Tag Archives: chess tactics

Winning Chess Moves: Nakamura vs Shankland, 9/9/2021

The Champions Showdown 9LX is a rapid Fischer Random/Chess960 chess tournament that is currently taking place in Saint Louis, USA. Today’s winning chess move comes from the round 2 game between Grandmasters Hikaru Nakamura and Sam Shankland. White (Nakamura) has just recaptured with Rxe5. What is black’s (Sam Shankland’s) winning move? What is black’s winningContinueContinue reading “Winning Chess Moves: Nakamura vs Shankland, 9/9/2021”

So I was just playing a game of #chess and then this happened! 42

This evening’s position is from a training game I played with a student earlier today. My young opponent just blocked my rook’s check with Bd3 so as to avoid losing his queen on d1. Does this work? What is black’s best move? Sign up for a private chess lesson with Chris Torres and maybe aContinueContinue reading “So I was just playing a game of #chess and then this happened! 42”

#Chess Position Worth Sharing 137

In round 4 of the 2003 Corus Chess Tournament, Michal Vladimirovich Krasenkow fought admirably for 79 moves before allowing Vladimir Kramnik to end the game with a cute one-two combination. Can you spot Kramnik’s mating maneuver? White to move and mate in 2 (Kramnik vs. Krasenkow, 2003 Corus Tournament in Wijk aan Zee, Ned.).

#Chess Position Worth Sharing 135

Emmanuel Lasker offered the famous advice, “When you see a good move, look for a better one.” Today’s position easily lends itself to this exercise in chess thought. First, find the obvious good move. Then, try and find the best continuation. Black to move and mate in 3 (source: https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/)

#Chess Position Worth Sharing 134

White to move and mate in 5 (from Yuri Averbakh vs. Alexander Kazimirovich Tolush, 1963). White to move and mate in 5.

Learning to Laugh at your Worst Chess Mistakes

Chess is a demanding game. For many of us, the game represents a never-ending sequence of challenges. We grow fixated on losses, obsessing over every imperfection in our play, agonizing about the missed opportunities and how we destroyed our rating. In this way, we hold ourselves to unrealistic, if not humanly impossible, expectations. Give yourselfContinueContinue reading “Learning to Laugh at your Worst Chess Mistakes”

#Chess Position Worth Sharing 133

Tonight I finished a long day of teaching chess by presenting an absolutely superb mating combination played by the first World Chess Champion. A brilliant positional player, particularly in his later years, Wilhelm Steinitz rose to prominence in the mid-nineteenth century as a dangerous attacker in the romantic style of chess that had been popularisedContinueContinue reading “#Chess Position Worth Sharing 133”

Great Chess On Display During The Practice Event for The Eade Foundation’s Spring Scholastic Chess Classic

It’s especially inspiring to witness great chess moves in scholastic tournaments. As a scholastic chess coach and tournament director, seeing young minds play brilliantly is really what it’s all about. Jay Stallings (top) and Chris Torres live-streaming during today’s practice event. Today, while running a practice event for The Eade Foundation’s Spring Scholastic Chess Classic,ContinueContinue reading “Great Chess On Display During The Practice Event for The Eade Foundation’s Spring Scholastic Chess Classic”

#Chess Position Worth Sharing 132

In my last post, I challenged the reader to solve a mate in two which required truly understanding basic move possibilities in order to be solved. Returning to puzzles that test our mastery of the basics is a great way to learn how to play the game at a higher level and especially so whenContinueContinue reading “#Chess Position Worth Sharing 132”

#Chess Position Worth Sharing 131

Similar to how military units such as armour, artillery and cavalry have their own unique roles, each piece in the game of chess has unique movements. In order to solve this mate in 2, you must first truly understand how the pieces can move. White to move and mate in 2(Alan R., 1895).

#Chess Position Worth Sharing 130

Some of the most brilliant chess puzzles involve material sacrifice for the sake of the mate. Here however, the sacrifice is not merely needed to mate but in fact to avoid loss. One wrong move, and the outcome is completely out of your hands. White to move and mate in 4 (Skuja vs Rozenbergs, Latvia,ContinueContinue reading “#Chess Position Worth Sharing 130”

#Chess Position Worth Sharing 129

Part of the beauty of chess is that no one can predict the level of greatness which the two participants might create in any given game. You may not have heard much about the chess game played between Kekhayov and Petrov in 1964 but the magnificent mating combination at the end is definitely noteworthy. ThisContinueContinue reading “#Chess Position Worth Sharing 129”

The Best Chess Analysis

Chess games are a lot like feature movies. For instance, the chess moves can be thought of as the dialogue, strategic themes are the plot, and tactics are the fight scenes. Sometimes endgames are the final battle and other times just an epilogue. The average movie goer, much like an amateur chess player, often catchContinueContinue reading “The Best Chess Analysis”

Winning Chess Moves: Aronian vs Gelfand, 2008

Can you spot Grandmaster Levon Aronian’s winning chess move from his victory over Grandmaster Boris Gelfand at the 2008 FIDE Grand Prix in Sochi, Russia? White to move and win!

#Chess Position Worth Sharing! 125

Today’s position is a practical tactical shot from the game GM Vladislav Artemiev vs GM Vladislav Kovalev at the Tata Steel Masters in Wijk aan Zee played on 1/14/2020. Black has just played Rd8 for his 39th move. What is white’s Best continuation?

#Chess Position Worth Sharing 119

Today’s position is from the game between Robert James Fischer (White) and Lhamsuren Myagmarsuren (Black) played at the Sousse Interzonal on 10/15/1967. Black has just played 29… dxc2. What does Bobby Fischer play as white?