Sharpen up your mental reflexes with these basic yet juicy tactical tests.

WHITE TO MOVE

White wins by mixing an attack against g7 with back-rank threats: 1.Bh6! (And not 1.Bc3? Qf8 when the winning idea in the solution no longer works.) 1…Qf8 (Better is 1...Qxd1+ 2.Qxd1 gxh6 but White will eventually win after 3.Kg2) 2.Qxg7+! (The point. You didn’t get this problem right if you failed to notice this idea.) 2…Qxg7 3.Rd8+ Qf8 4.Rxf8 mate.

2) White is a pawn up and he threatens more gains by Bxd6 (winning the Queen) or Qxa7 (picking up another pawn). What can Black do?

BLACK TO MOVE

The tempting 1…Ne2+ isn’t bad, but after 2.Kh1 Qd3 3.Re1 Nxg3+ 4.hxg3 Rxf2 5.Kh2 White is still hanging on since 5…Rxa2?? 6.Re4 turns the tables. However, Black can detonate a bomb with 1…Qxg3!! when White has three replies, but they all fail: 2.Qe4+ Qg6 and Black’s a piece up and will easily win the game; 2.fxg3 Ne2+ 3.Kh1 Rxf1 mate; 2.hxg3 Ne2+ 3.Kh2 Rh6 mate.

3) Material is even but Black has the option of winning the white pawn on b3 by 1…Nxb3. Is this playable? If not, what do you think Black should do?

BLACK TO MOVE

Suicidal is 1...Nxb3?? 2.Nxb3 Rxb3 3.Bd5+ forking Black’s King and Rook. Instead, 1...Rxg3! 2.fxg3 Ne2+ 3.Kf2 Nxc1 wins a piece and the game.

4) White is staring at the target on c6 which appears to be adequately protected. Is this true? What is White’s best move?

WHITE TO MOVE

Did you fall for my nefarious trick? White can win the c6-pawn by 1.Nxc6 when 1…Nxc6 (1…Kh7 is better, but still miserable for Black) 2.Qxc6 (it turns out that 2.Qg4! wins on the spot) 2…Qxc6 3.Ne7+ leaves White a pawn up. As good as 1.Nxc6 is (after 1…Kh7 White has a huge but not completely winning advantage), White’s best move is 1.Qg4!, taking advantage of Black’s undefended Queen: 1…Ne6 (not 1…f6 2.Nxh6+ followed by 3.Qxd7) 2.Nxg7! when Black is dead meat.

5) This position occurred in a grandmaster game. It’s clear that Black’s Knight is far superior to White’s pathetic Bishop, but how did that translate into a win?

BLACK TO MOVE

In the game Tolush-Simagin, USSR 1952, Black won a piece by 1…Qg1+! 2.Kxg1 Nxe2+ followed by 3…Nxc1. Note that the tempting 1…Nh3??, threatening both 2…Qg1 mate and 2…Qf2 mate, loses to 2.Qc8+ Kg7 3.Qxh3.

6) An ugly position, to be sure. However, does White have a strong shot?

WHITE TO MOVE

No, White can’t win a tactical battle at the moment and should simply castle by 1.0-0, hoping to make use of his central space. For those that got excited over 1.f5 (apparently trapping Black’s Knight), you overlooked 1…Bxf5! 2.Nxf5 Qa5+ followed by 3…Qxf5 with an extra pawn for Black.

7) White appears to be lost. Is this so, or can he save the game?

WHITE TO MOVE

White wins on the spot with 1.Bg8! (And not 1.Re1?? cxd5 2.Qe8+ Qf8 3.Qxf8+ Rxf8 4.cxd5 Rd8 with Black on top) when the double threat of 2.Rxd6 and 2.Qxh7 mate leads to massive material gains.

8) White has been waiting for his opponent to give up for quite a while. True, Black can turn his a-pawn into a Queen and give check, but after White’s King moves to safety it seems that the many White mate threats should do the trick. Is it finally time for Black to lay down his arms?

BLACK TO MOVE

Black draws by force because none of his pieces (except the a-pawn) can legally move. This creates a stalemate possibility: 1…a1=Q+ 2.Kg2 Qh1+! (Forcing White to take the last mobile piece!) 3.Kxh1, stalemate/draw.

9) White has sacrificed a piece for a monster attack down the g-file. However, it seems that Black’s defenses are holding since …Bxg1, winning the g1-Rook, is threatened, and …Bg5, closing off the g-file, is also very annoying. Also note how the e5-Knight is keeping White’s pieces out of g6. Is White doomed?

WHITE TO MOVE

White has only one way to avoid defeat, but it turns out to be devastating: 1.Rh7+! (This is called a “clearance sacrifice.”) 1…Kxh7 2.Qg7 mate.

10) White has a lovely attacking position, but how can he break through?

WHITE TO MOVE

Alekhine - Em. Lasker, Zurich 1934. This very famous game features an aging Lasker fall victim to Alekhine’s tactical brilliance after 1.Nf5+ Kh8 2.Qxg6!, a move which prompted Lasker to resign immediately. You can’t blame him, since nobody would want to come face to face with 2…hxg6 3.Rh3+ Nh6 4.Rxh6 mate.