|
| 
|
Hold your horses...
19.07.2010
– ... before taking the enemy ones, White thought here when he played 34.Nb4-c2, controlling the square a1 and planning to capture the pinned Nb6 afterwards. How is Black's position now?
A) winning
B) losing
C) a shade worse.
The solution is here,
but first ponder over it with a
larger version of the diagram.
|
| 
|
Combining attack with defence...
12.07.2010
– ... is always a good idea was White's reasoning here when he played 37.Re1-e3, covering the threat against f2 while getting the rook into position on the third rank. How is the position to be assessed after this?
A) White wins, his king is safe and there is nothing against the threats 38.d6 and Qh8+;
B) Black can land an immediate counterstrike;
C) Black gets the advantage by also combining attack with defence.
The solution is here,
but first ponder over it with a
larger version of the diagram.
|
| 
|
To exchange or not to exchange?
09.07.2010
– In endgames, a further reduction in material is always a critical decision. In our position, Black was offered with
60...Kxg2 61.Kxe3 Rxb5 62.axb5 f1Q 63.Rxf1 Kxf1 the option of a liquidation to a pawn ending, which would leave him with a protected passed pawn on a5.
What do you think? Should he choose that liquidation or should he rather go for 60...Rc3 and the ending with rooks and bishops of opposite colours?
Analysis by GM Karsten Müller on
ChessBase Magazine Online.
|
| 
|
With a knight on f5...
05.07.2010
– ... the game often wins itself, as you can read in many text books on the attack. Just optically this piece always looks menacing, and here even a colleague is at the ready on g3. How do you judge the situation?
A) Black has too many pieces on the kingside, there can't be anything for White;
B) the first player gets a crushing attack, however, a clever preparation move is needed first;
C) she can strike right away.
The solution is here,
but first ponder over it with a
larger version of the diagram.
|
| 
|
Magnus' mighty rooks
03.07.2010
– In the Kings Tournament Magnus Carlsen was
once more very convincing, winning majestically with a lead of two points. The position Carlsen- Radjabov is taken
from their seventh round game. In this ending, Black, whose move it is, has to
be very careful about the safety of his king, because Carlsen's rooks
occupy threatening posts. At the same time the final black pawn is under
attack and the question is whether it should be defended with 45...Rg4 or
45...Ra2. Which of these two moves would you recommend Black to play? Analysis by GM Karsten Müller on
ChessBase Magazine Online.
|
| 
|
Two queens versus one...
25.06.2010
– ... was not saying too much in this game from this year's Polish Championship, since after all the greatest good in chess remains the king. What is your verdict on the sequence
46.Qf8+ Kh5 47.d8Q in this position?
A) win for White;
B) win for Black;
C) draw.
The solution is here,
but first ponder over it with a
larger version of the diagram.
|
| 
|
Openings surveys in CBM 136
21.06.2010
– After 6...c5 in the Vienna Variation of the Orthodox Queen's Gambit, theory
frequently stretches far into the middlegame. But recently 6...h6 has come into
contention – Kramnik, Aronian and Ivanchuk have all tried it. If this
alternative turns out to be reliable, Black will have an elegant option to
simply avoid the thicket of variations after the main move. Evgeny Postny has
looked into the subject and provided us with thorough analysis of top
games. His conclusion is cautious, since the idea is still fresh. But in the next issue of
CBM there will be fresh annotated games with 6...h6.
Read: Postny: Vienna with 6...h6.
|
| 
|
The struggle against the blockading pieces
18.06.2010
– 154 moves had already been played in the game Aronian-Dominguez, when
Aronian carried out a brilliant idea in the form of 155.Qb6+!.
The intention is, after the forced exchange of the blockading queen with 155...Qxb6
156.Bxb6 and the bishop sacrifice Kxb6, to support the advance of the
white passed pawn duo with 157.Kh5. So far, so good.
But what
does White play if Black does not take the bishop but sets up a new blockader
in front of the passed pawns with 156...Bg6? GM Karsten Müller has
analysed the ending for
ChessBase Magazine Online.
|
| 
|
The Caro-Kann, a supplement
15.06.2010
– In the June issue of ChessBase Magazine, Spyridon
Skembris has presented one of his favourite systems: the Caro-Kann with 4...Nf6
5.Nxf6+ gxf6. The somewhat unusual types of position are not easy for either side
to master and the advantage goes to players with experience. The
most precise move for White was always thought to be 6.c3, but in one of the
lines White goes on to play c3-c4, meaning that a plan involving 6.Nf3 and a
subsequent fianchetto is also a logical one.
Recently our Greek author faced this setup and the game demonstrates
very well how imperceptible errors can be exploited.
Havlikova-Skembris
annotated.
|
| 
|
Various intermediate moves...
13.06.2010
– ... White had to consider when in this position he went for 21.Bxa6 with the threat 22.Rd6. How would you assess the situation after this?
A) White simply wins a piece;
B) the ultimate consequence is an endgame with white material advantage;
C) everything vanishes into thin air.
The solution is here,
but first ponder over it with a
larger version of the diagram.
|
| 
|
A quick solution...
09.06.2010
– ... Black needed in this rapid game from the World Cup for his defensive bishop e5 which has to guard many squares. Which move is best in your opinion?
A) 36...Rd5
B) 36...Qc3
C) 36...Qa4
The solution is here,
but first ponder over it with a
larger version of the diagram.
|
| 
|
Checkmate on the long diagonal...
07.06.2010
– ... clearly was on White's mind here when he played 33.Ng5 to deflect the Nf7 defending the square h8. Which assessment is valid in your opinion now?
A) Black gets the advantage;
B) dynamic equilibrium;
C) White wins.
The solution is here,
but first ponder over it with a
larger version of the diagram.
|
|
|
