Tactics Time Newsletter: Let it Snow

Published: Sat, 12/21/13

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Tactic #1
Hey there, -- Hope you are staying warm, and are all ready for Christmas :)

Here are a couple chess tactics for you, including one hot off the press!

The first is one that my good friend Shannon Fox sent to me today, from a game that he played on ICC. 

Black to Move
                           
Tactic #2
This position comes from the Tactics Time 1001 book - now available in paperback!
 
http://www.amazon.com/Tactics-Time-Chess-Everyday-Players/dp/9056914383

It is problem #578 in the book.

Black to Move.
Tactic #3
This position comes from the 2013 Colorado Open in the game between Ekrem Tamkan and Mark Krowczyk.  Ekrem came all the way from South Dakota with a group of players.

White to Move
Answer 1
Here is the complete game:

[Event "ICC 15 0"]
[Site "Internet Chess Club"]
[Date "2013.12.21"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hungover"]
[Black "BlackTop"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B50"]
[WhiteElo "1747"]
[BlackElo "1765"]
[PlyCount "45"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. b3 Nf6 4. d3 g6 5. Bb2 Bg7 6. Be2 O-O 7. O-O Nc6 8. Nbd2 b5 9. Re1 Bb7 10. Nf1 e5 11. Ne3 Nd4 12. Nxd4 cxd4 13. Ng4 a5 14. c3 dxc3 15. Bxc3 Rc8 16. Bd2 Nxg4 17. Bxg4 Rc5 18. Rc1 h5 19. Bh3 Kh7 20. Qe2 Bh6 21. Bxh6 Kxh6 22. Rc2 Qg5 23. Rec1 0-1

You can play through this game here:
http://www.viewchess.com/cbreader/2013/12/21/Game255632957.html

Shannon found a nice X-ray with 23...Qxc1+!! 24. Rxc1 Rxc1 25. Qf1 Rxf1+ which wins a rook for Black.
Answer #2

[Event "ICC"]
[Site "Internet Chess Club"]
[Date "2008.01.03"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Asterix"]
[Black "Gbsalvio"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C65"]
[WhiteElo "1979"]
[BlackElo "1825"]
[PlyCount "30"]
[EventType "blitz"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Ng4 5. h3 h5 6. Nc3 Bc5 7. d3 a6 8. Bc4 d6 9. hxg4 hxg4 10. Ng5 g3 11. Bxf7+ Kf8 12. Be3 Bxe3 13. fxe3 Qxg5 14. Qf3 Rh1+ 15. Kxh1 Qh4+ 0-1

You can play through this game and download the PGN here:

http://www.viewchess.com/cbreader/2013/1/27/Game1581005236.html

14...Rh1+!! and mate after 15. Kxh1 Qh4 16. Kg1 Qh2#  This is a very good mating pattern to know.

Note that 14...Bg4??doesn't work because of 15. Qxg4 Qxg4 16. Be6+ winning a piece for White.

From the game Asterix (1979) - Gbsalvio (1825), Internet Chess Club blitz, January 3, 2008

Answer #3

[Event "2013 Colorado Open"]
[Site "Denver, CO"]
[Date "2013.09.01"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Tamkan, Ekrem"]
[Black "Krowczyk, Mark"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D36"]
[WhiteElo "2026"]
[BlackElo "1850"]
[PlyCount "107"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Qc2 c6 6. Bg5 Be7 7. e3 O-O 8. Bd3 Nbd7 9. Nge2 h6 10. Bh4 Re8 11. O-O-O Ne4 12. Bg3 f5 13. f3 Nxc3 14. Nxc3 Nb6 15. Be5 Bf6 16. f4 Nc4 17. Rde1 Qb6 18. b3 Na3 19. Qb2 Be7 20. Nb1 Qa5 21. Kd1 Be6 22. Ke2 Nb5 23. Qc2 Nd6 24. g4 Ne4 25. gxf5 Bxf5 26. Rhg1 g6 27. Rg2 Kf7 28. Rd1 Bh4 29. Nd2 Nc3+ 30. Kf3 Bxd3 31. Qxd3 Re6 32. Rdg1 Rg8 33. f5 Rxe5 34. dxe5 g5 35. Qd4 c5 36. Qxh4 Qc7 37. Qh5+ Ke7 38. Qxh6 Qxe5 39. Qe6+ Qxe6 40. fxe6 Rf8+ 41. Kg4 Kxe6 42. a4 d4 43. exd4 cxd4 44. Kxg5 Nd5 45. Kh6 Ne3 46. Rg6+ Ke5 47. Nc4+ Ke4 48. Nxe3 dxe3 49. Re6+ Kd3 50. Rg3 Rh8+ 51. Kg7 Rxh2 52. Rexe3+ Kd4 53. Re7 Kc5 54. Rxb7 1-0

You can play through this game and download the PGN here: http://www.viewchess.com/cbreader/2013/12/21/Game258608613.html


36.Qxh4!! Got a well deserved "!!" from Fritz 13.  Black cannot recapture because of 36...gxh4 37.Rxg8 and Black cannot stop 38.R1g7#


Tim Brennan
Happy Tactics!

Your Friend,
Tim Brennan
P.S. Thank you again so much for all of the support with the Tactics Time books!  I appreciate all of the nice comments, emails, reviews, tweets and feedback!  That means a lot to me!