Chess Tactics - Vol 1: Daily Chess Training, #1

Foreword

An essential part of improving at chess is tactics. Tactics occur at every level of chess but once the players become stronger the elements involved in spotting the puzzles tend to become more complex and deeper, whereas, among weaker players, elementary skewers, forks and deadly pins are more frequent visitors.

This book is no instruction manual in chess tactics, but rather a representation of some of the best tactical shots from master games played in the second half of 2018.

On Twitter, Instagram, as well as my Facebook page, Winning Quickly at Chess, the puzzles are presented at a rate of two puzzles per day (one in the morning and one in the afternoon, both US East coast time) and thousands of chess enthusiasts, from almost beginners to strong grandmasters, are joining in to solve the puzzles.

Some of the puzzles are relatively straightforward, but there are also some rather tricky ones where even very strong players have gotten it wrong or failed to solve them, so do not despair if you are struggling with some of them. Remember that any improvement, whether in chess or other things in life, starts right outside your comfort zone.

I want to thank everybody who has taken part in solving the puzzles online, without them, the solutions presented would have looked very different. When writing the solutions, I have tried to take into account most of the relevant, but wrong suggestions that have been made online.

If you find errors, anything missing or other things that should be corrected, kindly contact these to me on email: [email protected]

Should you have enjoyed this book kindly leave a review, no more than 10-20 words are needed. Reviews mean a lot for an author as it tells other potential readers why a book did or did not make a difference for them.

Thanks for picking up this book, I hope you will enjoy solving the puzzles as much as I have selecting them and putting this book together.

Carsten Hansen

Bayonne (NJ), March 2019 

How to work with this book

This is not your usual tactical puzzle book. It is very different for a number of reasons:

1) You’re not being told what the demand is! That you will have to figure out on your own. This is to give you more of a game feel simulation and therefore, the first tactical idea you get may not be the best, so keep looking until you are satisfied. Nor do I tell you who the players are – you will get that in the solution part. Names may spark your memory if you have seen the game before. The demand can be mate, but sometimes all you can get is a positional advantage or in a few cases a draw. You don’t know, so think before moving.

2) The first move is almost never enough. When I have posted these puzzles online, they always come with the byline more than the first move is required for a full solution. This is because in many cases the finer details of the puzzle are only revealed on move 2, 3, 4, 5 and sometimes even later. Therefore, even if you think you have the right move, keep calculating to see if you have caught everything. Trust me when I tell you, even players at an international master level have missed crucial details when presenting the solution in the Facebook group or on Twitter, so for you to assume that you got it right without thoroughly calculating things through... you know how the saying goes!

Let me give you an example from the book:

When I presented this puzzle in the Facebook group, several said too easy - 1...Qf3 and mate on the next move! Well, not so fast. White plays 2.Qc4+ Kh8 3.Qf1 and the mate on g2 is prevented. Then, the determined puzzle solvers said but then after 3...h7-h5 followed by ...h4, Black wins. Again, not so fast! After 3...h5?, White plays 4.Rd3 Qf7 5.Rc3 h4 6.Rxc6 hxg3 7.Qh3+ Kg8 8.Qxg3 and White is actually doing okay. What Black had to find was 3...Bb5!, and after 4.Qe1 Re8! 5.Qd2, Black returns the bishop to c6 and White can’t prevent the mate on g2. So, without the previse 3rd and 4th moves, this puzzle wasn’t solved, in fact, far from it. So take your time and get the answer right. It is better to be right and slow than fast and wrong.

3) Don’t use a computer to solve the puzzles for you! You don’t learn anything from that, and you don’t have a computer handy when you’re playing your own games. When you’re certain that you have found the right continuation (not move!) or you have given up hope that you can solve it, then check the solution. If you got it wrong or couldn’t solve it, then mark the page or highlight it in your ebook and then revisit the puzzle next week.

4) Difficulty level and hints. These are for less experienced players. The puzzles are graded from 1 star (*) to 5 stars (*****). The 1-star puzzles are relatively mundane and should be solved by most, whereas the 5-star puzzles are positively industrial strength, they may have been missed by the players during the game, simply because they were too deep or complex to reasonably spot at the board. If you find the solution anyway – you are seriously good and can consider challenging your chess engine to a no-holds-barred blitz match!

The hints are there to go some guidance if you have no idea what to look for. However, the hints do not give the answer away, sometimes they can be a little obscure, tease more than they help.

5) Most puzzles are more difficult than those you will find in the average puzzle book or app. I tend to select puzzles that require thought and finesse, where move order is important and frequently where you need to play a couple of precise moves before striking. This will help you improve your understanding of how to maximize the effect of your pieces and get the most bang for their buck. One solver told me, it helped him get rid of his self-coined but very appropriate term puzzle rush bias where you know there is something tactical in the position and it is right there, ready to be found.

Because the puzzles are so hard, don’t do too many in a day. I post tactical puzzles in the Facebook group, on Twitter, and on Instagram at a rate of two per day. That could be sufficient for you for that day. Some regular solvers save the puzzles for when they are not tired because they know they will otherwise miss something.

6) Solving these puzzles will make you a lot better – guaranteed! If you follow the instructions and tips above, your tactical vision will expand, your calculation skills will improve, even dramatically so. Several solvers have told me that they have started winning tournaments for the first time in their lives. Obviously, there is no guarantee that this will happen for you, but it could (and should, I would certainly like that).

If you find the puzzles impossibly difficult, work your way through the solutions at a rate of a couple per day. And then revisit the puzzles two weeks later. If you can solve them at that point, your pattern recognition has improved, and you are on the way to getting better! If you go at that rate, it will take you six months to complete this book and then you can pick up the next book in the series.

Or come join us on social media:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/WinningQuicklyatChess/ or www.facebook.com/groups/WinningQuicklyatChess/

Twitter: twitter.com/CazHansen

Instagram: www.instagram.com/chansen64/

Or on my website: www.winningquicklyatchess.com

Welcome on board, prepare yourself to get seriously better at chess.

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Chapter 1

Sets 1-16

Set 1

Exercises to Set 1

1.1)

***

Black to move

Hint: The white king is isolated from its defenders

1.2)

****

White to move

Hint: Black’s king shelter is loose, and many pieces are unguarded

1.3)

***

Black to move – what happens if he takes either of White’s rooks?

Hint: Aim at Black’s uncastled king

1.4)

**

Black to move

Hint: Which spot in White’s position is most exposed to Black’s pieces?

Solutions to Set 1

1.1)

Solution

29...Rf3!

This is beautiful and elegant but, in fact, 29...Bxh3!! is more direct and stronger, for instance, 30.Qf1 (or 30.gxh3 Rf3 31.Qf1 Qh5 32.Qg2 Rxh3+ 33.Kg1 Rh4 and White will lose the queen) 30...Bg4 31.Rd2 (or 31.Nc4 Bxd1 (also 31...Rf3 32.Kg1 Qh5 wins) 32.Rxd1 Rad8) 31...Qh5+ 32.Kg1 Bd6 33.g3 Bf3 and White can only delay mate.

30.h4?

White immediately collapses. The best option was 30.d6 Bxh3! 31.Qf1 (not 31.gxh3 Rxh3#) 31...Bg5 32.Nc4 Be6 33.d7 Rd8 and Black is better. The other alternatives win easily for Black: 30.gxf3 Bxh3 31.Rg1 Qh5 32.Rg3 Bf1+ or 30.Qf1 Rxh3+ 31.gxh3 Qh5 32.Nc4 Bxh3 33.Qg1 Bg4+ 34.Qh2 Bxd1 and Black is up three pawns.

30...Bg4! and White resigned because the king will not escape without heavy material losses. 0–1

Gadimbayli (2420) – Sanal (2510), Cesme 2018

1.2)

Solution

21.Ne4!

White cannot allow Black to start consolidating his position, for instance, 21.Bf3 g5 or even 21...Bd5 are both satisfactory for Black and so is 21.Be2 Kb7 22.Nf3 Ng6 when White has good compensation for the queen but not more than that.

21...Kd8?!

Black cannot capture the bishop on g4: 21...fxg4 as 22.Nd6+ leaves White with a winning position. Black's best defense is 21...Rf8 although 22.Rad1 Bd5 23.Nc5 Qe8 24.Bd6 is absolutely horrendous for Black.

22.Nc5 Qc8 23.Be2 f4

Or 23...Ke8 24.Ba6!

24.Bxf4 h6 25.Bg4 Nf5 26.Nf3

Black is completely busted and White soon won. 26...Bd5 27.Nh4 Rf8 28.Rad1 Rf7 29.Nxf5 Rxf5 30.Ne6+ 1–0

Berzinsh (2410) - Sitnikov (2456), Chelyabinsk 2018

1.3)

Solution

20...Bxf1

If Black captures on a1 then 20...Qxa1 21.Re1+ (strictly speaking also 21.Bb2 wins, e.g., 21...Qxf1+ 22.Nxf1 when White threatens to play Bxg7 and 22...0–0 is met by 23.Nf6+ and White wins) 21...Kd7 (or 21...Be5 22.Nc7+ Ke7 23.Ba3+) 22.Nf5 Be5 23.Nc3+ Kc8 24.Ne7+ Kc7 25.Rxe5 Nd7 26.Re1 and Black will lose massive material to save his king. Black's best move is probably 20...0–0 when 21.Re1! Qxa1 22.Bb2 Qxe1+ 23.Qxe1 Nd7 24.Bxg7! leaves White with a clear advantage.

21.Bb2 Qg5 22.Nf6+!

This is a devastating move that undoubtedly took Black entirely by surprise, otherwise, he would have avoided this line altogether.

22...gxf6 23.Qxd6 Nd7 24.Rxf1 and Black resigned as he will only prevent mate by accepting heavy material losses, e.g., 24...Qc5 25.Re1+ Kd8 26.Bxf6+ Kc8 27.Qxc5+ Nxc5 28.Bxh8 and White, of course, wins easily. 1–0

Baumegger (2441) - Varga (2470), Dunajska Streda 2018

1.4)

Solution

17...g5!

This doesn't win but it leaves Black with a clear advantage.

18.hxg5?

White's best option is 18.Bxc6 when 18...Nxc6 19.hxg5 hxg5 20.Bxg5 Rxh3 21.gxh3 Rg8 22.Bf4 Nd4 23.Qd1 (23.Nxd4 cxd4 is much worse for White because White cannot get his queenside pieces into play without losing material) 23...Nxf3 24.Qxf3 Bxe5 25.Bxe5 Qxe5 26.Nc3 Rg6 and Black's pieces dominate the board, while White's king is quite unsafe.

18...Ng6! 19.Bh2 hxg5 20.Nxg5

20.Rxh8 is even worse as after 20...Rxh8 Black threatens with ...g5–g4 and 21.Kg1 is met by 21...g4 22.Ne1 Nd4 23.Qxg4 Rxh2 and Black is winning.

20...Nd4 21.Qe3 Bxe5 and White resigned on account of  22.Bxe5 Nxe5 23.Nc3 Bxd3+ 24.Kg1 Rxh3 25.Nxh3 Rg8 and White is completely busted. 0–1

Nestorovic (2372) - Atakisi (2380), Belgrade 2018

Set 2

Exercises to Set 2

2.1)

***

Black to move

Hint: Find a breakthrough to White’s king

2.2)

*

Black to move

Hint: Utilize a discovered check

2.3)

***

White to move

Hint: Find a way to bring more pieces into the attack

2.4)

**

Black to move

Hint: One of White’s pieces is overburdened

Solutions to Set 2

2.1)

Solution

16...f4! 17.exf4?

White should have played 17.Nc4 fxe3 18.Nxe3 Nxe3 19.fxe3 Qf7 20.Qd2 Bc4 21.Bxc4 Qxc4 22.b6 Nb5 when Black has a large advantage.

17...e3 18.Nf3 Rae8

Not the most accurate move. After 18...Bg4!, White's position quickly collapses, e.g., 19.Bg2 (or 19.h3 e2 20.Qxe2 Bxf3 and Black wins) 19...exf2+ 20.Kxf2 Qe3+ 21.Kf1 Bf5! 22.Ne1 Nxf4! 23.gxf4 Bh3 and it is game over for White.

19.Be2 Bh3 20.Bc1 exf2+ 21.Kxf2 Nc3 22.Qb3+ Kh8 23.Bd3??

23.Re1 is ugly but playable for White.

23...Qe2+! 0–1

Sviridov (2513) - Motylev (2659) Russian ch Higher League (Yaroslavl) 2018

2.2)

Solution

17...Bc2!

This forces the White queen to a square where it will become exposed to a nasty discovered check with the d-pawn.

18.dxe6

Both 18.Qe2 d3+ 19.Qf2 Bc5 and 18.Nc4 Qb4 19.Qd2 Qxc4 win for Black.

18...d3+!

Anyway! The queen is trapped and therefore there is no urgency to capture on d1 nor on e6.

19.Kh1 Qxe6 20.Bxb7 Bxd1 21.Bxa8 Be2 0–1

Turov (2600) - Gaifullin (2448) Russian ch Higher League (Yaroslavl) 2018

2.3)

Solution

21.Nf5!

This is good, but best is 21.Qxh5! bxc3 22.g6 cxb2+ 23.Kb1 wins for White.

21...exf5?

Black allows what White is hoping for. Alternatively, 21...Bd8 22.Qxh5 (or 22.Nh6+ Kg7 23.Bd4+ Nde5 24.Qxh5 bxc3 25.Rxc3 and White should be winning) 22...bxc3 23.Bd4 with a decisive attack for White.

22.Nd5 Qd8 23.Qxh5! Nde5 24.fxe5 Nxe5 25.Bd4!

Now there is no stopping White's attack.

25...bxa3 26.Bxe5 dxe5 27.g6 1–0

Kobalia (2608) - Paravyan (2634) Russian ch Higher League (Yaroslavl) 2018

2.4)

Solution

29...Ne5!

Black targets the softest spot in White's position, the d3-pawn, and defending it will cost an exchange at the minimum.

30.Nf3?

Even giving up the exchange gives White any kind of hope of survival, e.g., 30.Rcd1 Bxd1 31.Rxd1 Qe3! and Black is completely winning.

30...Qxg2+! White resigned on account of 30...Qxg2+ 31.Qxg2 Nxf3+ 32.Kf2 Rxg2+ 33.Kxg2 Nxe1+ 34.Rxe1 and Black is simply up a piece. 0–1

Ter Sahakyan (2546) - Andriasian (2586), Yerevan 2018

Set 3

Exercises to Set 3

3.1)

**

Black to move

Hint: Break the connections to the defenders

3.2)

***

Black to move

Hint: Apply pressure against White’s weakest point

3.3)