He had it coming

by Oliver Reeh
4/5/2025 – From the diagram White spectacularly checkmated after 25.Bd4! Qxc2. But even with this knowledge the problem remains a tough nut to crack - I hope you enjoy it anyway!
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1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Bd3 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.Ne2 cxd4 8.cxd4 f6 9.exf6 Qxf6 10.Nf3 h6 11.0-0 Bd6 12.Ng3 0-0 13.Bc2 Rd8 14.Re1 Nf8 15.Ne5 Bd7 16.f4 Be8 17.Be3 Qh4 18.Rf1 Ne7 19.f5 exf5 20.Rf4 Qf6 21.Nxf5 Bxe5 22.dxe5 Qxe5 23.Qf3 Neg6 24.Rg4 Qxb2 He had it coming From the diagram White spectacularly checkmated after 25.Bd4! Qxc2. But even with this knowledge the problem remains a tough nut to crack - I hope you enjoy it anyway!
Please don't play 25.Bd4! until you've seen how White continues after 25...Qxc2. If you can work things out until move 28, so much the better!
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Azarov,S2530Drozdovskij,Y24581–02003C06Las Palmas op 24th9.1

Oliver Reeh in ChessBase Magazine

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Topics: ChessBase Magazine, tactic column, Tactics
Oliver Reeh has been working for ChessBase for many years as a translator and presenter of the internet show TV ChessBase, and he also looks after the tactics column in ChessBase Magazine, for which he has also been responsible as editor-in-chief since 2019. The International Master has contributed to the CB "MasterClass" series and is the author of the DVDs "Strike like the World Champions" and "Master Class Tactics - Train your combination skills!" Volumes 1 & 2. Oliver Reeh lives in Hamburg.
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See also

1, 2, 3!

3/29/2025 – Supported by his powerful pawn f6, White quickly wins from the diagram position. The first two moves may be obvious, but with number three you can 'really go for it' - have fun!
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See also

Two coffin nails

3/22/2025 – The black king is boxed in, and after 28.Qxe6+ Rf7 White delivered the coup de grâce. This was a rapid game - let's hope you'll the solution quickly!
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 4

Video

60m How to fight Queen's Pawn Openigns

After 1.d4 d5 many players with White avoid the great amount of theory in the Slav, Semi-Slav, QGA and Orthodox Queen's Gambit and do not therefore play 2.c4. This is not very ambitious, but the painful experience of many chess players has been that the Colle System, the Trompowsky Attack, the Torre Attack and the London System are nevertheless extremely dangerous. Black has to be prepared for each of these openings and IM Valeri Lilov offers you some help with his six instructive videos, in which he demonstrates for each single opening a relevant plan for Black. In addition to the openings mentioned, the Bulgarian trainer also delves into the Catalan, the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit and the Richter-Veresov Opening.

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arzi arzi 4/11/2025 08:29
Yes, 23.Qd4. would have been much better and very crushing but 23.Qf3 was more entertaining that is why it is seen here and now.
Karsten Müller Karsten Müller 4/6/2025 08:33
oxygenes: Yes that wins as well.
oxygenes oxygenes 4/5/2025 10:53
White could protect important b2 pawn with 23.Qd4.
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