tag: tactic column - Page 6

Watch your king!

1/15/2022 – In the diagram position Black has just played 32...Qf5, threatening to harass the white king with ...Qb1+. But White has a way to combine attack and defence which leads to victory. Your call!

The perfect start

1/8/2022 – In the diagram position it is White to move and he has to react to Black's threat of ...g4 which would trap the bishop on h3. But with the right pawn push White can gain the upper hand. Which pawn should White push ahead?

Happy New Year!

1/1/2022 – In the diagram position White can start fireworks to hunt down the black king, and you are invited to ignite all the rockets - have fun!

A Christmas nut to crack

12/25/2021 – In the diagram position it is Black to play but it is White who seems to be calling the shots. However, Black's position contains hidden possibilities and with three powerful moves Black can exploit the somewhat precarious position of White's queen on g4. What would you do?

From the evergreen tree

12/18/2021 – The diagram shows a position from a game that was played 90 years ago. White here found a combination that is a true classic, and particularly impressive was the quiet third move of the combination. Do you see what White can do here?

Make your bet!

12/11/2021 – The razor-sharp diagram position saw Black losing after 26...Kxh6?, while after 26...Kg7! things easily might have gone the other way round. Stunners galore - enjoy!

A powerful passed pawn

12/4/2021 – In the diagram position, White has a strong passed pawn on c7 that should help him to win the game. But first White has to take care that Black's rook on b1 does not run havoc. How would you continue with White?

Light square invasion

11/27/2021 – In the diagram position, 26.Rxb7! paves the way for ... Well, that's for you to find out. Checkmate on the horizon - enjoy!

Nepo with nerves of steel

11/20/2021 – In the diagram position, 14...bxc3! looks dangerous - after 15.Rxc3 White threatens 16.Rxc8+, winning the queen on a5. But Black, World Championship challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi, had a cool surprise in store! Can you find it?

Carlsen's cool concept

11/13/2021 – In the diagram position White's pawn on c3 is attacked. Time for a world champion-like reaction - your call!

Romanishin, the romantic

11/6/2021 – In the diagram position, Black's has just played 16...Qg4, threatening 17...Nxg2+ while preventing 0-0-0. So, White's king is in a fix, and in the game it ended up getting checkmated on ... a5! Enjoy!

"My memorable game"

10/30/2021 – In the diagram position, Black's king is only protected by pawns and - not a single minor piece supports its monarch. Which is kind of an invitation for White - or isn't it? Your move!

Icelandic isolani

10/23/2021 – In the diagram position White's knight is about to occupy the blockade square in front of the pawn d5. How would you react with Black?

Disaster on the diagonal

10/16/2021 – Once you worked out why Black should refrain from opening the diagonal of White's bishop on a2 with 20....cxd3??, you should also know how to refute the move played in the game: 20...Qd7??. Enjoy!

Bishops in the center

10/9/2021 – In the diagram position White just played 14.Bd4 to neutralize the enemy Dragon bishop on the long diagonal. But this solid looking move actually allowed Black to get the advantage. How did he continue?

On the dark squares

10/2/2021 – Opposite-coloured bishops favour the attacker - this well-known chess wisdom was impressively proven in the diagram position. How did White start the action?

Georgian knot

9/25/2021 – In the diagram position Black has enough material for the queen, so the key to victory for White must be the attack on the king. Which is protected by a lot of pieces - but how can White break through Black's defence?

An uncompromising attack

9/18/2021 – In the diagram position, Black just burned his bridges by playing 7...Bg4 which forces White to win a piece with 8.f3. Putting aside "modern objectivity" - what I like about the following attack is the energy of Black's moves. He only has one goal in mind: to mate the enemy king. A full-speed nostalgia trip - enjoy!

Fatal activity

9/11/2021 – In the diagram position Black's attacked rook should definitely not leave the back rank - after 35...Rc2?? White has a forced checkmate. Enjoy!

"The Queen's Gambit" revisited

9/4/2021 – The diagram position arose from an Open Spanish, an opening that apparently was unfamiliar to Beth Harmon, the main character of the Netflix series "The Queen's Gambit", who was playing with Black. Her last move 9...Na5 is an inaccuracy that allowed World Champion Borgov to seize the initiative. What did he play?

Poised to strike

8/28/2021 – In the diagram position, White has two aggressive knights on the e-file and a mobile queen behind them - a constellation that is just crying out for a combination. Your call!

Mate in 5!

8/21/2021 – In the diagram position it is Black to play - and the title says it all! Gather ideas, calculate lines and enjoy!

Nepomniachtchi at work

8/14/2021 – In the diagram position, which is taken from a rapid game between Ian Nepomniachtchi and Levon Aronian, White used his three pieces to get access to Black's weakened king and to finally hunt it down. What did the World Championship Challenger 2021 play?

Make it work!

8/7/2021 – In the diagram position 23.Nxf6! gxf6 leads to a winning advantage for White. Knowing this, can you remove possible obstacles on the way?
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