d6. 242 Solulions: Miracle S<1m (No 359-380) 378 If the black queen and the c-pawn are removed from the board, he will have no moves. Therefore I ... 'fVg8! Black temporarily pins the c4 pawn, and in reply to 2.'fVbS (or 2.'i'f3 ) he parts with his queen: 2 ...Wixc4 3.Wixc4 - stalemate (Ncsis Kolker, correspondence game, 1979). 379 White draws by means of 3.llxg8 ©xg8 3 ...llh l+? 4.�gl. 4.lig3+! Wixg3 4 ...@f 8? 5.�d6+ Wie7 6.'i'b8+ 'i'e8 7.'i'xb4+ 'i'e7 8.I;lg8+. s.'i'b8+ ©h7 6.'i'h8+ ©xh8 - stale mate. This possibility was missed in the game Taimanov-Geller, Moscow 1951. Instead of 3.l:Ixg8 White played 3.'i'e3, and after 3 ...r;ras Black won. White's drawing chance resulted from the hasty move 2...I;lxh2. After 2 ...llg4! his position would have been indefensible. 380 The draw is achieved by an introductory sacrifice of the rook: 1...llxfl+ 2.Wxfl �d2+ 3.Wgl �el+ 4.Wh2 �e2+ S.'it>h3, and then of the knight: S ... tlJf4+ 6.Jlgxf4 Not 6.\t>h4?? �e7! -+. 6 ... �fl + 7.©g4 �xf4+ 8.©hs �h4+ (Shernetsky-Noordijk, Belgium 1953). 243 Imp rove Your Chess Toctics Examination (No 381-736) 381 After 1...Ild8! White resigned (Letov Khamatgaleev, Perm 199 7). 382 t.1Id7! was played, and Black resigned because of the loss of the queen (2.'1Jf6+) (Thelen-Chodera, Prague 1943). 383 L°i'g8+ ( I...1hg8 2.CiJfl#) (Unzicker-Sarapu, 1 9th Olympiad, Siegen 1 970). 244 Solutions: Examination (No 381 -736) 384 l.�h8+ Wxh8 2 ..�f 6+ Wg8 3Jhe8# (BuLnorius-Gutman, Riga 19 7 4) 38S 1Jhc6+ bxc6 2.�a6# (Karlsson-Rogard, Swe den 1978) 386 l... dS! The introduction to a typical combination - the diagonal of the bishop on f8 must he opened. 2.�xdS 1fxc3+ 3.bxc3 i.a3# (NN Boden, London 1860) 387 l.�xe6+! fxe6 2.i.g6# (Cody-Heaton, USA 1914) 245 Improve Your Chm Tactics 388 After 1.lld8+! Black resigned (I..Jhd8 2.e7+). (Kochiev-Maric, Kapfenberg 1976). 389 The knight interferes with the march of the e-pawn, therefore it must be deflected: 1 ... tt'Jb6+! 2.lDxb6 After 2.@d4 tDxc4 3.@xc4 @d6 White loses the pawn endgame. 2...e3 White resigned (Goldenberg-Hug, Switzerland 1976). 390 t.i.c4!, with the threat 2.c8'1¥,wins immediately (I. Kan-Chernov, Yaroslavl l 9 S 0). 391 I.. .lhd4! On 2.'iVxd4 there follows 2 .J. le l + 3.@f2 'l'xd4+ 4.l:lxd4 l:haI. White resigned (Tunik-Veingold, Lvov 1984). 246 Solutions: Examination (No 381 -736) 392 I.J:lcl! wins (Shumov-Winawer, SL Petersburg 187 S). 393 I ..ib 2! 'i!Yxb2 2.:Ud8+ Black resigned (Lerner SideifZade, Frunze 1979). Black will have rook, knight and pawn for his queen, but White wins easily. 394 The game lasted one more move. After 1 ... tt:Je2+! White resigned because he loses the queen (if the knight is taken, 2 ...'i!Yc l+ and 'iffl #). (Costantini-Dziuba, Halkidiki 2000). 395 After I.°iff6! Black resigned (Terpugov-1. Kan, Le ningrad l 9 S l). 247 Improve Your Chess Tactic� 396 1.�f6! Black resigned. The queen cannot be taken because of mate (I ...-.G'.. xf6 2.exf6 or 2.gxf6 and 3.llh8#). On the other hand, if it is not taken, then there is no de fence against the 'X-ray ' 2.l:f.h8+ (Szabo-Bakonyi, Hungary 195 1 ). 397 By continuing 1 ... tl:ig4!, Black could have ended the game. The threat is 2 ...�f 2#, and after the sacrifice is accepted - 2.hxg4, there follows 2 ... hxg4#. In the game (Z. Nikolic-Miladinovic, Yugoslavia 1994) Black did not notice this possibility, and played l...tiidS. 398 The 'long' move 1... °iffl ! deflects the rook from the defence of the square h3. After the 'spite check' 2.lLJxes+ dxeS, White resigned (K. Stein Movsesian, Norilsk 200 I). 399 The move l .�d7 (or I .'i'xb7 l::txb7 2.lLJd6) 1...'i'xc6 2.lLJe7+ @g7 3.lLJxc6 l::te8 4.l:f.d5 is sufficient for an advantage, as was played in the game V.Zhuravle v-Semeniuk, Novosibirsk 1976. However, play could have been ended immedi ately after t.tld8+!. 248 Solutions: Examination (No 381 -736) 400 I.lle8+!, and mate on the next move ( l...'&'xe8 2.V/kxf6#; I .. Jhe8 2.�f8#) (Domuls-Skunda, USSR 1977). 401 After I.lld8! all three ofWhite' s pieces are under attack, but not one of them can be taken ( l . ..�xc3 2.llxe8#; l ...'tWxd8 2. �g7#; l .. Jhd8 2.'i¥xf6; I ... 'tWxfS 2.nxe8#) (Durka-Jablonicky, Czechoslovakia l 9 7 7). 402 After l.�f8+!Black resigned in view of l . . . I:ixf8 ( l ...i.xf8 2.�g8#) 2.�g8+ llxg8 3.tbf7# (Nikolov-Slavchev, correspondence game, 1 963). 403 l...axb4! 2.�xa8 ttJb6, and the white queen is trapped (Castaldi-Reshevsky, 9th Olympiad, Dubrovnik 1950). 249 Improve Your Chess Tcictics 404 I.'tWxh7+! Black resigned because of the forced mate: l ...Wxh 7 2.llh3+ 1lg7 3.�h6+ Wh8 4.�f8+ Ci lh4 5.llxh4# (Browne-Bellon Lopez, Las Palmas 1977). 405 The move I..ig8! forced Black to surrender (Trifunovic-Aaron, Beverwijk 1962). This tactical blow became possible after Black played the move ...llb8-b6, removing the second defence of the rook on d8. 406 I..Jkd8! 2.�xc6 �xfl+!, and mate after3. tixf2 �xd l+ or 3.Wh l �fl + (Nazarenus-Vologin, Bu dapest 1996). 407 The move 1 . ..tLlf3 ! wins the exchange, because after any move of the rook on e 1, there follows 2 . . . 'i'e4! with the threat of ...tt:Jf3 -h4+ (or ...tLlf3 -e I+) and ...� e4-g2#. White gritted his teeth and played 2.tLld2. But his losses are not limited to the exchange - after 2...d4 he had to resign: 3.exd4 tLixel +, whilst af ter 3.�d3 or 3.�b3 there is 3 ...tLixe l + 4.lixe l 'ifdS+ (Amarita-Olariu, Romania 2000). 250 Solutions: Examination (No 381-736) 408 The calculation of the combination which oc curred in the game Beletsky-Khasangatin (Sochi 2004) is fairly simple: 1..Jhg3 2.hxg3 2.f4 would have avoided what comes next. 2 ... 'iVxg3+, and after 3.@fl (or 3.@h l), 3 ... tlig4!with mate. 409 The deflection of the rooks from the defence of the first rank by 1..J1xf7! forced White to stop the clocks (Klimov-Evseev, St Petersburg 2004). After .lhf72 there would follow ...2 lld l + 3 .l::ffl 'i'xg2+ 4.'i'xg2 l:lxfl # or first ...2 'i'xg 2+ 3.'i'xg2and now 3 ...lld l +. 410 1.tlif6+! gxf6 2.exf6 Wh8 Or 2...CDe7 3.'i'gS+ tlig64.'i'h6. 3.�e4 mating. From a simultaneous display by Garry Kasparov against computers (Hamburg 1985). 411 1.�c4+! 'i'xc4 2.'i'es+ tlixe8 3.l:IfS# (Chigorin-NN, St Petersburg 1 894) Among other moves, l .'i'd2also wins. 251 Improve Your Chm Tactics 412 The black queen has no retreat squares. 1...Q.xh7+! The idea of the sacrifice is to remove the defender of the square g6. l ... lbxh7 I . ..\t>h8 2.ltJf7#. 2.tl.Jg6 Black resigned (Rossolimo Zuckerman, Paris 1937). 41 3 I...'Wt'xg3+! 2.hxg3 JlhS with mate (Shamharam-Murugan, Hyderabad l 994) t.Wg8+l <;t>xg8 2.llJg6. The f7 pawn is pinned, and the mate threat on h8 is unstoppable ( Abrahams-Thynne, Liverpool 193 2). The retreat of the king by 1...'lt>e7 avoids the mate, but not the crushing attack after 2.'ifxf7+ and 3.l:Idl +. 415 White gave mate by means of I.'iYg8+ We7 On l ...'lt>xg8 there is 2.ltJg6+. 2.llJg6+ Ihg6 Or else mate on d8. 3.'iYe8+ 3...Wd6 4.'ifd8#; 3 ...@f6 4.1Yf8 #) Black resigned (Dobrev-Boichev, Bul garia 2005). 252 Solutions: Examination (No 381 -736) 416 After I.tl:lg5! Black resigned. If the knighl is Laken, 2.Ilh3 wins. The move l...g6 does not save Lhe game, because the pawn on f7 is pinned (Ivkov Djuric, Yugoslavia 1983). 417 The move l .llb4! was played, and Black stopped the clocks. The rook cannot be taken by the queen because of mate on d8, and after I ... 'flic7 there follows2 .lhb 7 (Sindik-Cebalo, Zagreb I 9 7 8). 418 I.1:1c5! Opening the queen's path to g7 and at the same time defending White against the mate. There is a threat of 2.llxh7 + followed by 3.'fli g#, 7 so Black resigned (Heemsoth Heisenbi.ittel,We st Germany 1 958). 419 After I...'iVf3! 2.�bl (on 2.gxf3 there follows 2 ...tl:lxf3 + 3.Wfl �h3#) 2 ...'i'xg2 3.Wd2 'ifxf2 Black achieves an overwhelming superiority (Peev-Haik, Bucharest 1979). 253 Improve Your Chm Tactics 420 After I .tlJdS! Black resigned the game. He cannot take the queen because of mate (2.tlJc7#) , after 1...cxdS the rook sacrifice decides (2.l:l.xa7 +! �xa7 3.�c6+ or 2 ...Wxa7 3.'i'a4+ ), whilst after I..Jk8 there is 2.�xcS tlJxcS 3.tlJb6+, 4.tlJd7+ and 5.tlJxcS or 2.�b2 °i'bS 3.�a3 (Book Halfdanarson, Reykjavik 1966). 421 I.l:l.b3! cxb3 If l ...�a S, then 2.l:l.b8+ Wd7 3.1:1.d 1 + and the black king cannot escape the chase. 2.'ifxb4 Black resigned (Klaman-Lisitsin, Leningrad I 9 3 7). 422 The advantage is realised by combinative means: I J'bd5 ! exd5 2.tt:Jd4+ and Black resigned (2 ...Wd8 3.tlJe6+; 2...l'.1e7 3.�xc7) (Kasparov Kramnik, Frankfurtam Main 1999). 423 I.tlJh5! gxh5 2.l:tgl Black resigned (Krutikhin Chaplinsky, USSR 1 9 S 0). 254 Solutions: Examination (No 381 736) After l.' 425 1...'i'xg3! 2.hxg3 @g7 and White resigned, be cause 3 .. J1h8 mate cannot be parried (Alapin Schiffers, St Petersburg 1 902) 426 Black wins by means of the move l... ' 1 976, where l .. Jke8 was played. 427 1 ... 1:.xdS! 2J:hd5 tt:JO Mate can be prevented only by giving up the rook. After 3.rl5d2 lhd2 4.l:.xd2 tllxd2 5.b5 tllc4 White resigned (Rayner-Kouatly, Groningen 197 6/7 7). 255 lmprove Your Chess Tactics 428 The rook's entry I..Jlel ! decided the game. If it is taken, then L.�g3#, whilst in the event of 2.Jlb3 there is 2...lle2+ 3.@fl i.g3 mating (Bialas-Mross, Berlin I 9 S 4). 429 After I.ti:Jf5! Black resigned. After l...exfS there follows 2.'i'xc8+ (Khmelnitsky-Kabatianski, USSR 1989). 430 The attack down the h-file is crowned by 1...Q.f6! (deflection - L.i.xf6 2.'i'h7+ and 3.'i'xf?# plus the X-ray threat 2.'i'h8+). Black resigned (Rytov-Malevinsky, Leningrad 1969). The moves can also be switched round: 1.'i'h? + @fg and now 2.Jlt.f6. 431 If the black queen ever gets to f3 , the white king will be in serious danger. The motif is clear, but how can Black get rid of the opponent's heavy pieces, and also of his own bishop, which blocks the queen's path to f3 and e2? The first exchange deflects the rook from fl : l. . .I:ixb I2.Ihb 1. Then the move 2 ... ..Q.f5! shuts off the f-file. Now the white queen is unable to come to the help of the king, and the threat is 3 ...�f3 + and 4 . ..'i'g2 #. After 3Jlfl the game is decided by 3 ... 'i'el (V Zhuravlev-Kapanadze, Tbilisi 1977). 256 Solutions: Examination (No 381-736) 432 l.�a5! .tlf8 Or l ... .tle8. Including the moves l ...�b I+ 2.Wg2 does not change anything. 2.'fggs Black resigned (Shulman-Sandler, Baldone 1977). 433 On general considerations alone, the search fora solution is bound up with attacks on the square g2. Black has several combinative possibilities, il lustrating various themes: 1 ...tll xf2! - freeing the square e4, to attack g2 (2.�xf2 'i'e4 mating). This happened in the game E. Kahn-Banusz (Budapest 2004). White re signed. A slightly more complicated version of this com bination is l .. Jhg4 2.hxg4 tllxf2 3 . .ixf2 'i'e4. Nor does the rook retreat save the game (3.l:tfl tllh3+ 4.Wh l 'i'h4 or 4.Wh2 'i'd6+). Also not bad is the deflection of the bishop by l .. .f5, and then after 2 . .ixf5 - 2 .. Jhg2+ (3.@xg2 tllxf2+;3. Wfl tllg3+ with mate). And if 2.�h5, then 2 ...tll xf2 (3.�xf2 'i'e4; 3.�xg6 tllxd I), whilst after2 . .if3 there is 2 ... tllxf2. The positional solution was also sufficientfor vic tory - freeing the e4-square forthe queen by the simple move I...tllf6 (2.�d4 h5; 2.lleI tllxg4 3 . .ic5 'i'd7 4.Uxe8+ 'i'xe8 5.hxg4 lhg4 6.g3 h5 with the irresistible threat of 7 ...'i'e4 or 7 ...'i'c6) . 257 Improve Your Chess Tactics 434 I...'iWe2 2JHI '&'xf3! 3.gxf3 'D.g6# (Albin Bernstein, Vienna 1904) 435 The discovered attack I.lLJdS! forced Blackto re sign. He cannot play 1 ... 'i'xd2 because of 2.tDe7#, and otherwise, the queen is lost (Bouch Osmolovsky-Ragozin, Lvov I 9 5 I ) . 436 After l.. . 'i'xh2+! White resigned, due to forced mate: 2.Wxh2 llh5+ 3.Wg I lllf3 + 4.gxf3 lldg5# (Prokopovic-Van der Mije, Belgrade 1979). 437 l... llg 3! After 2.fxg3 (and also aftera queen re treat) there follows 2 ...'i'x h2+ 3.Wxh2 Uh6+. White resigned (S. Pereira-R. Pereira, Portugal 1978). 258 Solutions: Examination (No 381 -736) 438 1... �xh2+! 2.Wxh2 llh4+ 3.Wgl ti.Jg3, and mate next move (Reshevsky-Ivanovic, Skopje 197 6 ) . 439 1.ti.Jxf7!Wxfl 2.�xe6+ Wf8 3.'i°e7+Wg8 4 . .l:Ig3 gS sJhgs+ hxgS 6.'ifxgs+, and Black is mated (Reis-Rodrigues, Lisbon 1996). 440 l...�h2+ 2.Wfl �b6! 3.�f3 Other moves are no better. 3 ...'i'xf2 + 4Jhf2 ti.Jg3# Tudrov VKhenkin, Moscow 1956. 44 1 1.J'J.lx d4! Clearing a path to h5 forthe other rook. 1... exd4 2.'i'xh7+ Decoying. 2 ... Wxh7 3.l:rhS# (Abrosimov-Ambainis, Daugavpils 1975) 259 Improve Your Chess Tactics 442 1.�g6! fxg6 2.Ilxg7+ @f8Or 2 ... @h8. 3.tl:Jxg6# (Bronstein-Geller, Moscow 1961) 443 White wins by means of 1.�xeS !. After 1 ...dxeS there follows 2 . .ic4+ Wh8 (2...llfl 3 .1ld8#) 3.tl:Jg6+ hxg6 4.Ilhl + (Zaverniaev-Paromov, Arkhangelsk 1963). 444 1.eS ! wins a piece. After 1 ...�xg2 (the prelimi nary exchange l ...dxeS 2.fxeS does not change anything) 2.exf6, the bishop cannot retreat be cause of the deadly blow on e6. The game Kramnik-NN (simultaneous display, Paris 1999) went 2 ....ib 7 (2 ...�h3 3.tl:Jxe6) 3.lhe6+ fxe6 4.'i'hs+, and mate. 445 1.�e6! Interference. 1 ... �xe6 Or I ...f xe6 2.'i'xeS+ @fl 3.llh7+ We8 4.�xe7+ Wxe7 5.'i'f-6+ etc. 2.'i'xes+ f6 Or else mate. 3.gxf6+ 'ifxf6, and finally a deflection: 4.�h7+ �xh7 S.'i'xf6 On 5 ...�d 7 there comes 6.eS, Black re signed (Khudyakov-Kovalev, Alushta 2005). 260 Solulions: Examinalion (No 381 -736) 446 I.. . gs+! 2.WxhS 'fHe2+ 3.g4 'fHe8# (De Rooi-H. Kramer, Beverwijk 1962) 447 l...gs+ 2.@xhs 'i'xg4+! 3.'i'xg4 .ifl# (Lanni Sarno, Italy 1993) 448 White has an extra pawn. A logical continuation was l .Ilfcl. However, 1.lllegS ! is significantly more active. After 1. ••fxgS 2.�xd7 'i'xd7 3.lllxeS the queen is attacked, and at the same time, the standard smothered mate with 4.lllf7+ is a threat (Bernstein-Metger, Ostend 1907). 449 1.f6 ! �xf6 2..!hf6 'i'xf6 3.i.gs and Black re signed (Najdorf-Bolbochan, Argentina 1965). 261 Improve Your Chess Tactics 450 1Jhfl! 1hf72.il .xe6 Black resigned. If 2.. .�xe6, then 3 . .tld8+, whilst after2... 'i'xf2 + 3.�xf2 Uxf2 there is also 4.�d8# (Tkhelidze Gutkin, Beltsi 1972). 45 1 1Jhe6! fxe6 2.g4 The queen is trapped, Black re signed (Smetankin-Vallejo Pons, Erevan 1999). 452 Both sides' knights are attacked, but with the move l .b4! White deflects the bishop to b4, and after l ....ixb4 2.tlJc2 he wins a piece (Em. Lasker-Euwe, Nottingham I 936). 453 The double attack 1... 'i'b6 ! decides the game. Ta king the queen is impossible because of 2...tlJe2#! Meanwhile, there is a threat of 2...'i'xb2#, and also of taking the bishop on e3 (Shebarshin-Sozin, Novgorod 1923). 262 Solutions: Examination (No 381 736) 454 With the move I.l:[b6! White deflects the queen from the defence of the square h8. After 1. .. 'fixb6 (the same happens after t..Jld6 2.:r.xd6 'fHxd6) there follows 2.'i'h8+ 'itig6 3 •.\1h5# (Mariotti Panchenko, Las Palmas 1 978). 4SS 1.'i'f6+! tt:lxf6 2.�,c5+! (2....ixcS 3.gxf6+ @f8 4.l:[h8#). Black resigned (E. Vladimirov Kharitonov, Alma-Ata 1977). Mate can also be given via a different move-order: I..icS+ .ixcS (1...tt:lxcS 2.'i'f6+ and 3.llh8#; l ... Wd8 2.'i'xf7) 2.'i'f6+etc. 456 1.�xh7+ @xh7 2.'i'hs+ Wg8 3.l:[e4!There is no satisfactorydefence against the threat of 4.l:l.h4,so Black resigned (Skorpik-Vinklar, Czechoslovakia 1978). 457 1Jhg7! By drawing the king into a pin, White sets up ir resistible threats. l... 'ltxg7 2.'i'g4+ 'lth8 3.'i'h5 There is no de fence to 4 . .ixf6 and s.'i'xh7# (3 ... @g8 4.i.xf6 l:l.fe8 S.'i'xh7+ and 6.'ii'h8#). Black resigned (Radulov-Soderborg, Helsinki 1961). 263 Improve Your Chm Tactics 458 1...CL.JxfH! 2.gxf3 llgs+ 3.Wfl 3.Wh2 'l'xh3+ mating. 3 .. .'f6xh3+ 4.We2 !lg2+ After 5.�f2 there follows 5 ...llxf2 + 6. @xf2'l'h2 +. White re signed (Quinteros-Kouatly, Lucerne 1985). 459 l... lll xd4 2.�xd4 llld3+! 3.exd3 If 3.'l'xd3, then 3 ...'l'c l+ 4.'l'd l 'l'xdl+ 5.Wxd l .ixd4. 3 ....ixd4 with a decisive material advantage (Pelts-Beloushkin, Chelyabinsk 197 5). I..ixfl+! Wxfl 2.'l'b3+ Black resigned (Tal Unzicker, Stockholm 1961 ). On L.�f8 (2...tlJdS 3.exd5) there follows 3.tlJgS, whilst in the event of L.Wg6 White draws the enemy king into his own camp: 3.tlJh4+ �h5 4.'l'f3+ �xh4 s.'l'g3+ @hs 6.'l'gs#. 461 l.. . d3 2.c3 llxe4! 3.'i'xe4 .ixc3 On 4.b3 there follows 4 ...'l'fl . White resigned (Sax-Van der Wiel, Biel 1985). 264 Solutions: Examination (No 381 -736) 462 l... tlie2+! 2.tiixe2 .�.xh2+! 3.Wxb2 lhdl Black has given two minor pieces fora rook. However, the pin on the back rank and threats along the e-file make further losses inevitable. White re signed (Kamarainen-Svenn, Helsinki 1973). 463 l.�a3! The black bishop cannot leave the square el because of 2.lLJf6+ lLJxf6 3.exf6 with inevita ble mate. If l ...b6 (in order to control the square f6 after the exchange on e7), then 2.lLJgS! (2...�xgS 3.'i'xf8#) (Sveshnikov-Gorchakov, Vilnius 1973). 464 He wins by l.�xf7 �xf7 2.'i'xc7! (Ahues Leopold, Dresden 1903). 465 l... lLJf3+ ! After 2.lLJxf3 there follows 2...'i'xf3 ! with unavoidable mate on g 2 or the back rank. The move 2.Ilxf3 also leaves the back rank unde fe nded (2...�d l +). White resigned (Petursson Agdestein, Reykjavik 198 5). There was also another move-order: 1 ...�d 1 + 2.�e l lLJf3 + . 265 f mprovc Your Chm Tactics 466 l. ..tlJf H! 2.gxf3 'i'g6+ 3.Whl tllgH and 4 ...�xc2 and White has no compensation forthe lost queen (Lyublinsky-Baturinsky, Moscow 1945). 467 The threat is 'iVg3-h4. However, Black does not give his opponent time to execute the threat. There followed l... .ixc2 +! 2.Wxc2 tlJb4+ 3.Wbl (3.Wd2 'i'xb2#) 3 ...'i'f s+, and White resigned (Dexter-Bies, Hungary 1985). 468 The game was decided by l.tlJxe6! After 1...tlJxe6 there comes 2.'i'xds+! (2 ...@xdS 3.�g2#). (Firman-Gdanski, Cappelle-la-Grande 2006) . 469 After 1.�xf7+ ! (decoying the king) 1 ... Wxf7 2Jhc8! (decoying the queen) 2 ... 'i'fxc8 (if 2 ... 'i'b6, then 3.°i'fb3+ 'iVe6 4.l:Ic7+) Black's main pieces are forked: 3.tlJd6+ (Naipaver Kishiniuk, Uzhgorod 1984) 266 Solulions: Examinalion (No 3 8 I -73 6) 470 Black wins by 1../L.Jxe42Jhe4 �x b6! This possi bility was missed in the game Lima-Segal, Brazil 1993. 471 Black could just play l ... d4, when his position is the more active. But the outcome of the game was decided in a different way. There followed l .. Jhe1 + 2.1:1xe1 2 ... :.e2!!, and White resigned (Bagirov-Kholmov, Baku ch-URS 196 l). 472 1.tbxg7! .bc4 If l ... Wxg7 White wins by 2 . .if6+ Wg6 (after 2 ...Wg8 there is 3.°i'd2 mating) 3 . .ixe6 fxe6 4.°i'g4+. 2 . .if6! .ie7 ...2 .ixe2 3.tbfs + and 4.tbh6#. 3.'i:ff3 This was the finish of the game Stein Portisch, Stockholm I 9 6 2. 267 Improve Your Chm Tactics l.... �.xfl+! 2.'l!kxfl Or 2.@xf2 J:tfs+. 2 ... fixdl+ An 'X-ray'. White resigned (3 . .tlxd l J:[xdl+ 4.�fI l'leeI) (Novotelnov-Averbakh, Moscow 1951 ) . 474 Black threatens mate ( l... 'i'fl + ), but White de livers it earlier: 1Jk8+! �xc8 l... @£7 2.'i'c7+. 2.fie8+ :rs 3.:xg7+ @xg7 4.'i'g6+ and 5.�h7# (Horowitz-NN, USA 1941 ). 475 White is mated: 1 •••'i'g2 +! 2.l:lxg2 tl:lf3+ 3.@hl l:ldl+ and 4 ... l:lxgl# (Rodriguez Vargas-F. Olafsson, Las Palmas I 9 7 8). 476 t...�xh2+! 2.@xh2 :hs+ 3.'it>gt .tiht + 4.'it>xht 'i'hH 5.'it>gl 'i'g2# (Grabow-Kunde, East Ger many 1968) 268 Solutions: Examination (No 381 -736) 477 I.'i'e7+! l:lxe7 .!ld82 . + l:re8 3 .!lg8. + Wxg8 4 . .!lxe8#(K rause-NN, Leipzig, 1933). Admittedly, it was possible to manage without the queen sacrifice and give mate with her help: I.i.e7+ Ilxe7 2 . .!ld8+ lle8 3.lhe8+ @xe8 4.ngs# 478 1.gds+ @hs Or l.. . cxdS 2.'i'xd5+ ctith8 3.l2Jf7+. 2.'i!Vc3! Mate is unavoidable (Sgurev Mechkarov, Sofia I 949). Another combination is worth noting: I.lLJxh7 'i'f2 (afterl ...Wxh7 there is 2.'i'c3and then as in the game) 2.l2Jxf8 'i'h4+ 3.Wg I 'i'xe7 4.l2Jxg6, but now White only has two extra pawns. But 2.lLJgS! instead of2.l2Jxf8 is worth considering. 479 1.ld.gS! The bishop needs to come to e6. 1. .. fxgS 2.i.e6 �e8 3.'i!Vh7, and mate is unavoidable (Avirovic-Tagirov, Yugoslavia 1948). 480 1.llxc6 r!xc6 2.nxc6 lhc6 3.�xb4 'i!ffl After 3 ...llc8 an interference decides matters: 4.�e7. 4.lLJgS! 'i!fxf6 5.exf6 lk7 The threatwas 6.f7 +.If 5 .. .lk8 6.f7+ Wh8 there is the variation 7.�d6 lLJd78. �eS+ lLJxeS9.d xe5 l1f8 10.d4 f4 l l.Wf3, and zugzwang: after the rook moves there is l 2.l2Jxe6. However, the simpler way 8.l2Jxe6(instead of 8.�eS+) is also possible. 6.�e7 Black resigned (Mnatsakanian-Prandstet ter, Erevan I 9 84). 269 Imp rove Your Chm Tactics 1.Jlh6 ! Wf8 l..Jhh6 2.tbxf6+. 2.tbb6! �xdl+ 3.:lxdl �.g4 4.Ci'lxa8 .bd l s.�e3! ��g4 6.CiJxc7 Realising the advantage does not pose particular difficulties (Kupreichik-Fritsche, Germany 1994/95). 482 l.�xcS! �xcS 2.�b3+ Wh8 3.�£7 Black re signed (Titkos-Jompos, Hungary 1985). 483 White was mated elegantly: I.. . �f2+ 2.�xf2 :lhs+! 3.�xhS gS# (Georgadze-Kuindzhi, Tbilisi 1973). 484 IJtas+! l .'i'c4+? @b6 . I... @xas 2.'i'xcs+ d.xc5 3.tbc4+ @b5 4.llb6# (from a book by Stamma, 1737). 270 Solutions: Examination (No 381 -736) 485 I...tbg4+! 2.hxg4 After 2.'1t>g2 there comes 2 .... �xd4 3.'l'xd4 2 ...hxg4 3.f3 Jlxd4 4.fxg4 4.'i'xd4 l:Ie2+. 4 ... lLic3 winning (a varia tion from the game Egin-Guseinov, Ta shkent 1985). 486 l ...tt:'ie 4+! 2.fxe4 fxe4+ 3.@el 'fixg3+! White resigned. After 4.l:lxg3 there follows 4 ....t::Ih l + 5.�fl Iihxfl+ and 6 . . J17f2# (Portisch-Hiibner, Bugojno l 978). 487 1.�xf7+!llxf7 2Jl d8+ l:tfS3. °iYbH'iff7 The mate threat on g 1 has been eliminated, and the e-pawn now advances. 4.e6 'ii'e7 5.f!d7 Continuing 6.e7 +, White wins (Apscheneek-Landau, Kemeri 1937). 488 The obvious move is L . .ie4+, but after 2.�f 4 the king escapes. The decisive move is l.. . Ua3! deflecting the queen. After the forced 2.'it'xa3 the queen and bishop easily cope with their task: 2 .••�e4+ 3.@f4�g2+! 4.@gs 'ii'xes+ s.@g4 '\ifs+6.@h4 'ifhH 7.Wg5 'ifh6+ 8.@g4 fS# (Ivanov Sveshnikov, Chelyabinsk 1 9 7 3). 271 Imp rove Your Chm Tactics 489 l .tlJxdS! exdS Declining the sacrifice andreconciling himself to the loss of a pawn does not not help Black: 1 l.. . 'i'b7 2.llie7+ 'i'xe7 3.'i'xc8+, and the rest is as in the game. 2.'il!Yxc8+ Ihc8 3J'hc8+ Wh7 Or 3 ...'i'f8 4.Jlxf8+ @xf8 s.tbd7 + and 6.tlJxb6. 4.Ilh8+ @xh8 s.tllg6+ and 6.tlJxe7 winning easily (Volkevich-Liskov, Moscow 1 9 5 2). 490 1 ... fs +! 2.gxf6 If 2.@h4, then 2 ...'i'h l#. 2 . ..'ir'fs+ and 3 ...'i'h S# (G. Borisenko-Simagin, Moscow 1955). 49 1 t.l:ld7! tllxd7 2.�h6! A beautiful move, leading by force to mate. 2 ... f6 2 ...llixe 5 3 . .ixg7 + and 4 . .ixes+. 3.�xg7+ @gs 4.�xf6+ Or 4.'i¥xe6+ l:[fl 5 . .ih6+ @h8 6.'i'xfl with the same result. 4... @f7 s.l:lg7+ Wes 6.l:lxe7+ '1t>ds 7.l:les+ '1t>xe8 8.'flxe6# (Korneev-Basos, Las Palmas 1999) 492 After l.tlle7! Black resigned (I . . . .ixe7 2.'i'h8#; and meanwhile there is a threat of 2.'flg8#). (Najdorf-Porat, I I th Olympiad, Amsterdam 1954). 272 Solutions: Examination (No 381 -736) 493 The move I...t2J f5! wins a piece. After 2 .tlxcl. 7 there is 2...tLlxe3+ 3.\tie2 t2Jxc4. If 2 . .tle2, then 2...'fkdt+ 3.tlJxd l (3.Jle l t2Jxe3+) 3 .. Jlxdl+ 4 . .tleI t/� e3+ 5.@e2 lhe I+ and 6 ...ll'i xc4 (Nikolaev-Karasik, Israel 2005). 494 There followed I..Jlf7!, and White resigned. Af ter 2.'i'xf7 (and also any other queen move) there follows 2 ...�d4+ and then 3...'JJlixg2# (Zinn-Sveshnikov, Decin 1974). 495 In order to give mate, Black needs to play ...Wh7-g6 and ...'i'd l- h5#. But after I ...Wg6 there follows 2.'i'xe6+. Therefore I....if6+! (in terference). After2.exf 6 the move 2 ...Wg6 decides (3.g4�el+) (Buksa-Kovacs,Hungary 1965). 496 l... tlJg4! wins. After 2.'i'xg4, 2...'i'xg2+! de cides: 3.�xg2 !tel+ and 4 ...k1xfl #. And 2.lld2 loses to both 2...'i'xg2+ and 2...t2Jxh6 (Potze Bitalzadeh, Hoogeveen 2005). 273 Improve Your Chess Tactics 497 I.t2.Jf6+! gxf6 2.l:Ixe8+ On 2 ... 'i'xe8 3.�xf6 wins. If 2 ...�x e8, then 3.'i'h6 'i'd7 4.'i'xf6 (4 . .ixf6? 'i'g4) 4 ...wfs s.�el or s.'i'g7+ We7 6.'i'gS+ Wf8 7.�f6 mating (Tompa-Herrou, Val Thorens 1980). 498 1Jhg7! 499 I.tllh5! gxh5 2.llle6 fxe6 3.l:Igs+ Wf74.�g6# (Bjorkqvist-Tiemann, correspondence game, 1971/74) 500 l.. . e5! 2.�xe5 i.c3! 3.'i'gl i.xe5 White resigned (Tregubov-Emelin, Elista 1994). 274 Solutions: Examination (No 381-7 36) SOI I.'i!Hxh7+! 502 I.l:txh7! If Black takes the rook, a knight sacrifice opens the queen's path to hS: l ...�xh7 2.lllgS+! fx gS 3.'i'hs+ and 4.'i'xg6+ with mate. Therefore, Black had to reply l...f5,but this only prolongs resistance (Seirawan-Wiedenkeller, Skien 1979). 503 I.l:tcl + 504 I . .if4 White liquidates the mate threat, attacks the queen and at the same time closes the f-file, preventing the enemy rook coming to the defence - not bad forone move! After l ... 'ifd8 the game is decided by 2.lhe7! (deflecting the queen from the back rank) 2...'fff8 (2 ...'i'xe7 3.'i'c8+) 3.'ffxg7+! (3... 'i'xg7 4.�e8+ 'ffg8 S.i.es+) (Capablanca Spielmann, San Sebastian 1911 ). 275 Improve Your Chess Tactics sos With the move 1..t:l'.b6! White obtained a decisive material advantage. Black must surrender the queen, since after l.. .axb6 there is 2.CDe7+ Wh8 3.�xh7+ and 4 . .t:l'.hS#.Without the shutting off of the sixth rank, the combination would not work, since then after l:leS-hS+ Black could de fe nd with ...'i'a6 -h6. 1....Q.xdS Or I ... 'i'xb6 2.CDxb6 axb6 3.�xc4 with the same result. 2.�xa6 bxa6 3.lhdS (Ukhimura-Shain, USA 1980) S06 1.eS! dxeS 1 ... CDe8 2.exd6+ CDxd6 3.'i'xg7 0,fs 4.'iYg4+- is more resilient. 2.'tWcS+ ©es 3 . .t:l'.xf6! After 3 ...gxf 6 4.CDe4 decides ( 4 ...'tWe7 5.'tWxc6+). Black resigned (Nezhmetdinov Sergievsky, Saratov 1966). S07 t.�h8+! tl:Jxhs 2.'tWh7+! ©xh7 3.l1hs+ wgs 4.i.h7#(Chudinovskykh- Muraviov, USSR 1990) 276 Solutions: Examination (No 381-736) 508 I..Jhe5! 2.dxe5 �fl+ 3.Wh l If 3.gxf3 , then 3 ...�g s+ and 4 ...�h4. 3 ...�h4 4.h3 .Q.xh3 5.g3 'tWh5 White resigned (Lee-Ribeiro, 19th Olym piad, Siegen 1970). 509 With his last move, Black gave check with the bishop, intending to answer l .�xd4 with i..JhdS. However, White played 1.lhd4! cxd4 Not i..JlxdS 2.�xdS (2...�xdS 3.�h6+), but l ...Wh8 !± would have made the win more difficult. 2.�f6+ Wf8 Taking the knight leads to mate after 3.�h6. 3.'i'xh7 gxf6 4.1:%.el Black re signed (Duz Khotimirsky-Bannik, Vilnius 1949). 510 1.tiihS! gxhS After l ...i.h8 2.tiigS decides. 2.tiigs i.xgS 3.'i'xgs+ Wh7 4.°ifxhs+ Wg7 s.'i'gs+ After 5 . ..Wh7 6JH3 Black is mated (Pinter-Hardicsay, Hungary 1974) . 511 1.tiixg6! tl:Jxg6 After l ...Wxg6 2.'i'e4+ l:IfS 3.llxhS decides. 2.l:txhs+ Wg8 Or 2 ...Wg7 3.i.h6+ \tg8 4.i.xf8 \txf8 s.'i'e4. 3.'i'e4 l:lf6 4.l1dhl Threatening 5.l1h8+ tiixh8 6.'ii'h7+. Black resigned (Bebchuk-Tomson, Moscow 1963). 277 rmprove Your Chm Tactics 512 t.CiJ dS! exdS 2.Wt'xds+ Now Black noticed that he was being mated (L.@h8 3.llxh6+! gxh6 4.g7+ and 5.g8�+). and he resigned. This was the game Cheparinov-Cortes, Spain 2003. However, even if he had seen the end and parted with the exchange, Black would not have lasted long. For example, after 1...'i'd7 2.tlJxf6+ -� xf6 3.f5 tlJd8 4.'i'xb4 or 3 ...tl:Jd4 (instead of 3 ... tLld8)4 . .ixd4l:txc4 5 .�xf6 gxf6 6.Wt'xh6. 513 l.tlJe7+! i.xe7 2.fxe7 Wt'xe7 The intermediate capture of the rook does not help Black: 2 .. Jhd2 3 . .ixfl+! @g7 4.Wt'al +. Ul'.xf7! Black resigned (Savon-Litvinov, Minsk 197 5). 514 By temporarily sacrificing the exchange, White wins queen and pawn for rook and bishop: 1.Uxf6! gxf6 2.Wt'g4+ Wh8 3.Wt'h4 f5 4 .ixfS. ! exf5 s.Wt'f6+ @gs 6.tLldS 'iids 7.tLle7+ 'iixe7 8.'i'xe7, and White converted his advantage (A. Ornstein-LA. Schneider, Sweden 197 5). 515 Black wins by l... 'i'e l+ 2.'i'gl l::txh2+! 3.Wxh2 'i'h4+, forcing a won pawn ending afler 4.Wg2 'i'xg5+ 5.�fl Wt'xg l+ 6.Wxg l tlJxdS 7.cxcl'> �d6 (Ramirez-Miranda, Roque Saenz Pen,1 1997). 278 Solutions: Examination (No 381 -736) 516 The opposite-coloured bishops strengthen the white attack. Te mpting is 1.llfd3. but White pre fe rred the decisive I.�fl!. There followed: l...Wxfl After l ...llxd2 there follows, of course, 2.�xg6+. And if l...�xf7. then 2.a'.xd8. 2 . .l:txd8 �xd8 3.�b7+ Wg8 4.�xa6, and White realised his advantage (Stahlberg-Najdor( Buenos Aires 1947). 517 l... e3! 2.'Wxd3 After 2.f3. 2...f:rd2 3.�cl �g6 wins. This same queen manoeuvre follows after 2.lrn . And if 2 ..l:he3. then simply 2...� xd 1 + and 3 ...l:lxb2 . 2 ... exf2+ 3.@fl �xg2+ 4.\tixg2 fxeltll+ and S ... tllxd3 (Picco-Omar Garcia Martinez, Cuba 1997). 518 Black was mated in three moves: I.l:IxdS+! cxdS 2.tlld3+! exd3 3.f4# (Opocensky-Hromadka, Kosice 193 1). 519 l... 1:1d3! 2.'ifxb6The rook cannot be captured ei ther by the bishop (because of mate on g2), nor the queen (because of 2...�h2+ 3. and 4 . . . tDxd3). 2 ..J::! xh3! The rook is immune because of 3 ...�h2 mate. If 3.'ifxc6, then 3 ...�h 2+ 4.�h l tDxf2#. The fl-square can be defended by 3.�d4. Then 3 ...�h2+ 4. 520 t../ilxb2! 2.Wxb2 �al+ 3.Wal Or 3.clJb1 l2Ja4and mate on b2. 3 ... b3! 4.cxb3 t2Jxd3 5.l2Jc3 tlJxf2 6.�xf2 �b4 White resigned (Mihevc-Agababian, 31st Olym piad, Moscow 1 994). 521 1 .. Jkl! 2.�xcl tlJe2+ 3.l:lxe2 �xcl+ 4.Wf2 �a6! White does not even get rook and minor piece for his queen. After the forced 5.�d3 (S.�c2 �d1 !) .S...�xa l 6.�xa6 �dl the game ended (Horberg-Averbakh, Stockholm 1954 ). 522 t...'*Yxh2+! 2.'it>xh2 tlJg4+ 3.litigl tlJhH 4.@fl tlJh2# (Emmerich-Moritz, Germany 1922). 280 Solutions: Examination (No 381 736) 523 I.�xe4! fxe4 After 1 ...- �.xfl 2.llxfl the same fol lows as in the game. 2..�.xe4+ Wh8 3.tLJg6+Wh7 4.tlJxf8+Wh8 S/.'.Jg6+ @h7 And now what? An swer: a change of route: 6.C.'.JeS+! @h8 7.�)fl# (Alekhine-Fletcher, simultaneous display, London 1928). 524 By sacrificing the knight, then the queen, White liquidates the enemy king's pawn cover and gives mate: I.tt:lc6+! bxc6 2.'iVxa7+! Wxa7 3 . .rlal+ Wb6 4.�hb 1 + @cs 5.rlaS# (from a simulta neous display by Marco, 1 898) 525 Deflecting the queen from the defence of a7 via the 'diagonal of life' is impossible. But if White's second rook reaches aS, Black cannot avoid mate. This aim is achieved by 1 .Itfl! 'i'd42 . .tlfS!. There is no defence to the threat 3.lha7+! 'i'xa74 . .tlaS (Capablanca-Raubitschek, New Yo rk 1906). On l ... 'iVe3 2.UfS ! also wins, but it needs more work: 2..J ibc8 3.l:ixb4! (3 . .tlaS? 'iVf4+ with per petual check) 3 .. . l:t.b8 4.Jlb7 Jlbc8 5.aS! d2 6 . .t:rb1 nb8 1.nfbs! 'i'f4+8 .\t>h1. 526 I.tt:le7+ Jhe7 2.'iVc8+ tt:lf8 3.'iVxf8+! Wxf8 4 . .tlh8#(Nikonov-Khardin, Kirov 1981). 281 Improve Your Chm Tactics 527 I..Jd.a8! 2.�xa8 After 2.l:rc3 there follows 2 ...�e l+ and 3 ...�a l#, whilst in the event of 2 . .hla6there is 2 .. Jha6 3.'i'xa6�fl + and, as in the game, 4 ...c3 +. 2 ...'fVfl + 3.Wb2 c3+ winning the queen (Medina Garcia-Smederevac, Beverwijk 1965). Black could have inverted the moves, playing first 1 ...'tWfl + and then 2...�a8. Other variations: 2.Wd2 (2.Wb2 lla8 with the threat of ...lla8xa3 and mate on al; on 3.�xa8 there is 3 ...c3 +) 2 ... ld.a8! 3.lle3. Now the check with ... c4-c3 can not be given because the queen takes on c3 with check, but decisive is 3 ...�a l or 3 ...'i'f2 + 4.l:re2 'i'xd4+. 528 The 'quiet' move I.'Wc7! forces capitulation. Black has no defence against the smothering sac rifice 2.�b8+ llxb8 3.lDc7# (Zotov-Glebov, Moscow 197 5). There was also another, rather crude solution: I.ttJc7+ Wb8 2.ttJb5. 529 1 . . Jhe7! Eliminating the piece which is control ling g8. 2.'Wxe7'Wxf3 3.gxf3 llg8+4.Wfl .ia6+ 5.Ile2 tbd2+ 6.Wel tbxf3+ 7.Wdl l:Igl+, and mate next move (Stahlflinga-Gran, Denmark 1974). 282 Solutions: Examination (No 381 -736) 530 White maces: I.tl:ic7+ Wa7 2.�xa6+! bxa6 3.Cii bs+ Wa8 4.na7# (Munk-NN, Kassel 1914) 531 l.�b7+!! �xb7 2.tlJd7! �d8 3.�b8+ 'i'xb8 4.tlJb6# (the final pare of a study by A. Seletsky, 1933) 532 After I ... �g4! White resigned, since after 2.�xg4 there follows 2 ...'i'fl + 3.IlgI t2Jg3+! 4.hxg3 'i'h3# (Pirrot-Hermeck, West Germany 1989/90). 533 The move l... t2Je 3! assures Black a decisive advan tage: 2.'i'g3 After the capture of the queen there is 2 ...t2Jf 3#, and after 2.�xe3 'i'xe3 both 3 ...t2Jf 3+ and 4 ...'i'd 2#, and also 3 ...�xe4 are threatened. 2 ... 'i'xg3 3.t2Jxg3 t2Jxc2+ 4.�dl tlJxal 5.t2Jxb7 b3 6.axb3 t2Jxb3 7.�c2 tlJcS, and Black realised the extra exchange (Shirov-J. Polgar, Buenos Aires I 994). 283 Improve Your Chess Tactics 534 1..Q.h7+! By comparison with the majority of similar combinations, here the black pawn stands on h6, not h7. 1. ..Wxh7 If 1...Wh8, then 2.tlJg5!, and Black is defenceless. After 2 ...hxg 5 there fol lows 3.'i'h5. Nor does 2 ...'i'b8 save Black be cause of 3.tlJxf7 + Wxh7 4.'i'd3+ Wg8 (or 4 ...g6 5.tlJgs+ hxg5 6.l:lf7 + Wh6 7 .hxg5+ Wxg5 8.�e3+ Wh5 9.kih7+ Wg4 I O.'i°f4#) 5.tbxh6+ gxh6 (or 5 ... Wh86.tlJf 7+ Wg8 7.tlJg5)6. �g6+ Wh8 7 Jlf7 mating. 2.tlJgs+ Wg8 If the second sacrifice is accepted, White wins: 2 ...hxg5 3.'i'hs+ Wg8 4.�xf7+ Wh8 5.�h5+ Wg8 6.hxg5 with the threat of g5-g6 (on 6 ... tlJe7 7 .9..xe7 decides). 3.lLJxfl °ifb8 4.l2Jxh6+ gxh6 s.'i'g4+ Wh8 6.�fl Black resigned (Lisitsin Ragozin, Leningrad I 9 34). 535 First the rook is decoyed into a pin: l.�xcS! llxcS 2.1:%.c2l:l.f c8 And now 3.°ifbS! - this new attack on the doubly pinned and twice-defended rook leads to material gains. The additional moves 3 ..Jhc2 4.�xa7 l:txa2 S.�cS h6 6.h4 Wh7 7 .hS were played, whereupon Black resigned (Kotov Kholmov, Moscow I 9 7 I). 536 1... 9.. xd4 Only so. 2.9..xd4 'i'gS! White resigns. There is a threat not only of mate on g2, but also of 3 ...l2Jh 3+ (Pacheco-Bachmann, 37th Olym piad, Turin 2006) . After l...l2Jxd4 the tactical blow does not work, since White would take the knight on f4 . 284 Solutions: Examination (No 381 -736) 537 I.lLlxf7! @xfl 2.�.xf6 'i'xc7 Neither pawn nor king can take the bishop. On 2 ...gxf 6 White wins at once with 3.'i'hS+. In the event of 2 ...Wxf6 White chases the king 3.'i'f3+ WgS 4.'i'g3+ @hs {4... wf 6 s.'i'f+#) s.�.g6#. 3.�hs+ @rs 3...Wxf6 4.'i'g6#. 4.�,xg7+ \t>xg7 4 ...Wg8 s.'i'g6. s.'i'g6+ \t>fS 6.'i'xh6+ @fl 6 ...\t>g8 7 .�h7 + with mate. 7.�g6+. and Black is mated (Kallai-Radulescu, Hungary 1980). The outcome of the game was decided by the ele gant move 1.lLld6!, afterwhich Black loses a rook: l ...exd6 2.cxd6 or I 2.CL.Je8 (Peresipkin Chekhov, Minsk I 9 7 6). 539 1... h3! White had counted, after I ...hxg 3 2.hxg3, on playing 'i'c2-e2, liquidating the attack. 2.@fl l:k4! On 2 ... l'Ig4 White defends by means of 3.lledl. 3.'ffb2 If3.'ifxc4,then 3 ...kld2 . 3..Jlg4! The threat of 4 ... klxg3 S.hxg3 h2 decides. On 4.i.eS Black mates by I+. White resigned (Bielicki-Smyslov, Havana 1964 ). 540 t...Aa3+ ! 2.@xa3 b4+ 3.Wa4 After3 .i.xb4there follows 3 ...'i'c l + 4.@a4 lllb6#, but after3. @b2 bxc3+ 4.@a3 'ifcl + 5.Wa4 lllb6+ 6.Wb4 a5+ 7.Wxc3 Black would have had to find 7 ...l'Ig3 +! 8.'ffxg3 'i'eI+ !-+. 3 ...lLJb6 + 4.@xb4 llbs+ 5.@a3 'iicl + 6.�b2 lLJc4+! Mate is inevitable (Zinn-Minev, Halle 1967). 285 lmprove Your Ches s Tactics 541 The striking I.tl.Jg4! ends the game (Kasparov Lautier, 3 I st Olympiad Moscow 1994). Variations which remained behind the scenes in clude l .. .lhgS 2.CiixeS l:hhS 3.l:td8+ tl.Jg8 4.tl.Jxf7#, and also the reply l . ..'i'e6. Then White has the move 2.lid8!. 542 It may appear that White has nothing more than perpetual check. But in reality, the pawn and bishop, which are included in the attack, create decisive threats: 1.hS! gxhS Ta king is obligatory: the threat is hS-h6, and then llg7-h7 +, llb7-g7+ and l:ih7-h8#. If I...l:iab8, then 2.llh7+ Wg8 3.llbg7+ Wf8 4.h6. 2.�h4! e2 3.�xf6 On 3 ...el'i' + there follows 4.l:tgl# (J. Perez-B. Lopez, Cuba 1995). 543 1.'iYxcS! Black resigned. On l...dxcS - 2.l2Jd7+ was 3.l2Jb6+ axb6 4.axb6+ �xa l s.Iha l#. Tougher resistance is offered by l ...�xeS 2.�xeS \t>a8 3.�xd6 l2Je6, but after4. 'iYa3 exd6 S.a6 b6 6.'i'xd6 the result is not in doubt (Golovnev Zorin, Dudinka 2000). A modern example of a classical combination. 286 Solutions: Examination (No 381-736) 544 t...'ti'xf2+! 2.1lxf2 1lxe l + 3.nn .tlexfl+! Not 3 .. Jlfxfl + 4.�xfl �.h2+, after which 5.Wf2 .llg3+ 6.Wg I leads only to a draw. 4.�xfl .Q.h2+ winning (Ge. Hernandez-An. Hernandez, Cuba I 997). 545 I..ixh6! gxh6 2.tlJe7+ Wh8 3.�fS+ �xfS 3 ...tlixf8 4.�g8#. 4.tlJg6+ ©g7 5.tLJxfS+ WxfS 6.°tWg6 Black resigned (Blanc-Bar On, France I 979). 546 With his previous moves, White prepared to shat ter the enemy king's pawn cover. A possible con tinuation was I.hxg6 hxg6 2.tllxg6 fx g6 3.tlJxe6 (the position after3. �xe6+ Wg7 4.'ifxdS tlJxdS S.tlJe6+Wf7 6.tllxc7 tlJexc7 or 3 ...'f1Yxe6 4.tlJ xe6 Wf7 S.tlixf8 �xf 8 is unclear) and White's attack is very dangerous. Here is one variation: 3 ...l:I.c2 4.�xg6+ Wf7 5.'f1Vg4 l:rh8. After6.l:l g7+! tlJxg7 7.'flV xg 7 + Wxe6 8 Jle l + White wins. In practice, there is always the danger of a mistake in calculating such variations. White demon strated a more exact course: I.tlJxh7! Wxh7 2.hxg6+ fxg6 3.'f1Vg4 l:tf6 On 3 ... gs - 4.�hs+ Wg8 s.'f1Vg6+ tlig76.l:t h3; or 3 ...l:ig8 4.llh3+ mating. 4.'ifh4+ Wg8 5.l:rh3 Black resigned (Naumkin-Michielsen, Hoogeveen 2005). 287 Improve Your Chess Tactics 547 l... 'i'x g3! This move, and the forced reply, are obvious. But how should Black continue after 2.�xds+ .tlxd5 3.fxg3 ? 3 ..Jlxh2 +! A move which had to be foreseen at the start of the combination. After 4.Wxh2 there follows 4 ....tlh S# (Isakov-Pitzhelauri, Syktyvkar 1978). 548 l.�dS+! tllxdS I...tllf8 2.Ilxf8+ Wxf8 3.'i'd8#. 2.'i'xdS+ �h7 3.tllgs+ C\t>h6 4.tllxf7+! 'i'xf7 4 ... Wh7 s.'i'h8#. 5.'i'h4+Wg6 6.'i'h5# (a pos sibility missed in the game Kovacs-Beni, Vienna 1950) 549 1.lhd7! �xd7 After l...'i'xd7 2.tllf6 + Black must take the knight, and then White wins with 3.'i'g4+. 2.tllf6 + �hS As in the previous varia tion, on 2 ...gxf6, 3.'i'g4+decides. 3.'i'h5h6 But now after 3 ...gxf 6 there follows 4.�e4. 4.'Wxf7 Black resigned (Khalifman-Aseev, Borzhomi 1984). 288 Solutions: Exuminution (No 381 -736) 550 1...tlJf4+! 2.gxf4 .llg6+ 3.@hl �h3+4Jlh2 4 ...�x h2+! S.@xh2 @£7! - White is mated (Neiksans-H. Stefansson,Liepaja rapid 2004). A similar mate arises after 3.Wh2 (instead of 3.Whl): 3 ...'i¥h3 +! 4.Wxh3 Wfl!. 551 tJhf7!Wxf7 l...g5 is more tenacious. 2.�c4+ @f8 3.Ilfl+ i.f6 4.Ilxf6+ gxf6 s.�gs+ We7 6.�e6+ Wf8 7.�xf6+, and mate next move (Hanston-Penrose, London 1963). 552 I.i.xh7+! �xh7 2.g6+ Wg8 After 2 ...Wxg6 there is 3.'i¥d3+ f5 (3 ...Wh6 4.'ifh3+ and 5.llg I+ with mate in a few moves) 4.exf6+ Wh6 5.'ifh3+ Wg6 6.'i¥g4+ Wh7 (6 ...wfl 7.fxg7+) 7.'ifhs+ Wg8 8.fl + nxfl 9.'iVxfl+ and llfl -f4. 3.�h3 ttJf6 3 .. .fxg6 4.�xf8+ and 5.ttJxe6+. 4.exf6 gxf6 Or 4 .. .fxg6 5.fxg7 �xg7 6.ttJxe6+; 5 ...llxfl 6.'i¥h8+ @fl ?Jhfl +.5. g7 Instead of 5.'ifh7#! Still Black resigned (Anand-Ninov, Baguio 1 987). 289 Improve Your Chm Tactics S53 l.g4+ fxg4 2.hxg4+ @h4 3.'i'x.h6+!! 'iVxh6 4.@h2 and there is no defence against S.�J2 mate ( Schlechter-Meitner, Vienna 1899). 554 I..ix.h7+!Wxh7 2.'i'hs+ \t>gs 3.l:lxg7+! @xg7 4.f:gl+ Wf6 Now White gets nothing from S.'i'gs+ We6 6.'i'xeS+ Wd7 7 .'i'xc3 'i'd6. Admittedly, there is another line, with a king chase: S.'i'h6+ @fS 6.l:tgS+ @e4 7.llxeS+ 'i'xeS 8.fxeS. White wins a knight or a rook (8 ...ll:Jd 7 9.'i'f4+ WdS I O.'i'd4+)and the game. However, it is all superfluous. The 'quiet' move S .fS! renders mate or the win of the queen inevi table (S. Nedeljkovic-Matanovic, Belgrade 1950). SSS After I...ll:Jf4+ 2.\t(g4 J;;l'.g2+ 3.\t(f3 exfS 4.'ilid8+ Wg7 s.'i'e7+ the queen will chase the king. The outcome of the game is decided by the strik ing 1 ...llg2! After the capture of the rook there follows 2 ...ll:Je3 +. Meanwhile 2 ...ll:Jf 4# is a threat. If 2.'i'd4, then 2 ...ll:Jf4+ 3.'i'xf4 gxf4 4.Wxg2 eS, with a winning pawn endgame (after Bellon Lopez-S. Garcia, Cienfuegos 197 6). 290 Solutions: Examina tion (No 381-7 36) SS6 1.lhd4! Decoying into the subsequent discov ered attack. 1...'ifxd4 2.tl:JxdS nxcl + Otherwise the queen has no retreat. 3.'ifxcl 'ifcs 4.'ifgS! This is the point of the combination. With the simultaneous attack White regains the sacrificed material and remains with three extra pawns. 4 ...f6 S.�xf6 Also not bad is 5.tl:Jxf6+ Wh8 6.'ifxg7 + Wxg7 7 .lLJxd7 + and 8.lLJxcS. S ... �g6 6.�xdS exdS 7.'ifxds+ 'ifxdS S.�xds+ @f8 9.�xb7, and White easily realised his mate rial advantage (Boneo-Roson, Buenos Aires 1924). SS7 White mates: 1.'ifxh7+! @xh7 2.nh1+ @gs 3.tl:Jh6+ @h7 4.tl:Jfl+@gs s.nhs+! @xfl6. �h7+ \tlgs 7.�g7+ \t>hSS.I;l hl# (Platz-Just, East Germany 1972) . 291 Improve Your Chess Tactics 558 L.Q. xf7+! Wxf7 2.lld6! �xd6 This removes the defence from the square g7. However, retreating the queen led to mate after 3.ll:Jxh6+. 3.�xg7+ We6 4.tlJxd6 't!Ud8Black's position is also hope less after othermoves. If 4 . ..'tW c 7 ( 4 ..Jlf 8 5.ll:Jxc8 Uxc8 6.'i'xh6+). then s.'ti'f6+ @ds (5 . ..Wd7 6.lLJdxbS with the threat of 7 . .JldI+ ) 6.lldI+ . s.t2Jxe8 'tWxe8 6.�f6+ \t>ds 7.�d6+ \t>e4 8.llel+ @f5 9.�f6+ \t>g4 10.hH \t>hs I I.g4# This was the finish of a match game Lilienthal Landau, Amsterdam I 9 34. 559 I...t2Je2+ 2.Whl 'i'xg4! 3.hxg4 .ribs+ 4.gxh5 l:ih4# (Gygli-Henneberger, Zurich 1941 ). 560 l...�h2+ 2.Wg4 f5+ 3.Wg5 'i'xg2+! 4.°ti'xg2 �e3# (V.Zilberst ein-Veresov, USSR 1969) 292 Solucions: Examination (No 38 1-7 3 6) 561 l ...Jh e4! 2Jhe4 .U.a8!, and Black wins (Shofman-Ilivitsky, Sverdlovsk 194 S). 562 l... 'i'a 3! 2.'i'xa3 If 2.l:lb3, then 2 ...'i'xb3 or 2 . . . 'i'cl+ with mate. 2 ... .U.fl + 3.Wh2 lllg4+ 4.Wh3 .Uhl+ s.�h2 s ...ttJm After 6.lllf3 there follows 6 ...lll f2#, whilst after 6.'i'g3 there is 6 .. Jhh2 + 7 .'i¥xh2 ll'if2# (Kaabi-Lanka, Tunis 1988). 563 l... lll g3+ A means of opening the h-file which has been seen numerous times. 2.hxg3 hxg3+ 3.Wgl lllf2! 4.Ilxf2. Now what? Answer: deflection of the king, to allow the pawn to promote: 4•.• .U.hl + 5.Wxhl gxf! White resigned {Mandel-H. Johner, Switzerland 1930). 293 Improve Your Chess Tactics 564 If Black manages to play ...l:lf 6-h6, White will be mated - but on one condition: if the c-file is closed. The factis that the immediate l ...l:lfh6 is met by 2.Itc7+ Wf6 (he cannot go to the back rank because of 3 .Uc8 exchanging rooks, with a winning endgame for White) 3.l:lf7+ Wg5 4.Ilg7+ Wf6 (4 ...Wh5 ? 5.f3) 5.llf7+, with a draw by repetition. Therefore, with his first move, Black closes the c-file: l... tlJc 3! Now after 2.bxc3 the move 2 ...l:lfh6 decides at once. In order to save himself fromthe threatened mate, White has to play 2.f4. Then 2 ...g3, forcing 3Jhc3. There was also a threat of 3 ...tlJc 3-e2#. If 3.llf3, then 3 ...tlJe 2+ 4.Wfl tlJxcl 5.lhg3+ Wf8 6.tlJd7+ rtle7 7 .tlJxf6 Wxf6, remaining with an extra piece. After 3 ... bxc3 4.l:lf3 (it is still necessary to defend against 4 ... Ilfh6) 4 ...cxb2 5.l:hg3+ �f86.tlJd7+ rtle7 7.l:lg7+ IU7 White resigned (Kreizahler Leifold,We st Germany l 9 7 3). Looking at the initial position, it is hard to imag ine that the outcome of the game will be decided by the promotion of the pawn on b4. 565 I.l:lg8+ �h7 2.'iYe3! This is markedly stronger than 2.Ilxg6 - Black cannot take the rook because of discovered check, but after 2 ... l:ld6 3.llxd6 (3.Ilg4 h5!) 3 ... 'i'xd6 White has only an extra pawn. Now, however, he threatens to take the rook, and also 3.lih8+, so material losses are unavoidable. This could have happened in the game Karpov Hiibner, Montreal 1979. In the game, the move l .'i'c4was played, and the result was a draw. 294 Solutions: Examination (No 3 81-73 6) 566 White has a distant passed pawn, and wich his last move, he offered the exchange of queens. But chere followed: 1.. .f6+! 2.\tig4On 2.'iYxf6 there is 2 ...'l'g 3#. 2 •••'l'g2 + 3.�g3 fs+4.\tif 4. 4 ... eS+! Deflectingthe king and at the same time a blockading sacrifice. 5.dxe5 'itd2# (Matokhin G. Kuzmin, USSR 1970) . 567 Te mpting (and strong) was l...�feS, but Black decided the game with the striking 1 •••lLJd3 ! . Af ter 2.'l'xc7there follows2 ....ixf2 + 3.@hl llJxc l with unstoppable mate on g2 (Oraevsky-Buhnov, correspondence game, 1926). 568 1.llJb5! Clearing the queen's path to dS. 1 •.• 'l'c6 On l ...axbS there follows 2 . .ixf7 + @xf7 3.'l'ds+ @es 4.'l'e6+mating. 2.lDc7+! Deflect ing the queen from the defence of this same key square. 2.'iYdS, winning the queen, was also con vincing: 2 ...llJxg S (2 ...'itxdS 3.llJc7#) 3.'l'xc6. 2 ...'l'xc7 3.�xfl+ Black resigned on account of 3 ...@x f7 4.'l'ds+ @es s.'l'e6+, mating (Wil- son-Diez Del Corral, Spain 1 995). 295 Improve Your Chm Tactics 569 Mate is threatened on g I. After 1.g4+ Wh4 the checks come to an end, so White forceda draw by perpetual check with 1.'i'g4+ Wh6 2.'i'g7 + WhS 3.'i'g4+. This was the finish of the game Gaprindashvili-Veroci, Belgrade 1974. However, White could have given mate: 1.lhe5+! Freeing the square e7. 1. ..fxe5 2.g4+ Wh4 3.�e7+ Deflection and blockading. 3...'ffg5 4.g3# 570 The decisive factor is the tactically unfortunate position of the white king. If the black knight could get to dS, it would be mate. He wins with 1 .. Jhc4! 2Jhc4 and now 2...tllb6 3.l:lc5 Forced. 3 ...tt:Jds +. After 4.l:lxd5 exd5 the pawn ending with the distant passed pawn is hopeless forWhite: 5.e4 fxe46.fx e4 d.xe4 7.@xe4 We6, and Black wins (Dartov-B. Kogan, Riga 1977). Another, equally nice win would have been 2 ...es +! (instead of 2 ...tll b6) 3.d..xes+ tllxe5-+ . 571 1 .. Jhh2+! 2.@xh2 'i'hs+ 3.'itg3i.h4+ 4.@xf4 Or 4.Wh2 .ixf2+. 4 ... 'i'f5# (Smimov-Shubin, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatka 1977) 296 Solutions: Examination (No 38 l 736) 572 l... -� .h2+! 2.Wxh2If 2.Wfl , then L.'ti'f6+ with mate. 2 ...'Wxd7 3. l:hd7el The pawn promotes by force, so White resigned (NN-Richter, Berlin 193 1). 573 1.llld7! The knight cannot be taken because of the loss of the queen ( t...1i'xd7 2.�xh7 + Wh8 3.�fS+ ). Meanwhile, 2.lllxf6+ is threatened. Black has to defend the square h7 with I ... llJg6 (or 1... ltJe4) and part with the exchange (Simagin-Razuvaev, Moscow 1967). 574 After l.c5 ! Black cannot avoid mate. If l...bx cS, then 2.ltJc4+WbS 3.a4#. The same construction appears after 1 ...ltJe6 2. ltJb7+ But what if we reply l.•. b5, taking control of the two critical squares c4 and b7? Then comes the 'quiet' 2.a3!, and Black is in zugzwang any move leads to mate (Bernstein-NN, St Petersburg 1909). 297 frnprove Your Chess Tactics 575 1.�.xc5 �xc5 2.�.e6 First White deflects the queen, with the help of an exchange. Now he at tacks the rook, which defends the square g8. 2 .. Jle7? If Black had foreseen his opponent's re ply, he would have given up the exchange with 2...Iiaf8. 3.�h6! Black resigned. After 3 ...gxh6 there fol lows 4.�g8+, mating, if 3 ...g6, then 4.�xg6. Meanwhile, there is a threat of 4.�xh7 + Wxh7 S.tlh3#(Kramer-Ri ister, Altheide 1926). 576 I.llh8+ Wg6 2.fs+! exf5 3.�xh6+ gxh6 4.lhg8# (Bernstein-Kotov, Groningen 1946) 577 White wins with the help of a deflectionand in terference: 1.c6! bxc6 Several rook checks do not change anything. 2 • .Ub5! and then 3.b7 (Eberle Navarovszky, Budapest 1959). 298 Sulutiuns: Exuminuliun (Nu 381 -736) S78 I.f6 ! The bishop cannot take the pawn, nor retreat to f8 , because of the loss of a rook, whilst l ...gxf6 failsto 2.g7 fig2 3.llgl. That only leaves I..Jhe2, after which there fol lows 2.fxg7Ilxd2 3.�xd2, and, regaining a new queen, White easily converts his extra exchange: 3 .. .fxg6 (3 ...'i'e 2? 4.Wc l) 4.g8'i' 'i'c8 S.�b4 (Tal-Koblcnts, Yurmala 1976). S79 The move I ...�fl decided the outcome - White resigned. He has to take the bishop (else the pawns on h3 and g4 are lost), but then the black king can get to the square c4, and he enters via c4-d3-e2 to take the white pawns (Nikolac Timman, Wijk aan Zee 1979). S80 I .i.xe7 'i'xe7 2.tllf6 + tlixf6 3.exf6 'i'd6 If 3 ...'ii' d8 or 3 ...'i'f8, then 4.i.xe6 (4 .. .fxe6 S.tllgS). 4.l:ixe6! 'i'd8 After 4 .. .fxe6 White wins with 5.fl+ Wf8 6.'i'f6. s.'i'c7 'iff8 6.:a.e7 There is a threat of 7 .Ilxfl 'i'xfl 8.Jle6. Black resigned (P. Nikolic-Hartmann, We st Germany 1 979). 299 rmprove Your Chess Tactics 581 l.�c4! 'i'xc4 2Jhg7+ Wh8 2 ... Wxg7 3 . .ixeS+. 3.�xe5! 'i¥xc2 4JHS+ lhfS 5.llxg6+, and mate next move (Taimanov-NN. simultaneous display, 1964). 582 I.llxb6! axb6 2.�c4 �e6 3.llxe6! fxe6 If 3 ...llx e6, then 4.tlixe6 fxe6 s.'i'e3 @f76. 'i'f3+ Wg8 (6... .if6 7 .ig. s 'i'd8 8.'i'xb7+) 7.'i'e4 Wf7 8 . .ixe6+ 'i¥xe6 9.'iVxb7+ Wf6 10.'i'xa8 with an easy win. 4.'iff4 'i'd7 5 . .ib5 Black re signed (Chiburdanidze-Malaniuk, Odessa 1982). 583 t.tlif6+! gxf6 In the event of l . ...ixf6 2.exf6 'ifxf6 White wins a bishop with the move 3.i.gS. 2.exf6 .ixf6 3.�e4 lle8 4.'i'xh7+ Wf8 5.i.g6 ! Ending the fight.The bishop cannot be taken be cause of 6 . .ih6+. If S ....ig 7, then 6 . .ih6 'i'f6 7 .llxd7 CiJe7 (7 .. .fxg6 8.'i'h8#) 8.'i'h8+ 4Jg8 9 .'i'xg7 + 'i'xg7 10.1:.xf7# (Reshevsky Matsumoto, 19thOlympiad, Siegen 1970). 300 Solutions: Examination (Nu 38 1 -736) 584 I.l:Ixe5! dxe5 2.£7+!By clearing the long diago nal, White crowns his attack. 2 ...l:Ixf7 If 2 .. Jhfl, then 3.'i'xe5 �f8 4.'i'h8+ We7 L� b4+ or 5.l:IeI+ mating. 3.�xe5 Wf8 4.�g7+ We7 Or 4 ... We8 5.'i'g8+ We7 6 ..�b 4+. 5.��.b4+ Black resigned (Panov-Makogonov, Tbilisi 1937). 585 I...llxe4! 2.'i'xe4tlig3 ! 3.'i'xd4 3.'i'xh7tlid e2#. 3 ...t2Je2+ 4.Wh l 'i'xh2+ 5.Wxh2 lih8+, mating (NN-Morphy, New York 1859). 586 l.. . gs+! 2.fxg5 hxgs+ Only thus, and not 2 .. .fxg5+. 3.Wh5 'i'xhH4.�xh3 Wg7. There is no defence against 5 ...�fl # (Pascual Perez-Cruz Lima, Cuba 1993). We would note that, if Black had taken with the f-pawn (2 .. .fxg5+?), White would have had the defence 5.l::Ifl . 587 I.tLlxg7! Wxg7 2.i.d4+Wg8 On 2 .. .f6 there is 3.gxf6+ �xf6 4.�hg l+. 3.g6! Crowning the attack, whereas 3.'i'h6 would al low Black to defend successfully: 3 ...�f8 4.'i'f6 lies5. �hfl 'i'c7. 3 ...fx g6 4.'i'e6+ mating (Mikhalchishin Kovalenko, Russia 1992). 301 Improve Your Chm Tactics 588 1...b4! 2.axb4 Ilxh43. gxh4 g3 4.fxg3 The bishop has no pawn protection, and after 4 ...c3 + 5.bxc3 a3 White resigned (Lund Nimzowitsch, Christiania I 921). 589 The problem-like move 1.'i'h5!! puts Black in a hopeless position. The threat is 2.ttg8+. After the capture of the queen, 2.�g8+ Wd7 3.e8'i'+ and 4.'i'xhSis sufficientfor a win. Also after 1 ..Jh g2+ 2.llxg2+ ttxh5 3.�xb2 llxh3+ 4.Wgl the win is a matter of technique: 4 .. Jlh7 5Jlh2 llg7+ 6.\t>fl :tgs 7.llh6 \t>fl 8.e8'i'+(Maroczy-Romi, San Remo 1930). 590 1 .. Jhb2! 2.Wxb2 'i'xc3+! 3.Wxc3 �g7+ 4.Wc4 The same result comes from4.Wb3 �b8+ 5.Wa3 (or 5.Wa4 lDcs+; 5.Wc4 �e6+) 5 ...�b2 + 6.Wa4 ttJcs+ 7 .was �c3#. 4 ... .ie6+ 5.Wb4 5.Wd3 lLJcS#. 5 ... J:ib8+ 6.Wa5 .ic3# (A. Diaz Gongora, Cuba 1996) 302 Solutions: Examination (No 381-736) 591 By desLroying the enemy king's pawn cover with I.tiixg7! Wxg7 2.lhfl+ Wxfl, after 3.'f!fh7+ @f6 , White creates irresistible mating threats with the accurately-calculated move 4.e5+! fol lowed by 4 ...@xeS (4 ...@f S S.'ifhs+) 5.�f4+! Wxf4 The same result comes from 5 ...0ixf 4 6.lie I+ @d4 7.°VJHe4# or 6 ...Wf6 (instead of 6 ...@d4) 7.0ie4+ 'lites 8.�g7+ @fs 9.0ig3#, and also 5 ... �d4 6.'f!fxg6. 6.I;lfl+ <;tig4 6 ...Wg S 7.0ie4+; 6 ...We S 7.�g7+; 6 ...We3 7.�h3+. 592 7 .h3+ and 8.llJe4# (Daudzvardis-G. Bogdanovich, USSR 1989). I.'f!fgs+! �xg5 2.hxgs+ @h5 The g-pawn is pinned, but how to give mate? 3.1::[.hS! Forcing the queen to leave the third rank. 3 ...'f!fxh8 4.g4# (from a game played in England in 1962) 593 I J:lxh6+ ! gxh6 If l . . . \t>xh6, then 2.�gS+ Wh7 3.�h4+ and af ter 3...Wg6 -4.fS#. 2.'f!fg8+! 0ixg83. �f5# (Bauer-Gelner, Berlin 1956) 594 l.�c8!, decoying the rook to c8, with a mating finish: 1...nxc8 2.�a8+! Wxa8 3.'f!fxc8+ l:lb8 4.'f!fc6+llb7 5. 'f!fa4+Wb8 6.'f!fe8+ (a somewhat amended position from the game Niedermann Zucks 1895) 303 Improve Your Chm Tactics S9S 3.tlJxf4+! Clearing the diagonal of the bishop at d3. 3...exf4 4.es+ �fs S.�xfs+ WxfS 6.'i°h7+! Now the king has to run to the queenside. 6 ...@xeS 7.U.el+ Wd4 8.'i'e4+ Wes 9.tlJa4+ Wb4 10.'iYc2The first 'quiet' move. 10 ... WaS The threat was l l .'i'c3+ and l 2.'f!la3#. 11.'i°cH Wa6 12.tlJcs+ dxcS 13.'i'aH Wb6 14.'i'bH and 1 S.'i'bS# (Wade-NN, simultaneous display, London 1958) S96 l.�xf6 �xf6 On l...gxf6 there follows 2.'f!lg4+ @h8 3.'i'hS attacking the squares h7 and f7. 2.'i°fS! A manoeuvre which exploits the pin on the e-file. Black has to allow the enemy queen to h7, after which White's attack becomes irresist ible. 2...�xb2 If 2 ... h6, then 3.'f!lh7+ Wf8 4.tlJfS! g6 5.lLJxh6. More tenacious is 2 ...@f8 3.'f!lxh7 g6, but Black's defence is not a joyous task here. 3.'i°xh7+ @f8 4.'i°h8+ Other continuations of the attack are similar to the previous variation and that which occurs in the game: 4.lLJfS g6 5.lLJh6 �xal 6.j,bs or 4.�bS �d7 5.�xd7 'i'xd7 6.'i'h8+ We7 7.'i'h4+, and after 7 ...�f6 - 8.'i'b4+ '(8 ...'i'd 6 9.lLJfS+; 8 ...Wd8 9.U.ad I). 4 ...\t>e7 s.'i'h4+ �f6 5 .. .f6 6.'ti'b4+. 6.'ifh4+ Wd8 7.U.adl Catastrophe along the cl-file cannot be averted. After 7 ...�c3 If 7 ...�d 7, then 8.�bS and after 8 ... :1e7 - 9.�xd7 U.xd7 I O.'i'f8#. 8 . .ibs+ �d7 9.°iYa4 lte7 10.U.e3 eS I 1.lhc3 Black resigned (Lebredo-Chaviano, Cuba 1980). 304 Solutions: Examination (No 181 -716) 597 There is no time forthe manoeuvre �a4-b5-a6 or 'I'dl- d3-a6 because of the threat l...g4xh3. By clearing the back rank with the aid of a sacrifice, and at the same time eliminating an important defender ( �d4-b6), White creates an unstoppa ble mate threat: 1.�h6! llxh6 If l ...'i'xh6 White is not threatened with mate, and besides the queen sacrifice which occurs in the game, he wins at once with 2.'i'e2, threatening 3.'i'a6. 2.'i'xd4 exd4 3.�fbI Black resigned (Schuppler Honig, Mannheim 1948). 598 t..ixg6+! \t>xg62.tbx e5+! fxe5If 2 ...Wx h7, then 3.'i'hs+ Wg8 4.'i'f7 + Wh7 5.0-0-0! with the threat of 6.�h 1 +. Closing the h-file with the move 5 ...�h3 does not save Black frommate after 6.l:lhl 'i'c8 7.g4! 3.'i'hs+ 599 White eliminates the enemy king's pawn cover: 1.�xg6+! fxg6 If 1...Wxg6 2.'i'g3+ \t>h6 3.l:ixf7 Black is mated. 2.l:rfl+! 305 Improve Your Chm Tactics 600 1...Q.xh7+! Wxh7 2.g6+! Wg8 On 2 ...fx g6 there follows 3.tlJg5+ @g8 4.'i'f3 (this same position arises later on, by a transposition). And if 2...Wxg6, then 3.'i'd3+! 3.tllgS fxg6 4.'fVf3! Threatening 5.'i'fl+ and 6.'i'xg6, and also 5.'i'h3. If 4 ...'i'd 7, then 5.e6; 4 ...'ife7 5.�h3; 4 ...dxe5 5 .�f7 + Wh8 6 . .l:te4; 4 .. Jhe5 5 . .l:txe5 dxe5 6.'i'fl+ Wh8 7 .'i'xg6. There is no satisfac tory defence. In the game, Black gave his queen and did not ob tain sufficient compensation: 4... 'fVxgS S.-".xgS d.xeS, and after 6Jhcl 1la7 7.'i'd3 .tle6 48.f tliac4 9.fxeS he soon capitulated (Spassky-Geller, Riga 1965). 601 l.�xg6! fxg6 2.'i'xg6+ �g7 3.1lh8+ Wxh8 4.'fff7! - mate is unstoppable (Buturin-Kozakov, Lvov 1996). 602 l.�xg7 Wxg7 2.f6+@h8 3.'fVgS! On 3 ...l:tg8 there follows4.Uf 4 'i'd8 5.l:th4'i'f8 6.nh6!, and Black is defenceless against the ma noeuvre l:ifl-f4-h4. 3 ... b3 4.axb3 4.llf4! is even quicker. 4 ... 'i'b4 S.bxc4 'i'xa4 6JH4 'ifc2 7.'i'h6! Black resigned (7 ...'iYxb l+ 8.Wh2 ngs 9.'iYxh7+) (Bronstein Keres, Budapest 1950) . 306 Solutions: Examination (No 381-736) 603 1..�.f8! Clearing the h-file. l .. Jixf8 On l...tiihS, which, in fact, was the least of the evils, White would play 2.Sl.xe7, for example 2.. . .2.xc3 (2...�g7 3.Si.xd6) 3.bxc3 l:lxc34.l:l c i or 4 . .tlxhS l:lxc2 5.�aS!. 2.I;Ixhs+ Decoying the king. 2 ... wxhs 3.'iVh6+ Wg8 4.lDdS! Deflecting the knight deprives Black of the defensive move ...tDf 6-h5. After 4 . . . tDxdS there follows 5 . .t:Ih1 mating. At the same time, 5.lDxe7# is threatened. Black resigned (Mann Vajtho, correspondence game, 1 983). 604 1.lDe7+! l:l8xe7 1 . ..l:t2x e7 2.'iVxe7. 2.I;Ids+ l:le8 3.'iVf8+! lhf8 4.lhf8# (Chigorin-Znosko Borovsky, Kiev 1903) 307 Improve Your Chess Tactics 605 l.eS! A series of deflecting sacrifices opens the h-pawn's path to the promotion square. l ...fxeS After king moves, the simple 2.e6 wins. 2.gS hxgS Here king moves are met by f5 -f6: 2 ...Wd7 3.f6 We6 (3 ... gxf6 4.gxh6) 4.fxg7 Wfl5.g xh6 5 ...bS 6.We4 b4 7.\t>d3! winning. 3.f6 gxf6 4.hS This was the finish of Averbakh-Bebchuk, Mos cow 1964. 606 l.�e8+! lllxe8 On I..Jhe8 there follows 2.llxe8+ tlJxe8 3.�xfl+ Wh7 4.�g8+ Wg6 5.�xe8+ @gs (5 ... @f6 6.'iVfl+; if 5 ...Wh 7, then 6.�g8+ Wh8 7.�fl+ and 8.�g8#) 6.h4+. 2.�xf7+ Wh7 3.�f5+ g6 If 3 ...Wh8 , then 4.�f8+ Wh7 5.�g8+ mating. 4.�e7+ lllg7 S.'ilf6 Black resigned (Uhlmann-Holzhauer, Kecskemet 1984). 308 Solutions: Exomincrtion (No 381 -736) 607 White has a pawn more. The attacked pawn on b2 can be defended. But the open h-file proves falal for Black: I.llh7+! 'ttixh7 2.�hl+ 'ttig8 3.'iYh6 tl.JceS The only defence against the threat to g6. 4 . .llh 1 tl.Jxf3+ S.'ttid 1 tl.Jxb2+ 6.'ttic 1 tl.Jd3+ 7.Wbl Black resigned (Nguyen Anh Dung-Ziiger, 3 l st Olympiad, Moscow 1994). 608 White completed his attack with a double rook sacrifice: I.lhb7+! 'ltixb7 2.lhc7+ Wxc7 3.�xa7+ 'ltic8 4.d6! Mate is unstoppable (Khalifman-Serper, St Petersburg l 994). 609 I..ixf7+! �xf7 2.�xg7+! �xg7 Or 2 ...'ltixg 7 3.�g4+ wfl 4.�hs+ 'ltig7 (4 ...Wf6 5.�f5+ Wg7 6.lLJce6+ dxe6 7 .lLJxe6#) 5.lLJf5+ Wf6 6.�gs+ 'ltixf5 (on 6 ... 'ltie5 there is mate in sev eral ways) 7 .�h4+ 'ltif4 8.�g3#. Declining the rook with 2 ...Wf6 leads to mate after 3.'ifg4 h6 4.'iffs+ and 5.lLJce6+. 3.'ifhs+ 'ltif8 3 ... 'ltif6 4.'Ji9f5#. 4.tl.Jce6+, and mate next move (Schlosser-Kanchev, correspondence game, 1967). 309 f mprove Your Chm Tactics 610 l.d5! Opening the central filesis the prelude to the destruction of the kingside. 1.•• exd5 Or I ....ixd S 2.lLJxdS exdS, and the king's position is bared with the aid of a bishop sacrifice: 3.�.xh7+ �xh7 4.°ifh3+ �g7 5.°ifg4+ �h7. Now it is mate in several ways. e.g. 6.lld3 .�d2 7.llh3+ .ih6 8.llxh6+ �xh6 9.lla3 or straightaway 6.lla3 �.xa3 7.l:'.rd3. 2.lllxdS �.xdS The least evil is L.fS 3 . .ixfS °ifh4 4.i.xh7+ Wxh7 S.�c2+ ©g7 6.'ifxc6 - White should win without any trouble. 3.i.xh7+ c;tixh7 4.°ifhH c;tig7 s.'i'g4+ �h7 6 . .l:.d3 Black resigned ( 6 ...i.d2 7 .l:lh3+ i.h6 8.'i'hS, and mate) (Bruzon-Perea, Cuba 2003). 611 White has an extra pawn. The following combi nation transforms the position into a technically winning ending: t. . . tlixf22 ..ixf2 .l:lxf2 3.'ifxf2 3 ..•tlig41 The point. With the forcedseries of dis covered checks, Black wins three pawns and then the rook. 4.'i'xd4 .ixd4+ 5.'lt>hl lllf2+ 6.�gl lllxd3+ 7.Whl ll:Jf2+ 8.�gl lllxe4+ 9.�hl llif2+ 10. �g 1 llld3 + 11. 'lt>h1 lllxe 1 l 2.llld2 Or 1 2. ll:Jc3 tlic2 13.Ikl ll:Je3. 12.•• tlic2 13.llcl llle3 Black realised his material advantage (Schmaltz-Vouldis, Fiirth2002 ) . 310 Solutions: Examination (No 381 -736) 612 IJ1e8+ Decoying the king onto the cl-file. I...Wd7 2.Ile3! Exploiting the pin. 2...�h4 And finally, two decoying sacrifices. 3.Ilxd4+! 'i'xd44.nd3 'i'xd3 S.<1Jes+and 6.tiixd3, with an extra knight (Kofman-Sacchetti 1945 - this com bination is based on a single journal source and its legitimacy is questioned. It might be a compo sition). 613 1...hS! 2.'ti'xhS After 2.g4 Black wins a knight and reaches a winning queen ending with 2 ...hxg4+ 3 .'i'xg4 'i'h1+ and 4 ...'i'e l +. In the event of 2.'i'b7+ Wh6 the threat of ...g5 -g4+ is deadly (after 3.ttJfl Black does not even take the knight, but plays 3 ...g4+ 4.Wh4 'i'c5). L,'fqht+ 3.Wg4 'i'dl+ 4.tiif3 'ti'd7# (Liutov-Botvinnik, Leningrad 1925). This was the finishof an offhandgame, played by the 14-year old Botvinnik. In the same year, the composer S. Kaminer, together with Botvinnik, composed a study based on the final combina tion. White to play and win: l.g4+ Wh4 2.�h6!! 'ifxh6 3.'*Yh2+ @gs 4.°ifd2+ By analogy with the game, after the forced4 ... tiif4, the check on d8 mates. 311 Improve Your Chm Tactics 614 1...Q.dS! exdS If Black defends the square e6 with the move 1.. .lLJf8 ( 1...lLJeS!? is another option), White opens the bishop's diagonal: 2.llxe6! lLJfxe6 3.llxe6 lLJxe6 4.�xe6+ Wf8 5.�h8+ We7 6.�f6+ We8 7 .CiJfS with unstoppable mat ing threats (7 ...ds+ 8.Wh4). 2.�xg7+! Wxg7 3.tLifS+ Wg6 4.l:le6+ tLif6 4 ...Wxg S 5.h4#. sJhf6+ WxgS 6.llee6! l:lg2+ Otherwise 7 .h4#. 7 .@xg2 � d8 8.CL.Je7 ! Black resigned (Rossetto Cardoso, Portoroz I 9 5 8). 615 l.�xa4 White clears the c-filewith the sole ob ject of exchanging rooks. After this, the rook on c8 proves to be lacking defence, which allows a standard tactical operation. l...�xa4 2.l:lxc8 l:lxc8 3.tlJh6+! gxh6 3...@h8 4.�xf7 lLJf6 5.�g8+ and 6.tlJf7 #. 4.�g4+ @hs s.�xc8 Black resigned (Balashov-Bronstein, Tbilisi 197 5). 616 The standard breakthrough on the queenside with l .a4 bxa4 2.�xa6 favours Black: 2...�xeS 3.�xa8+ @fl 4.�fl + llf6 (5.�xf6+ @xf6; 5. tt:Jfs exfS). But the kingside is vulnerable: l.�g6+! lhg6 Af ter l...Wd7, declining the sacrifice, 2.�xhS is sufficient, and Black cannot hold for long. 2.�xhs @f73. l:lfl+ �f6 ..t. 4.l:lxf6+! gxf6 s.�h7+ l:lg7 6.�xg7+ @xg7 7 .tlJxe6+ @£7 8.tlJxc7, and White wins (Tanin Maximov, Kislovodsk 1949). 312 Solutions: Examination (No 381 -716) 617 I.lLJxe5! .ixe22. lLJd7+We8 3.CiJbS+! Shutting offthe eighth rank. 3 ...c6 If 3 ...�xb 5 , 3 ...�xb 5 or 3 ...\t>f8 , then 4 . .tld8#. 4.CiJd6+@f8 5. CiJd7# (Najdorf-NN, Buenos Aires 1942). There was also another winning idea - utilising the unfortunateposition of the enemy queen by means of l.b4(1...�a3 2.CiJxeS!+-). 618 It is obvious that the win can only be associated with the move l... CiJhS+. But it does not lead co material gains - the rook at g5 turns out to be un der attack: 2.�h4 CiJxf4 3.WxgS Now the study-like move 3 ... CiJg2! deprives the white king of a retreat square. There is no defence against the threat of 4 .. .f6#. 313 Improve Your Chess Tactics 619 In a position resulting from the so-called Max Lange Attack (the previous moves being l .e4 eS 2.lDf3 CL.J c6 3.�c4 lDf6 4.d4 exd4 5.0-0 .�cs 6.eS dS 7.exf6 dxc4 8.llel+ Wf8? 9.�.gS °i¥d7?), White wins with the elegant move l O . .i;lh6 ! (a form of blockading sacrifice, fixingthe h7 -pawn) and after l O ... gxh6 - l l.'tWd2! with unstoppable mate (analysis by Chigorin, 1902). 620 l.e7+! �xg4 2.es'i'+ 'i'ds 3.'ti'e6+ 'ti'd7 4.'ifxd7+ 621 The queen is attacked, but Black played l...�xc3!. The idea is deflection. After 2.�xd4 there follows 2...�c l + 3.'i'fl .Uxfl+ 4. 314 Solutions: Examination (No 381 -736) 622 While mates in five moves: I.l2.J gS+ Wh6 2 . .l:Ih8+! �.xh8 3.©g8! t2:Jd6 Otherwise 4.tlJfl#. 4.Wxh8 Black is in zugzwang and afterany knight move, he is mated on fl (Study by A. Petrov, 1845). 623 I.'fVf8+ WhS If 1...Wg5, then 2.'i'f4+ and 3.'i'h4#. 2.'fVf4! gS After the other defence 2 ...'i'e 7, mate comes from 3.g4+ \t>h4 4.h3! with the threat of 5.'i¥h6#. If 4 ...gS or 4 ...'i'g S, then 5.'i'g3#, whilst in the event of 4 ...'i'g 7 there is 5.g5+ 'it>hS 6.'fVg4#. 3.'fVf7+ Wh6 3...Wg4 4.'i'f3#. 4.'fVf6+WhS And now what? S.g4+! 'it>h4 If 5 ...Wx g4, then 6.'i'f3 + and 7 .'i'h3#. 6.'fVf3 'tWe4 7.'fVxe4'fV di 8.h3! 'fVd7 9.'fVf3, and mate is unstoppable (Kartanaite-Kutanaviciene, Vilnius 1 9 8 3). 315 Improve Your Chm Tactics 624 Black has a material advantage, but White is at tacking with more pieces. The outcome of the game is decided by a combination: t.lt:Jxf7! Elim inating a defender and decoying the king. 1. ••Wxf7 In deciding on the sacrifice, White also had to reckon with I ...lt:Jd4 (if I ...lt:Jf4, then 2.�eS lt:Jg6 3.'i'c7). In this case, he would have continued 2.Wie7, and if 2 ...WixbS (after 2 ...lLJfS there is 3.'li'd7), then he has a choice of 3.tlJh6+ gxh6 4.llc7 or 3.tlJd8with forcedmate. Afterthe knight capture 2 ...tlJxbS White wins by 3.fie6 'li'd4 4.'ifxb7 tlf8 5.tle3. 2.tlc6! Shutting off. 2...'ii'd8 On 2 ... Qxc6 the game can be ended with 3.'ti'xe6+ Wf8 4 . .ixc6, and after4 ...lld8 (or 4 ...'ifd8 5.�xa8 and the bishop cannot be taken) - 5.'ti'e7 + Wg8 6 . .ixds+ l:lxdS 7 .'ife8#. It is also possible to save the time spent on 4 . .ixc6 and create an immediate mate threat with 4.'iffs+ Wg8 5.tle7.There is no defence (5 ...�e8 6 . .ixe8). 3.'i'xe6+ Wf8 4.l:ld6 After 4 ...'ti'f6 there follows 5.�d7. Black resigned (Bareev Dreev, Azov 1996). 625 The rook on f3 is pinned and attacked. But after I.tlg2!! Black had to resign. The threat is 2.'ti'xh7+ Wxh7 3.l:lh3#and the rook cannot be taken because of 2.'ifxf8# (Soultanbeieff Borodin, Brussels 1943). 316 Solutions: Examination (No 381 -736) 626 The pawns on d6 and aS are undefended, and lhc move I .'i'c7 is tempting. But White does nOl need to bother himself with the calculation of the variations resulting from the reply l ... �.e4. I would point out that the hasty 2.'i'xd6? would al low Black to draw after L.t2Jxd5 3.cxd5 �.xf3+ 4.\txf3 'i'e4+. White demonstrated the virtues of his position by combinative means. with l.t2Jc8! Deflecting the knight from the seventh rank allows White to land a deadly blow: l ... t2Jxc8 2.ilhs+! Wxh5 3.'i'xh7+ Wg4 4.'i'h4#. And if 1. .. 'i'xc8, then 2.'i'xe7, and White should win thanks to the threats 3.ii.hS+ and 3.'i'xd6. The endgame after 2 ...�e4 3.�xe4 fxe4 4.'i'xe4+ is hopeless for Black. Since the knight on c8 cannot be captured, and the knight on e7 is attacked, there only remains 1... t2Jg8 . Then comes 2.t2Jxd6, and White wins: 2 ...'i'fS 3.'i'd7 �d3 4.'i'e6 (Neibults-E. Kogan, Riga 1957) 627 1.tllxh7! @xh7 2.hxg6+ fxg6 The same varia tions would follow the king's retreat to g8. 3.'i'hHWg8 4.�xg6 Both 5 . .igsand 5.l:td3are threatened. If 4 ...�f8 (and also 4 ...'i'f6 or 4 ...t2Jc4 ). then 5.�g5. Black tried to resist with 4 •..�c 6, after which there followed the decisive 5.d5! exd5 After 5 ...�xd 5 White has the choice between 6 . .igS, 6.Ild4 and 6.'i'h7+ Wf8 7.:d4. 6.lid4 rl.el+ 7.@h2 Black resigned (Galliamova-Peng Zhaoqin, Istanbul 2000). 317 Improve Your Chess Tactics 628 l.b4! Deflectingthe queen. 1... 'i'xb4 2.'iYhS! gxhS 2 ... h6 3.'i'xh6. 3.l:lg3+ �g7 4.l:lxg7+ @f8 4 ...@h8 s.rlg6#. sJhh7, and mate is unavoidable (Arkhipkin-Kuznetsov, Kiev 1980). 629 1.g4+! fxg3On l ...Wh4 there follows 2.Wh2! hS 3.llh6mating. 2.l:lh4+! gxh4 2 ...Wx h4 3.llxh6#. 3.l:lbs+ 'iYxbS 4.axbS, and the pawn queens (Mieses-NN, Metz 1935). 630 The pawn on eS is defended, and it may seem that the king on d4 is safe. But after the sacrifice of rook and bishop by 1 ..JheS ! 2.fxeS �xeS +, he finds himself driven from his refuge and meets his death: 3.WxeS 'i¥c7+ 4.@f6 There is no way back - after 4.Wd4 there follows 4 ...W/g 7#; 4.Wxe6 .id?+. 4 ...'i¥g7+ S. WgS 'iYes+, and mate (W Mandel-Kurze, Berlin 1968). 318 Solutions: Examination (No 381 -736) 631 I...lllgH! White resigned. After 2.hxg3 there comes 2...na8! with the unstoppable threat of 3...llh8# (Karpov-Taimanov, Leningrad 1977). 632 Black's last move was �h3-g2, afterwhich there followed 1.nhs+ @f7 2.�e8+! tlixe8 3.@g5!, and mate is unavoidable (Bondarevsky-Ufimtsev, Leningrad 1936). 633 White resigned, not seeing a defence against the threat 1.. . .t:tc1 +. However, there was a defence, and indeed, by shutting off the d-file with the move I.ll.d6!!, White could even have won. After l...cxd6 there follows 2.f7, whilst I..Jhd6 de flects the rook from guarding the back rank: 2.gs'i'+ Wd7 2 ... lid8 3.'i'xd8+ Wxd8 4.f7. 3.°iff7+ Wc6 4.°iVe8+ Wb6 5.'i'e3! Wc6 6.'i'xcs+ Wxc5 7.f7,and the game ends (this fin ish could have occurred in a game of To rre Repetto, played in New York in 1 924). 319 Improve Your Chess Tactics 634 The square f2is undefended, but White goes over to the attack first: l.'tlfe8+ Wh7 2.tlJgs+! hxgS 3.Jlh3+Wg6 4.l:I.h6+! The theme of deflection - 4 ...gxh 6 s.'i'g8#, and decoy - 4 ... Wxh6 s.'i'h8+ Wg6 6.°i'hS#- appear again. This was the finishof the game L. Goltsov-V Moiseev, Kazan 1970. 635 Looking at the piece formation, it is hard to be lieve that this position arose in a practical game. I have my doubts, but I must draw your attention to the instructive combination, with the help of which White won the opponent's queen: I.tlJb6+! @bS Taking the knight leads to mate: 2.�a2+ Wb8 3 . .ieS+ and 4.lla8#. 2.l:lh2! Two decoys, after which a knight fork follows. 2 ... 'iVxh2 3.�es+ 'iVxeS 4.tlJd7+ Wc8 s.tUxeS , and because of the threat to promote the pawn, Black had to give up the knight. This is alleged to have occurred in a game Fridman-Thomson, played in Canada in 1 949. 636 l.b4! Decoying the queen onto the open file. l... 'iVxb4 2.llabl 'iVxc4 3.�e2 'iVc2 The queen cannot leave the c-filebecause of the deadly check on b8. 4.�d3 'iYc3, and S.l::tb8+ �cs 6.'iVxc3 ends the game (Hulak-Romanishin, Moscow 1977). 320 Solutions: Exuminulion (No 381-7 36) 637 I.tlJf6+! On 1...gxf6 there follows 2.Wh I+ Wf8 3.'i¥d6+ Itel 4.i.h6+ and 5.Ilg8#, therefore he must retreat the king. l... @f82. 'ifd6+ CiJe7 .!. White can now take the exchange. 3.@hl ! would have been even stronger. The game move 3 . .ih6! was more striking. If the bishop is taken, the modest move 4.@h I sets up an unavoidable mate on g8. 3 ..Jled8 But now 3 ...'i'c 3! would have made the win more difficult. Now it is the king which retreats: 4.@hl! If the queen is taken (or nothing is taken), there follows5 . .ixg 7 #, whilst if the bishop is taken, there is S.l:tg8#.Black re signed (Nasonov-Chisti akov, USSR I 9 7 8). 638 Black's queenside is paralysed. White realises his advantage by creating direct threats on the king side. I..if6 h6 The threat was 2.'i'gS. If l ...gxf6, then 2.'i'h6! 'ira4 (2 .. .fxeS 3.tLlgS) 3.exf6 'i'g4 4.'i'xf8+ (or 4.tlJgS) mating. 2.'i'f4 'i'xb2 On 2 ...gxf 6 by analogy with the previous variation, 3.'i'xh6 wins. 3.'i'g4! 'i'xfl+ 3 ....ixf2 + 4.Wh I g6 s.'i'f4\t>h7 6. i.e7 llg87 .l:lc7!. 4.@hl g6 .!. S.'i'b4! .ib6 The threat was 6.'i'xf8+ and 7 Jld8#. 6.lld2 'i'e3 6 ...aS 7 .'i'b2 or 7 .'i'c4. 7.nc3 aS Otherwise the queen is lost. 8.'ifxf8+! After 8 ...'ltxf8 9 .llxe3 the rook cannot be taken because of mate on d8. Black resigned (Sax Sveshnikov, Hastings 1978/79). 321 Improve Your Chm Tactics 639 l.��.xh7+! Wxh7 2.tllf6 + -'Lxf6 2...gxf6 3.'i'hs+ Wg8 (3 ...Wg7 4.gxf6+ .ixf6 S.exf6+ Wxf6 6.'ifgs+ We6 7 . .trfel+, and mate) 4.gxf6 �xf6 S.exf6 tlle7 6.fxe7 nes 7.@h2 with mate, or 4 ...lL!e7 (instead of 4 ... �xf6) S.Wh2. 3.'t!Vhs+ Wg8 4.gxf6 tl:JxeS If 4 ...tll d8, then S.fxg7 Wxg7 6.Wh2. Nor does 4 ...tll d4 save Black. Then sJhd4 and after S ...cxd4 - 6.'i'gs g6 7 .'i'h6 'i'g4+ 8.Wf2, whilst if S ...'t!Vh3 , then 6 . .tld2 'i'e3+ 7 .llff2 . Black is defenceless. S.fxeS 'ife6 s ...lld8 6.fxg7; s ...'i'h3 6.llf3. 6.'i'gs g6 7.'fih6 'ifg4+ 8.�h2 'ife2+ 9.Wh3 Black re signed (Zwaig-Martinez, 17th Olympiad, Ha vana 1966). 640 I...tllxfl! 2.<;t>xfl tllg4+ 3.Wgl tlixe3 4.'t!Vd2 tlixg2! The only way! The point of the knight sac rifice on f2 (and the attack associated with it) is the weakness of the light squares on the kingside. S.Wxg2 S ... d4! Now the bishop comes into play with de cisive effect. 6.tllxd4 �b7+ 7.@fl After other king moves, Black either crowns his attack, or makes decisive gains. After 7 .@f2 there follows 7 ...'i'd 7 with the threat of 7 ...'i'h3 (forexample: 8.tlacl 'i'h3 9.tllf3 i.h6 IO.'i'd3 i.e3+ l I .'i'xe3 �xe3 l 2.Wxe3 .tle8+ l 3.Wf2 'i'fS). Or 7.Wgl i.xd4+ 8.'i'xd4 liel+! 9.Wf2 'i'xd4+ I O.ilxd4 nxa I, and Black easily realises his extra exchange. 7 ...'ifd7 ! White resigned because of the following forced variation: 8.'i'f2 (8.tlldbS 'i'h3+ 9.Wg l i.h6) 8 ... 'i'h3+ 9.Wgl II.e l+! I O.�xe I �xd4 (R. Byrne-Fischer, New York 1963/64). 322 Solutions: Examination (No 381 7 36) 641 1.fS! Clearing a square. l.. . @xfS Forced, since af ter l ...gxfS there follows 2.'ilf4#, whilst the queen exchange is impossible: after l . . . 'i'f3 2.'ilxf3+ ®xf3 3.fxg6 the pawns cannot be stopped, and after I . . . 'i'd4 White wins by means of 2.'i'xd4+ cxd4 3.fxg6 fx g6 4.e6 d3 S.e7 d2 6.eS'i'd 1 '1' .'i'7 e4+ ®gs s.'i'f4#. After the f-pawn disappears from the board, it seems improbable that the eS pawn on its own will reach the desired goal. -� ······ ---- 2.e6!! Blocking. 2 ...'i'xe6 or 2 ...f xe6 take the black king's only escape square and are met by 3.'i'f4#. Since 3.e7 is threatened, and on 2...h4 there fol lows 3.e7 hxg3+ 4.®xg3 'ild6+ s.\th3. there is nothing else bm 2 ...'ti'd 8. And then 3.exf7 Wf6 The threat was not only 4.'ife8, but also 4.'i'f3+. 4.11'e8 'iYd2+ S.�h3, and White wins (a varia tion from the game Mikhailov-Klovans, Riga 1974). 323 Improve Your Chm Tactics 642 The king is a strong piece in the endgame. As a rule, he does not faceany danger , and hecan play an ac tive part in the battle. But every rule has its excep tions. In this example (and not only this one) , the black king's activity ends in disaster after l.b4!. This move deflects the pawn on cS from control of the d4-square. l. ..cxb4 The threat was b4-bS. 2.f4!! This striking move takes the square eS from the king andcreates a threat of 'Ilal- d l-d4#. Black can not take the g3 pawn because of 3.'Jlxe7#, nor does 2 ... 'Jlh7 help, in view of 3.'llxe7+! Ilxe7 4.'lldl mating. 2 .. Jk6 The pawn on c4 is attacked. What now? 3.'lldl and after3. .Jhc4... . . . the stunning 4.lk7!. The rook is deflected from the defence of the critical square d4. Black resigned (Keene-Mortensen, Aarhus 1983). In reply to �f4-eS+ Black cannot moves his king 643 to g8 due to mate by lt:Jg4-h6. But he can give up the exchange. A check with the queen on d4 is made impossible by the black queen. White's third attacking idea is to get the queen to al. The problem is solved with the aid of a deflecting sacrifice: IJhbS! cxbS 2.'llc8! After2 ...'i'xc8 the game ends simply: 3.'i'd4+ eS 4.'i'xeS+ IheS S.�xeS+ Wg8 6.ltJh6#; 2 ... 'Jlxc8 3.'i'aI+ eS 4.'ifxeS+ etc. However, it is too early to counl one's chickens. 2...'ir'dS! 324 Solutions: Examination (No 3 8 J 7 36) Threarening mate on hS. hence While has no time to take the rook on a8. The squares d4 and a I are both defended, it appears... 3.'l'al +! The third deflecting sacrifice. The rook cannot leave the back rank: 3 .. Jha I 4 . .U.xf8+ @g7 S . .ih6#. 3 ...e5 4 . .ixeH Now on 4 ....U.xeS there followsS . .U.xa8, but Black has a new possibility of counterplay: 4 ...'i' xe5! If now S.'i'xes+ (S.tlJxeS? l:Ixal) S ....U.xeS 6.Iha8, then 6 ....a'.f S. After s.'i'xa8, there is S ...'i'h s+ 6.Wg l 'i'xg4 7.l:t.xf8+ Wg7 8 . .U.g8+ @h6 9.'i'f8+ WhS. 5Jhf8+! A fourthdeflec tion, this time of the rook from the a-file, in order to be able to take the queen 'in comfort'. 5 •..@g7 6 .l:t.£7+ The decisive deflection ( 6 ...@xfl 7 .tLixeS+; 6 ...@g8 7 .tlJh6+@h8 8.'i'xa8+ 'i'e8 9.l:t.f8+). Black resigned (Tietz-Judd, Carlsbad 1898). 6.rlg8+! was also strong. Instead of 2.l:t.c8 the move 2.'i'fl also wins. If 2 ...'i'd 3?, then 3 . .ieS+. After 2 ...l:t.e4 3 .l:t.c8 (3 ....U.xc8 4.'i'aI+ ; 3 ...'i'xc8 .U.xeS S.'i'f6+). 2...l:t.aa2 does not save Black because of 3 . .ieS+ .U.xeS4. tlJxeS with irresistible threats. Tietz' opponent in this game was the American consul in Vienna, a strong amateur and a pupil of Steinitz. Even so, the genuineness of this striking combination is open to doubt... 325 Improve Your Chess Tactics 644 1.lhd6 t[)xc4In the event of I ...�xfS 2.�e2 the black king is open, and the knight on eS is unsta ble - White's advantage is indisputable. But what happens after the text n1ove? 2.�xh6+! 'i.t>xh6 3.�h8+ 'i.t>gS If 3 ...'i'h 7, then 4.'iff6+'i.t>hS 5. �h4#. The mating net is completed with the help of two 'quiet' moves: 4.�e4! Threat 5.�h4#. 4 ... 'iVh7 S.h4+ 'i.t>g4 6.W6d8! There is no defence to the threats 7.� d I # and 7.� g 5 # (Rashkovsky Gordeev, USSR I 9 72). 645 l.�b7°i'g8 After the capture of the rook there follows 2.t[)d6+. If 1...°iYf8, then 2.t[)es+ WcS 3.t[)d?+. After l...�a8 White wins as in the main varia tion. 2.t[)es+ \tics 3.l:ib8! �h7 3 ...'ifxb8 4.t[)d?+. 4.b4+ 'i.t>d6 5.�h8! Forcing Black to take the rook afterall. 5 ...°i'xh8 6.t[)f7+ winning (study by A. Troitzky, 1914). 326 Solutions: Examination (No 3 8 1-7 3 6) 646 I...t2Jg3+ 2.hxg3 'i'g7! After 2 ...'i'f7 White would simply take the pawn on g4. Now the threat is 3 ...'i'h6 #. 3.fS 3 ...°if g6! If the queen is taken, it will be mate. Meanwhile, there is a threat against hS. 4.�f2.bf2 S. 'i' I Here 5 ...�xg 1 was already possible (but not 5 ...�x g3? in view of 6.'i'cs+ and 7.fxg6): 6.fxg6 �f2. and also 5 . ..'i'h S+ 6.'i'h2'ifx h2+ 7 .Wxh2 d4. But the most precise move is 5 ...i.b6 !. After 6.fxg6 (6.'i'xb6 'ifhS+ and 7 ...axb6) 6 ...hxg6+ 7.'i'h2 White is mated: 7 .. Jhh2+ 8.'it>xh2l:Ih8+ Also hopeless is 6.'ifh2 exfS, whilst after 6JH1 the simplest is 6 ...l:Idf 8. In the game Becher-Bruckner (West Germany 1986), the possible finishof which we have been examining, the game ended with the move 3 ...'tf g6. 327 Improve Your Chess Taclics 647 1.'i'xf8+ !! The two exclamation marks reflect not the move itself. which is quite obvious, but the whole combinative thought that underlies it. l. ..'f#'xf8 2. tLle7+ @h7 3Jhf8 White wins a piece, but surely the b-pawn queens... 3 ...b2 On 3 ...ld.e l White also wins in very striking fash ion: 4.@fS!, and if 4 ...g6+, then S.@eS b2 (5 ...Wg 7 6.llg8+ @h7 7.llb8) 6.llxfl + Wh8 7.hxg6 llxe4+8. Wf6!. And if4 ...llfl + 5.WeS b2, then 6.tlJg6!. Nor does 5 ...llf 6 (instead of 5 ... b2) save the game. Then 6.tlJdSllb6 7 .tl:Jc3 and White realises his material advantage. 4.tlJg6!! Black resigned (Miles-Schneider, Phila delphia 1980). 648 Without paying any attention to the a4 pawn, Black deals with the jumbled-up pieces on the back rank: l... .ib S! There followed: 2.axb5 tlJhgH! Clearing the h-file. 3.tl:Jxg3 3.hxg3 tl:Jxg3+ does not change matters. 3 .•.tl:Jx g3+ 4.hxg3 hxg3+ 5.@gl llhl + Decoying the king. 6.@xhl l:lh8+ 7.@gl .ics+ 8.bxc5 l:lhl+ 9.@xhl 'i'hs+10 .lit>gl 'fih2# In several publications, it is claimed that the above combination occurred in a game played in London in 1948. However, there seems little doubt that the whole of this finish (an excellent textbook example, one must admit) was invented. 328 Solutions: Examination (No 381-7 36) 649 I.I:f.c8!! The pawn on d7 is attacked twice and not de fe nded at all, and the square c8 is also under Black's control, yet he cannot take on either d7 or c8. However, he has nothing else but to take. I ..Jhc8 On l ...'1Wxd 7 there follows 2.'1Wf8+ (the queen and rook combine with the help of an 'X-ray'). 2.�e7! The conclusion of a study-like idea. Black re signed (Alekhine-NN, simultaneous display, Trin idad 1939). 650 Uig7+! ©xh8 2.�h7+ Wg8 3.g7! and after any capture of the rook, there is 4.gxf8'i',whi lst if the black rook retreats, 4.lih8+ (a study by S. Kozlowski, 1929). 329 Improve Your Chm Tac I ics 6Sl I .tf.a6! A combination requiring deep calculation. Twelve moves later, a piece up, Black resigns. l .. JMI+ I . ..bxa6 2.�xc6+. 2.tl.Je l?hel+ 3.'i'xel ilxe4 3 . . Jhe4 leads only lO a transposition of moves. 4.l'he4 lhe4 s.'i'xe4 bxa6 6.'i'xc6+ 'i'b7 7.'i'e8+ 'i'b88.'i'e4+ 'i'b7 -��� 1 Perhaps Black thought the game would end in perpetual check? ... 9.c6 'i'c710 .'i'es+ 'i'bs l 1.'i'd7! The final'q uiet' move. The black knight is too far away, and the c-pawn is unstoppable. 11. ..'i'h l + l 2.@h2 ltJfS l 3.c7 There are no checks, so Black resigned (Tarrasch-Gunsberg, Frankfurtam Main 1887). 652 I.Ild8+ @g7 2.h6+ @f6 And what now? 3.l:ld6+! 'i'xd6 4.i.gs+ @es 5 ..if4+ @f6 If the queen is taken, it will be stalemate. Instead, 6.es+! 'i'xeS 7.i.gS#! (study by V. Kalandadze, 1966). 330 Solutions: Exuminution (No 3 81-7 3 6) 653 Give mate: 2.�xf7+! U.xf7 3.tllg6# (Zhunusov Khamraev, Alma Ata 1 994) 654 The move l.c5 is the decisive mistake, because of l...�xf4. The queen cannot be taken because of 2 ....id4+ (Alterman-Avrukh, Tel Aviv 1 999) . White should have played 1 .tllfl . 655 White loses, because afterthe spectacular 1.tllf7+ l:lxf7 2.�d8+ Black does not take the queen (2..Jhd8? 3.l:lxd8+ �xd8 4.l:le8+ mating, Borta-Pustovoitov, Moscow 2005), but defends effectively with the modest move 2 . ..�f8. 656 Taking the b7 pawn loses. Black replies l. ..tll b4!, simultaneously threatening 2...tllxa2# and 2...'i'xb7. This was the finishof the game Foldi Florian, Budapest 1958. 331 lmprove Your Chess Tactics 657 Winning! Afcer che defleccingsacrifice I..Jlhl +! 2.Wxhl che move 2 . ..exfl creaces chreacs of 3 ...f xe l�+ and 3 .. Jlh8+ (che finishof a simul caneous game by Nimzowitsch, Copenhagen 1925). 658 1.�f4 tlixd3? 2.�f6! Black resigned (Karstens Ullrich, Germany I 9 3 2). 659 After 2.°iVh6! Black is maced (Marin-Kiselev, Bu charesc I 99 7). 660 The move 1 ...tll e5?, played in the game Miles Timman, Amsterdam 1985, led to defeat after 2.�xe5 fxe5 3.�ds+ (3 ...'iVxdS 4.tllxe7 + and s.tlixds ). 332 Solutions: Examination (No 381-736) 661 The move 2.'t'Uh6! forced Black co resign (Bednarski-Nouisseri, 19th Olympiad, Siegen 1970). 662 White has not blundered. After I...'t'Uxf3? it will be mate: 2.'t'Ug7+ WhS 3.'t'Uxg6+! hxg6 4Jlh8# (Cortlever-Van der Weide, Beverwijk 1968) 663 He wins by I.l:td7! ( I...lhd7 2.l:txc8+ Wh7 3.llJf8+; I...lie82.� xc8 llxc83. llJe7+) (Tal-NN, simultaneous display, Tbilisi I 96 S). 664 No, he shouldn't. White wins by 2.tlJdS! (2 ...'i'xd2 3.llJxe7+ and 4.llJxd2) (Sikorova Modrova, Karlovy Vary 2004). 333 lmprove Your Chess Taclics 665 By giving mate: l.. ..ll.x gs+! 2.©xgS f6 + 3.Wf4 gS# (Khagurov-Volkov, Krasnodar 1998). 666 The mate threat can be met by l .h4 or the sacri ficeof the bishop forthree pawns: l .�xf7+ Wxf7 2.llxg5, then winning the h-pawn. With the move ...Wg7 -g6 Black set a trap. The tempting l.�b l does not escape the mate: l ... h4+ 2.Wg4 2...fS+! Black breaks the pin on the rook in an original way. 3.llxfS llg2# (Tavernier-Grodner, France 1952) 667 No. In the game Maric-Gligoric, Belgrade 1962, after 1.llxfS there followed 1..Jlb3!, and White had to resign. 334 Solutions: Examination (No 381-7 36) 668 Only on a6, since 1...lLic6? loses to 2.lLixc6�.xc6 3.b4 �d6 4.�d3 The bishop is attacked. It can be defended by 4 ... ld.ad8, but after 5.�c3! (this manoeuvre would also have followed a bishop retreat) simul taneously attacking g7 and the bishop on c6, leads to material gains (Konstantinopolsky Byvshev, Moscow I 9 5 2). 669 No. The routine move in such positions, 1.lLixeS, leads to the loss of a piece, since, after 1 ...lLixeS 2.�xhS (2.d4! �g4 3.f3 is better, but no picnic either) 2 ...� g4 the queen has no retreat. This was the game Busvin-Birnberg, London 1924. 670 White mated in two: 2.lLibS+! The c-filemust be opened, to stop the king hiding on cl. 2...cxbS 3.lLib7#(Lokasto-Zakrzewsk i, Augustow 1974) 335 Improve Your Chess Tactics 671 1Jlxh7+ Wxh7 2.'ifhH Wg6 2 ...Wg7 3.'i'h6#. 3.'i'h6+ Wf5 4.�h7+ l'lg6 The same mate fol lows after 4 ...Wg4. s.'i'h3#, To rre Repetto-Yates, Baden-Baden 1925. 672 The move I.tllf4 is wrong because of 1... tll f3+! 2.gxf3 'i'gs+ 3.tllg2 h3 4.�xg7+ �xg7 s.�xg7 hxg2, and White ends up a piece down (a varia tion from the game Euwe-Romanovsky, Lenin grad 1934). 673 No. After l.�bs+ Black replies 1...'i'd7, and the capture of the pawn - 2.'iYxcS? leads to the loss of the queen after ...2 tll fS 3.'ii'as b6 (W Adams-G. Kramer, New Yo rk 1945). If l.dxcS, then 1...tll ec6, immediately regaining the pawn (for example, 2.'irg3 or 2.'i'e3 - 2 ...tll d7; 2.'irbs'i'd7 3.f4 lLixeS). 674 2.�h8+! Wxh8 3.lhc8+ .Uxc8 4.'i'h3+ Wg8 s.'i'xcs+ nf8 6.'ire6+ @hs 7.'i'hH, and mate next move (Benini-Reggio, Rome 1911). It is also possible to invert the moves - 2.l:lxc8+ and then 3 . .U.h8+, whereas the continuation 2.'iYxeS leads only to a draw: 2 ...i.xh3 3.'i'xdS+ Wf8 4.'i'd6+ ( 4.'i'xa8+? 'l'e8) 4 ... Wg8 s.'i'ds+. 336 Solutions: Examinution (No 38 l -7 36) 67S Black wrongly agreed a draw. He could have mated by means of 1..J1h3+ 2.Wf4 Ilf3+! 3.'i'xf3 'i'eS#. This could have been the conclu sion of the game Stoltz-Pilnik, Saltsjobaden 195 2. 676 The sacrifice is incorrect. After 3 ...'i'xe4+ White replies 4.�e2 and after 4 ... 'i'xhl (otherwise White has an extra pawn) gives discovered check with S.tlig6+, obtaining a decisive material ad vantage. 677 l ...�x dS! 2.tlixf6+ If White had foreseen the fol lowing knight jump to c I, shutting offth e fi rst rank, he would probably haw tri1·cl to put up some sort of resistance, by plJying L0.xl 337 f mprove Your Chm Tactics 678 After examining the natural variation with checks - I..JlgS+ 2.@h6 �xh2+ 3.llhS , Black decided that there was no follow-up to the chase of the white king (and White has an extra rook). and she took the rook instead: l...�xfl . In the end, the game was drawn (Ivanka-Lazarevic, Yugosla via 1972). However, the game could have been decided in the above variation, by an unnoticed deflection sacrifice: 3 ...�d 2+! and 4.�xd2 llg6# 679 No. By playing l...�xc2?, Black fallsinto the trap: after 2.ltJf6+! he would have to resign. After 2 ...gxf6 there comes 3.�e8+ (not 3.l:lg3+? on account of 3 ...@f8) 3 ...@h7 4.l:tg3. The same re- sult comes from 3 ....if8 4.l:lg3+ (P Dely- Lengyel, Hungary 1973). Inverting the moves is also possible: 2.�e8+ and after 2 ...@h7 - 3.ltJf6+ �g6 4.°iYg8. 680 The move I . ..es! includes the second rook in the attack. After 2.fxeS (or 2.dxeS) Black plays 2 ...�x b2! If 3.l:lxb2, then 3 .. Jhb2+ 4.@xb2 �b6+, and White is mated. Mate also follows3. exf6 .ixc3+. White resigned (Ostertag-N. Kosintseva, Vladimir 2002). It would have been a mistake to sacrifice the bishop first by I....ixb22. l:hb2l:h b2+ 3.@xb2, and only now to play 3 ...eS . After the pawn is taken, the attack is crowned by 4 ...llb6 +, as in the game, but 4.'ifel meets the threats (4 ...�b6+ s.@aI). 338 Solutions: Examination (No 38 1 736) 681 If the rook were not on a8, Black would be mated. Hence, l .�c8!. By shutting off therook's actions, White threatens both 2.'l'cS-f8#, and 2.lle5-e8#. After l ... llxc8 there follows,of course, 2.'l'xc8+ lLixc8 3.lle8#. The only chance to defend the back rank is t... 'i'd 8. But then there follows 2.'i'c3! with the threat of 3.nes+ 'l'xe8 4.'l'xf6#.After 2 ...lll dS (if L.�bS, then 3.negS, and on L'l'f8 - 3.lle8) 3.lixdS 'fle7 4.�fS Black resigned (Van Scheltinga-Orbaan, Holland 1954). 682 In an inferior position, White overlooked his op ponent's combination. After I.l2Jc7? there fol lowed 1 ... llxa4!, deflectingthe rook fromthe de fence of the back rank, after which White had to resign. After 2.lha4 Black wins by 2...�h3! 3.�xh3 'l'xf3+ 4.@gl (4.�g2 'l'dl+) 4 ...�x c3, attacking the queen and at the same time threat ening S ....id4# (Lputian-Ivanchuk, Montecatini Terme 2000). 683 5.l2Jxg6 hxg6 6 . .ixfl+! @xfl 7.'l'c4+ @f8 8.lllh6! Black resigned (Puiggros-Pedrosa, Bue nos Aires I 9 72). 339 Improve Your Chess Tactics 684 With the move 1....�.fl !. After 2.�xfl (2.'ifxfl tlig3+) 2 ...tlig3 + White has to give up his queen, to avoid 3.�g l tlie2+ 4.@hl llg l# or 3.�g2 tlie4+ 4.@h l tlif2+: 3.�xg3 �xg3, and Black realised his material advantage (Barcza-Antoshin, Sochi 1966). 685 No. After 3.l:[d8+! Black is mated: 3 .. Jhd8 4.lhd8+ ©xd8 s.'i'g8+ (Juarez-Sanguinetti, Ar gentina 1950) . 686 Draw after 1... �gl+! 2.'i'xgl 'i'e2+ 3.'i'g2 'i'xg2+4.Wxg2 �e4+ and S ...�xb7 with a com pletely equal ending (Lilienthal-Tolush, Parnu 1947). Another path is l ...�xg3+ 2.'i'xg3 'i'e2+ 3 .Wg I 'I'dI+ 4.Wf2'i'd2 +, also with a draw. 340 Solutions: Examinorion (No .3 81-716) 687 The choice of retreals is not great - lo hS, g7 or h7 ( 1... \t>f6? 2.tbds+) . The active-looking l. ..@hS leads to defeat: 2.g4+ Wxh4 3.@g2! There is no defence to the threat 4.tbfs# (Jansson-Ivarsson, Uppsala 197 3). Correct is the retreat to g7 orh7. 688 l.•. tbxe5 2.dxe5? Correct is 2.cS. 2 ...�.c 5+ 3.\t>hl Or 3.e3 .ixe3+ 4.l:lf2 'i'd8 5.fxe4 fxe4 with a decisive material advantage. 3 ... tbxg3+, 1 and after 4.hxg3 'i'h6+White is mated. This was I the finish of the game Gri.infeld-Torre Repetto, Baden-Baden 1925. 689 l .h4! Played without worrying that Black will take this pawn. I..Jlb4+ 2.@xe5 llxh4 3.f4 Decoying the rook. 3 .. Jhf4 4.Uxg7+ De flectingthe king. 4 ...'ltixg7 5. Uxgs+ and 6.'ltixf4, winning (Khalomeev-Isakov, Simferopol l 947). The same result occurs if White starts with the move l.f4 : l... llb4+ l...exf4 2.h4. 2.'ltixe5 lhf4 2 ...Iib S+ 3.�d6. 3.l:lxg7+ 341 I mp rove Your Chess Tactics 690 The move 1..Jfa8 is wrong. After 2.'i'xb6 llxal 3.llxal '(?Vxb6 4.lla8+ llf8 s.Jhf8+ @xf8 6.CiJd7+ and 7.ttJxb6 White has an extra knight (Szollosi-Boguszlavszky, Budapest 1981) . 691 After 1...�xdl Black is mated: 2.�xg7+ @gs 3.�h8!! (Tai-Rantanen, Tallinn 1979) 692 After l .fxg4 it's mate in three: 1... 'i'x h2+! 2.@xh2 lbgl+ 3.@xg3 3.@gl llhl#. 3 ...f4 # (Kosolapov-Nezhmetdinov, Kazan 1936) 342 Solutions: Examincllion (No 381 736) 693 tJhg7+! Wxg7 2Jig1 + Wh8 After 2 ...@f 6 there follows 3 .'!th4+ WfS 4.�gS+, S . .U.eI+ and 6.'!tg3#, whilst in the event of2 ...Wh6 there is 3.'i¥h4#. 3.�xes+! dxe5 4.�xes+ f6 5.�xf6+ llxf6 6.llg8# (Hardaub-Testa, Bremen 191 3) If in reply to 1.1lxg7 + Black retreats his king, he is also mated: l...Wh8 2.Ilxh7+ @xh7 3.�h4+ and 4.Ilg l+. 694 l.. . �xf3! 2.gxf3 :dg8+ 3.�g3 lhg3+! 4.hxg3 �xf3, and mate next move (Johansson-Ekenberg, Sweden 1974). 695 2.�xf8+! After 2.�f7+ llxf73. 1:1xf7+ �xf74. 1:1xf7+ Wg8 5 . .thb7llxhS 6.1:1 xa7 1:1h67. g7 White still has to realise his advantage in the rook ending. 2 ..Jhf8 3J hf8�xf8 4.h6+! Only so. In the event of the naive 4.Ihf8 Wxf8 the pawn ending is drawn. Black obtains a second passed pawn by means of ...e5 -e4, after which the white king cannot support his g- and h-pawns. Now, however, it is over - 4 ... @g8 5.h7+ @g7 6 . .U.xf8 (Tarrasch-Janowski, Ostend 1907) 343 Improve Your Chess Tactics 696 Rather than positional pressure ( l . .Jlfg8 or l..Jlgfl), Black preferred a tactical decision: l .. JhfJ! 2.WxfJ�.xe4 +! 3.Wxe4 �xg3 The Achilles Heel of White's posltlon is the square e3 - the threat is 4 ...'i'a2 . 4.l:.hg l does not save him, since after 4 ...'i'a 2! 5.Ilxg3 (5.'i'xa2 �e3#) 5 . . . 'i'xd2 White's situation is hopeless because of the weak position of his king. If he defends the square e3 by means of 4.llhel, the trouble comes from the other side - 4 ...'i'a8 !, after which there is a threat of 5 . ..b6# (5.lla l 'i'g8!). In the game, 4.�al was played, and 4 . ..'iUb2 ended the game (Palatnik-Kruppa, Kiev 1984) . 697 I Jhc4bxc4 2.i:tfS! The rook cannot be taken: 2 ...gxfS 3.'i'xfS + Wh8 (3 ... Wh6 4.'i°hS#) 4.'i'hs+ Wg8 s.'i'g6+ and 6.'i'g7#. Meanwhile, there is a threat of 3.llhS+ and 4.'i'xg6#. Black resigned. All ofhis pieces are just spectators (Tal-NN, simultaneous display, Holland 1976). 344 Solutions: Examination (No 3 8 l -73 6) 698 Black overlooked an important zwischenzug. 1 . .. ©h8? 2 . .ixe6nxd l 3.�a8+! ©h7 4.�xfl, and Black could only re sign (Bilek-I. Farago, Hungarian Championship 1974). 1.. . tt:Jds+ 2.�d2 'iYb6! 3.'iYxa8+@d7 The threat is 4 ...tLic 7. 4.a4 tLlc7 5.a5 does not help White, because of 5 ...'iYx b2. 4.0-0 tt:Jc7s . .iastt:Jxa8 6.i.xb6 tt:Jxb6 Black has won two pieces fora rook and duly real ised his advantage (Nimzowitsch-Alekhine, Bled 1931). 700 He has to take the bishop. After 1.'iYxgS ( I .'iVxes+ i.f6) l. .. 'iYbl + ( 1 ...'iYxc3+? 2.'ifd2) 2.�d2 'i'b2+ 3.@d3 °ifb l+ 4.Wc4! 'ifxe4+ ( 4 ...'i'a 2+ s.wxcs 'ifa3 + 6.Wb6) s.@xc5 'iYds+ 6.�b6 'ifxd7 White, having a breathing space, played 7.'ifxes+. Wherever the king retreats, White exchanges queens and obtains an easily winning endgame: 7 ...@h6 (7 ...Wg8 8.°ifb8+ and 9.°ifc7) 8.'iYe3+! Black resigned (Gavrilov-Lukin, Lvov 1984). 345 Improve Your Chess Tactics 701 White's tactical operation is mistaken. After t..Jl8xd5! 2.�.xd5 1¥.xd5 3.ft'd8+ �h7 4.JlxdS the double attack 4 ... ft'd2 wins a rook for Black (Kozlov-Labutin, Kaluga 1968). 702 After 2.d.xc4 Black was ready to play 2 ... °iWg4+. However, by clearing the long diagonal for his queen, White gives mate: 2.Jlg6+! fxg63. 'ifh8+ \o�J xh8 4.Jlxf8# (Basman-Balshan, Ramat Hasharon I 9 8 0) The correct continuation was I ... °ifel . 703 IJhf6! �xf6 On I..Jhb7 there is L�g7 + \t>xg7 3.°ifh6+ �h8 4.J::[f7 with mate. If the sacrificeis declined by 1 ...tlJfS, then 2 . .l:lxfS .ixfS 3.'i'gS, and mate. Or 2 ...�xb7 (instead of 2 ...�xfS) 3.'i'c3! and Black is defenceless. 2.'i'gs.ifl+ Taking the queen allows mate on g7. 3.'it>gl And Black had to resign (Rautenberg-Schlensker, Bad Nauheim 1948). Another choice is l .�g7 +! �xg7 2.�xf6. After 2 ...@xf 6 there is mate after 3.°ifh6+ �fS 4.'i'xh7+. In the event of 2...�h8 White wins by 3.I;lf7 . There is also the move 2 ...tbfS . Then 3.'i'gs+ 346 Solutions: Examination (No 381 -736) 704 Uhd7 Afrer t .CiJxd7 tlJxd7 2.�xd4 Ci Jf8 Black holds. I...tlJxd72. tbxh5! gxhS 3.'iYgs+@fS .!. 4.tllg6+! fxg65Jhe6 Vi'cS The threat was both 6.�e7 +, and 6.'i'h6+. If 5 ...�x c2, then 6.llde 1 !. 6.'iYh6+ rJ;;fl 7.'iYxg6+ Wf8, and now the final 'quiet' move 8.�del!, after which Black is de fe nceless (Levenfish-Ravinsky, Leningrad 1928). 705 In this position, the combination with the bishop sacrificeon h7 and the subsequent transfer of the heavy pieces to the h-file does not work. After 1.�xh7+ @xh7 2.'iYhs+ Wg8 3.�xe5 tlixe5 4.klh4Black went over to the counter-attack with 4 ... tllf3+5. 'ifxf3�x g5. Both rooks are attacked. After the attempt to cre ate threats by 6.I:rg4 �xd2 7.'iff6 Black replies 7 ...�h6 (or 7 ...�e 3+ and 8 ...g6) and after 8.�xh6 - 8 ... .l::rel+ winning: 9.@f2 'ifxc2+ 1O.Wxe 1 (or 1 O.lt:Jd2�f S+) 1 O ...ll e8+ (Nunn Csom, Moscow 1977). 347 Improve Your Chm Tactics 706 2.It.hs+ 3.Jlxh6+! 3.'i'e8+ (3 ... 'i'f7 4.'i'e4+Wg S) was a falsetrail. Now, however, White wins the queen. After 3 ...Wxh6 there follows 4.'i'h8+ Wg6 s.'i'hs+ Wf6 6.gs+ and 7.'i'xf3 . The same happens after 3 ...gxh6 4.'i'g8+ Wf6 5.'i'f8+. Declining the rook sacrifice is impossible: 3 ...@f7 4.'i'c7+ Wg8 s.'i'c8+ wf7 (5 ...'i'fs 6.�h8+) 6.'i'e6+ and 7 .�h8# or 3 ... @gs 4.'i'es+ with mate. Black resigned (Bronstein-Kortchnoi, Moscow 1962). 707 The weakening of the black kingside allows a forcing operation, beginning with the move l.�a6!. l. ..�xa6 Or l ...'i'c8 2.tlJxc6 'i'xc6 3.�xb7 'i'xb7 4.'i'h4 Wg7 5.�h6+; l ...tt:Jas 2.�xb7 tlJxb7 3.tlJc6 'i'c7 4.tlJxe7+ 'i'xe7 5 .'i'h4. 2.tt:Jxc6 'i'e8 3.tt:Jxe7+ 'fixe7 4.°fVh4 Wg7 S.�h6+ White has won the exchange and duly realised his material advantage (Klaman-Smyslov, Leningrad 197 4). 348 Solulions: Exomincrlion (No �81-7�6) 708 After 1...cxd4 2.cxd4 the tempting move 2 ... tbxd4 (counting on winning the exchange) leads to defeat: 3.tbxd4�c l+ 4.�d2! �xal 4 ...�xd4 5 . .0. h5+ and 6.�xd4. S.c3 ! Cut offfrom its remaining forces, the hlack queen is caught and the threat of 6.tilh3 is un stoppable. White can even play 5.0-0 and catch the queen later (Booth-Fazekas, London 1940). 709 1.rrh4 and after 1...'iYa3 2.'li'xg7+! Wxg7 3.hS'iY+ lhh8 4Jlg4+ @h6 S.�hl# (N. Zhuravlev-V Zhuravlev, Liepeja I 96 1). 710 I..Jhf4! 2.'ifxf4 nf8 3.'i'g3 .rlxfl! 4.'tl:Vxfl 4.l::txf2'i'e I# ; 4.'i'h3+ @g8 5.'i'b3+ �f7+. 4 ...'ife4 ! The conclusion of the combination - White is mated (Mestrovic-Basagic, Sarajevo 1972). 349 Improve Your Chess Tactics 711 1.tllb6! tllxb6 If I ...h5, then 2.'i'e4 (2 ...tll xb6 3.�xg6+ Qg7 4.tllxe6). 2.lk7! By deflectingthe knight and queen from the defence of the kingside, White crowns his attack energetically. 2 ... �xc7 Declining the sacrifice does not save the game ei ther. After2 ...�e8 Black is mated by 3.�xe6+ Wh8 4 . .abH. In the event of 2 ...eS White achieves his aim by 3 . .tlxd7 �xd7 4.�e6+ Wh8 5.tllf7+Wg7 6 . .ac1!. Finally, after the intermediate move 2 ... h5 there follows 3.�e4 (3 ... Wg7 4.tllxe6+ @f7 5Jhd7 �xd7 6.tllf4 or 5 ... tllxd7 6.�dS). 3.�xe6+ \t>g7 4 . .ib2+ @h6 S.�h3+ @xgS 6.f4# (Smirnov-Rotstein, USSR 1976) 712 The exchange of knights and sacrificeof the cen tral pawn is the prelude to a standard combina tion, known since the time of the old game Lasker-Bauer (Amsterdam 1889). 3 . .ixh7+ @xh7 4 ..bg7 Wxg7 If 4 .. .f6, then 5.�h6+ Wg8 6 . .axf8 lhf8 7 .�g6+ Wh8 8.Ild3or 6 ...tll xf8 7 .lld3. There is no counterplay with 4 ....ia 2+, because of 5.Wxa2 �xc2+ 6.Wbl. s.�gs+�h7 Apart from these trivial moves, White had to have foreseenthe finish(u nless he was prepared to set tle fora draw by perpetual check). The black king is bare, and, just on general considerations, he should be mated. But White cannot win just as he pleases. He can only do so with the help of a con crete forcingvariatio n: 6.'i'hs+@g7 7.�g4+ Wh6 350 Solutions: Exc1mincllion ( No �8 l-7l6) 8Jld3 Ik3 9.�h4+ Wg7 10.�gH Wh6 Or 1O... Wh 7. l1.llf4! He could take the rook with 1 1 . .llxc3, retaining a very strong attack (after 1 I.. .fS there follows l 2.llf4 tlJf6 13.llh4+ tlJhS l 4.�c7, whilst in the event of l 1 ...�e4, there comes l 2.'i'h4+ Wg7 l 3.Itg3+ �g6 l 4.'lifd4+ eS 1 S.'fWxd7). But the move 1 l . .llf4 ! is more convincing. If now l l ...'i'd8 , then l 2.�h4+, winning the queen and then the rook. After 1 l...�a2 +,White can simply take the bishop, since the checks soon run out: l 2.\t>xa2 'i'xa3+ 13.\t>b l or 12... .ll xcH 13.\t>bi. Note that the white queen checked in such a way that after the move .l:tfl-f 4 the square e 1 was de fe nded. Thus, in the event of the straightforward 6 . .l:ld3 (instead of 6.'iWhs+ and the subsequent checks) 6 ....lic3 the move 7.Ilf4 would have been a mistake, because of the counterattack 7 ...llb3 +! 8.lixb3(or 8.cxb3) 8 ...'iWe I+winning. The game Fogel-Klisch (correspondence, 2002), the finish of which we have been examining, ended after8. �d3 -Black resigned. 351 Improve Your Chess Tactics 713 White forces a draw in a most unexpected way: 1.b4! l:txb4 l .. Jhd6? 2.bxcS. 2.d7 1ld4 If 2 ...llb8 , then 3.'lt>c4and then 4.'lt>xcS. 3.h4! Af ter 3 ...llxd7 4.bxcS Black has to give up his rook for the pawn. Draw (Helmertz- Wernbro , Lund 1973). 714 After l...�cl there follows 2.�f3. In this critical situation, Black is saved by the idea of stalemate: 1 .. Jk6! If the rook is taken, then 2 ...�ds + 3.�xdS (3.�xdS) 3 ...b3+, and a draw (Minic-Savic, Yu goslavia 1989) . 2.�f7 lhg6 3.�xg6 �dS+ 4.�xdS b3+ is the same motif. If 2. �fl?, Black, no longer being satisfied with a draw (2 ...�xe6 3.�xe6 �dS+), continues 2 ...b3+! 3.�xb3 (3.Wxb3? �d l +) 3 ....l:tf6 and 4 .. Jixg6. 715 1.�xh7+ 6 ...�g S - But not 6 ...�f 6? 7.'i'f3 + WgS 8.h4#. 7 . .l:th8+ The white queen is also under attack, therefore there isnothing better. After 7 ... �flthe opponents agreed a draw (Tal-Nei, Tallinn 1 979). Since White has the initiative in the initial posi tion, we can conclude that there was no need for the sacrificeon h7. 352 Solutions: Exuminolion (No 381 -736) 716 Black's combination is wrong. There followed 6.t2Jg6+! hxg6 7.nxrs+'ltih7 Now the simple capture on b7 wins, but more spectacular is the deadly blow 8.'irh6+! (8 ...Wxh6 9.Ilh8#; 8 ...gxh6 9.Ihb7+ mating) (N. Popov-Novopashin, Beltsy 1979). 717 A deflectionof the queen serves as the prelude to the typical double bishop sacrifice combination: I.l::!:xa3! 'ifxa3and then 2.�xh7+ Wxh7 3.'iihs+ Wg8 4.�xg7 Wxg7 He has to take the bishop, since after 4 .. .fS, 5.°i'g6 wins. S.�gs+ \t>h8 5 ...\t>h7 losesat once because of 6.l:t.e4. 6.l::!:e4 When calculating the combination, White had to take into account the attempt by Black to give up his queen for a rook by means of 6 ...�a l + 7.Wh2 �b l Now after 8.�h4+ there follows 8 ...°i'h 7, after which White has to content himself with perpet ual check (9 .l::!:xh7 + \t>xh7 I O.�hS+ ). However, White wins with the preliminary 8.�h6+ Wg8 and only now 9.flh4!. Afterthe only defence 9 ... f6 there follows a king chase: 1 O.�g4+ @fl l l.�g7+ \ties 12.�hs+ Wd8 13.'iicS! �d7 14.�xf8+ rtJc7 15.�cs+ rtJdS 16Jlg8+ mating (Belyaev-N. Pavlov, Russia 1 992). 353 Improve Your Chm Tactics 718 I.tlJxe6! Clearing the queen's path to a4 and opening the f- filefor the rook. l. . .fxe6 2.'i'xa.4 + 'ifbs Things are not changed significantly by 3.'i'h4+ We8 4.'i'g4, and Black cannot defend one of his pawns on e6 or g7. ! 3.'i'g4'tWc6 4.'t!Nxg7 l:lf8 5Jbf8+_¥i .xf8 6.'ifxh7 l:lc8 More tenacious is 6 ...�c S, but this does nol change the result. 7.'l'g6+ After 7 ...We7 there follows 8.Ild6'i'c4 9 .'i'h7 + or 9.'l'f6+. Black resigned (Spassky-Darga, 15th Olympiad, Varna I 96 2). 719 In a wmmng posltlon (after the methodical I...lle4 2.'i'c8+ @f3 3.'i'c3+ l:le3 4.'i'c6+ tlJe4 the game would end) Black went in for a mis taken combination: l.. . ©h3 Expecting after 2.'i'xf4 to decide the outcome of the game by decoying the queen into a fork: 2 •••g2+ 3.@f! 3.@gl l:lel+. 3 ...Uf6 After 4.'i'xf6 there would have followed 4 ...tlJe 4+. However, the surprising move 4.@gl! saved the game (Zagoryansky-Tolush, Moscow 1945). 354 Solution.s: Exuminulion (No 381 -736) 720 1.�gS! The bishop cannot be taken with either the pawn (1... hxg S 2.t2Jg6!with mate on h8), or the queen (I...'*fxgS2.� xf7+ �h7 3.�g8#). 1...'i'd72..tia dl �.d6 3.�xh6! Destroying the king's pawn cover. The entry of the rook on e I allows White to give mate. 3 ... gxh6 If3 ...ttJx b3, then 4.�xg7 Wxg7 s.ttJfs+. 4.'i'g6+@f8 s. 'i'f6 Wg8 The threat was 6.tlJg6+ Wg8 7 .�h8#. 6.l:te3 Or 6.tlJfS. Black resigned (Geller-Portisch, Mos cow 1963). 721 The tempting move 1... �x c3+ loses. After2.bxc3 'i'xc3+ White continues 3.'i'd2!, and after 3 ...'i'xa l he replies ... .!. 4.�bl! The black queen is trapped. There is no defence against the threat of S.i.b2 (Nezhmetdinov Konstantinov, Rostov on Don 193 6). 355 Improve Your Chess Tac I ics 722 White had anticipated his opponent's combina tion. After 3.b4 cxb4 he played not 4.liixgS, nor 4.hxgS, but... .!. 4.�xh7+! And mate in the familiar way: 4 ... ©xh7 S.hxgs + ©g6 Or 5 ...© g8 . 6.Ci'Je7# (Casas-Piazzini, Buenos Aires 1 962) 723 Black cannot take the knight with the bishop, be cause of 2.llixf6+ and 3.llixd7. But with the rook, he can take. After l ...lhc4 2.llixf6+ @h8 (only so) 3.llixd7he wins with the help of a combina tion: 3 ...llif3 +! 4.gxf3 l:Ig8+ S.Whl �xh2+ 6.\ttxh2 l:.h4# (a variation from the game Furman Ubilava, USSR 1971) Therefore, instead of 3.llixd7 ? White should play 3.f4. Then there could follow 3 ... .ie6 4.fxeS �xeS S . .!laS with a complicated, double-edged position. 356 Solurions: Examinarion (No 381-7 36) 724 On move 4 White is not obliged Lo take the pawn on d6. By sacrificing queen and bishop, he saves the game by virtue of stalemate: 4 . .ile4+! �xe4 S.�g7+! (Sliwa-Doda, Poland 1967) Maybe Black should not have brought his king to g6, and should instead have played 3 ... Wg8 ? But then too, White achieves stalemate: 4.'i'e8+ tt:'if8 5 . .ids+ 'i'xdS 6.'i'xf8+!. The winning idea in the starting posltlon is 1...'i'b2+! (instead of 1...'i'a2+) 2.Wh3 and now 2 ...'i'eS ! 3.'i'e7+ Wg6 4.'i'e8+ Wf6 5.'i'h8+We7 6.'i'xh6tt:'id4 7.'i'h7+ Wd8 8.�e4 aS and now White can resign. 725 s.t2Jxe6!@xe6 6.'i'ds+! tlJxdS 7 • .ig4+ The black king is es corted by a convoy, into the enemy camp. 7 ••• @es 8.�fs+ Wd4 8 ...�e6 9.exdS#. 9.�xds+ Wc4 10.�eH Wb4 I I.al# (Shulman-Feldmus, Riga 1986) 357 lmprove Your Chm Tactics 726 The exchange of queens leads only to a draw. We therefore examine the attempt to exploit the position of the Black king, by means of 1.g4+ fxg3 2.'iVxfS. Black can take the rook: 2 ...'t!He l+ 3.\t>g2't!He2 + 4.\t>xg3 't!Hxa6, but then there follows s.'t!Hf7+ 't!Hg66. 't!Hf3+ g4 7 .hxg4+ \t>gs8. 't!Hf4#. But what happens if we ignore the rook and go for stalemate? Instead of 4 ...'t!Hxa6 we play 4 ...'t!HeS +!. This saves the game (Green-Aitken, England I 9 66). And there is more. Instead of 2 ... 'tfHe I +, it is also possible to play 2 ...g2+ 3.\t>xg2, and now not 3 ...'t!Hg3 +? (after which taking the queen leads to stalemate, but 4. @fl ! prevents this), but 3 ...'t!He2 +!, and a draw. Thus, neither the exchange of queens, nor l .g4+ gives White a win. 358 Solutions: Examination (No 381 -736) 727 After l... 'tWh3 2.�fl °fNxh2+ 3.@xh2 .rlcg8 White resigned, in view of the deadly threat of 4 . ..llhS +. This was the finish of the game Samarin-Antoshin, Berdiansk 1985. Even so, instead of resigning, White could have won, by defending the threatened mate with the move 4.e6! A shut-off, at the same time clearing the fifth rank and preparing the following rook sacrifice. 4 ... �xe6 4 ...�hs + 5.�h3. SJhcS! bxcS 6 . .tixcS Mate has been averted, and White has queen forrook - it is Black who must resign! Consequently, Black should have refrained from the rook sacrificeand played 2 . ..�h S!. 359 Improve Your Chess Tactics 728 White considered the move 1... tt.Jxd4 to be im possible, because of the variation 2.l:%.c7 tDe2+ 3.'lt>fl tDxcl 4.l:%.xb7 with two threats - SJ.he ! and S.l:%.b8+. However, there followed 4 ...tDxa2 !, and White realised that he had miscalculated - the passed pawns decide the outcome of the game. He played the 'spite check' s . .tlbs+ and after s ...'it>d7 re signed (Barendregt-Portisch, Amsterdam 1969). He could have played on a little longer: 6.lixh8 b3 7.lld8+ @c? 8.l:rd6 b2 9.�d8+ Wc8 I O.l:%.xb6 tlJb4, and the pawn reaches its goal. One small detail. Instead of S.ltb8+ White could have set a 'desperation trap', by giving a different check: - sJle7 +. Black must step into another check with 5 ...@d8 , after which 6.l:%.xe6+ @c?, or 6.�xf7 + Wc8 or 6.ltb7+ @c8 give him an easily winning end game. But if 5 . . . @f8? 6.�f6! and White wins! 360 Solutions: Examination (No 381 -736) 729 In calculating the varialion, the opponents as sessed this position differently. 'If' , thought the black player, 'White takes the bishop, I can immediately re-establish material equality: 7 .Wxfl 'UHhI+ 8.@e2 'UHe4+ and 9 . ..'UHx e7. There is nothing else, since mate is threatened and the rook attacked. If he doses the diagonal with the move 7 .l:rdS, then the bishop retreats to h3, and 8.ld.hS does not work because of the mate threat on g2 .. .' But the move 7 Jld5 was played, and Black re signed! (Lengyel-Sliwa, Szczawno Zdroj 1966). There is a threat, missed by Black in his calcula tions, of mate by 8.�xh7+ @xh7 9.lihS#, which would follow after 7 ... �h3. This means that he loses a bishop. 361 Improve Your Chm Tactics 730 3.'l'h6lt.Jxf 6 4.lt.Jg5 White threatens the manoeuvre 1dh3-f3xf6 , fo r which he needs three tempi. In this time, Black can defend the square f7 and free his rook for the manoeuvre ...l:If8-g8- g7. After this, the knight on f6 is ready to cause White serious trouble, as the queen on f6 will be in danger. Thus, 4 ... 'fi°e75. l:lh3l:lg8 . In the event of S ...@g8 6.llf3 lld8 the threat of a sacrifice on f6 forces 7 .l:Iee3(7 ... bS 8Jhf6 'fi'xf6 9.'ifxh7+ 'it>f8 IO.llf3; 7 ...lll e4+ 8Jhe4 f6 9.llef4). 6.l:rf3 l:lg7 The square h7 is defended, and both 7 ...lll xg4 and 7 ...lll g8 are threatened. But the outcome of the game is decided by two deflectingblows. 7.llxf6 ! If it were not for this move, Black would be win ning the game. Now, however, he has to resign. After7 ...'l'xf6 there follows 8.lllxh7!, and in or der to avoid mate, Black has to surrender his queen: 8 ...'ifxfl + (8 ..Jlxh 7 9.'l'f8#) 9.lle2 'i'xh4 1 o.'i'xh4 l:lxh7. after which further resis tance makes no sense (Neishtadt-Szeiler, corre spondence game, I 9 6 3I 64). 362 Solutions: Examination (No 381-736) 731 By playing 1.d7! White gives up a pawn, but creates a mating net, exploiting the weakness of the dark squares. l ... lld8 2.°i'f6! If now 2 . . . 'i'xd7, then 3.�gS!, first driving the rook from the cl-file (so that Black will not have the move ...°i'd7 -d4), and then 4.�h6. But after 2 .. Jhd7 3.�h6 the move 3 ...°i'd4 is possible. What then? 4.l:tel! and after 4 ... .ie4 ( 4 ..Jld8 s.'i'xd4; 4 ...�e 6 S.llxe6!) - 5.l:txe4. Black resigned (Dobierzin-Bansch, Halle 1977). 363 Improve Your Chess Tactics 732 Black was not afraid of the move 8.�.xf7+. By giving up his queen with 8 ... @xf7 9.�xd8, he gets a new one: 9 ...cx b2+ 1 O.We2 bxal 'fH and as a result, establishes a large material advantage. In this position, Black stopped calculating ... and found himself being mated: 11.CiJgS+ Nimzowitsch's old advice and play S . . . �e6!. 733 The paradoxical move 1.�g8! wins. Mate is threatened on h7, so there is no choice - 1 .. Jhg8 2.�f7! lhg6 3.fxg6, and mate in three moves (study by B. Lasker). 364 Solutions: Examination (No 381 -736) 734 By means of a piece sacrifice, Black penetrates the enemy position with his queen. Then by bringing up the reserves, he crowns the anack. l ...eS ! Chasing the king out with the pieces currently available fails: I ...'i' h I + 2 .@e 2 'I'g 2+ 3. We I 'i'xg3+ 4.@d2 ll'ixe3 {4 ...1Vx e3+ 5.Wc2) SJH3 'iVxgS 6.fxgS ll'ixd l 7.Wxd l. Or 3 ... ll'ih2! (in stead of 3 ...'i'xg 3+) 4.1fe2 �xg3+ S.@d I ll'ixfl 6.'i'xfl , with equality. 2.dxeS ll.Jdxes+ 3.fxeS ll'ixes+ 4.@f4 ll'ig6+ s.wf3 With such an enemy king, Black is naturally not satisfied with the perpetual check on cS and g6. Now his hitherto slumbering queen's bishop comes into the game. 5 .. .f4! 6.exf4 6.gxf4 ll'ih4#or 6 ...llJe S#. 6 ...�g4+ ! 7 .@xg4 White could have avoided mate by giving up his queen, but of course, this would not have saved the game. 7 •••ll.Jes + 8.fxeShS # (Gli.icksberg-Najdorf,Wa rsaw 1929). 'The Polish Immortal', as Tartakower dubbed the game. 365 Improve Your Chess TC1ctics 735 There followed 3.CL.JdS'i'd7. On 3 ...'i'd8 (3 ... 't1Hxc2? 4.tlJxe7+ and S.WixhS+) there comes 4.ll.xc8 �xc8, and 5.g6! wins: S .. .fxg6 (5 ...exf 3 6.tlJxe7+; 5 ....�.f6 6.CL)xf6+ exf6 7 .'i'xhS fxg6 8.'i'xg6+ Wh8 9.Wihs+@g8 10.Whl) 6.tlJxe7+ @f7 7.tlJgS+ ©xe7 (7 ...We8 8.ll.xf8+ �xf8 9.tlJxc8 'i'xc8 IO.Wixe4+ or 8 ...\t>xf 8 9.Wif4+ �fs I O.t2Jxg6+) 8.t2Jf7+ and 9 .t2Jxd8. But 3 ...�xd S ! ? 4.ll.xc7 lixc7may be less clear. 4.tlJf6+! The knight must be taken, after which the g-fileis opened. As distinct from the previous variation, here 4.g6 does not work - Black replies 4 ....ix dS. After S.'i'xhS fxg6 6.'i'xdS+ e6 7 .'i'xb3 �xc2 8.'i'xc2exf 3 he has a material advantage. 4 ... exf6 S.gxf6 The rook on c2 and the knight are attacked, but Black must defend against 6.'i'gS. s . .. 'i'fS If 5 ....ixf6 6.'i'xf6 �xc2, then 7 .�h6 and Black is mated. 6.tlJel ! The most decisive continuation of the attack. It may be that the following head-spinning varia tion is also favourable: 6.fxg7 nfe8 7 .t2Jd4t2Jxd4 8.�xfS tlJxfS 9.'i'xhS l2Jxg7 10.lig2 exd3 366 Solutions: Examination (No 381 -736) l l .'t+Yg4 5hg2 l 2 ..�.h6 @fg I L� xg7 + and I 4.Wxg2, but the tempting 6.l::tg2 exf3 7 Jlxg7 + Wh8 8.�gS meets a refutation: 8 .. J1g8 9.'i'xhS+ 'i'Hh7. 8.SZ.g5 (instead of 8 . .rigS) also fails. Then 8 .. .f2+! 9 . .ld.xf2 "�.f3 10.'tWxhS+ �.xhS J 1..tlfxf5 llcS, and here Black also wins. The continuation 6.CiigS 'i'g6 7.fxg7 l::tfe 8 8 . .trxc8 .Q.xc8 9 .dxe4 (9 .lhf7 exd3) 9 ...Ite 5 or 9 .. .fS is unclear. 6 . .. �e5 7.l:Ig2tbd4 Or 7 ...ex d3 8.llxg7+ Wh8 9 .IlgS �xe3+ I O.Wh2 'Wle2+ I 1.Uf2, and Black cannot avoid mate. 8 . .l::rxg7 + ©h8 9.�xd4 '&'xd4+1 O.llf2llc5 If I O ...'t/Ue S, then I J .d4!. Black has defended against mate on hS, but after 1 1.�f4 he has no defenceagainst the mate on h6. (Neishtadt-Abramov, Moscow 1953). The combination which occurred in the game could have been prevented by playing, instead of 2 .. .fxe4, the move 2 ...'i'd7 . 367 Improve Your Chm Tactics 736 White cannot make a new queen because of 3 .. JkI+ , and he is still threatened with 3 ...d I 'i'#.He has perpetual check, it is true, by decoying the enemy king to f8 : 3.°i'f8+ Wxf8 4.d8'i'+ Wg7 S.°i'd4+ or 3.'i'aI+ Wh7 (3 .. .f6 4.'i'xf6+ and 5.d8'fH+)4.'i' h8+ Wxh8 5.d8't!V+ Wh7 6.'i'h4+. However, White has more than just a draw. 3.'i'xf3 Suicide? No, a win! Black resigned, without wait ing for 3...l:lcl + 4.'i'dl ! (whilst apparently just stopping the enemy pawn promoting, White forces transition into a technically winning pawn ending!) 4 ...I:Ix dl+ 5.�e2 I:Ib l 6.d8'i' dl'i'+ 7.'i' xd 1 l:lxd 1 8.Wxd l , and the healthy extra h-pawn renders further resistance pointless (Ermenkov- Sax, Warsaw 1969). 368 Index of Players Numbers refer to pages. A B Bialas 256 Aaron 250 Bahurin 78 Bielicki 206. 285 A hence 34 Bachmann 284 Bigaliev 36 Ahrahams 16, 252 Bagirov 216, 267 Bilek 345 Ahramov 240, 367 Bajar 35 Birnberg 335 Ahrosimov 259 Bakonyi 248 Bisguier 214 Adam 186 Balanel 194 Bicalzadeh 273 Adams,W 198, 336 Balashov 312 Bjorkqvist 274 Adianco 78 Balicinov 188 Blanc 287 Adorjan 7 5, I 09 Balogh 18 Bies 266 Agababian 280 Balshan 346 Bliimich 35 Agdeslein 265 Bannik 213, 277 Boden 245 A hues 32, 265 Ban sch 363 Bogatyrev 216 Aitken 358 Banusz 257 Bogdanovic,R. 201 A lapin 255 Bar On 287 Bogdanovich,G. 303 Alhin 258 Baranov 57 Bogoljubow 70 Alekhine 57, 63, 75, 187, Barcza 186, 340 Boguszlavszky 342 215, 220, 28 1, 329, 345 Barczay 202, 224 Boichev 252 Alexander 17 Bareev SO, 316 Bolhochan 261 Alexeev 20 Barendregt 360 Boleslavsky 81 Alivirta 33 Basagic 349 Bo logan 84, 225 Alterman 331 Basman 346 Bonch Osmolovsky 258 Amaranta 250 Basos 272 Bondarevsky 241, 319 Ambainis 259 Bataev 364 Boneo 291 Anand 289 Batoczky 239 Bonne 234 Anderson,S. 33 Bacurinsky 266 Book 254 Andersson, U. 204 Bauer 303 Booth 349 Antoshin 340, 359 Bauer.]. 350 Borbely 110 Apartsev 191 Baum 219 Borisenko,G. 272 Apscheneek 271 Baumscark 70 Borisenko, V. 275 Aravin 56 Bebchuk 277, 308 Borodin 316 Arkhipkin 318 Becher 327 Bo rt a 331 Arnaudov 215 Becker 184 Bot sari 61 Arnegaard 98 Bednarski 333 Bocvinnik 12, 195, 211, 311 Arnold 232 Belenky 183 Bouaziz 38 Aseev 288 Belecsky 251 Bouwmeester 195 Ashin 187 Beliavsky 13 Braga IO Asmundsson 107 Bellon Lopez 250, 290 Brandies 221 Atlas 17 Beloushkin 264 Bravo 184 Auerbach 228 Belov 184, 214 Brenninkmeijcr 113 Augustin 218 Bclyaev 3�3 Bronstei n 18, 71, 196, 260, Auzins 49 Beni 788 306, 312, 348 Averbakh 268, 280, 308 Benini 336 Brownl' 109, 186, 197, 250 Aver kin 205 Benko �9' 19 7 Briil' knl' r 327 Avirovic 269 Berihcsov 80 Bruwn 310 Avrukh 331 Bernstein 194- 19�. l�H. B11lrnov 295 261, 297-298 B11dovich 113 369 [mprovc: Your Chm Tactics Bueno 212 D Englisd1 189 Bukic 226, 236 Dahl 62 Erdclyi 224 Buksa 273 Daly 78 Enncnkov 368 Bulach 87 Daniclsson 238 Estrin 205 Burn 77 Darga 354 Euwe 32, 34, 262, 336 Busvin 335 Dartov 296 Evans 214 Bumorius 245 Daudzvardis 303 Evsccv 251 Buturin 306 Davidson 32 Ezersky 195 Bykov 62 De Dovitiis 190 Byme,R. 32, 322 De Mey 216 F Byvshev 20, 335 De Rooi 26 1 Farago, I. 255, 345 Delmar 227 Farago,S. 36 Dely,P. 194, 338 Farboud 1 83 c Demetriescu 186, 210 Fatalibekova 70 Capablanca 189, 191, 195, Dexter 266 Fazekas 349 275, 281 Diaz, A 302 Fedorov 203 Cardoso 312 Dietze 213 Fcldmus 357 Casas 356 Diez Del Corral 295 Felmy 21 Casper 31 Dike hit 99 Fercec 108 Castaldi 249 Dille 196 Fernandez 50 Castaneda 20 Djuric 253 Fialkowski 213 Catozzi 10 Dobierzin 363 Filip 35 Cebalo 253 Dobosz 194 Finn 77 Chaplinsky 254 Dobrev 252 Finotti 226 Chaviano 304 Doda 357 Firman 266 Chekhov 285 Domuls 249 Fischer 18, 39, 202, Chekhover 217 Donner 198, 255 322 Cheparinov 278 Doroshkievich 188 Fletcher 28 1 Cherepkov 213 Dreev 316 Flohr 76 Chernikov,P. 187 Drelinkiewicz 239 Florian 331 Chernousov 76 Drimer 31 Fogel,D. 35 1 Chernov 246 Dudzinskis 49 Foldi 331 Chiburdanidze 300 Dueball 224 Freeman 75 Chigorin 227, 251, 307, Durao 10 Freiman 84, 199 314 Duras 232, 27 5 Fridman 320 Chistiakov 99, 208, 321 Durka 249 Friedman 41 Chodera 244 Duz Khotimirsky 277 Fritsche 270 Chudinovskykh 276 Dziuba 247 Fuchs 238 Cody 245 Furman 356 Cordingley 17 E Fuster 18 Cortes 278 Eberle 298 Cortlever 333 Eckhardt 33, 337 G Costantini 247 Egin 27 1 Gabaidullin 35 Cramling 211 Ehlves t 195 Gadjily 207 Cruz Lima 10, 301 Eidelson 233 Galliamova 317 Csom 56, 233, 347 Eken berg 343 Gaprindashvili 34, 296 Csonkics 211 Eliskases 78 Garcia Martinez,O. 2 79 Cuadras 235 Emelin 274 Garcia Martinez,S. 290 Cuero Reid 108 Emelyanenko 16 Gasparian.M. 81 Cvitan 108 Emmerich 280 Gavrilov 345 Engels 99 Gdanski 266 370 Index of Players Geller 11, 243, 260, Heemsoth 34, 253 Janowski 221 -222, 343 306, 355 Heidenreich 314 Jansson 193, 341 Gelner 303 Heisenbiittel 253 Jaworski 223 Gendel 215 Helmertz 352 Johannessen 83 Georg adze 270 Henneberger 292 Johansen 228 Gerasimov 279 Hernandez,A. 10 Johansson 343 Gerchikov 38 Hernandez,An. 287 Johner,H. 293 Gershon 85 Hernandez.Ge. 287 Jompos 270 Giustolisi 198 Herrmann,H. 215 Jones,G. 107 Glass 33 Herrmann,K. 80 Jones,!. 224 Glehov 282 Herrou 274 Juarez 340 Gligoric 204, 223, 334 Hertneck 283 Judd 325 Gliksman 184 Hever 192 Just 291 Gliicksberg 365 Hindre 238 Gnegel 108 Hirschbein 84 K Gogolev 111 Hjelm 232 Kaabi 293 Goldenberg 246 Hofer 21 Kabatianski 256 Goldin 240 Holzhauer 308 Kadimova 61 Golovnev 286 Holzl 78 Kagan,B. 229 Goltsov,L. 320 Honfi 32, 193, 202, 220 Kahn,E. 257 Gongora 302 Honig 305 Kahn,V: IOI, 194 Gorchakov 265 Honlinger 225, 229 Kaikamdzozov 18 Gordeev 326 Horberg 280 Kalandadze 330 Grabow 268 Horowitz 242, 268 Kaliansundaram 99 Gran 282 Hort 12, 62 Kalinitschew 40 Green 358 Horwitz 203 Kallai 285 Grigorian,K. 102 Hoxha 56 Kamarainen 265 Grodner 334 Hradeczky 234 Kaminer 311 Gri.infeld 341 Hromadka 279 Kamishov 190 Gudju 204 Hi.ibner 55, 109, 191, 271, Kan,!. 246-247 Guldin Ill 294 Kanchev 309 Gulko 102 Hiibner,W 185 Kapanadze 256 Gunsberg 330 Hug 246 Karacsony 110 Guseinov 271 Hulak 320 Karafiath 85 Gutkin 262 Hussong 80 Karasik 273 Gutman 245 Karjakin 37 Gygli 292 Karlsson 245 Ilivitsky 32, 40, 293 Karner 203 H Ilyin-Genevsky 218 Karpov 56, 294, 319 Haase 69 Isakov 288, 341 Karstens 332 Haik 186, 191, 253 Ivanchuk 339 Kartanaite 315 Halfdanarson 254 Ivanka 197, 338 Kasparian 36 Hall 227 Ivanov 271 Kasparov 197, 251, 254, 286 Hallbauer 77 Ivanov, V: 364 Kataev 97 Hardicsay 234, 277 lvanovic 219, 259 Katalymov 186 Harrwitz 64 lvarsson 341 Keene 324 Hartlaub 343 lvkov 49, 55, 253 Keller 190 Hartmann 299 Ke res 12, 185, 188, 204, Harts ton 187, 204, 289 274, 306 Hazai 255 Jablonicky 249 Khagurov 334 Heaton 245 Jakobsen 205 Khalifman 195, 288, 309 371 Improve Your Chess Tactics Khamatgaleev 244 Kozakov 306 Leopold 265 Klmnracv 331 Kozlov 346 Lcpek 19 Khardin 281 Kozlowski 329 Lerner 247 Kharitonov 263 Kramer 298 Lelov 244 Khasangarin 251 Kramer,G. 336 Leven fish 84. 242. 347 259 26 1 Khenkin.V Kramer,H. Levin, M. 314 Khrnelnitsky 256 Kramnik 254, 260 Levitina 34 Klmlmov 267, 284 Kramz 230 Lilie11thal 83. 292. 340 Khudyakov 260 Krasenkow 50 Lima 267 Kieninger 215 Kratkovsky 112 Lipok 108 Kiffmeyer 191 Krause 269 Lisilsin 24 1, 254, 284 Kiselev,S. 332 Kreizahler 294 Liskov 272 Kishiniuk 266 Kremenietsky 76 Litvinov 278 Kislov 80 Kristanov 87 Limov 311 Kitanov 219 Kmchev 198 Lobanov 229 Klaman 254, 348 Kruppa 344 Lokasto 335 Klaus 81 Krutikhin 254 Lopez.B. 286 Klavins 210 Krylov 199 Lputian 339 Klimov 251 Kubbel.A. 218 Luik 238 Klisch 351 Kubicek 12. 208 Lukin 203, 345 Klovans 323 Kuindzhi 270 Lund 302 Kim.a 199 Kunde 268 Lundin 192 Kmoch 210 Kupreichik 221, 228, 270 Lundqvisl 193 Knutsen 33 Kurze 318 Lyublinsky 266 Koblents 82, 299 Kutanaviciene 315 Kochiev 246 Kuzmin,G. 295 M Kofman 228, 311 Kuznetsov 318 Machulsky 216 Kogan,B. 296 Kwilecki 39 Mackenzie 21 Kogan,E. 317 Madler 81 Kolevit 56 L Madsen 19 a i K l sch 63 Labutin 346 Maier 209 Kolker 243 Lane 218 Makogonov 76, 217, 30 1 Kolpakov 186 Landau 11,271,292 Makov 225 Komliakov 207 Lange 238 Malaniuk 300 Kondohn 41 Lanka 293 Malevinsky 256 Konstantinopolsky 335 Lanni 261 Malich 212 Konstantinov 355 La psis 112 Malinin 37 Koone n 19 Larsen 57' 185 Malisheva 232 ordun K ar 89 Lasker,B. 229, 364 Manca 10 K rnec o v 272 Lasker, Ed. 224 Mandel 293 Kortchnoi 348 Lasker, Em. 262, 350 Mandel,W 77, 318 Kosikov 113 Lauberte 233 Mann 307 mse N . Kosi va , 338 Lauti er 286 Manvelian 36 Kosolapov 342 Lazarevic 338 Marciniak 194 Kostir 225 Lebredo 304 Marco 65, 28 1 Kot lo man 69 Lechtynsky 208 Marie 246, 334 Kotov 208, 235, 284, 298 Lee 277 Marin 332 Kouatly l. 55, 264 Lei fold 294 Mariotti 263, 364 Ko ac v s 27 3, 288 Leiss 190 Markov 97 Kovall•nko 30 1 Lelchuk 195 Markushev 21 l Koval('V 260 Lengyel 237, 338, 36 1 Maroczy 99, 200, 302 372 Index of Players Marovic 236 Murey 191, 237 Nugent 77 Marshall 112 Murugan 252 Nunn 347 Martin 211 Martinez 322 0 Matanovic 290 N O'Kelly de Galway 216 Matokhin 295 Naegeli 215 Ojanen 41 Matsumoto 300 Nagy 210, 239 Olafsson,F. 268 Matulovic 212 Naipaver 266 Olariu 250 Maximov 312 Najdorf 261, 272, 279, Olsen 205 Mayet 64, 220 313, 365 Ongemakh 184 Mechkarov 18, 269 Nakhimovskaya 27 5 Opocensky 279 Mecking 20 1 Napolitano 19 Oraevsky 295 Medina Garcia 98, 282 Naranja 200 Orbaan 339 Meitner 201, 290 Nasonov 321 Orienter 199 Meo 198 Naumkin 287 Orlov 208 Mestrovic 349 Naumov 188 Ormos 239 Metger 221, 261 Navarovszky 298 Ornstein.A. 237, 278 Metzing 228 Navrodsky 97 Ornstein,P. 81 Michielsen 287 Nazarenus 250 Ortueta Esteban 100 Mickelcit 207 Nedeljkovic,S. 290 Ostertag 338 Mieses 235, 318 Nei 204, 352 Oszvath 32 Mihevc 280 Neibult 317 Mikenas 18, 187 Neiksans 289 p Mikhailov-Berezovsky 3 23 Neiman 69 Pacheco 284 Mikhalchishin 82, 30 I Neishtadt 57, 8S, 362, 367 Paeren 223 Mikhalevski I 0 Nesis 243 Palamik 344 Mikkov 203 Nette 34 Palau 305 Miladinovic 248 Neumann 113 Panchenko 70, 263 Mileika 19 Nezhmetdinov 49, 276, Panczyk 17 Miles 38, 222, 328, 332 342, 3SS Pankratov 83 Miljanic 21 Nguyen Anh Dung 309 Panno 183, 184 Minev 28S Niedermann 303 Panov 20, 240, 301 Minic 193, 352 Nikolac 299 Paoli 189 Miranda 278 Nikolaev 273 Paramonov 183 Mista 199 NikolicY 299 Parma 200 Mititelu 188 Nikolov 87, 249 Paromov 260 Mjagmarsuren 202 Nikonov 281 Parr 64 Mnatsakanian 269 Nimzowitsch 63, 98, 302, Pascual Perez 301 Modrova 333 332, 345 Patience 99 Moiscev,O. 82 Ninov 289 Pavey 242 Moiseev,V 320 NN 21,78, 86, 101, 1 12, Pavlenko 207 Mandolfo 63 113, 189, 209, 222, 231, Pavlov,N. 3S3 Moritz 280 245, 251, 260, 268-269, Pawelczak 234 Morphy 301 275, 283, 297, 300-301, Pedrosa 339 Mortensen 324 304, 313, 3 18, 329, 333, Peev 2S3 Movsesian 84, 248 344 Pelaez 190 Mross 256 Noordijk 243 Pelts 264 Mudrov 259 Nouisseri 333 Peng Zhaoqin 317 Mukhina 207 Novo pa shin 3S3 Penrose SS, 192, 289 Munk 283 Novotelnov 11, 268 Peptan 185 Muraviov 276 Nowrouzi so Perea 310 373 Improve Your Chess Tactics Pereira ,R. 258 Prokopovic 258 Rossetto 3 12 Pereira,S. 258 Przepiorka 32 Rossolimo 75, 86, 189, 252 Percnyi 22 1 Puiggros 339 Rotstein 350 Pcres ipkin 285 Pustovoitov 33 1 Rovner 111, 190 Perez.J. 286 Pytel 193 Rozenberg 8 5 Perlis 102 Pytlakowski 194 Rubinstein 57, 63. 8f. 200, Petkevich 20 202, 2 10 Petrosian 49 , 204 Q Ruchicva 2 33 Petrov 87 Quimeros 264 Riimmler 207 Petrov, A. 315 Russell 33 Petrushansky 188 R Riister 298 PeLUrsson 265 Rabinovich,!. 199 Ryabov 240 Piauini 356 Radulescu 285 Rybl 203 Picrn 279 Radulov 263 Rytov 256 Pidoric h 76 Ragozin 20, 81, 230, 235. Pietzsd1 208. 238 242, 258, 284, 305 s Pi;:its 112, 196 Raitza 31 Sacchetti 31 1 Pihajlic 197 Ramirez 278 Sajtar 2 13 Pillsbury 227 Rantanen 342 Sakaev 50 Pilnik 337 Rashkovsky 326 Sakser so Pimenov 110 Raubitschck 281 Sa lvio 240 Pinkas 213 Rautenberg 346 Samarin 359 Pinter 277 Ravinsky 40, 55, 347 Samkov 61 Piotrowski 20 1 Rayner 255 Sandler 236, 257 Pirc 32, 62 Razuvaev 20, 297 Sandlik 203 Pirogov 183 Ree 24 1 Sanguincni 340 Pirrot 283 Reefsch lager II0 Samasiere 198 Pisarsky 21 1 Reggio 336 Santos 50 Pitzhelauri 288 Reinhardt 226 Sanz Aguado 100 Plan inc 109, 212 Reis 259 Sarapu 244 Platz 29 1 Reshevsky 18, 249. 259, 300 Sarno 261 Pogats 192 Reshnski 39 Savic 352 Po lees 76 Re ti 70, 200 Savon 278 Polgar.J. 283 Ribeiro 277 Sax 264, 32 1, 368 Polugaevsky 21,62, 100 Ribli 109 Schaffer 40 Polyak.£. 89, 228, 314 Richardson 227 Schallopp 22 1 Polyansky 38 Richter 78, 209, 23 1, 297 Schiffers 227. 255 Pomar Salamanca 212, 235 Rochev 78 Schlechter 102, 290 Popov 16 Rodi 35 Schlensker 346 Popov,N. 353 Rodrigues 259 Schlosser 309 Popovic 184, 219 Rodriguez 240 Schmaltz 310 Porat 272 Rodriguez Va rgas 268 Schmid 75 Portisch 12. 19, SS, 200, Rogard 245 Schneider 328 237. 267, 271,355, 360 Romanishin 226, 320 Schneider, L.A. 278 Porubszky 211 Romanov, A. 49, 214 Schulten 203 Pospisil 190 Romanovsky 336 Schultz 62 Potze 273 Romi 302 Schulz 225 Prandstetter 269 Romisch 37 Schuppler 305 Pribyl 237 Rosenblatt 13 Schurade 17 Pritchett 222 Rosenstein 223 Segal 2 67 Privara 12 Roson 29 1 Seipel 98 374 Index of Players Sl'irawan 27S Speelman 241 Testa 343 Sellberg 230 Spielmann I I . 2 2 S. 2 2 9. 27S Thelen 244 Semeniuk 248 Spiridonov 20S Thomas 191 Semenova 233 Stahlberg 184. 188, 192, 279 Thomson 320 Seppeur 110 Stahlflinga 282 Thornblom 41 Sergeev 70 Stam ma 270 Thynne 2S2 Sergievsky 276 Stanciu 31 Tiebergcr 239 Ser per 309 Stefanova 18S Tiemann 274 Sgurev 269 Stcfansson,H. 289 Tietz 37, 32S Shain 276 Stein,K. 248 Tikhonenkov 198 Shamal'v 224 Stein,L. 267 Tilson 99 Shantharam 2S2 Steinitz 32S Tim man 212, 299, 332 Shashin,B. S6 Stepanov 211 Timofeev 229 Shebarshin 262 Stephenson 192 Tishler 217 Shckhtman 183 Sternberg 234 Titenko 237 Shclochilin 187 Stolberg 82, 110 Titkos 270 Shereshevsk y 22 1 Stoltz 13, 62, 98, 199, 337 Tkhelidze 262 Shernetsky 243 Suetin 20 1, 209 To bak 6S Shirov 283 Suhle 220 To lush 20, 188, 340, 3S4 Shc>fman 293 Sunni 33 To m pa 274 Shubin 296 Sushkevich 21S Tomson 277 Shulman 2S7, 3S7 Suta 189 To rnay Gomez 108 Shumov 247 Suteu 189 To rre Repetto 224, 319, 336, Sidcif Zade 247 Svenn 26S 341 Siegel 10 Sveshnikuv 26S, 271, 273. Tregubov 274 Sigurjonsson 230 321 Trifunovic 2SO Sikorova 333 Szabo 248, 274 Trockenheim 23 1 Silins 6S Sze iier 362 Trager 18S Si mag in SS, 71. 196, 272, Szilagyi 21 Troitzky 107, 326 297 Sznapik 196 Triilsch 314 Sindik 2S3 Szollosi 342 Tseshkovsky 228 Sinoviev 62 Tsvetkov 21S Skorpik 263 T Tunik 246 Skotorenko 202 Ta girov 269 Tylkowski IOI Skuja 8S Ta imanov 243, 300, 319 Skunda 249 Ta i 98, 186, 197, 209, 264, u Slavchev 249 299, 333, 342, 344, 3S2 Ubilava 3S6 Sliwa 13, 3S7, 361 Ta n 201 Ufimtsev 224, 319 Smagin so Ta nin 312 Ugoltsev 187 Smederevac 282 Ta rasevich 206 Uhlmann 81, 18S, 194, 208, Smejkal 7S Ta rasov 199 308 Smetankin 262 Ta rrasch 33, 227. 330, 337. Ukhimura 276 Smirnov 296, 3SO 343 Ullrich 332 Smyslov 189, 279, 28S, Ta tai 364 Unzicker 208, 244, 264 348 Ta vadian 13 Urzica 220 Soderborg 263 Ta vernier 334 Ustinov 32 Sokolsky 97 Te Kolste 30S Solmanis S6 Te nenbaum 201 v Soultanbeieff 316 Te nner 63 Vaisman 56 Sozin 262 Te rpugov 247 Vaisman,V 240 Spassky 20S, 306, 3S4 Te schner 19 Va jtho 307 375 Improve Your Chess Tactics Vallejo Pons 262 w Zakic 21 Van den Berg 198 Wade 304 Zakrzewski 33S Van der Mije 2S8 Walter 239 Zarovniatov 83 Van der Sterrcn 113 Weber 34 Zavarnitsky 79 Va n der We ide 333 Wehnert 190 Zaverniaev 260 Van der Wiel 264 Wernbro 3S2 Zavialov 191 Van Haastert 22S Westerinen S7, 230 Zazdis 24 1 Van Scheltinga 339 Wetzel 81 Zelinsky 202 Van Wijgerden 2SS Wexler 204 Zcmitis 24 1 Varavin 79 Wheatcroft 64 Zhdanov 112 Varjomaa 193 Wheeler 227 Zhdiandinov 82 Varshavsky 111 Whiteley 187 Zhelnin 214 Vatnikov 218 Wicdenkeller 27S Zhunusov 33 1 Vazhenin 22S Wilczynski 23 1 Zhuravlev,G. 214 Veingo ld 246 Wilhelm 209 Zhuravlev,N. 349 Ve limirovic 233 Wilson 29S Zhuravlev, V 210. 248, 2S6, Ve ltmander 100 Winawer 247 349 Ve resov 292, 30S Winter 16 Zilberman, Y. SS Verbci 296 Wirthensohn 17 Zilberstein, V 292 Vidmar 34 Wisznewetzki 228 Zimmermann,F. 18S Vietal 218 Winek 20 1 Zinkl 22 1 Vinklar 263 Wo ichechowski IOI Zinman 69 Vladimirov, E. 263 Wo lf 77 Zinn 273, 285 Voitsekhovsky 3S, 236 Zlotnik 206 Vo jtkevics 19 y Znosko-Borovsky 307 Volk 13 Yablonsky 61 Zarin 286 Volkevich 272 Yates 200, 336 Zotov 282 Volkov 334 Yudovich 230 Zuckerman 2S2 Vologin 250 Yuriev 217 Zucks 303 Von Bardeleben BS Ziiger 309 Von Popiel 6S z Zuidema 234 Von Scheve 202 Zagoryansky 196, 216, 354 Zwaig 322 Vouldis 310 Zak 82 376 Explanation of Symbols D White to move • Black to move Good move II Excellent move ? Bad move ?? Blunder !? Interesting move ?! Dubious move @ King 'i' Queen 1:1 Rook Bishop tl) Knight The chess board with its coordinates: 8 I '1.t'!'� .t'1 I 7 iiiiiiii 6 5 4 3 2 � ··�· � ·� � ··� � � ttJ�'[email protected]� abcdefgh 377 Glossary of Te rms Attack Combination When a piece is threatened by capture A clever and more or less forced se or a king is threatened by checkmate. quence of moves which usually results in an advantage for the player who Back rank starts the sequence. The first rank (for White) or the eighth rank (for Black). Connected pawns A number of fe llow pawns on adjacent Blitz game files; they can protect each other and Quick game in which each player gets are usually less vulnerable than isolated fivemin utes (or less) fo rall his moves. pawns. Capture Correspondence game When a piece is removed by an enemy A game between two players who send piece, which then takes the place of the each other each move in turn by mail or captured piece. (in recent years) by e-mail. Castling Diagonal A move by king and rook that serves to A line of squares running from top left bring the former into safety and to acti to bottom right or the other way round vate the latter. The king is moved side (e.g. 'the a I -h8 diagonal '). ways two squares from its original square. At the same time, a rook moves Doubled (tripled) pawns from its original square to the adjacent Two (three) pawns on the same file (the square on the other side of the king. result of a capture by one (two) of these A player may castle to the kingside or pawns). the queenside, but only if both the king and rook in question have not moved Endgame/Ending before in the game, if his king is not in The final phase of a chess game, when check, and if his king does not pass a there are only few pieces left on the square on which it would be in check. board. Check En passant When a king is under direct attack by an When a pawn which has just moved opposing piece. forward two squares from its original square, is captured by an enemy pawn ( Check)mate standing immediately beside it. This When a king is under direct attack by an capturing pawn then occupies the opposing piece and there is no way to square behind the captured pawn, as if deal with the threat. it had made a normal capture. 379 Improve Your Chess Tallies En prise Liquidation When a piece is under attack and threat When the next phase of a game is en ened with capture. tered by an exchange of a number of pieces. Exchange I ) When both sides capture pieces that Major piece are of equal value. A synonym is trad A queen or a rook. ing or swapping pieces. 2) The surplus in value of a rook above Mating net a minor piece (a bishop or a knight). A situation where a king is attacked by enemy pieces and eventually cannot es Fianchetto cape the mate threat. The development of a bishop to the sec ond square of the adjacent file of the Middlegame knight (to b2 or g2 for White, to b7 or The phase of the game that follows im g7 for Black). mediately after the *opening. File Minor piece A line of squares from the top to the A bishop or a knight. bottom of the board (e.g. 'the e-file'). Open file/rank/diagonal Fork A file, rank or diagonal whose squares When two (or more) pieces are attacked are not occupied by pieces or, espe simultaneously by the same opposing cially, pawns. piece. Opening Fortress The initial phase of the game. A defensive formation designed to pre vent the opponent from breaking Opposition through. A situation where two kings are facing each other with one square in between. Fritz The king that is forced to move 'loses' A computer programme with which the opposition and has to make way for games can be analysed. the opponent. When the distance be tween the two kings is larger, but one of Isolated pawn the two cannot avoid 'losing' the oppo A pawn which does not have any fellow sition, the other is said to have the 'dis pawns on adjacent files. It cannot be tant opposition'. protected by another pawn and there fore may be vulnerable. Overburdening/Overload When a piece has to protect more than Kingside one fellow piece or square at the same The board half on the right ( e-, f-, g- and time and is not able to maintain this sit h-files). uation satisfactorily. 380 Glos.rnry of Terms Passed pawn Sacrifice A pawn that has no enemy pawns on the When material is deliberately given up same or an adjacent file. Its promotion for other gains. can only be prevented by enemy pieces. Sealed move Perpetual (check) A move which was written down and An unstoppable series of checks that kept in cover when a game was *ad neither player can avoid without risking journed. When the arbiter opened the a loss. This means that the game ends in cover, the game was resumed starting a draw. with the sealed move. In the meantime, the players were allowed to analyse the Piece position. All chessmen apart from the pawns. In this book, mostly queen, rook, bishop Simultaneous display and knight are meant because many tac An event where a strong player takes on tical motifs (sacrifices, for instance) a number of weaker players on a num cannot be carried out by a king. ber of boards at the same time. Pin Square An attack on a piece that cannot move One of the 64 sections of the chess away without exposing a more valuable board that can be occupied by a pawn, piece behind it. piece or king. Pins can take place on a rank, fi le or di agonal. Stalemate When a player who is not in check has Promotion no legal move and it is his turn. This When a pawn reaches the 8th rank, it is means that the game ends in a draw. turned into a more valuable piece (knight, bishop, rook or queen). Tempo The duration of one move made by one Queenside side. A tempo can be won or deliber The board half on the left (a-, b-, c- and ately lost by several methods, see e.g. d-files). 'Triangulation'. Rank Triangulation A line of squares running from side to A manoeuvre where the king first side (e.g. 'the third rank'). moves sideways and only then forward, in order to 'lose' a tempo, for example Rapid game to gain the opposition. Quick game in which each player gets fifteen to thirty minutes for all his U nderpromotion moves, sometimes added with a num The promotion of a pawn to a piece of ber of seconds after each completed lesser value than the queen. This is move. quite rare. 381 fmprove Your Chm Tactics Wing Zwischenschach Either the kingside or the queenside. An intermediate check, disrupting a logical sequence of moves. Zugzwang When a player is to move and he cannot Zwischenzug do anything without making an impor An intermediate move with a point that tant concession. disrupts a logical sequence of moves. 382 About the Author Born in Moscow in 1923 and raised there, Ya kov Isayevich Neishtadt became a living legend in Russian chess. He was already a first-category player at the beginning of Wo rld Wa r II, but then he had to serve his country in battle. After the war he started to play in tournaments again and be came a master of sports of the USSR as well as a world-class correspondence chess player and an arbiter. But Neishtadt is best known as an outstanding chess journalist. He has written more than twenty opening books, which have been published in a dozen languages. From 1955 to 1973 he was secretary of the magazine Chess in tile USSR, and from 1977-1979 an editor of the famous Soviet chess magazine 64. In 1992 Neishtadt moved to Israel with his family. There he is still writing books. Genna Sosonko, in the article 'Yakov Neishtadt at 80' in his book Smart Cliip from St. Petersburg (New In Chess, 2006) , called him 'a living treasure-trove of history, an ecdotes, incidents, events, memories of people, sketches.' 383 "By organizing and explaining the nature of great chess moves Hertan has brought us all closer to being able to find them." Former US Champion GM Joel Benjamin "Hertan develops the reader's skills methodically, thus enabling each tactical lesson to be learned and absorbed properly." Marsh Towers Chess Reviews "Thrilling, instructive and witty. Right on target." Cor Jansen, Provinciaalse Zeeuwse Courant "The categories in this book are quite unusual ( ..)A n ample and accurate collection of startling problems bulging with combinative surprises." Harold Dondis, The Boston Globe "Complete and entertaining." Francesco Benetti, Torre & Cavallo "The price is low for a volume with so many pages and so much content." Stephen Dann, Worcester Telegram & Gazette Paperback • 382 pages • € 24.95 • available at your local (chess)bookseller or at newinchess.com "A quality supply of superb examples and explanations." • Pete Ta mburro, Chesslife � I Chess Strategy "An outstanding positional primer." for Club Players Steve Goldberg, ChessCafe "One of my three favorite chess teaching books. Grooten supplies nice examples and great explanation in a very structured way." Jan van de Mortel, Chess Education Partners, Chicago IL "A fantastic book for chess training." Martin Rieger, Europa Rochade "The entire presentation is extremely well done ( ..) A fantastic and challenging book for ambitious and advanced club players." KARL Chess Magazine "The depth is very impressive, with lucidity and thoroughness going hand in hand." Marshtower Chess Reviews L.------Paperback . 400 pages • € 25.95 • available at your local khess\hnnk<:PllPr nr •• nnu.:--