WHITE TO MOVE

Not all combinations win material or mate. In the present example, White uncorks a nice tactic that gives him a clear positional plus: 1.Nf5!, taking advantage of Black’s undefended Bishop. Since both 2.Nxe7+ and 2.Qxg7 mate are threatened, and since 1…Qxg3 loses to 2.Nxe7+ (known as a zwischenzug – to read more about this, click HERE) followed by 3.fxg3, Black must play: 1…exf5 2.Qxb8 Rxb8 3.Rxe7 when the two Bishops vs. two Knights and White’s superior pawn structure give the first player an obvious advantage.

2) Black has just captured a “free” Knight on g5 with his pawn. Was this wise? Can White punish his opponent? Only give yourself credit if you figure out some serious details!

WHITE TO MOVE

J Polgar – Berkes, Budapest 2003

Black was most likely expecting 1.Bxa8 when 1…g4! is a strong response. In that case Black wins two pieces for a Rook since 2.Ne5 runs headlong into 2…Bg5. However, White has a surprise in store for her opponent.

1.g4!!

Freezing the g5-pawn and preparing h2-h4, which smashes open the h-file.

1...Rb8
2.h4 g6

Another defense is 2...gxh4, though here too White’s attack proves to be too much for the Black position: 3.g5 Kg8 4.Qf4 (4.Rxh4 f5 5.Bc6 is also possible.) 4...f5 5.Qxh4 fxe4 (5...Bd6 6.Bc6 Kf7 7.Rde1 gives White a winning attack.) 6.Qh7+ Kf7 7.Qh5+ g6 (7...Kg8 8.g6) 8.Qh7+ Ke8 9.Qxg6+ Rf7 10.Rh7 Bxg5+ 11.Nxg5 Qxg5+ 12.Qxg5 Rxh7 13.Qg6+ Rf7 14.Qxe6+ wins for White since the upcoming Rh1 leads to a crushing attack.

3.hxg5+ Kg7 4.Qf4 Bb7

Some pretty lines come about after 4...Rh8: 5.Rxh8 Qxh8 6.Ne5 Qg8 (6...Nxe5 7.Qxe5+ Kg8 8.Qxc7 Bxg5+ 9.Kb1) 7.Rh1 Bd6 (A mundane win results from both 7...Nf8 8.Nc6 and 7...Kf8 8.Rh8) 8.Rh7+!! Qxh7 (8...Kxh7 9.Qh2+ Kg7 10.Qh6 mate) 9.Qxf7+ Kh8 10.Nxg6+ Qxg6 11.Qxg6 mates by force.

5.Rh7+!!

Taking on b7 first would be a mistake since it trades off a potentially useful attacking piece for the non-participant on b7: 5.Bxb7? Rxb7 6.Rh7+ Kxh7 7.Qh2+ Kg8 8.Rh1 Bxg5+ 9.Nxg5 Kg7 10.Nxe6+! (Wisely bailing out for a draw since the very tempting 10.Qh7+ allows Black’s King a life-saving run by 10...Kf6) 10...fxe6 11.Qh7+ Kf6 12.g5+ Kf5 13.Qh3+ Kxg5 14.Qg3+ Kf6 15.Rh7 e5 16.Qf3+ Ke6 17.Qc6+ with a perpetual check.

5...Kxh7 6.Qh2+ Kg8 7.Rh1 Bxg5+ 8.Nxg5 Qxg5+

8...Kg7, which worked in the note to White’s 5th move, now fails because of the e4-Bishop’s pressure against f5 and g6: 9.Nxe6+! fxe6 10.Qh7+ Kf6 11.g5+ Kxg5 12.Qh4 mate.

9.f4 Qxf4+ 10.Qxf4 Bxe4 11.Qxe4, 1-0.

3) White appears to have a problem with his King. Is he doomed?

WHITE TO MOVE

Younkman – Coleman, correspondence 1915.

1.Qxg4+!!

1.Rxf8+ Kxf8 2.Qxg4 hxg4 3.Nc7 is also good, but the immediate capture on g4 is more accurate.

1...hxg4 2.Nc7 Qf6

Better but also hopeless was: 2...f5 3.Bc4+ Kh7 4.Rxf8 Qh1+ 5.Kf2 Ne4+ 6.Rxe4 when Black gets lots of checks but eventually they will run out and he’ll lose.

3.Rxf8+ Kxf8 4.Re8+ Kg7 5.Re6 Qh4

The other resignable possibility was 5...fxe6 6.Ne8+ Kf7 7.Nxf6 Kxf6 8.Bxa6.

6.d5+ f6 7.Bxf6+ Qxf6 8.Ne8+, 1-0.

4) Black has a slight problem with his development. Can White take advantage of this?

WHITE TO MOVE

Richardson – Mason, New York 1873

1.Bf6!

The threat of 2.Qxh6+ is annoying.

1…Kg8 2.Qg3 g6

Black’s light also dims after 2...g5 3.Bxg5 d5 4.h3 hxg5 5.Qxg5+ Kh8 6.Qh5+ Kg7 7.Qh7 mate.

3.Bxg6, 1-0.

5) This was given as a game from 1892 (Sieg – Gorlitz), but I’ll only believe that when I see the earlier moves. In the meantime I’m forced to conclude that this is a made up composition. White wins, but how?

WHITE TO MOVE

The published solution was: 1.Rxb7 Qxb7 2.Be4+ Kxe4 (2…Nxe4 Ne3 mate) 3.Nd6+ “winning.” All very pretty, but if you found that then you failed to solve the problem because the calm 3...Kd5 4.Nxb7 axb5 is not at all what White dreamed of!

Though there are probably several ways for White to win, the most accurate is:

1.Rh8!

Or 1...Qe7 2.Rh5+ e5 (2...Nxh5 3.Ne3 mate) 3.Nb6+ Ke6 4.Rh6+ Kf7 5.Rh7+.

1...axb5 2.Rxh4 bxc4

2...Qg7 3.Rg4! Qxg4 4.Ne3+ is a pretty white win.

3.Rd4+ Kc6 4.Rxc4+ and it’s all over.

6) Black has kingside space but white prefers to think of it as “kingside weaknesses.” How would you handle this position as Black?

BLACK TO MOVE

Snape - Ward, British Team Championship 2003

14...f4!

The greedy among you likely tried 14...exf3 15.Bxf3 g4, though in that case 16.Bxc6+ bxc6 17.Nf4 gives White an evergreen square on f4.

15.gxf4 Bxh3 16.Bxh3 gxf4 17.Bxf4

No better is 17.Rg1 Qh4+ 18.Bf2 Qxh3 19.Rxg7 e3 20.Bg1 Nge7 and white, thanks to the awful Bishop on g1, is in bad shape.

17...Qh4+ 18.Bg3 Qxh3 19.Nxe4 0–0–0 20.Nxd6+ Rxd6 21.Bxd6 Nxd4 22.Kf2 Nf5 23.Qd5 Bd4+ 24.Ke2 Nf6 25.Qe6+ Nd7 and Black went on to win in.

7) White can try 1.g4 here. Is this a good idea? Come up with details to support your yea or nay verdict.

WHITE TO MOVE

The idea behind 1.g4 is to torment Black after 1…Bg6 2.h4! when 2…h5 3.Nxg6 is strong. However, as well motivated as 1.g4 might be, it turns out to be far too risky:

1.g4? Nxe5 2.dxe5 Nxg4! 3.fxg4 Qh4+ 4.Kd1 Bxg4+ 5.Be2 Bxe2+ 6.Kxe2 Qg4+ 7.Kf2 Qf5+ 8.Kg2 Qxe5 and, with three pawns and the initiative for a piece, Black can be more than satisfied.

8) Does White have anything here? If so, he better prove it right now!

WHITE TO MOVE

J Gilbert – D Anderton, British Team Championship 2003

1.Ba5!

A tactic that achieves a clear positional plus.

1…Qxa5

There’s no hiding from the Bishop: 1...Qd6 2.Bb4! c5 3.Qxb7 Rc7 4.Bxc5 Nxc5 5.Qb4.

2.Nxd7 Rfd8 3.Nc5 with an enormous positional advantage for White thanks to the monster Knight on c5.

9) This is one of those “get his King before he gets mine” kind of positions. Can White successfully strike first?

WHITE TO MOVE

Trent - Tan, British Team Championship 2003

1.e7! Re8 2.Ne5! Ra7

On 2...a3 White just snips it off via 3.bxa3.

3.Rxg7! Kxg7 4.Qg3+ Kh8 5.Nf7+ Kh7 6.h5 Rg8 7.e8=Q! 1–0 since mate is forced. Nice!

10) White has a couple ways to win. However, one is far better than any other. Thus: be accurate!

WHITE TO MOVE

Plaskett - Lalic, British Team Championship 2003.

In the game White played the obvious 27.Bxe6+ Bxe6 28.Qd8+ Kh7 29.Qe8 Bxg4 30.Qe4+ Kh6 31.Qxb7 and went on to win. However, far stronger was:

27.Qd8+! Re8 28.Be6+!! Kh7 29.Qh4+ Kg6 30.Bxd7 Rxd7 31.Qh5+ picking up the Rook on e8 and forcing immediate resignation.