tag: tactic column - Page 5

Touch and go

7/2/2022 – In the diagram position, White's 37.Rd6 attacked the queen b6 which is guarding the Ne3. Now only one move puts Black on the winning track - perhaps you'll need to think for some time to find it!
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Hard to stop

6/25/2022 – In the diagrammed position White just played 35.Qa3!, and after 35...Qxd4 White has a beautiful win - can you find it?
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Rook on the seventh

6/18/2022 – White's big trump in the diagram position is his active rook on h7, and with White's last move 23.Kb1! he also has prevented Black from bringing his king to safety by castling queenside. How would you punish 23...0-0-0?
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The art of attack

6/11/2022 – From the diagram position, Black hunted down the exposed white king with some extraordinary moves. Can you find them all?
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Indian whirlwind II

6/4/2022 – It is said that "Vishy" Anand only needed seconds to find White's winning continuation in the diagram position - whereas you have all the time in the world!
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Indian whirlwind I

5/28/2022 – In the diagrammed position Black wins with 22...Nxf4!, this much is revealed - all the rest will be up to you. Enjoy!
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Duo infernale

5/21/2022 – By hindsight, it's easy to say that in the diagram position White must play 29.Rxd3! - but is it just as easy to refute the game continuation 29.f3?? Your call!
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Back rank tricks in the Catalan

5/14/2022 – In the diagram position White just played 12.Rd1 to attack Black's knight on d5 and to force Black to make a difficult choice: should Black play 12...Qa5 or 12...Be6 - which move gets your okay?
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Checkmate sculptor

5/7/2022 – In the diagram position, White found a stunning way to strengthen his attack decisively. Your call!
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Fatal pawn hunt

4/30/2022 – Getting active when you are underdeveloped is rarely a good idea - in the diagram position Black has just played 9...Qc7? intending to capture on c4. Can you punish this move with White?
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Notes from the Najdorf

4/23/2022 – The diagram shows a theoretical Sicilian position in which White has just opened the g-file. Recapturing with 16...Nxf6? now is a well-known mistake - do you see why?
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Test your King's Indian IQ

4/16/2022 – In the diagrammed position, White has just answered the typical KI advance 8...e5 with the space-gaining 9.d5. Black's Nc6 is attacked - where would you put it?
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Challengers challenge II

4/9/2022 – In the diagrammed position, White had a spectacular way to attack Black's exposed king. Readers of this column may dare anything - just trust your intuition!

Challengers challenge I

4/2/2022 – In the diagrammed position, Black has full control over the long diagonal and the e-file. Now it's time to turn these factors into something concrete. How would you proceed?

Bundesliga classic

3/26/2022 – In the diagrammed position Black found a fantastic way to make White's loose position collapse - please follow in the footsteps of Rustam Kasimdzhanov!

I see!

3/19/2022 – The task regarding the diagrammed position is plain and simple: "White to play and win". Your call!

Only one check wins!

3/12/2022 – In the diagram position 35.Rxg6+! would have led to victory for White - if followed by the right checks after 35...Kh7. Can you find them all?

Exposed

3/5/2022 – Black king on e7, unprotected queen a5 - White's threat in the diagrammed position is obvious, and not even 17...Bb6 could prevent him from making a good catch. Your call!

Test your IQP-IQ

2/26/2022 – The diagram shows a seemingly normal position with an isolated pawn on d4. However, White has played the loosening move b2-b4, and this allows Black to get the advantage. What can Black do?

A surprising attack

2/19/2022 – Opposite-coloured bishops favour the attacker - in the diagrammed position it is Black to move, and do you see how Black can exploit the superiority on "his squares"?

One false move!

2/12/2022 – While you are looking at this rich diagram position - would you be so kind to show why 22...Kxc8?? loses the game for Black?

Bogoljubow's tricky minority attack

2/5/2022 – In the diagram position Black's active rooks are hitting f2, his queen g5 is eyeing the Rc1 - and yet White unperturbedly continued 30. b4-b5! Can you spot the idea behind this advance?

No endgame technique required!

1/29/2022 – In the diagram position White has a shortcut to victory, enabling him to hunt down Black's king ... or his queen on h1! Can you work it all out in your head?

Pawn chain saw

1/22/2022 – In the diagrammed position Black just played 25...Bd1?? to attack the pawn on e2. However, this backfired with a vengeance. How did White react?
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