Chess Tactics

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Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit

MAX EUWE vs. S. VAN MINDENO
Holland, 1927

Italian Game, Classical Variation, Greco Gambit

1. e4, e5
2. Nf3, Nc6
3. Bc4, Bc5
4. c3, Nf6
5. d4 ...

The Greco Gambit. White allows the e-pawn to be taken in return for an open e-file.

5. .... exd4
6. cxd4, Bb4+
7. Nc3, Nxe4
8. 0-0 ....

Qe2 is bad for White because of 8....d5! allowing support for the Knight.

8. .... Bxc3
9. d5!!, Bf6

If 9....Ne7, 10. bxc3 Nxc3, 11. Qd4!!

10. Re1, 0-0

Black castled his King into safety, knowing that one of his Knights will be taken anyway.

11. Rxe4, Ne7
12. d6, cxd6
13. Qxd6, Nf5
14. Qd5 ....

14. .... d6
15. Bg5, Bxg5

Black fell to the trap! Better is 15....h6 sustaining the defense.

If 15. Be6 then 16. Rxe6 fxe6, 17. Qxe6+ Kh8, 18. Qxf5 with more than enough compensation.

16. Nxg5, Qxg5
17. Qxf7+, Resigns

If 17....Rxf7, then 18. Re8 mate.

Sicilian Defense, Dragon Variation; Yugoslav Attack

MIKHAIL TAL vs. SVIRIDOV
Stuttgart Simultaneous Exhibition, 1969

Sicilian Defense, Dragon Variation; Yugoslav Attack

1. e4, c5
2. Nf3, d6
3. d4, cxd4
4. Nxd4, Nf6
5. Nc3, g6
6. Be3, Bg7
7. f3 ....

The Yugoslav Attack. This opening supports the e4 pawn and promotes the mobility of both Bishops.

7. .... Nc6
8. Qd2, Bd7
9. 0-0-0, Qa5
10. Kb1, Rc8
11. g4, h6
12. h4, a6
13. Be2, Ne5
14. g5!! ....

14. .... hxg5
15. hxg5, Rxh1
16. gxf6, Rxd1+
17. Nxd1!! ....

This move gains a tempo, as it forces the Black Queen to make a move.

17. .... Qxd2
18. fxg7, Resigns

Black cannot prevent the pawn from being promoted. If 18....Kd8, then 19. g8=Q+ Kc7, 20. Qxc8 Bxc8, 21. Bxd2 and White is a piece ahead

Victor Korchnoi

Korchnoi is a four times USSR chess champion (1960, 1962-63, 1964-65, 1970), two times winner of the interzonal tournaments for world championship, winner of two Candidates Tournaments (1977, 1980) and five time European champion. Victor Korchnoi played three matches with Anatoly Karpov for the World Chess Championship (two official matches in 1978 and 1981, and the 1974 Candidates' Final which later won Karpov the title by forfeit against Bobby Fischer). He also became a six time Chess Olympiad winner as a member of the Soviet team.

VICTOR KORCHNOI vs. ANATOLI KARPOV
Moscow, 1974
Queen's Indian Defense, Anti-Queen's Indian System

1. d4, Nf6
2. Nf3, e6
3. g3, b6
4. Bg2, Bb7
5. c4, Be7
6. Nc3 ....

The Anti-Queen's Indian System, which seeks to control the d5 square.

6. .... 0-0
7. Qc2, c5
8. d5, exd5
9. Ng5 ....

Part of the Anti-Queen's Indian System, the move threatens mate at h7 while attacking the d5 pawn.

9. .... Nc6
10. Nxd5 ....

If 10. cxd5 then Black drives the White Queen away by 10....Nd4. The text allows White to maintain pressure.

10. .... g6

Black eliminates the threat, but White maintains pressure at the center.

11. Qd2, Nxd5
12. Bxd5 ....

White maintains the pin on the b7 Bishop.

12. .... Rb8
13. Nxh7!!, Re8

Of course not 13....Kxh7 because of 14. Qh6+ Kg8; 15. Qxg6+... with a devastating attack.

14. Qh6, Ne5
15. Ng5, Bxg5
16. Bxg5, Qxg5
17. Qxg5, Bxd5
18. 0-0 ....

Black hoped for 18. cxd5 Nf3 double check! But Korchnoi saw the plan. Without the Queen, Black has already lost the game. The succeeding moves have become irrelevant.

18. .... Bxc4
19. f4, Resigns

Queen's Indian Defense

BORIS SPASSKY vs. MIKHAIL TAL
Montreal 1979

Queen's Indian Defense

1. d4, Nf6
2. c4, e6
3. Nf3, b6
4. e3, Bb7
5. Bd3, d5
6. b3, Bd6
7. 0-0, 0-0
8. Bb2, Nbd7
9. Nbd2, Qe7
10. Rc1, Rad8
11. Qc2, c5
12. cxd5, exd5
13. dxc5, bxc5
14. Qc3, Rfe8
15. Rfd1, d4
16. exd4, cxd4
17. Qa5 ....

If 17. Nxd4 then 17....Bxh2, 18. Kxh2 Ng4+, 19. Kg1 Qh4 with good attacking chances.

If 17. Qxd4, then 17....Ne4, 18. Nxe4 Bxe4 also with good attacking possibilities.

17. .... Ne5
18. Nxe5, Bxe5
19. Nc4, Rd5
20. Qd2, Bxh2+
21. Kxh2, Rh5+
22. Kg1, Ng4
White resigns.

Black intends to place his Queen at h4, then mate next move.

If 23. g3, then Black mates by 23....Rh1+.

If 23. f3, then Black replies with 23....Rh1+; 24. Kxh1 Qh4+, 25. Kg1 Qh2+, 26. Kf1 Qh1 mate.

A Brutal Chess Attack

RAYMUND KEENE vs. ANTHONY MILES
Hastings, England 1975
Queen's Gambit Declined, Semi-Tarrasch Variation

1. Nf3, Nf6
2. c4, c5
3. Nc3, Nc6
4. e3, e6
5. d4, d5
6. cxd5, Nxd5
7. Bd3, cxd4
8. exd4, Be7
9. 0-0, 0-0

The situation that arose is one of the classical isolated pawn positions, in which White's mobility and attacking possibilities compensate for the structural weakness.

10. Re1, Nf6
11. Bg5, Nb4?

Keene recommends 11....b6.  Black gave away too soon his plan to dominate the blockade square d5.

12. Bb1, b6
13. Ne5, Bb7
14. Re3!! ....

White prepares for attack.

14. .... g6

Black's last move prevents 15. Bxf6 Bxf6, 16. Bxh7 Kxh7, 17. Qh5+ and 18. Rh3.

15. Rg3! ....

This move may seem odd at first, but after a few moves the objective becomes evident.

15. .... Rc8

Better was 15....Nc6! 16. Bh6 Qxd4! and Black breaks White's attack by sacrificing the exchange.

16. Bh6 ....

16. .... Re8
17. a3, Nc6
18. Nxg6!, hxg6
19. Bxg6, fxg6

Raymond Keene wrote "Apart from capturing the bishop Black has two other defenses: a) 19...Bf8 20 Bc2+ Kh8 21 Bxf8 Rxf8 22 Qd2 Ng8 23 Rh3+ Kg7 24 Rh7+ (Fritz gives 24 Qf4) 24...Kf6 25 d5+-; b) 19...Bd6 20 Bxf7+ Kxf7 21 Rg7+ Kf8 22 Qf3+-. In this position Black is quite helpless, in spite of his extra material."

20. Qb1! ....

Keene commented that b1 is the best square for the queen in a mating combination, but neither 20 Qd3 Ne5 nor 20 Qc2 Ne5! 21 dxe5 Ne4 (exploiting the pin on the c-file) would be good enough for White.

20.... Ne5
21. dxe5, Ne4
22. Nxe4, Kh7

Of course not 22....Bxe4, 23. Rxg6+ Kh7, 24. Qxe4 and White wins.

23. Nf6+, Bxf6
24. Qxg6+, Kh8
25. Bg7+, Bxg7
26. Qxg7 mate.

What more could we say?  This game is considered as one of the most brutal chess attacks of all time.

Caro-Kann Defense, Breyer Variation

MIKHAIL TAL vs.  VASILY SMYSLOV
Yuloslavia 1959

1. e4, c6
2. d3 ....

The Breyer Variation of the Caro-Kann.

2. .... d5
3. Nd2, e5
4. Ngf3, Nd7
5. d4, dxe4
6. Nxe4, exd4
7. Qxd4, Ngf6
8. Bg5, Be7
9. 0-0-0, 0-0
10. Nd6, Qa5
11. Bc4 ....

White's two Bishops are now active.

11. .... b5
12. Bd2, Qa6
13. Nf5, Bd8
14. Qh4!! ....

White sacrifices the c4 Bishop in order to gain attacking position.

14. .... bxc4
15. Qg5, Nh5
16. Nh6+ ....

If 16. Qxh5, then Black replies with ...Nf6, 17. Qg5 Bxf5, and White's attack fizzles out.

16. .... Kh8
17. Qxh5, Qxa2
18. Bc3!! ....

This move serves many purposes. First it provides an escape square for the King; second, it attacks the long c3-h8 diagonal; third, it opens the d-file.

18. .... Nf6
19. Qxf7!!, Qa1+

Black has no other choice. If 19....Re8 (or any other move), then 20. Qg8+ Rxg8, 21. Nf7 mate.  Of course not 19....Rxf7 because of 20. Rxd8 and mate next move.

20. Kd2, Rxf7
21. Nxf7+, Kg8
22. Rxa1, Kxf7
23. Ne5+, Ke6
24. Nxc6, Ne4+
25. Ke3, Bb6+
26. Bd4, Resigns

Black hoped for 26. Kxe4 Bb7 pinning the Knight.  

If 26....Bxd4, then 27. Kxd4 Nd6, 28. Rxa7.  With superior material, White wins easily.  A very instructive play by Mikhail Tal.