December Tactical Position : Candidate Moves

White to play

The Rook in e1 is attacked by the knight in d3. Three choices

a) I am playing Re2
b) I am playing Re3
c) I am playing Rxe4

and with the best play with White, what is your assessment of the position ?

Take your time

the path to victory 07-05-2010

Black to play and win !

2 Grandmasters (both with Elo above 2600) were battling in the last round of the U.S World Open played in Philly,PA.

The crucial moment didn't come in the opening or in the ending but in the middlegame.
Black gained a decisive advantage here, taking advatange of 38 Re1-e2?

Tactics,Tactics

Hess-Van Wely (Foxwoods,CT 2009)

Black to play and win !

Note that the very strong dutchman did not find the winning move here and eventually drew the game against the american revelation IM Hess, soon to be GM.

Tactical Motif X: ZwischenZug (In-Between Move)

A Zwischenzug ( From the german move signifying intermediary move ; fr: coup intermediaire) is the motif where you can insert a move ( often a check but not necessarily so) in between a sequence to alter the course of action.


Illustration: Analysis position from (Fischer-Taimanov 1971 (6))

White to play
Here 1.Rc1 would lead to 1..Rc8 and Black is ok. Instead, White would win by playing 1Re2+!, a intermediary check moving away the Black king from the c-pawn.
Now on 1..Kf5 2.Nd6+! wins with 3 c8=Q.

The continuation would be 1 Re2+ Kf6 2 Rc2 Rc8 3 Nd6! wins because taking on c7 leads to 4 Ne8+, forking the Rook on c7 and the king on f6.

The Zwischenzug is a very sharp weapon.






Exercise:
Kramnik-Topalov 2006 ( The actual move leading to the world championship crown for Kramnik!).

Black just played ..Rxc5 expecting 1Rc5 Kb6 regaining the Rook. This is a major blunder by Topalov in the rapid game deciding the worldchampionship match.

Kramnik-Topalov, 2006

1. White to play and win (the world title!)

Tactical Motif IX: Clearance

Clearance is the tactic motif where one makes space for a different piece to join the action.

Illustration: Smejkal-Popov 1970

1.? White to play and win

White played 1 d5! clearing the a2-g8 diagonal. Because the double threat is to promote the pawn, Black has to play 1..cd5. Then 2.Bd5! wins the game as the Bishop attacks the rook as well as the knight in g8: 3.Re8 will win the knight on g8 ( double attack). Black resigned after 2.Bd5!









Exercise: Mikhalcissin- Chekhov 1977


1.? White to play and win

Tactical Motif VII: The pin

A pin (fr: le clouage) is a motif where the defending piece cannot move. A relative pin means that the piece can move but this will expose to a material loss following the pin. An absolute pin means that the piece cannot legally move ( as the King would be exposed to a check).

Illustration: the Pin


1. White to play and win (Karjakin-Kosteniuk, 2003)


White played 1.Ra8! deciding the game immediately. The point is that Black cannot play 1..Bxa8 because the bishop is pinned by the white bishop in b3, which is targetting the King in f7 as well.
Now 1..Ra8 follows 2 Bxd5+ and Bxa8 winning for White.
The Black rook has nowhere to go: Black resigned.
Note that White had to see this resource many moves ahead.







Now an exercise based on the same motif.

Black to play ( Kovacevic- Seirawan, 1980)

Tactical Motif VI : Attacking the King

Roughly 50% of all combinations are centered around attacking the king. Besides topical checkmates( Smothered,Boden,etc), there are numerous themes involving the king hunt.
Here we present examples where the bishop pair is instrumental in the attack.

King attack: Illustration

15.? White to play and win ( Lasker-Bauer 1889)
















This famous combination by Lasker , with a now thematic double bishop sacrifices,started with:

15.Bxh7+! Kxh7 16.Qxh5+ Kg8 17.Bxg7! ( Second bishop sacrifice, opening the king) Kxg7 18.Qg4+! Kh7 19.Rf3 e5 (only defense against Rh3) 20.Rh3+ Qh6 21.Rxh6+ Kxh6 22.Qd7! 1-0

Exercises (difficult level):
I Black to play and win (Rotlewi-Rubinstein 1907)

II: Black to play and win (Spassky-Tal, 1973)

Tactic Motif V: Skewer

The Skewer (Fr: Enfilade) consists in winning a piece located behind another one.

Adams-Anand 2005 (Corsica Rapid) Black to play

1..Rh1+! (using also the decoy theme, see previous posts)

2 Qxh1 Ra1+ Winning the queen.

This neat tactical point ensured that Anand won the game and the match moving forward in the competition

* * *

Black to play and win