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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MoveNResultEloPlayers
1.e41,180,95054%2421---
1.d4956,91055%2434---
1.Nf3285,50956%2441---
1.c4184,27056%2442---
1.g319,85756%2427---
1.b314,56954%2428---
1.f45,94648%2377---
1.Nc33,89750%2383---
1.b41,78848%2379---
1.a31,24754%2406---
1.e31,08049%2409---
1.d396550%2378---
1.g467046%2361---
1.h446554%2381---
1.c343851%2425---
1.h328956%2420---
1.a411860%2461---
1.f310047%2427---
1.Nh39267%2511---
1.Na34762%2476---
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

Do you like these lessons? There are plenty more by Oliver Reeh in ChessBase Magazine, where you will also find openings articles and surveys, tactics, and of course annotations by the world's top grandmasters.

ChessBase Magazine #216

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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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