Tactics June 28 2002

(1) Van Wely,L (2642) - Ernst,S (2462) [D15] Essent ch-NED Leeuwarden NED (3), 22.06.2002 [Easy] 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 a6 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Bg5 Ne4 7.Bh4 Qa5 8.Qb3 e6 9.Rc1 Nc6 10.e3 Bd6 11.Bd3 f5 12.Bg3 Nxg3 13.hxg3 Bd7 14.Ng5 h6 15.Nxe6 Bxe6 16.Qxb7 Rc8 17.Qxg7 Rg8 18.Qf6 Nd8 19.Rxh6 Rc6 20.Rh7 Rf8 21.Qg6+ Bf7 22.Qxf5 Ba3 23.bxa3 Rxc3 24.Rxc3 Qxc3+ 25.Ke2 Qb2+ 26.Bc2 Qxa2 27.f4 Rg8 28.Kf3 Qxa3 29.g4 Qa1 30.Qe5+ Kf8 31.Qd6+ Ke8 32.Bf5 Qa4 33.Rh6 Rg7 34.g5 Bg8 35.Rh8 Qd1+ 36.Kg3 Qe1+ 37.Kh2 Qxe3 Diagram White to play Loek van Wely, who started the Dutch Championship with a perfect 4/4 score, actually got a chance to execute mate in this game. Which is the quickest way to do so? 38.Rxg8+ [ 38.Bd7+ Rxd7 39.Rxg8+ Kf7 40.Qg6+ Ke7 41.Qf6# ] 38...Rxg8 39.Bd7+ Kf7 40.Qf6# 1-0

(2) Van Wely,L (2642) - Van der Wiel,J (2509) [A41] Essent ch-NED Leeuwarden NED (4), 23.06.2002 [Easy] 1.d4 d6 2.Nf3 Bg4 3.c4 Bxf3 4.exf3 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.h4 h5 7.Be3 c6 8.Bd3 Nf6 9.g4 Na6 10.g5 Nd7 11.f4 Qb6 12.0-0 Qxb2 13.Na4 Qa3 14.Bc1 Qb4 15.Rb1 Qa5 16.Rxb7 Bxd4 17.Be4 c5 18.Qb3 Qd8 Diagram White to play After his opponent had played the disasterous move 18...Qa5-d8 "Lucky Loek" was able to pick up a piece and the game. 19.Rxd7 Qxd7 20.Bxa8 0-0 21.Bg2 Rb8 22.Qa3 Nb4 23.Nb2 Rb6 24.Qb3 Na6 25.Qa3 Nb4 26.Nd3 Ra6 27.Qb3 Nxa2 28.Bb2 Qa4 29.Qb8+ Kg7 30.Bxd4+ cxd4 31.Qc7 Nc3 32.Qxe7 Qxc4 33.Qf6+ Kh7 34.Re1 1-0

(3) Potkin,V (2493) - Atakisi,U (2358) [B22] 3rd IECC Batumi GEO (6), 17.06.2002 [Easy] 1.e4 c5 2.c3 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.d4 cxd4 6.cxd4 d6 7.Bc4 Nb6 8.Bb5 dxe5 9.Nxe5 Bd7 10.Nxd7 Qxd7 11.Nc3 Rd8 12.0-0 e6 13.a4 a6 14.Bxc6 Qxc6 15.Bg5 f6 16.Be3 Bb4 17.d5 Nxd5 18.Nxd5 Rxd5 19.Qg4 Bf8 20.Rac1 Qd7 Diagram White to play How does White win back the pawn and, to boot, get a winning attack? 21.Rc7 Qxc7 [ 21...f5 22.Qc4 b5 23.Qc2 ] 22.Qxe6+ Be7 23.Qxd5 Qd7 24.Qb3 g5 25.Rd1 Qc6 26.Rc1 Qd7 27.Bb6 Bd6 28.Rd1 Qe7 29.Qd5 1-0

(4) Kinsic,O (2158) - Yilmaz,T (2303) [B86] 3rd IECC Batumi GEO (9), 21.06.2002 [Easy] 1.e4 Nf6 2.Bc4 d6 3.Nc3 c5 4.Nge2 a6 5.a4 e6 6.d4 cxd4 7.Nxd4 Qc7 8.Qe2 g6 9.0-0 Bg7 10.Be3 0-0 11.f3 Re8 12.Nb3 Nbd7 13.a5 Ne5 14.Bd3 Bd7 15.Bb6 Qb8 16.f4 Nxd3 17.cxd3 Bc6 18.Qf2 Re7 19.Qh4 Qe8 20.Bd4 e5 21.Be3 h6 22.fxe5 g5 23.exf6 gxh4 24.fxe7 Qxe7 25.Nd4 Bd7 26.Nd5 Qd8 27.Nf5 Bxf5 28.Rxf5 h3 29.Raf1 Qh4 30.gxh3 Qxh3 31.R1f3 Qh4 32.Rg3 Kh8 33.Rxf7 Be5 34.Nf4 Rg8 Diagram White to play Here's one you should spot instantly. It places the entire black family in jeopardy. 35.Rf8 Rxf8 [ 35...Qxg3+ 36.hxg3 Rxf8 37.Ng6+ Kg8 38.Nxf8 Kxf8 39.Bxh6+ Ke7 Otherwise 40.Bf4 wins easily 40.Kf2 preferring to save the g-pawn instead of the b-pawn 40...Bxb2 41.Bd2 and White wins.] 36.Ng6+ Kg7 37.Nxh4+ Bxg3 38.hxg3 Kf6 39.Kf2 Rc8 40.Bd4+ Kg5 41.Bc3 Kg4 42.Nf5 Rf8 43.Ke3 h5 44.Bg7 Rd8 45.Bf6 Rd7 46.Kf2 Kh3 47.d4 Rf7 48.e5 dxe5 49.dxe5 Rf8 50.Kf3 b6 51.axb6 Rb8 52.e6 Rxb6 53.Ng7 a5 54.Bc3 Rb7 55.Nf5 Rb6 56.e7 Re6 57.Kf4 a4 58.Bb4 Re2 59.Ne3 Rxb2 60.Bd6 a3 61.e8Q a2 62.Qxh5# 1-0

(5) Jobava,B (2566) - Shengelia,D (2415) [D57] 3rd IECC Batumi GEO (10), 22.06.2002 [Easy] 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e3 0-0 6.Nf3 h6 7.Bh4 Ne4 8.Bxe7 Qxe7 9.cxd5 Nxc3 10.bxc3 exd5 11.Qb3 Rd8 12.c4 Be6 13.Qxb7 Qa3 14.Rb1 Qxa2 15.cxd5 Bf5 16.Rc1 Qa3 17.Qxc7 Nc6 18.Rd1 Rac8 19.Qf4 Bc2 20.dxc6 Bxd1 21.Kxd1 Rxc6 22.Nd2 Qc1+ 23.Ke2 Rc2 24.Kf3 Qxd2 25.Kg3 Rc3 26.Kg4 Qd1+ 27.f3 Qd2 28.e4 Rxd4 29.Qe5 Rd6 30.Qe8+ Kh7 31.Qxf7 Qg5+ 32.Kh3 Rf6 33.Qd5 Diagram Black to play Georgian IM Davit Shengelia is not one to miss a mating chance. Can you find the move that leads to mate in three moves? 33...Rfxf3+ [ 33...Rcxf3+ 34.g3 Qxd5 35.exd5 Rxf1 36.Rxf1 Rxf1 ] 34.g3 [ 34.gxf3 Rxf3# ] 34...Rxg3+ [ 34...Rxg3+ 35.hxg3 Qxg3# ] 0-1

(6) Asylguzhin,R (2387) - Karadeniz,E (2307) [C44] 3rd IECC Batumi GEO (10), 22.06.2002 [Easy] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d3 Nc6 4.c3 d5 5.Nbd2 a5 6.Be2 Bc5 7.Qc2 0-0 8.h3 Re8 9.Nf1 a4 10.g4 d4 11.Ng3 a3 12.b4 Bd6 13.b5 Na7 14.c4 c6 15.bxc6 Nxc6 16.0-0 Nd7 17.Kh2 Bb4 18.Bd2 Nc5 19.Rab1 Qa5 20.Bxb4 Nxb4 21.Qd2 Diagram Black to move How does Black pick up a pawn in this position? 21...Nbxd3 22.Bxd3 Qxd2 23.Nxd2 Nxd3 24.Rb3 Nb2 25.f4 exf4 26.Rxf4 Be6 27.Rff3 Nxc4 28.Nxc4 Bxc4 29.Rxa3 d3 30.Rfxd3 Bxd3 31.Rxd3 Rxa2+ 32.Kg1 g6 33.Rb3 Rc8 34.Rb1 Rcc2 35.Nf1 Rab2 36.Rd1 Re2 37.Rd8+ Kg7 0-1

(7) Radulski,J (2501) - Shanava,K (2390) [B23] 3rd IECC Batumi GEO (11), 23.06.2002 [Easy] 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.f4 Nf6 4.Nf3 a6 5.d3 Nc6 6.h3 g6 7.g4 Bg7 8.Bg2 0-0 9.0-0 Nd7 10.f5 e6 11.Bg5 Qc7 12.Qd2 b5 13.Bh6 b4 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.Ne2 e5 16.Ng3 Ne7 17.Rf2 f6 18.Raf1 gxf5 19.exf5 Bb7 20.Nh5+ Kh8 21.Qh6 Rf7 22.Nh4 Rg8 23.Bxb7 Qxb7 24.Rg2 Qb8 25.Kh1 Qf8 26.Qe3 d5 27.Rfg1 d4 28.Qe4 Qa8 29.Nf3 Rff8 30.g5 fxg5 31.Nxg5 Qxe4 32.dxe4 Nf6 33.Nxf6 Rxf6 34.b3 c4 35.bxc4 a5 36.c5 Rc8 37.Nf3 Ng6 38.Rg5 Rff8 39.R1g3 Nf4 40.Nxe5 Rce8 Diagram White to play Black has just played 40...Rc8-e8, overlooking what? 41.Rg8+ [ 41.Rg8+ Rxg8 42.Nf7# ] 1-0

(8) Duman,A (2155) - Klerides,P (2210) [B92] 3rd IECC Batumi GEO (6), 17.06.2002 [Medium] 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.a4 Be6 10.f4 Qc7 11.Nd5 Bxd5 12.exd5 Nbd7 13.Be3 Nb6 14.Bxb6 Qxb6+ 15.Kh1 Ne4 16.Qe1 f5 17.a5 Qc7 18.fxe5 dxe5 19.Bd3 Nc5 20.Nxc5 Bxc5 21.Bxf5 g6 22.Qg3 Kg7 23.Be4 Bb4 24.h4 Rf4 25.Rxf4 exf4 26.Qg4 Re8 27.Bd3 Re5 28.Rf1 Bd2 29.Rd1 Be3 30.d6 Qd8 31.g3 Rh5 32.Qe6 Rxh4+ Diagram White to play Black has just played 32...Rh5xPh4+. What happens if White takes the offering? 33.Kg2 [ 33.gxh4 Qxh4+ 34.Kg2 f3+ 35.Kxf3 Qf2+ 36.Ke4 Qf4+ 37.Kd5 Qd4# ] 33...Rh5 34.Bc4 Bc5 35.Qf7+ Kh8 36.d7 Rf5 37.Qe8+ Rf8 38.Qe5+ Rf6 39.Qxf6+ 1-0

(9) Anastasian,A (2591) - Minasian,A (2473) [B05] 3rd IECC Batumi GEO (9), 21.06.2002 [Medium] 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.Be2 c6 6.0-0 Bxf3 7.Bxf3 dxe5 8.dxe5 e6 9.b3 Nd7 10.Bb2 Qc7 11.Re1 Rd8 12.g3 Ne7 13.Qe2 Ng6 14.a3 Be7 15.h4 Diagram Black to play Now is that pawn on e5 hanging or not? You need to be able to spot long-range skewers in order to decide. 15...Ngxe5 16.Bg2 [ 16.Bxe5 Nxe5 17.Qxe5 Qxe5 18.Rxe5 Bf6 ] 16...Bf6 17.Bc3 h5 18.Bh3 Ng6 19.a4 a5 20.Qe4 Ne7 21.Qf3 Nd5 22.Bxf6 gxf6 23.Na3 Kf8 24.Nc4 f5 25.Re2 b5 26.axb5 cxb5 27.Bxf5 exf5 28.Qxd5 bxc4 29.Rae1 Nf6 30.Qxf5 Rh6 31.Re7 Rd7 32.R7e5 cxb3 33.cxb3 Rg6 34.Rxa5 Rd2 35.Rae5 Qb6 36.R5e3 Rd4 37.Re6 Qb4 38.Ra1 Rd5 39.Ra8+ Kg7 40.Rxf6 Rxf5 41.Rxf5 Qxh4 0-1

(10) Bayram,Y (2312) - Arman,D (2119) [D89] 3rd IECC Batumi GEO (10), 22.06.2002 [Medium] 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 0-0 8.Ne2 c5 9.0-0 cxd4 10.cxd4 Nc6 11.Be3 Bg4 12.f3 Na5 13.Bd3 Be6 14.Rc1 Bxa2 15.Qa4 Be6 16.d5 Bd7 17.Qb4 b6 18.Ba6 b5 19.Nd4 Qb6 20.Nf5 Qxa6 21.Nxg7 Nc4 22.Rxc4 bxc4 23.Qxe7 Qc8 Diagram White to move What is the best way for White to defend or extricate his knight from its precarious position? 24.Nh5 Threat: Qf6 and mate. 24...gxh5 [ 24...Qd8 25.Nf6+ Kh8 26.Qe5 also wins quickly] 25.Qg5+ Kh8 26.Qf6+ Kg8 27.Bd4 1-0

(11) Izoria,Z (2556) - Ehlvest,J (2588) [A43] 3rd IECC Batumi GEO (11), 23.06.2002 [Medium] 1.d4 c5 2.d5 f5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 g6 5.e4 d6 6.Bb5+ Bd7 7.exf5 gxf5 8.Nh3 Na6 9.Bxa6 bxa6 10.0-0 Bg7 11.Ne2 0-0 12.Nef4 h6 13.c4 Ne8 14.Kh1 Bd4 15.Qe2 Kh7 16.Be3 Bh8 17.Rae1 Rf7 18.Qd2 Rb8 19.b3 a5 20.Ne6 Bxe6 21.dxe6 Rf6 Diagram White to play White has set up a nice attack. Now it is time to pick up material and overwhelm the black king. 22.Bxh6 Nc7 [ 22...Rxh6 23.Ng5+ Kg8 24.Nf7 ] 23.Ng5+ Kg8 24.Nf7 Qe8 25.Qg5+ Kh7 26.Qh4 Nxe6 27.Rxe6 Rxf7 28.Rfe1 Rb7 29.Bf8+ Kg8 30.Rg6+ Bg7 31.Bxg7 Rxg7 32.Rh6 1-0

(12) Mamedjarova,Z (2312) - Yegiazarian,A (2567) [E10] 3rd IECC Batumi GEO (11), 23.06.2002 [Medium] 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 a6 4.Nc3 c5 5.d5 b5 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bxf6 Qxf6 8.e4 b4 9.e5 Qd8 10.Ne4 Bb7 11.Qd2 Be7 12.Be2 0-0 13.0-0 exd5 14.cxd5 d6 15.Bc4 dxe5 16.Nxe5 Nd7 17.f4 Nb6 18.Rad1 Bd6 19.Bb3 Re8 20.Rfe1 Rc8 21.Nc4 Nxc4 22.Bxc4 Qc7 23.g3 Rcd8 24.Qd3 a5 25.Re2 Bc8 26.Rde1 Rf8 27.Nd2 Bg4 28.Re3 Qc8 29.Nf3 Rde8 30.Ne5 Bf5 31.Qb3 Qd8 32.Qa4 Qf6 33.Kg2 g5 34.R1e2 gxf4 35.gxf4 Kh7 36.Qc6 Rc8 37.Qa4 Bxe5 38.Rxe5 Rg8+ 39.Kh1 Qg6 40.Qd1 Bg4 41.R5e3 Diagram Black to move Black is obviously winning, but in this position he played a move for which in previous centuries the public would have showered gold coins on the board. 41...Qe4+ [ 41...Qe4+ 42.Rxe4 Bf3+ 43.Rg2 Bxg2+ 44.Kg1 Bf3+ 45.Kf2 Bxd1 ] 0-1

(13) Klerides,P (2210) - Kamadadze,Z (2225) [B97] 3rd IECC Batumi GEO (11), 23.06.2002 [Medium] 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 a6 3.Nc3 d6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nf6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.f5 Qc5 11.fxe6 fxe6 12.Bxf6 gxf6 13.Na4 Bh6 14.Qxh6 Qa5+ 15.c3 Qxa4 16.Be2 Qa5 17.Bh5+ Kd8 18.Qxf6+ Kc7 19.Qg7+ Bd7 20.Nxe6+ Kc6 21.Nd4+ Kc7 22.Qxh8 Qxh5 23.0-0 a5 24.Rf8 a4 25.Qf6 b5 26.Qd8+ Kb7 27.Nf5 Qe2 28.Nxd6+ Ka6 29.Nxb5 Qe3+ 30.Kh1 Qxe4 31.Rf6+ Bc6 32.Qc8+ Ka5 33.Qd8+ Ka6 Diagram White to play After repeating moves (32.Qd8-c8+ Ka6-a5 33.Qc8-d8+ Ka5-a6) White worked out how to mate his opponent. 34.Rxc6+ [ 34.Rxc6+ Qxc6 35.Nc7+ Qxc7 36.Qxc7 Nd7 37.Qc6+ Ka5 ( 37...Ka7 38.Qxa4# ) 38.Qxa8# ] 1-0

(14) Arman,D (2119) - Duman,A (2155) [B74] 3rd IECC Batumi GEO (11), 23.06.2002 [Medium] 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Be2 0-0 8.0-0 d6 9.Nb3 Be6 10.f4 Na5 11.f5 Bc4 12.Bd3 Bxd3 13.cxd3 Nxb3 14.Qxb3 Ng4 15.Bg5 h6 16.Bh4 g5 17.Bg3 h5 18.h3 Ne5 19.f6 Bxf6 20.Rxf6 exf6 21.Nd5 Re8 22.Rf1 Re6 23.Bxe5 dxe5 24.Qxb7 Rb8 25.Qxa7 Rxb2 26.Rc1 Qb8 27.Qd7 Rb1 28.Rxb1 Qxb1+ 29.Kh2 Qe1 30.Nc7 g4 31.hxg4 Qh4+ 32.Kg1 Rb6 33.Nb5 Rb8 34.gxh5 Kg7 35.a4 Qxh5 36.a5 Qd1+ 37.Kf2 Qc2+ 38.Kf3 Qd1+ 39.Kf2 Qd2+ 40.Kf3 Qd1+ 41.Kf2 Qb3 42.Nd6 Qa2+ 43.Kf3 Qe6 44.Qc7 Rb2 45.Nf5+ Kh7 46.Qc1 Rxg2 47.Kxg2 Qa2+ 48.Kg3 Kg8 Diagram White to play Here White can mate in four. How? Instead he played the plausible 49.Qh6, which brought a grin to the face of his opponent. Why? 49.Qh6?? [ 49.Qc8+ Kh7 50.Qf8 Qg2+ 51.Kxg2 Kg6 52.Qh6# ] 49...Qg2+ 50.Kh4 [ 50.Kxg2 is stalemate!] 50...Qg4+ 1/2-1/2