A key aspect of solving puzzles is broadening our perspective. In a position there are usually several possibilities – that is, candidate moves. The question is: do we always examine them or are we automatically looking for solutions without taking other important factors into consideration?
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White just played 24. Rhg1?? in a game between Oleksiyenko en Shmeliov (Lviv 2003). Why is this such a big mistake? Scroll down for the answer.
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Black just played 29. … b5? in a game between De Firmian and Thorhallson (2003). This was clearly a mistake in already difficult position. How can white finish the game in style? Please scroll down for the answer.
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This is the position after Black’s 22nd move in a game between Stanislaw Praczukowski (2160) and Minas Mikinas (1951) Graz (2024). The question is: can White capture the pawn on d6?
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Another classic! This time by the first World Champion: Wilhelm Steinitz with black against Reiner. It was played as part off a match in Vienna (1860). Steinitz won this match with 3-0. ChessGames.com says they were ‘casual games’. Question: how did Steinitz win this game?
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This game is from a long gone era. Chess was sort of in its infancy. The combatants were Adolf Schwarz (white) and Louis Paulsen (DSB Kongress / Meiserturnier Leipzig, 1879). Shall we have a look? Who is better in this position? I guess white thought ‘that’s me!’ and went for it with 42. a4. Is this the right approach?
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How would you judge this position, which arose after the 25th move by white in the game between Ponomariov and Bareev (FIDE Wch k.o. Moscow 2001). Question: who is better and can black take the pawn on e5?
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Before you answer the first question, I have another question. Was white’s last move: 19. Qd1 right or wrong? What was the alternative?
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This is a fragment from the game between Karl Burger and Pal Benkö (USA 1969). What is the best move for black?
Read More »Opening books are popular. Actually, I don’t really know why. Because personally, I have never finished an opening book. Most of the opening books in my bookcase lead a sad existence. At best, I will occasionally consult them as a reference.
Perhaps those books are so popular because we hope for a quick victory? Or to avoid having to resign after a couple of moves? No idea. But what I do know is that it is useful to know and avoid falling into opening traps. Or much better: trapping your opponent.
IM Sagar Shah has started a fun series about traps in the opening on the youtube channel of ChessBase India. The videos are released at a rapid pace. They are short and entertaining. The most important thing: you are introduced to some nasty tactics in the opening. Take, for instance, this video about the Accelerated Dragon in the Sicilian defence.
Sagar Shah regularly enlivens his lesson with a light anecdote. In the next video, he is playing a game of chess with his wife. Apparently, you shouldn’t mess with her. Watch how this turned out.
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Michel's Chess Blog 