Test your tactical ability 9780713440133, 0713440139

Table of contents :
Test Your Tactical Ability......Page 1
© Yakov Neishtadt 1984......Page 2
Contents......Page 3
Introduction......Page 4
01 Decoying......Page 9
02 Attraction......Page 25
03 Destroying the Guard......Page 35
04 Clearing a Square or a Line......Page 38
05 The Pin......Page 46
06 Line Closing......Page 52
07 Blocking......Page 56
08 Combining Tactical Devices......Page 59
09 Promoting a Pawn......Page 75
10 A Miraculous Escape......Page 81
11 A Tactics Exam......Page 90
12 Do You Know the Classics?......Page 122
Solutions to Exercises......Page 133

Citation preview

First pub lish ed 1981 Re prin ted with corrections 1984 © Ya kov Neish tadt ISBN 0 71 34401 39 ( limp ) Set by Hope Services, Abingdon

and printed in Great Britain by

Billing & Sons Ltd, London, and Worcester

for the Publishers: Chess Digest, Inc.,

11836 Judd Court, Suite 338-E Dallas, Texas, 75243

A BATSFORD/CHESS DIGEST, INC., CHESS BOOK Adviser: R. G. Wade, O.B.E. Technical Editor: P. A. Lamford

Contents In troduction

7

1

Decoying

12

2

Attraction

28

3

Destroy i ng the Guard

38

4

Clearing a Square or a Line

41

5

The Pin

49

6

Line Cl osi n g

55

7

Bl ock i ng

59

8

Com bin i ng Tactical Devices

62

9

Promoting a Pawn

78

10

A Miraculous Escape

84

11

A Tactics Exam

93

12

Do You Kn ow the Cl assics?

125

Solutions to Exercises

1 36

Introduction It is wel l k now n th at the best way of practisi ng is ei ther to play an actual game or to take part in competitions. I n other words, in order to pl ay better, one has to p l ay more, and, whenever possi ble, agai n st strong p layers; However, this basic truth need s to be qualified to a certai n exten t. Every game is an exam of sorts. But i t i s an exam with out any precise repl ies to questions that coul d be extremely importa n t for ach ieving per­ fection. Did you ( and y our opponen t) p roceed correctly i n the situation that was constantly changing from move to move? What was the critical moment, i.e. where was the decisive b lun der made and was it exp l o ited as it deserved to be? 'I n order to do that you would h ave to analyze the game very carefu Ily', the reader migh t i n terrupt. 'But not on your own', we might ad d , 'but with a chessplayer who is obv iously m o re qualified th an you are'. Your analysis, no m atter h ow careful it may be, need s to be checked , since thi s ana l ysis is l i m i ted by the exten t to wh ich you un derstand chess. Let us assu me th at you have found the p lace where, as i t m ay appear to you, you l ost your way , and you h ave brough t th e inaccuracies and errors to light, and you now know how you should have played. But have you rea l l y found the best moves? An d how sharp is your tactical vision? Have you not , m issed a p rofitable com b inational possibil i ty i n your analysi s'? Fi nally, how developed is your 'feel fo r the position', i.e. how do you grasp the situation , how do y ou assess the positions that may arise after you have gone th rough the variation s? In general , are you not bui l d i ng castles i n the air and , at the same time , are you not sometimes mi ssing decisive combinations, labouring under the con viction that there is nothing extraordinary in the position? But even if you have at your d i sposal the permanent opportun i ty of analyzing y our games together w i th an experienced coach , it is doubtful whether you w i l l ach ieve any real resul ts if you on l y spend t ime on your own games. It is also essentia l to l oo k at other peoples' creations - both classical and m odern: instructive games by masters, model comb i nations and original ones, typical plans of play. Let us add to th is a comm and of the fund amen tals of openi ng and endgame theo ry.

8

Introduction

We can find all this ( or at least we shoul d be able to find it ) i n a trad i­ tional tex tbook on chess. By p l aying through the i nstruc tive games cited i n t h e textboo k, you memorize what you see a n d try to act i n a l i ke manner in simil ar situations. It is d ifficu l t to judge on the question of how you will have assimil ated othe r peopl es' ex pe rien ce, si nce there is no contact between the author of the book and th e read er. After al l , the re is no exam to sit 011 the course you have atte n d e d . In ge neral, eve ry method described h e re has its pl uses and its mi nuses. They as it were , complemen t one anothe r. But can one stud y the works of othe rs in conditions that are close to those of an actu al game? T h i s is the aim of the method, currently gai ning accep tance, of sol ving exe rc ises. Test Your Tactical Ability is a compilation of such exercises, it is your teach -yourse lf book and your sparring-partne r. By pondering over positions and suggesting solutions for Maste rs and Grandmasters ( as we l l as rank and fi l e chessp l ayers who h ave rea l ized outstanding combinations ) , you wi l l easily be ab l e to check your own abi lity. Th e detai led answers to each exe rcise wil l e n ab l e you to establish how you got on wi th the job. By sol ving the exe rcises you wil l noticeab l y broaden your chess horizon and develop your comb i n ational a b i lities. Ex perience comes from what on e h as seen, but even more so from what one h as lived th rough . The tact!cal operation s which you carry out yourself wil l imp ri n t themselves on your memory much more reliably , than if you were to try and assimi­ late the same material from a tex tbook. I n all the positions cited the moment before the decisive turnabout of eve n ts h as bee n h ighligh ted . Human memory is emotional -- we remembe r th ings best of a l l if th ey h ave a brigh t emotional h ue to them. Thus the solutions to the positions, as a rul e, are str i k i ng or, at the very l east, unusual. The method of 'sensation' ( A. Nimzowitsch's term ) is designed to con tribute to the best possible assimil ation of the mater ial. The exe rci ses, which are grouped by theme, are preceded by a short theoretical section, which includes an exp l anation and a few characteristic examples. Fol l owing th is 'in troductory lectu re' come the exercises them­ sel ves. Some have a short exp l 'lnatory note, others come un der the general head ing 'How woul d you have played?'. In every one of these sections the ex amp l es are arranged i n order of i ncreasi ng d i fficul ty. In th e largest section ( w h ich i ncludes 150 exercises out of a total of 378) the th eme of the i m minen t tactical operation is no l onger indicated. This h as been done on purpose, in order to comp l icate the exerc ise and to dep rive the reader ( who wil l h ave managed to acquire a certain amoun t of ex perience ) of a substantial h i nt. I

Introduction

54

9

classic positions have been selected for a special section. Looking at the diagrams, you can either check your chess erudition or . .. follow the ex ample of the c l assical players and fin d the strongest continuatio n. The names of the participants in each contest wi l l be found in the solutions. If there is no reference to an actual game i t means that an instructive position has been cited. And, finally, a small piece of advice on the subject of method, or rather, a recommendation. S i nce we have set ourselves the task of getting the learning process close to the conditions of an actual game, try , once you have set up the position , to do the exerc i se without moving the pieces, and only start going through the anal ysis when you are convinced that you cannot solve the example menta l l y. The reader will pro bab l y want to poi n t out that by no means all the famous Grandmasters figure by virtue of their comb i nation in Test Your Tactical Ability. But this book i s not a collecti on of combinations by out­ standing players, but a set of exercises, and thus the exampl es have not been selected on the 'principle of represen tati on', but with a purel y instructive aim in mi nd. Alongside fragments from the games of i l l ustrious Masters you wil l come across examp les from simul taneous displ ays and total l y insignificant competitions. It may happen that this boo k, which is aimed at a wide cross-section of readers, will be opened by a chessp!ayer of some experience --- a Master or even a Grandmaster. Well , we can also guarantee him not less than a hundred unfami! iar positions! And now, before getting down to work, l et us go through the defin i tion of a combination. A com bination is a forced variation with a sacrifice, pursui ng a definite . aim and leading to a material transformation of the position. A combina­ tion is a m aterial leap, a burst that clea rs the situation on the board by revealing the true values and exposing the false ones. May we also draw attention to the elemen t of surpri se, and in con nec­ tion with that , the aesthetic effect of a combination. Sacrifices affect our imagination , especially when they resul t in the triumph of a smal l force. There arc, of course, combinations that are very wel l k nown. They are similar in design and as time has passcd, each one of them has become a sort of tactical device. But the game of chess is so complex and protean that the possibil ities for new, original comb i nations are truly endless. In addition to which, every chess position is concrete i.e. it contains its own features, which are proper to it and it on l y, and so experience, al though i t does teach, does not ful l y insure anybody against ma k i ng mistakes. Top­ ran k chess-pl ayers the world over have had the opportu n i ty to become convinced of this.

10

Introduction

So let us go over the essen tial featu res of a combination: 1. Coordinated action of two or more pieces. 2. Force d aspect of the variation. 3. Presence of a sacrifice. 4. Positive aim of the operation. The l ast condition relates to the classification of combinations. The aim of any com bination is the achievement of an objective advan­ tage; otherwise it is no longer a combination. Such an aim can be mating the enem y k ing, the gain of material , a profitable change in the position (e .g. intensifying the attack, imp roving the interaction of the forces, getting to a promising ending etc.), and in an unfavourable situation it can mean saving the game (e.g. by perpetual check, stalem ate, equalizing on m ate rial or reaching a theoretically drawn endgame) , as well as weakening the op ponen t's attac k or relieving y our own defences (say, by reducing your opponent's positional p ressure), and creating obstacles to you r oppo­ nen t's realization of an advantage. Com binations can be classified by the successes scored by the side realizing a com binati on, as well as by other features. For instance, by the material which is sacrificed (com binations with a queen sacrifice, rook sac., material sac., minor piece sac., pawn sac.) , by the pieces th at take part in the com b ination and play a major role in it, by the target of the com bination and, finally (this is the most i m portant subdivision ) - by the ideas behind the com bination. We now come to two categories which h ave not only a theoretical significance, but also a profoundly p ractical one. Before looking for a com bination, the c hessplayer establishes what grounds the re are fo r a search in a given position. Afte r all, a search is not conducted on an empty spot - i t is dictated by the peculiarities of the situation. The motif of a combination - th at is the peculi arity of a si tu ation that points wh i c h way the search will go . For instance, the crowded position of the enemy k ing o r conve rsely , the distance between a piece and i ts guard, an insufficient or illusory gu ard on the eighth (or on the first) rank, a weakness on the squares directl y adjacen t to the king, bishops occupying open diagonals on which there might be an important target (very often the king) , individual pieces left unguarded, upsetting the interaction of various pieces, exposing the position of the queen, limiting its mobility , the disposi tion of the king or the queen on one line (vertical, horizontal, or diagonal), the disposition of the major pieces on one diagonal, the possi­ bility of ex ploiting the so-called geometric properties of the pieces (e.g. a double blow with the queen, a knigh t fork, an open attack etc. ). The motif is nothing other than the prim ary bearing. So, first of all, we h ave the direction of the search (the motif) , and then

Introduction

11

the search itself, the discove ry of com binational ideas and the calculation of concrete variations. The theme of a com bin ation (or the i dea beh ind it) can be defined by the reply to the fol l owing question: by what means, by wh at meth od wil l the com bination be realized? For exam ple, b y decoying the queen away from guarding a key square (the theme, or the i dea of decoying), by attracting a rook to a fork (the theme, or the idea of attraction) etc, The themes of the tactical ope rations h ave been dealt with fai r l y thorough l y, and w e will come back to the m i n greater detail.

1 Decoying That is the name of the tactical device tha t forces the opponent's piece or pawn to le ave its position and give access to an important square ( or line). The motives behind the opera­ tion ( or its final aims) can vary; let us begin with a simple illustrative example from the endgame

Simagin

Barcza Moscow, 7949

.

BLlck to Move

The straightforward move 1 �e2 is followed by 2 cilc3+, and White has sound control over the promotion square of the d-pawn. This means that the knight must be

drawn away, in order to prevent it

White to Move

by the move

Black's bishop must gu a rd a

the c7

queen. But, if he con­

�c3, White deflects his opponent's bishop away f ro m the tinues

1

key diagon al 2 c7 wins.

and after 1

.

.

.

4) xa3 �c2 the pawn promotes to a queen.

I n the exa mples we have seen,

square, otherwise White's pawn wiii promote to

T hi s is achieved 1 . . 4)a3+! After 2

from reaching c3.

.

Bxc3

the

aim

of the

decoyin g

sacrifice

was to allow the passed pawn to reach the promotion square. Now

let us

e xa

mi n e

some

instances

where the decoying is followed by a

Decoying knight fork. The final aim of such an operation is usually the gain of material advantage.

Alexander

Cordi ngl e y England, 1947

13

The game was brought to a close by the astounding 'long' move 1 itaB!! The capture of the queen is followed by 2 {lxe7+ and 3 {} xcB, winning a piece. And if 1 .. .� b7, then 2 {lxe 7+ § xe 7 3 itxb8 with the same result. Let us have a look at a motif that occurs very frequently - the exploitation of a hidden weakness on the eighth (or the first) rank. If the king has no 'flight square' (or if it cannot be used, i.e. the square is under attack), the act of decoying the pieces guarding the eighth (or the first) rank can bring about a catastrophe.

White to Move

1 .Qxb7 ttxb7

2 ttd5! Black resigned, in view of the fact that he loses a piece: 2 ... ttxd5 3 {}xe7+ and 4 -side bishop ) cannot attack the promotion square ( h S ) . -

.

3

. . . El a2+ ! 4 'l' h l . The k night is inviol ate 4 c&>xh3 *c8+' !, and 4 "'f3 is no good be­ cause of 4 . . � g5+. -

.

A Miraculous Escape 4 . . . 4l f2+ 5 �gl {or 5 �g2} 5 . . 4l h3+ and a draw in view of the fact that he cannot m ove to f1 because of 6 . a f2+ 7 � e 1 *xe5+. .

89

This exotic position with the king i n front of his army occurred i n a game p l ayed i n Bom bay in 1 959. What can be done against the deadly check with the queen on d1 ? . . 1 . . . * xb 2+ ! ! B lac k 's b rave k ing wi l l personally take part in the operation . After 2 � xb 2 a b5+ 3 !fta2 a c2+ 4 * a1 El c 1 + White h ad to agree to a draw.

B l ac k to M ove

EXE RCISES D I AG R A M 1 6 3

D I A G R A M 1 64

B i l e k to M o ve

W h i te to M ove

1 63} Wh i te has th ree pawns for the exchange and an ideal pos!tion . Blac k 's queen is en p rise ; what shou l d he do?

1 64} The th reat i s 1 . § h 3+, as wel l as 1 . it h 3+ m ating. Can White escape? .

.

.

.

90

A Miraculous Escape D I AG R A M 1 67

D I A G R A M 1 65

B la c k to M o ve

W h i te to M o ve

1 65 ) Wh ite l acks a pawn m ate rial . You r sol utio n ?

as

wel l

as

1 67) To exchange the queens would be tantamount to resignation for Black. Meanwhile the re are also the th reats of 1 'itg8 m ate and 1 Et h4. What can he do?

D I AG R A M 1 66

D I A G R A M 1 68

B l ac k to M o ve

1 66) B l ack h as an overwhelming m aterial advantage. I s it worth h i s while creating a pawn endgame by tem po rari ly (1 . . . 'it xf3+ 2 'it xf3 Et a3 ) sacrificing the queen ?

W h i te to M ove

1 68) The h-pawn is lost and White is a rook d own. I s it time to resign ?

A Miraculous Escape D I AG R A M 1 69

91

D I AG R A M 1 7 1

W h i te to M ove

B l ac k to Move

1 69 ) Without paying any attention to the a-pawn Wh i te has created the threats of mate : 1 § xd 7 a 1 =* 2 �xf5 . What is the defence to 3 § h 7 mate ( bearing in m i n d that i n reply to 3 . . . l:! g7 wil l come 4 l:! d6+) ?

1 7 1 ) On h is l ast move Wh ite ( a kn ight u p ) offered to exch ange the queens and at the same time attacked h 7. The vari ation 1 . . . § d 1 + 2 � h 2 *g l + 3 � g3 suited them down to the ground. I s th is calcu l ation correct?

D I A G R A M 1 70

D I AG R A M 1 72

B l a c k to M o ve

W h i t e to M o ve

1 70) Wh ite h as fou r pawns up for mate rial . The pawn at f6 i s particu ­ l arly unpleasant. But there is a way out . . .

1 72 ) The game was p l ayed by cor­ respondence, and B l ack was waiting for news of his opponent's resigna­ tion to arrive any day . At l ast the

92

A MIfoculous ' Escape do you

D I AG R A M 1 74

B l ac k to M ove

. 1 74) Y ou ,re pia 'lng � hi te and y � u 're th reateni g the I mmed'l ate Wi n : c6-c7+ and th en Q.. e 4-f5+ " Y ou r oppone n t plays 1 " " " § d l + . Where will you move the k'mg co?

:

W h i te t o M ove

1 73 ) Wh ite IS ' two p awns down , th e , t0 the spot by passed e-paw n 'IS tied th e rook, and the g-p awns are i d ange r, Wh at wou ld you have su gested ?

;

11 A Tactics Exam

'But al most al l of th is boo k i s a As before, the assignm ents with tactics exa m ', m ight remark the a short ex p l an atory n ote and the reader who h as just gl anced at the exam ples 'How wou l d you h ave head i ng. 'Why is only this section played ? ' h ave in each section been cal led an exam ? ' arranged in order of increasin g Before, when you were goi ng difficu lty. That's it fo r the 'pre-exa m ' about you r task, you knew th at the sol ution just h ad to be an extra­ meeting. We n o w give the reader ordin ary one, and p rogram med the opportu n i ty to see for hi m se l f you rsel f to look for unobvious con­ how wel l he h as done in the tri al s . tinuations. There was, howeve r, You have before you 1 50 exam another very vital h i n t contained in questions. the section 's su bject-matter itself. The method by wh ich you had to accom pl ish the task was known i n D I AG R A M 1 7 5 advance ( i n the l ast two sections the natu re of the fi n al position was 'hi nted at') . I n a word, you were told not only wh at to do, but al so how to do it. The exe rcises in the previous sections cou ld perh aps be compared to a test on a given sub­ ject - the point being th at they were tests, but not exams. I n the exam there wil l be no 'second h i nt'. Th is wil l req u i re greate r self-rel i ance o n you r part; Wh ite to M o ve you will be solving the problems i n conditions th at are very cl ose to those you m igh t h ave in a real game. 1 75) B l ack has attacked the queen . This refers in particu l ar to examples Wh at are your suggestions for Whi te? 24 1 -324.

94

A Tactics Exam

D I AG R AM 1 7 6

Q l ac k to M ove

1 76) Wi th 1 . . . 4) f5 B l ack has offered h is opponent the exchange of roo ks, but Wh i te? . .

D I AG R A M 1 7 7

D I AG R A M 1 7 8

W h i te to M o ve

1 78) Concl ude the attack.

D I AG R A M 1 7 9

B l ac k to M ove W h i te to Move

1 7 7) Black made a blunder with the move 1 . . . 4)g3? How can it be . exploited?

1 79) White played 1 *f4. What wil l hap pen if the bishop is captu red?

A Tactics Exam D I AG RAM 1 80

95

D I A G R A M 1 82

W h i te to M o ve

W h i te to M o ve

1 80) Black 's l ast move was § b8-b6. How would you h ave repl ied?

1 82) Calculate the conseq uences of the fol l owi ng variation connected with winning a pawn 1 � xe5 and 2 itxh5, and give an assessment of it. -

D I AG RA M 1 8 1

D I AG R AM 1 8 3

B lack to M ove

1 8 1 ) White parried the check with the queen, offering to exchange queens. How would you exploit the king's open position ?

W h i te to M o ve

1 83) Conti n ue the attack .

96

A Tactics Exam

D I A G R A M 1 84

D I AGRAM 1 86

W h i te to Move

W h i te to M o ve

1 84} Wh ite . is a roo k up. But it is en pri se. Besides th at, the re is the th reat of m ate on h 8 . Your solution?

1 86} On h is l ast move {b5-b4} B l ack attacked the knight. What shou l d White do?

D I AG R A M 1 85

D I AG R A M 1 8 7

B l ac k to Move

W h i te to M ove

1 85} Calcu l ate the conseq uences of 1 � e4.

1 8 7} How can the o pen position of Black 's k ing be exploited?

.

.

.

A Tactics Exam D I AG R A M 1 8 8

97

D I AG RAM 1 90

W h i te to M ove

B l ac k to M ove

1 88) Bl ack's l ast move (c7-c5 ) attempts to ch ase the k n igh t away . Your sol ution ?

1 90) Calcul ate the consequences of the tactical operation - 1 . . . cd 2 cd 4l xd4 and *c7-c3+.

DIAG RAM 1 89

D I AG RA M 1 9 1

W h i te to M ove

B l ac k to M ove

1 89) Black th reatens to play * b4a3. What shou l d Wh i te do?

1 9 1 ) Wh i te h as parried the check with the bishop. Your rep l y ?

98

A Tactics Exam

D I A G R A M 1 92

D I AG RAM 1 94

B l ac k to M ove

W h i te to Move

1 92) Black played 1 . . . Q.e4. Assess th is m ove.

1 94) Wh i te 's pieces are d i rected at the �-side, bu t he must hu rry : B l ack is about to exchange the active bishop, and there are the th reats on th e e-file to reckon with .

D I AG R A M 1 9 3

D I AG R A M 1 95

B l ack to M ove

1 93) Concl ude the attack .

W h i te to M ove

1 95) Continue the attack .

A Tactics Exam D I A G RAM 1 9 6

99

D I A G R A M 1 98

B l ac k to M o ve

W h i te to M ove

1 96) The bishop is en prise. Where is the best place for h i m to go? Evaluate the position that wil l arise.

1 98 ) 1 § d 8+ suggests i tself, but wh at would you do after 1 . . . � e8 ?

D I A G R A M 1 97

D I AG R A M 1 9 9

W h i te to Move

W h i te to M ove

1 97} Weigh u p the con sequences of the two conti nuations - 1 g3 and 1 � c3. Which one wou ld you have chosen ?

1 99) How wou l d you conduct the attack?

1 00

A Tactics Exam D I AG R A M 2 0 2

D I AG R AM 2 00

W h i te to Move

B l ac k to M ove

200) Again how wou l d you conduct the attack?

202) B l ack is two Dawns down . What can you suggest for him?

D I AG R A M 2 0 1

D I AG R A M 2 0 3

B l ac k to Move

B l a c k to M ove

201 ) Black attac ked the roo k 1 . . . e3, to which Wh i te repl ied with the previously p repared 2 !! xf6, intend ing, after 2 . gf 3 � xf6+, to capture the queen and establish rel ative materi al equal ity . I s th is calcu l ation correct? -

.

.

203) The th reat is mate on h 7 . What is to be done?

A Tactics Exam D I AG R AM 2 0 4

1 01

D I AG R A M 2 06

W h i te t o Move

B l ack to M ove

204) Wh ite gave a chec k - 1 � e 7+. Where shou ld the king go?

206) B l ack ch ased the kn igh t away with 1 . b4. Your sol u tion ?

D I A G R A M 2 05

D I AG R A M 207

_

.

W h i te to Move

W h i te t o M ove

205) Each player h ad calcul ated the variation 1 *e3 *xd 3 2 *c5 to be in his favour. Who 's righ t?

207) How wou l d you exploit the cramped position of B l ack 's king, who h as 'wall ed i n ' h is own roo k ?

1 02

A Tactics Exam

D I AG R AM 208

D I AG R AM 2 1 0

W h i t e t o Move

W h i te to Move

208) Black has offered to exch ange the queens - with bish ops of op po­ site colours it is i m possible to pro­ mote the d-pawn . What suggestions have you got for Wh i te?

2 1 0) Can White capture the bishop at f5, expl oiting the overworked queen, and th is way win back a piece ? D I AG RAM 2 1 1

D I AG R AM 2 0 9

B l a c k to M o ve

W h i te t o M ove

209) The k night is en prise. Shou l d it be defended ?

2 1 1 ) Black is a pawn u p ; but the b ishops on the board are of oppo­ site colours. I t is easy to note that the b ishop at c8 is unable to pierce th rough the enemy camp . All that White has to d o is play Ad6a3 and the passed pawns on the *­ side wi l l be blockaded dead. But

A Tactics Exam

1 03

wh ile the bishop is sti l l at d6, what waul d you da?

ation chosen by White : S § xeS Q. xd 3 6 'C'th5.

D I AG RAM 2 1 2

D I AG R A M 2 1 4

W h i te to Move

B l ack to Move

2 1 2) Blac k 's �-si de h as been weakened by the move g7-g6. H ow can it be exploited?

2 1 4) Blac k h as a huge m aterial ad vantage, but h i s queen i s stuck on the enemy camp and h is kn igh t is p i n ned and immobi l i sed. There is al so the th reat of -'te3-d4. What suggestions h ave you got for B l ack?

D I AG RAM 2 1 3

D I AG RAM 2 1 5

B l ac k to M o ve

2 1 3 ) After 1 . . . fe 2 -'txe4 B l ack temporarily sacrificed materi al - 2 13 xe4 3 § xe4 -'tf5 an d i n reply to 'C'te2 played 4 . § h8. Eval u ate the consequences of the continu.

.

B l a c k to Move

.

.

.

2 1 S ) B l ac k h as an extra passed pawn, but can he win?

1 04

A Tactics Exam

D I AG R A M 2 1 6

n l AG R A M 2 1 8

Wh i te to Move

B l ac k to Move

21 6) On h i'S l ast move Black played h 7-h5 , h avin g worked ou t the fol lowin g vari ation : 1 � g6 (1 � xh 5 ? .Q xg4) 1 . . . hg 2 � xf8 gh+ 3 � h 1 *g2+ 4 *xg2 hg+ 5 � xg 2 § xf8 6 .Q.h7x d8 5 � b6+ wins. I f 2 . . C&>d7, then 3 'itf7+ �e 7 and sti l l 4 4) f5 ! , exploIting the pin . I n reply to 4 . . . Et e8, 5 Et d 1 is decisive. 3 *f7 � d7. Tantamount to resignation. However, there was no escape in 3 . . Q.e7, which would have been fol lowed by that same move 4 4l f5 wi th t�e fu rther 4 . . . *c7 5 4l a4! Et f8 6 *xh 7 CifJe8 7 Q b6 *d7 8 *h5+ § f7 9 4l g7+ and 1 0 *h8 mate or 4 . . . Et e8 (instead of 3 . . *c7) 5 4l xd6! 1lxd6 6 � b6+ .Qc7 7 Et d 1 +. 4 *xf6+ 't;c7 5 *xh 8 � h6 6 4l xe6+! *xe6 7 *xa8 .Qxe3+ 8 �h 1 . 1 -0 ·

·

·

372) Botvi nni k-Vid mar ( Notti ng­ ham, 1 936) : 1 4l x f7 ! § x f7 ( 1 . . . � xf7 - 2 Q xd 5+) 2 Q. xf6 � xf6 (if 2 . . . 4l xf6, then 3 13 xf6 and the rook at c8 is unprotected) 3 Et xd5 *c6 4 Et d6! *e8 5 a d 7. 1 -0 373) Kotov-Bondarevsky ( Lenin­ grad, 1 936) : 1 . . . f4+ ! (blocking f4 with the ai m of deprivi ng the king of it) 2 4l xf4 *f2+ 3 � d 3 -

3 . . . *xd4+ ! 4 �xd4 � c5+ 5 � d 3 4l xe5 m ate. 374} Bondarevsky-Ufi mtsev ( Lenin­ grad, 1 936) . Blac k 's previous m ove was Q, h 3-g2, wh ich was fol lowed by 1 § h 8+ �f7 2 � e8+ ! ! 4) xe8 3 �g5 ! , and mate i s inevitable. 3 75} Botvin n i k -Capablan ca ( AV RO Tournamen t, Hol land, 1 938) : 1 .Q. a3 ! (decoying the queen) 1 . . . *xa3 . I f 1 . . . *e8, then 2 *c7+ 1; g8 3 Qe7 ! 4) g4 4 *d7! *a8 5 �d8. 2 4) h 5+! (decoying the g-pawn) 2 . . . gh. Once again Blac k h as to accept the sacrifice. After 2 . . . c&>h6 3 4l xf6 there is no perpetu al check : 3 . . . *c 1 + 4 1; f2 *d2+ 5 1;g3 *xc3+ 6