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Tactics from the European
Men's Individual Championship
Istanbul 2003

(1) Tregubov,P (2632) - Nedev,T (2518) [D71]
4th IECC Istanbul TUR (1), 30.05.2003 [Medium]

White to play
There is one sure way to queen that a-pawn.
Can you find the move that won the game for White?

(2) Smirnov,P (2615) - Meijers,V (2512) [B42]
4th IECC Istanbul TUR (1), 30.05.2003 [Medium]

White to play
There is one pretty move to end this game in favour of White.
How long does it take for you to spot it?

(3) Atakisi,U (2296) - Ruck,R (2569) [B97]
4th IECC Istanbul TUR (1), 30.05.2003 [Medium]

White to play
Black has just played 30...Rg4-g6, instead of the required 30...Rg4-g8 with a safe position. How did White punish the blunder?

(4) Moiseenko,A (2627) - Potkin,V (2522) [D45]
4th IECC Istanbul TUR (2), 31.05.2003 [Medium]

Black to play
Can you see the three-move combination that wins the game?

(5) Stevic,H (2550) - Arduman,C (2361) [C86]
4th IECC Istanbul TUR (2), 31.05.2003 [Medium]

White to play
It is always nice to end an attacking game with a coup de gras. How did the 23-year-old Croatian IM force his opponent into submission?

(6) Potkin,V (2522) - Chuchelov,V (2592) [B22]
4th IECC Istanbul TUR (3), 01.06.2003 [Easy]

Black to play
White has just returned his queen from g4 to d1. You should see the tactical opportunity in a flash.

(7) Fedorov,A (2604) - Meijers,V (2512) [C00]
4th IECC Istanbul TUR (3), 01.06.2003 [Medium]

White to play
The white attack cannot be stopped.
But can you see the most powerful tactical shot?

(8) Mastrovasilis,A (2487) - Hracek,Z (2584) [A28]
4th IECC Istanbul TUR (3), 01.06.2003 [Medium]

Black to play
After White retreated his rook from d8 to d1
Black had a clear-cut way to end the game in his favour.

(9) Mastrovasilis,D (2456) - Marin,M (2568) [B09]
4th IECC Istanbul TUR (3), 01.06.2003 [Medium]

White to play
How die the 19-year-old Greek master finish off his attack. To hone your tactical skill you should work out the staircase mate in eight moves.

(10) Karadeniz,E (2308) - Vokarev,S (2498) [D00]
4th IECC Istanbul TUR (3), 01.06.2003 [Medium]

White to play
Black has just played Ng4-f2. Is that the end for White,
or can he turn tables on the attacker?

(11) Erdogan,H (2239) - Reinderman,D (2516) [A86]
4th IECC Istanbul TUR (4), 02.06.2003 [Medium]

White to play
The Turkish player Hakan Erdogan has invested two pawns into this attack,
but he has to find a critical move here to finish it off.

(12) Grant,J (2253) - Sulypa,A (2492) [A29]
4th IECC Istanbul TUR (4), 02.06.2003 [Medium]

White to play
To take or not to take, that is so often the question. Can you work out the tactics in this position?

(13) Kupreichik,V (2529) - Morrison,C (2170) [B07]
4th IECC Istanbul TUR (4), 02.06.2003 [Medium]

Black to play
White has just played Rg1xPg7+. Where must Black move his king: to f8 or h8? Black chose the wrong alternative and went down in a mating attack (which you should work out by yourself).

(14) Vokarev,S (2498) - Asmundsson,I (2327) [B42]
4th IECC Istanbul TUR (4), 02.06.2003 [Medium]

White to play
Anyone can feel the first move of White's final combination. But can you work out the continuation completely in your mind?

(15) Ftacnik,L (2611) - Savchenko,S (2559) [D17]
4th IECC Istanbul TUR (5), 03.06.2003 [Easy]

White to play
Lubomir Ftacnik, one of the GMs in charge of the ChessBase games collections, overlooked a mate in three. Surely this would never happen to you?!

(16) Erdogdu,M (2303) - Vajda,L (2592) [B08]
4th IECC Istanbul TUR (5), 03.06.2003 [Medium]

White to play
Black has just pinned the knight with Re8-g8.

Tactic problems as a zipped PDF file
for viewing and printing with Adobe Acrobat

Solutions
Note that you can click on the notation to follow the moves on the board.

Frederic Friedel