Essential Tactics WGM Sopiko Guramishvili

Question 1.

Black to play. What is Black’s best move?

Question 2.

White to play. How can White win material?

Question 3. White to play. How can White take advantage of the position of Black’s pieces?

Question 4. White to play. The c4 Knight is hanging but so is White’s on e1. How can White win?

Question 5. Black to play. How can Black save the game?

Question 6. White to play. Should White capture on c5 or does he have better?

Question 7. Black to play. White's Queen needs distracting - but from where and how?

Question 8. White to move. It may not look like it, but Black's queen is overloaded. How does White take advantage?

Question 9. White to play. GM Peter Leko missed this tactic, but perhaps you can do better.

Question 10. Black to play. Black is down on material but can capture either Bishop. What is Black’s best move?

Essential Tactics

The Solutions.

1 1...Qb6+ forking King and Rook.

2 1.g4 wins a pawn as ...hxg4? 2.Rh8+ skewers the King and Rook on a8.

3 1.Nd6+ Ke7 (...Bxd6? 2.Rxc8+ and the Queen cannot recapture) 2.Nxc8+ wins material.

4 1.b4! Bxb4 2.Nc2 and White wins a piece.

5 1... Rb1+ 2.Kh2 Rh1+! 3.Kxh1 Ng3+! 4.fxg3 Qxg2+! 5.Kxg2 and draw by stalemate.

6 1.Rd8+! wins as Rxd8 2.Bxc5 and 1...Kxd8 2.Nb7+ forks King and Queen.

7 1...Re8! and the Queen cannot take as 2.Qxe8 Qh3+ mates, for example 3.Kd2 Qe3#

8 1.Nc5!! dxc5 2.Qxf5! Qa4 (the Queen must keep protecting the e8 Rook) 3.b3 Rxe2 4.bxa4

9 1.Rg6+! hxg6 2.Qxf7+ Kh8 3.Qh7#

10 1...f3+! 2.Kxf3 Rxb3+ 3.Kg2 exd6 and Black emerges a piece up.