Chess players often enjoy solving tactical puzzles in order to improve their
combinational abilities. We can find these challenges in books on tactics, our
favourite chess magazine, the chess column at the local newspaper, educational
software, or websites dedicated to the subject. The authors of these puzzles
often provide us with one or more bits of the following information:
- Who’s turn is it
(e.g. White to move)
- Number of moves
(e.g. Mate in three)
- The Tactical Motif
(e.g. The group of puzzles is listed under the category “Discovery Check”)
- Outcomes
(e.g. +/-, =, White to move and stalemate, Black to move and win, etc.)
- Choices
(e.g. Two or more candidate moves and you must pick the right one.)
- The piece to be used in the tactic
(e.g. The picture of a Rook above the diagram)
- An introduction
(e.g. “This position exemplifies the perils of leaving the back rank
undefended”)
- The chess problem itself
(e.g. Often a clue that you need to find “something”)
Some of this information helps us develop our tactical skills, such as solving
problems according to tactical motifs. The reality, however, is that no such
information is available to us while a game is in progress. How often have we
gone over a game after it has ended, only to discover that we missed a simple
tactical shot, or lost the game because we oversaw a threat?
In our chess training we might have gone over all of Fred Reinfeld’s 1001
Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combinations thrice. We might be well verse on
tactical themes like clearance, pinning, double attack, decoying, etc. - but
still miss on these golden opportunities because no angel is telling us there is
a mate in three, or that a Queen sacrifice is in order. In the real heat of the
battle we have to recognize these critical moments for ourselves.
To compound the problem, a player has to deal with tournament time controls.
When should we invest the time in looking for a tactical shot? We obviously
can’t do it at every single move since we need to budget our time effectively.
When do we have the green light to explore a position further for tactical
opportunities?
Chess positions with tactical opportunities share clues and motifs that give an
indication such tactics are present. Through the following ten chess positions I
will illustrate these motifs. These examples might contain more than one clue,
but only one is sufficient enough reason to probe a position further. It does
not mean that there will always be a tactical opportunity, but it might and we
do want to miss our chance to play a spectacular move! (or avoid have one be
played on us).
Position No. 1 - Black to Move
NB: please click the highlighted links to view each position referred to in this article
Ozsvath Vs. Honfi
Hungary 1953
This popular position was taken from my second favourite tactical book of all
time, the Encyclopaedia of Chess Middlegames (Informant 1980). Imagine the
following scenario: You are black and it’s your move. You have 30 minutes left
on your clock. Should you quickly parry the threat to your Rook on c8 and move
it out of danger? or should you invest some of the precious time left on your
clock to look for a tactical shot? This position begs for you to look for
tactics because the following five motifs are present:
- Your opponent’s King is lined up with your Queen:
Whenever one of my heavy pieces is lined up with my opponent’s King I look for
tactics. Thanks to this motif there are possibilities of moves such as 1...Nf3+
here.
- Knight Forks:
Whenever I see the opportunity for Knight forks I take some time to look for
tactical shots. Here we see the forking possibilities 1...Nf3+ and 1...Ne2+.
- Weak Pieces:
Whenever there are weak pieces I look for tactics. Here the Rook on c1 is weak
because it has one attacker (the Queen on g5) and one defender (the Queen on
e1). Moreover, the Rook on c1 is even weaker because it is indirectly attacked
by the Rook on c8 as well. White could explore various things here, such as
trying to deflect the Queen from the defence of the Rook, or deflect the Knight
in order to win the Rook on c1.
- Undefended Pieces:
White has an undefended Bishop on b7 and an undefended pawn on b4.
- Checks:
Whenever I see a check, no matter how silly, I explore the position further. The
reason for this is that a check forces your opponent to do something about it.
Check is the ultimate forcing move. In this position Black has four checks at
his disposal: 1...Qxg2+, 1...Qxc1+, 1...Nxf3+, and 1...Ne2+
Armed with this knowledge we can begin to calculate possibilities. 1...Nf3+ does
not work because of 2.Bxf3. 1...Ne2+ does not work because of 2.Nxe2 and the rook
on c1 seems to be adequately defended. 1...Rxc3 2.Rxc3 and there is no fork on e2
due to White’s Queen control of this square. 1...Qxc1 2.Qxc1 Ne2+ 3.Nxe2 Rxc1
4.Nxc1 and White emerges a piece ahead. However 1...Qxc1 2.Qxc1 Rxc3 3.Qxc3 Ne2+
and Black wins a piece. White does not need to play 3.Qxc3 and can choose a move
like 3.Qf1, but then black has 3...Rc1! and Black will win the Queen either way.
Again, if the reader has not been working on his tactical skills then it is
unlikely to find the correct solution, let alone the ideas. If they have, the
solution can be seen fairly quickly. Based on the above motifs, the player
correctly assessed there was “something” in the position, looked further, and
had the tactical training to find and execute 1...Qxc1!
Position No. 2 - Black to Move
Hamilton Vs. Haygarth
England 1956
Another position from the Encyclopaedia of Chess Middlegames. I think this is a
very instructive example because it shows the importance of knowing your tactics
through practice. Here we have similar clues and new ones:
- Checks:
As IM Danny Kopec once told us at a chess camp: “Never miss a check”. Here we
have three checking possibilities: 1...Qf2+, 1...Qg1+ and, 1...Rh2+. If you have been
solving decoy-type tactical problems, you’ll immediately see the possibility of
1...Rh2+ 2.Kxh2 3.Qf2+ with the threat of 4.Rh8 surrounding the King. Obviously
this is not currently possible due to Queen’s presence on e2. But maybe we can
think of a way to force her away from the defence of the f2 square?
- Weak Pieces: (or Pawns)
The Knight on c4 is weak because it is attacked once and defended once. We can
look at ways to deflect the Queen from its defence, or pile up on the Knight
through moves like 1...Bb5. The pawn on b2 is also weak because it has one
attacker and one defender on it. Sacrificing the Rook on b2 could be a useful
option if White’s tactic involves trying to deflect the Knight on c4.
- Airy King:
White’s King safety has been compromised as a result of the open h file and
dark-square weaknesses. Look for tactics if the King is out in the open.
- Weak Squares:
White suffers from serious dark-square weaknesses and White’s Queen and Bishop
are all over them. Black could think of possibilities of deflecting the Knight
on g3 and coordinate the Bishop on f4 with a Rook on h2.
- Positional Advantages; Control of Open File:
If you have a positional advantage, no matter how temporary, explore the
position a bit further to see if you can immediately exploit it. Here Black has
temporary control of the h-file, but it has to be used immediately because White
could contest the h file in the next move.
Although this puzzle was in the advanced section of the book, the answer came to
me rather quickly. I wanted to first calculate ways to remove the Queen from the
defence of the f2 square, so that I could play the decoy tactic 1...Rh2+ Kxh2
2.Qf2+. I immediately so potential sacrifices on g4, starting with the Knight,
so that the Queen would be forced to move after White’s Bishop lands on g4. Thus
1...Nxg4 2.fxg4 Bxg4. Now the Queen is forced to move. The move I analyzed first
was 3.Qxg4 to make sure the attack was winning, otherwise I would be down to
minor pieces in this solution. 3...Rh2+ (Sacrificing a third piece) 4.Kxh2 Qf2+
5.Kh3 Rh8+ 6.Nh5+Rxh5 7.Qxh5 Qg3++ or if 5.Kh1 Rh8+ 6.Nh5+Rxh5 7.Qxh5 gxh5
8.Rg1+Kf8 9.Rg2 Qh4+ 10.Rh2 Qxh2++.
Position No. 3 - Black to Move
Mikenas Vs. Bronstein
England 1956
Here is another famous position from my favourite book on tactics: Tal’s Winning
Chess Combinations by The Russian Grandmaster Mikhal Tal, by Mikhail Tal and
Victor Khenkin. This is the most delightful book I’ve ever read on tactics, and
if you can get hold of a copy you’ll want to read it over and over again. I wish
they could reprint this book. Here we see two familiar motifs and three new
ones:
- Checks:
Black has a check available on e1 and one on h2.
- Undefended Pieces:
White has an undefended Rook on a1 and an undefended Queen on d3. Moreover, the
rook a1 is x-rayed by the Queen on a5 and the Rook on a8.
- Batteries:
White has two pieces lined up on the same file. Both the Queen and Rook exert
pressure on White’s weak back rank.
- Pinned Pieces:
The pawn on b2 is pinned by the Queen because the rook is on a1. It wouldn’t
matter if the Rook was defended or not. The fact that it is x-rayed by White’s
forces give us a reason to probe the position further and see if we can find
something to exploits this factor.
- Positional Advantages; Back Rank Weakness:
Black’s battery means that two pieces are attacking the back rank, while only
one (The rook on a1) is protecting it. Therefore, it is a good idea to look for
tactical opportunities.
White would like to play 1...Qe1+ so that 2.Rxe1?? Rxe1+ 3.Qf1 Rxf1 mates.
However, White can play 2.Qf1! and everything is OK. Bronstein found 1...Rxa3!
Taking advantage of the pin on b2, threatening the undefended Queen on d3, and
realizing the Rook on a1 cannot depart the back-rank with 2.Rxa3.
Position No. 4 - White to Move
Louis Lima Vs. David53
Casual Game http://www.schemingmind.com
This position begs you to look for a killer blow because we have several
familiar clues:
- Checks:
1.Qxe6+
- Undefended Pieces: The Bishop on h4
- Weak pieces:
The Rook on e6 is weak because it has the same number of attackers and defenders
on it. In addition, the Rook on e1 is indirectly attacking e6 as well.
- Pinned Pieces (or the opportunity of being pinned):
The rook on e6 is pinned by the Queen. Noticed that if there was, say, a Black
Knight on f7, we would still look for combinational possibilities since White’s
Queen is in the same diagonal as the opponent’s King.
Here I found the simple 1.Bf2, threatening the undefended Bishop on h4, while
piling up on the pinned Rook on e6.
Position No. 5 - White to Move
Possible Position
This is a hypothetical position reached by Bobby Fischer in his analysis of
Game 41 Fisher - Robatsch from his book “My 60 Memorable Games. White has four clues
we have discussed already:
- Undefended Pieces:
On a5, d8 and a8.
- Battery:
Queen-Rook battery along the h-file
- Airy King
- Checks:
On h7, g7, and f8, and indirectly on h8.
- Your Opponent’s Queen in the Same Line or Diagonal with One of Your Pieces:
Black’s Queen is lined up with the Rook on h5.
The solution is 1.g6. White cannot recapture on g6 because of 1...Rxa5, and any
pawn capture will be decisive after 2.Qxh7+ or 2.Qh8+
Position No. 6 - White to Move
Louis Lima Vs. Palaciorep
Casual Game http://www.schemingmind.com
There are five visible clues in this position.
- Undefended Pieces:
Both of Black’s rooks
- Battery:
Queen-Rook battery along the open d-file
- Airy King:
Black’s pawn advances have compromised King safety
- Weak Squares:
The dark squares around the Black King are weak.
- Weak Pieces:
The Knight on d7 is weak because it has the same number of attackers and
defenders on it.
In trying to take advantage of the above factors I found 1.Na4!. Now most moves
by Black will be answered by 2.Qxd7+! Qxd7 3.Nb6 forking the King and Rook.
Position No. 7 - White to Move after 1... f5
Tim Mirable (2193) Vs. Louis Lima (1670)
Freeport Swiss Tournament,
Freeport Chess Club 2006
Here the position has the following obvious clues:
- Back Rank Weakness:
Black’s back rank is undefended
- Positional Advantage; File Control:
White’s Rook controls the h-file
This was my most painful blunder because Tim was the highest rated player I had
played so far under regular tournament conditions. Here I neglected to see my
weak back-rank weakness coupled with Tim’s control of the h-file, and instead of
playing Re7 I played 1...f5?? allowing 2.Qe1+ winning the game. In chess the most
painful moments contain the most valuable lessons for a player. One might hear
advice such as “Keep your sense of danger at all times”, but we only begin to
get the message until this happens to us a few times over the board.
Position No. 8 - White to Move
Harold Stenzel (2049) Vs. Louis Lima (1651)
75th Swiss Nassau GP Tournament,
Nassau Chess Club 2006
A pawn on the sixth or seventh rank is inches away from coronation, so we must
look for ways to push the pawn to the finish line. We reached this position with
Harold on move 73. Here White missed his opportunity to wrap things up and
played 74.Rg1? and the game was drawn at move 90. However, if he had been hungry
to push the f pawn he might have found the winning shot 74.Rg8+! sacrificing the
Rook in exchange for two vital tempi needed to get the pawn to the queening
square. Now If. 74...Kxg8 75. f7+ Kh7 76. f8(Q) and it’s all over. Or 74...Kh7 Rd8
and nothing can prevent the pawn from moving forward. In all fairness, the game
was approaching midnight and we were both tired, besides me having a time
handicap due to Harold’s role as TD and needing to spend time doing other things
while playing me at the same time.
The last two positions show another typical clue to look for tactics, namely,
“Sacrificial Possibilities Around the King”. These sacrifices typically take
place on the f2, g2, and h2 squares (f7, g7, h7), or the appropriate squares
when the King has castled Queenside.
Position No. 9 - White to Move
Louis Lima Vs. Fritz 8.0
Casual Game, SD/30
This position arose after 1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 d5 4.exd5 Nf6 5.Nf3 Nxd5 6.cxd4
Nc6 7.Bc4 e6 8.0-0 Be7 9.Nc3 Nxc3 10.bxc3 0-0 11.Bb3 b6 12.Bc2 Ba6 13.Re1 Rc8
14.Bd2 Bc4 15.Qb1 Kh8. Here I tried the sacrifice 16.Bxh7!? g6 17.Bxg6 fxg6
18.Qxg6 Bf6 19.Ng5 Qe7 20.Re3 Bxg5 21.Rh3+ Bh4 22.Bg5 Qg7 23.Rxh4+ Kg8 24.Qxg7+
Kxg7 25.Bh6+ Kg6 26.Bxf8 Rxf8 27.Rg4+ Kf5 28.Rg3 Rc8 29.Rf3+ Kg5 30.Rg3+ Kf5
31.Rf3+ Kg5 32.Rg3+ Kf5 and the computer accepted the draw by repetition of
moves as I only had a few minutes left.
Position No. 10 - Black to Move
Radio Shack C2150 Vs. Louis Lima (1540)
Casual Game SD/60
Radio Shack C2150 was my first computer boasting a rating of 2150, but its
strength seemed to be around 1500. Unlike today’s chess software, this one would
make the exact same mistake over and over again. The game went along typical
classical dragon lines with 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3
Bg7 7.f3 0-0 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.g4 Bd7 10.Nxc6 bxc6. After beginning its Kingside
attack however, the computer played 11.Bg2? Qa5 12.0-0-0 Rfb8 13.a3. Here I
finished the computer off with 13...Rxb2! (Tactic: Demolition of pawn
structure)14.Kxb2 Nxe4! (Tactic: Clearance of a Diagonal) 15.fxe4 Rb8+ (Tactic:
Removal of The Guard) 16.Ka2 Be6+ 17.Nd5 Rb2+ 18.Ka1 Qxa3# 0-1
Conclusion:
I presented you with eleven clues or motifs in a position that tells you a tactical
shot might be available:
- Undefended Pieces
- Weak Pieces or Squares
- Unsafe King
- Queen, Rook or Bishop in the same file or diagonal with the opponent’s King or
Queen
- Forks and Pins
- Checks
- Batteries
- Back rank weaknesses
- Passed pawns on the sixth or seventh rank
- Positional advantages such as control of file, diagonal or square(s)
- Sacrificial possibilities on f2, g2, h2 (f7, g7, h7) or the appropriate squares when castling queenside.
It is my hope that those readers who have been working hard honing their
tactical skills can make use of the ideas presented in this article, and help
you avoid missing winning shots in their games.