Quiz No.2 – Tactics Galore

By Louis Lima 

Here are twelve positions to stimulate your tactical senses. Some are hard. Some are easy. I flipped the board whenever it is “Black to Move” to let you feel being on the driver’s seat of the player uncorking the spectacular move.

If you would like a hint,  I provide you with the tactical theme at the end of the quiz.  The solutions can be found at the very end of this page. Don’t give up too easily! Your efforts will be rewarded in your games.

Position no. 1 – Black to Move - Kennedy vs. Dubois – London Telegraph Match 1862 

All of Black’s pieces are aiming towards the King. One will have to sacrifice itself to open the road to victory.

Position no. 2 – Black to Move – Schelecter vs Heinrich – DSB15 Congress 1906.

Too late to stop the g, but not too late to swindle a draw!

Position no. 3 – White to Move – Vassaux vs. Morrison – 8th Chess Olympiad, Argentina 1939

Strip Black’s King naked!

Position no. 4 - White to Move – Congdom vs. Delmar – USA Congress 1880

There is light at the end of the tunnel.

Position no. 5 – White to Move – Flores vs. Jhunjhnuwala – Luzern ol 1982

Black has just pushed the pawn to f6 in order to break the pin. Unfortunately this did not work thanks to a little deflection tactic. What did Carlos Flores played here?

Position no. 6 – White to Move – Flores vs. Elmejbri – Luzern ol 1982

White has a dangerous passed pawn but Black seems to barely be holding the position. It’s time to deflect one of the back rank defenders!

Position no. 7 – Topalov vs. Naiditsch – Dortmund 2005

Arcadij Naiditsch was the lowest rated player in this event, but won it ahead of world top ten players like Kramnik, Leko, Adams and Topalov! Here however, Topalov employes a back rank mating net to wrap up his game game against Naiditsch. Can you find it?

Position no. 8 – White to Move – Naiditsch vs. Leko – Dortmun 2005

Arkady Naiditsch won a clear pawn by visualizing a Rook and Bishop mating net. Can you see it?

Position no. 9 – White to Move – Nakamura vs. Kaufman – Washington Eastern Open 1999

Black is a pawn up, but Nakamura forced a draw in only three moves.

Position no. 10 – White to Move - Czerwonski vs. Polujahov – Bydgoszcz Pocztowy Open 1999

Black’s three connected passed pawns on the Kingside look mighty. Can you help White find an easy draw?

Position no. 11 – White to Move - Smolkov vs. Rumiantsev – Tchigorin Memorial 2002

One thing is to see  possibilities of 1. Bxh6 and 1. Rxh6 possibilities, and another is to work out the exact winning variations.

Position no. 12 – White to Move – Rosen vs Marquez – Paris 1900

White attacks on the Kingside, to get material on the Queenside. 

HINTS: Main Tactical Themes Involved in Each Position

Click here If you are unfamiliar with these tactical motifs to learn about tactis.

01. Row Clearance

02. Stalemating

03. Demolition of Pawn Structure

04. Stalemating

05. Deflection (Exploitation of a pin)

06. Deflection (Explotation of passed pawn)

07. Deflection (Exploitation of weak back rank)

08. File Clearance (Exploitatio nof weak back rank)

09. Visualize the position without White’s rooks.

10. Stalemating

11. Demolition of Pawn Structure

12. Demolition of Pawn Structure; Removal of the Guard

SOLUTIONS

1. Ng4!… Threatening mate on h1. If 2. fxg4 Rh3 and White’s king is surrounded.

2. 1…Re1+! Rxe1  stalemate.

3. 1. Rxh7+ Rxh7 2. Rxh7+ Kxh7 3.Qxf7 followed by Qxe7 with a winning advantage.

4. I disagree with those that say one should be a gentleman and resigned in a hopeless position, especially if Queens are still on the board. Here White stunned his opponent with 1…Qg8+! 2.Kxg8 stalemate.

5. 1.Rxc8 Qxc8 2.Bxd6 winning two minor pieces for the rook. This is a simple, yet good example of how white combined two tactical themes:(Pinning and Deflection)

6. Rxf4! Qxf4 2.Qxe7 (Threatening Qe8+ or d8=Q+) 2…Qf8 3. Qxg5+-

7. 1.Qf6+! Resigns. (1…Qxf6 Re8+)

8. 1.Bxa6! If 1…bxa6 2.Qxc6! (Deflection) 2…Qxf6 3.Rb8+ Bf8 4.Bh6 with mate to follow. Peter Leko saw all this and played 1…Na5 remaining a pawn down.

9. Hikaru rid himself of both rooks with 1.Rxa4+! Kxa4 2.Re5+ Ka6 (2…Rb4 3.Rxb4+ is equal) 3.Ra5+! Kxa5 stalemate. 

10. White stalemates with 1.Kxa8 Kc8 (Otherwise White playes Kb8 on his next move and queens the pawn on a7) 2.Bf4! gxf4 stalemate. if 2…g4 then White draws by keeping his Bishop on the h2-b8 diagonal to prevent the pawns from moving forward. 

11. 1.Bxh6! gxh6 2.Qe3! Ng4 The only move to give room to black’s pieces for the defense 3.Rxh6 Kg7 (If 3…Nxh6 4.Qxh6 and mate to follow) 4.Rh7+ Kxg5 5.Qe4+ Rf5 (5…Kg5 6. Rg7+ wins) 6.Qg4+ Rf5 7.Qxg4+ Bg5 8.Qh5+ resigns (8…Kf6 9.Qf7 mate).

12. Bxh6! gxh6 2.Qxh6 Qh7 3.Qxh7+ Kxf7 4.Bxb7 (Removing the defender of the c5 Bishop, the main point of the entire combination). 4…Bxf2+ (Desperadoing the Bishop) 5.Kxf2 Bxb7 6.Nxc5+-