3 blitz games tactics

In each position below, the goal is to find the best continuation.
Tactics and missed calculations in action...

Position I: What did White play here ?

1. Qxg5 or 1. Rg1

Position II: Black to play , earlier in the same game

Black played 1..Qb6. Does Rybka agree?

Position III: Black to play
I just played Qe4-e5 in the position below, to control b2 and play h5-h6.
Enough to win ?

I was playing White in all three positions:
I was able to win in position I, while I shouldn't have survived the game if my opponent had seen the right move in position II earlier on.
I won with White in the last diagram, but only after my opponent let me back in the game.

Conclusion: Chess is 99% tactics, at least in blitz.

Tactical conclusion ( Easy)

White to play and win

When GMs with rating > 2700 calculate and win !

I-White to play and win

Mamyedarov-Svidler, Fide Grand Prix 2009

II White to play and win

Leko-Gelfand Fide Grand Prix 2009

III- White to play and win

Bacrot-Mamyedarov, Grand Prix Fide 2009

Sicilian Scheveningen Tabyia

The position below, White to move, appears after the following move :

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3a6 6. Be2 e6 7. a4 Nc6 8. Be3 Be7 9. O-O O-O 10. f4 Qc7 11. Kh1 Re8



Now, a standard way to play this position with White is develop along this scheme:
Bf3,Qd2,Nb3 and then g4-g5.

Intead, an interesting idea is to play 12 Bd3 !? leading to the following position.



The idea is to target the black king directly through d3-h7, with e4-e5 in mind. Usually Black plays Nb4-d3 to eliminate the White bishop but that is not always enough to equalize.

See a good attacking game below by Jakovenko

Tactical motifs and kibitzers

The following position appeared with Black to play

Black played 1..Qh4 !?

After this startling move from Black, how would play the position with White ?

a) Yuri, the russian expert, said " Russians always go forward. Therefore 2.Nb5 should be played".

b) Richard, the swiss guy said " Sometimes neutralizing the opponent is called for, therefore I'd play 2.Nf3".

c) Emily from Canada looked at the position and said " Obviously you guys are not practical. The Black queen is en prise, there 2 Bxh4 is the right move".

What would you do ?

Nakamura's 7.5/8 in French team championships

Here's Hikaru's game-per-game results:

Nakamura-David (2603) 1-0
Marcelin(2495)- Nakamura 1/2-1/2
Nakamura-Maze(2571) 1-0
Delcev(2648)-Nakamura 0-1
Nakamura-Bauer(2605) 1-0
Nakamura-Krasenkow(2622) 1-0
Fontaine(2546)- Nakamura 0-1
Hamdouchi(2596)- Nakamura 0-1

[Event "Top16 Mulhouse2"]
[Date "2009.04.30"]
[White "Nakamura, Hikaru"]
[Black "Alberto, David"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2699"]
[BlackElo "2603"]


1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Bd3 Bc5 6. Nb3 Be7 7. f4 d6 8. Be3
Nf6 9. N1d2 Nc6 10. Qe2 Nb4 11. O-O O-O 12. Bd4 Nxd3 13. cxd3 b5 14. Rfc1 a5
15. Bf2 e5 16. fxe5 dxe5 17. Nf3 Bg4 18. d4 Bxf3 19. Qxf3 a4 20. dxe5 Nd7 21.
Nd4 Nxe5 22. Qg3 Bf6 23. Nxb5 Rb8 24. Rd1 Rxb5 25. Rxd8 Rxd8 26. Rf1 h5 27. Be1
Rd3 28. Qf2 Nf3+ 29. Kh1 Rxb2 30. Qc5 Nd2 31. Bxd2 Rdxd2 32. Qc8+ Kh7 33. Qh3
Kg8 34. Qf3 Rb5 35. a3 h4 36. h3 Rb3 37. Qf5 Rg3 38. Rc1 Rgd3 39. Rc7 Rd8 40.
Rc1 Rd1+ 41. Rxd1 Rxd1+ 42. Kh2 Bd4 43. Qc8+ Kh7 44. g4 Rd2+ 45. Kh1 Rd3 46.
Qd7 Rxh3+ 47. Kg2 Rg3+ 48. Kh2 Bg1+ 49. Kh1 f6 50. Qxa4 Rxg4 51. Qd1 Rg3 52.
Qxg1 Rxa3 53. Qb1 Rh3+ 54. Kg2 Rg3+ 55. Kf2 Kh8 56. e5 fxe5 57. Qf5 Kg8 58.
Qxe5 Kh8 59. Qf5 Kg8 60. Qe4 Rg5 61. Kf3 h3 62. Kf4 Rg1 63. Qe6+ Kf8 64. Qc8+
Kf7 65. Qc4+ Kg6 66. Qd3+ Kf7 67. Qd5+ Kg6 68. Qf5+ Kh6 69. Qxh3+ Kg6 70. Qf5+
Kh6 71. Qh3+ Kg6 72. Qd3+ Kh6 73. Kf5 Kh7 74. Ke6+ Kg8 75. Qc4 Rg2 76. Ke7+ 1-0


[Event "Top16 Mulhouse2"]
[Date "2009.05.01"]
[Round "5.1"]
[White "Marcelin, Cyril"]
[Black "Nakamura, Hikaru"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2495"]


1. e4 d6 2. d4 g6 3. Be3 Bg7 4. Nc3 a6 5. Nf3 b5 6. Bd3 Bb7 7. h3 Nd7 8. Ne2 c5
9. c3 Ngf6 10. Ng3 h5 11. d5 c4 12. Bc2 Nc5 13. Ng5 h4 14. Ne2 Rh5 15. Qb1 Nfd7
16. f4 e5 17. Nf3 a5 18. O-O b4 1/2-1/2

[Event "Top16 Mulhouse2"]
[Date "2009.05.2"]
[Round "6.3"]
[White "Nakamura, Hikaru"]
[Black "Maze, Sebastien"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2701"]
[BlackElo "2571"]

1. g3 Nf6 2. Bg2 d5 3. d3 Bf5 4. c4 c6 5. Qb3 Bc8 6. cxd5 cxd5 7. Nc3 e6 8. e4
dxe4 9. dxe4 Nc6 10. Nge2 Bc5 11. O-O O-O 12. Na4 Be7 13. Rd1 Qa5 14. Bd2 Qa6
15. Nac3 e5 16. Bf1 Qb6 17. Qxb6 axb6 18. Bg5 Bg4 19. h3 Bxe2 20. Bxe2 Nd4 21.
Bxf6 Bxf6 22. Bg4 g6 23. h4 Be7 24. Nd5 Bd8 25. Rd3 f5 26. exf5 gxf5 27. Bh3
Bf6 28. Bg2 Rac8 29. Rad1 Bg7 30. f4 exf4 31. Rxd4 Bxd4+ 32. Rxd4 fxg3 33. Bf3
f4 34. Kg2 Kh8 35. Rb4 Rf5 36. Nxf4 Kg8 37. Ne2 Kf8 38. Rb3 b5 39. Nd4 Rfc5 40.
Kxg3 Kg8 41. Kh3 1-0

[Event "Top 16 Mulhouse2"]
[Date "2009.05.3"]
[Round "7.3"]
[White "Delchev, Aleksander"]
[Black "Nakamura, Hikaru"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2648"]
[BlackElo "2701"]

1. e4 d6 2. d4 g6 3. Be3 Bg7 4. Nc3 a6 5. f4 b5 6. Bd3 Bb7 7. Nf3 Nd7 8. e5 c5
9. Be4 Qc8 10. Bxb7 Qxb7 11. dxc5 dxe5 12. Qd5 Qxd5 13. Nxd5 Rc8 14. Nb6 Nxb6
15. cxb6 Nf6 16. O-O-O Ng4 17. b7 Rb8 18. Bb6 f6 19. Rd8+ Kf7 20. Rd7 Bh6 21.
g3 exf4 22. Kb1 Ne5 23. Nxe5+ fxe5 24. Ba7 Ke6 25. Rhd1 f3 26. Rc7 e4 27. Rdd7
Rhe8 28. a3 Bg5 29. h4 e3 30. Bxb8 f2 31. Ba7 f1=Q+ 32. Ka2 e2 0-1


[Event "TOP 16 Poule Haute"]
[Date "2009.05.28"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Nakamura, Hi"]
[Black "Bauer, Ch"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B01"]
[WhiteElo "2701"]
[BlackElo "2605"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Bc4 Bg4 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Bb5 Nd5 8.
Qd3 Ndb4 9. Qe4 Bxf3 10. Bxc6+ bxc6 11. gxf3 e6 12. Bd2 Qa6 13. Ne2 Nd5 14. b3
Nf6 15. Qe3 O-O-O 16. c4 Nd7 17. Bc3 c5 18. Rd1 cxd4 19. Nxd4 Bc5 20. Qe4 Nb8
21. O-O Qb7 22. b4 Bxd4 23. Bxd4 Nc6 24. Bc5 Rxd1 25. Rxd1 Rd8 26. Rxd8+ Nxd8
27. Qxh7 Qxf3 28. Qxg7 Qe4 29. h3 Qxc4 30. Be7 Nc6 31. Qxf7 Nd4 32. Bc5 Nf5 33.
a4 a6 34. Qg8+ Kd7 35. Qg4 Qc1+ 36. Kg2 a5 37. Qe4 Qg5+ 38. Kh2 axb4 39. Bxb4
Nd6 40. Bxd6 cxd6 41. Qb7+ Kd8 42. Qb8+ Ke7 43. Qc7+ 1-0

[Event "TOP 16 Poule Haute"]
[Date "2009.05.29"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Nakamura, Hi"]
[Black "Krasenkow, M."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C54"]
[WhiteElo "2701"]
[BlackElo "2622"]


1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. Bb3 Bb6 7. Nbd2 O-O 8. h3
Ne7 9. Nf1 Ng6 10. Ng3 c6 11. O-O d5 12. Bg5 h6 13. Bxf6 Qxf6 14. exd5 cxd5 15.
Bxd5 Nf4 16. Be4 Qd6 17. d4 f5 18. Bc2 e4 19. Ne5 Bc7 20. Nh5 Ng6 21. f4 exf3
22. Nxf3 Be6 23. Re1 Rae8 24. Bb3 Kh7 25. Bxe6 Rxe6 26. Qd3 Qc6 27. d5 Qb6+ 28.
Kh1 Rxe1+ 29. Rxe1 Qxb2 30. d6 Bb6 31. c4 Qxa2 32. Qd5 Qa5 33. Qxb7 Qc3 34. Kh2
Bd4 35. Qd5 Bb6 36. Re6 Qc1 37. Qb7 Qa1 38. Re1 Qb2 39. c5 1-0



[Event "TOP 16 Poule Haute"]
[Date "2009.05.30"]
[Round "10"]
[White "Fontaine, R."]
[Black "Nakamura, Hi"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B07"]
[WhiteElo "2546"]
[BlackElo "2701"]


1. d4 g6 2. Nf3 Bg7 3. e4 d6 4. c3 Nf6 5. Nbd2 O-O 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. O-O e5 8. dxe5
Nxe5 9. Nxe5 dxe5 10. Nc4 Qe7 11. a4 Nh5 12. Re1 Nf4 13. Bxf4 exf4 14. e5 Be6
15. Bf1 Qg5 16. Nd2 Rfd8 17. Nf3 Rxd1 18. Nxg5 Rxe1 19. Rxe1 Bb3 20. a5 b6 21.
a6 Rd8 22. Nf3 c5 23. Bb5 h6 24. h3 Kf8 25. Kf1 Ke7 26. Ke2 Ke6 27. Nd2 Bd5 28.
f3 Bxe5 29. Nc4 Bc7 30. Rd1 Ke7 31. Na3 Be6 32. Rxd8 Kxd8 33. Kd3 Bd6 34. Nc4
Ke7 35. Nd2 g5 36. Ne4 f6 37. Ke2 Be5 38. Nd2 Bd7 39. Bxd7 Kxd7 40. Kd3 b5 41.
c4 b4 42. Kc2 Kc6 43. h4 f5 44. hxg5 hxg5 45. Nb3 Kb6 46. Nc1 Bd4 47. Nd3 Kxa6
48. Kb3 Ka5 49. Ne1 Be5 50. Nd3 Bd6 51. Nf2 Kb6 52. Ka4 Be5 53. Nd3 Bc7 54. Kb3
Kc6 55. Ka4 a6 56. Kb3 Kd6 57. Kc2 Bb6 58. Kb3 Ke6 59. Kc2 Kf6 60. Nc1 Kg6 61.
Kd2 a5 62. b3 Kf6 63. Nd3 Ke6 64. Nb2 Bd8 65. Na4 Kd6 66. Kd3 Bf6 67. Nb6 Kc6
68. Na4 Be7 69. Ke2 Kd6 70. Nb6 Ke6 71. Na4 Kf7 72. Kf1 Kg6 73. Nb2 Bf6 74. Nd3
Bd4 75. Nc1 Be3 76. Nd3 Kh5 77. Ne5 Bd4 78. Nd3 Kh4 79. Nc1 Be3 80. Nd3 Kg3 81.
Ne1 g4 82. fxg4 fxg4 83. Ke2 Bf2 84. Nd3 Bd4 85. Ne1 Be3 86. Kf1 Kh2 87. Nd3 f3
88. gxf3 g3 89. Ne1 a4 0-1


[Event "TOP 16 Poule Haute"]
[Date "2009.05.31"]
[Round "11"]
[White "Hamdouchi, H."]
[Black "Nakamura, Hi"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B75"]
[WhiteElo "2596"]
[BlackElo "2701"]


1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 a6 8. Qd2
Nbd7 9. a3 b5 10. a4 b4 11. Nd5 Nxd5 12. exd5 Bb7 13. Nc6 Bxc6 14. dxc6 Ne5 15.
Qxb4 Nxc6 16. Qa3 d5 17. Rb1 Bd4 18. Bxd4 Nxd4 19. Bd3 Qb6 20. a5 Qa7 21. Qa4+
Kf8 22. O-O Nxf3+ 23. Kh1 Nd2 24. Rxf7+ Kxf7 25. Qf4+ Kg7 26. Qe5+ Kh6 27. Qf4+
g5 28. Qxd2 e5 29. Re1 Qe7 30. Bf5 Rad8 31. Re3 Kg7 32. Qe2 e4 33. Qxa6 Rd6 34.
Qe2 h5 35. g4 hxg4 36. Qxg4 Rh4 37. Qg3 Rf4 38. Bh3 d4 39. Re1 Qf6 40. Qg1 d3
41. cxd3 exd3 42. Rd1 d2 43. Bg2 Ra4 44. b4 Rxb4 45. a6 Rxa6 0-1

Five Technical Positions (Know your classics !)

Often we ask ourselves how to make progress in chess, gain rating points,etc.
I suggest you play the following positions against the strongest engine you have (Shredder, Rybka, Fritz, Toga, Crafty, Junior,etc). Or against a sparring partner by alternating colors.

All positions with White to play and win

Position I




















Position II



















Position III




















Position IV



















Position V






































If you wonder what is the perfect play in each position, you can consult the answer here:

http://www.shredderchess.com/online-chess/online-databases/endgame-database.html

Chess motifs / Candidate Moves

Two simple puzzles to solve today, where Black had a winning continuation -against your author.

Tactics comes down to identifying the motif and review all possible moves (aka candidate moves). The rest is simple, at least in today's puzzles !



I-Black to play and win




II-Black to play and win