June 11, 2004

Tactical puzzles from HCL M class


I have no words to thank all of you for your support and your nice comments regarding my interview with GoodKnight posted last month. I have no time for another interview for the time being; my chess activity has been reduced to a minimum, but I promise to come back later with more energy.

Enjoy below, seven positions which appeared in HCL M class games. I hope that you find them quite entertaining and educational.


HCL-M443-19   (0-1)
Goofy - richard

a8 b8 black Rook on c8 d8 e8 f8 black King on g8 h88
a7 black Pawn on b7 c7 d7 black Pawn on e7 black Pawn on f7 g7 black Pawn on h77
a6 b6 c6 white Pawn on d6 e6 f6 black Pawn on g6 h66
a5 b5 c5 d5 e5 f5 g5 h55
a4 b4 c4 d4 black Bishop on e4 f4 g4 h44
a3 white Knight on b3 c3 d3 e3 f3 g3 white Pawn on h33
white Pawn on a2 white Queen on b2 c2 d2 e2 f2 white Pawn on g2 white King on h22
white Queen moving from a1 b1 c1 white Bishop on d1 e1 black Queen on f1 g1 h11
a b c d e f g h  

I guess that this is easy, in order to warm up a little bit. White has just played 29.Qa1-b2. It is Black's turn to move. Which move secures the win?


HCL-M434-5   (0-1)
stangew - NOHAU

a8 b8 c8 d8 black Rook on e8 f8 black King on g8 h88
a7 black Pawn on b7 c7 d7 e7 f7 black Pawn on g7 black Pawn on h77
black Pawn on a6 b6 black Knight on c6 d6 e6 f6 g6 black Queen on h66
a5 b5 white Queen on c5 black Pawn on d5 e5 black Pawn on f5 g5 h55
a4 white Pawn on b4 white Queen moving over c4 white Pawn on d4 black Rook on e4 white Pawn on f4 g4 h44
white Pawn on a3 b3 white Queen moving from c3 d3 white Bishop on e3 white King on f3 white Pawn on g3 white Pawn on h33
a2 b2 c2 d2 white Rook on e2 f2 g2 h22
a1 b1 c1 d1 white Rook on e1 f1 g1 h11
a b c d e f g h  

White has just played 38.Qc3-c5. Black has found a beautiful combination to disorder White's defence. Can you?


HCL-M510-28   (0-1)
Tapiwa - Faroe_Bamsa

a8 b8 c8 d8 black Rook on e8 black Rook on f8 black King on g8 h88
black Pawn on a7 white Rook on b7 c7 d7 e7 f7 g7 black Pawn on h77
a6 b6 c6 d6 e6 f6 black Pawn on g6 h66
a5 b5 c5 black Queen on d5 e5 f5 g5 h55
a4 b4 black Bishop on c4 d4 e4 f4 white Queen on g4 black Knight on h44
white Pawn on a3 b3 white Pawn on c3 d3 e3 white Queen moving over f3 g3 white Pawn on h33
white Pawn on a2 white Bishop on b2 c2 white Pawn on d2 white Queen moving over e2 white Pawn on f2 white Pawn on g2 h22
white Rook on a1 b1 c1 white Queen moving from d1 e1 f1 white King on g1 h11
a b c d e f g h  

White's last move was 24.Qd1-g4. It is obvious that White wants to prevent 24...Qg2#. Yet, checkmate is inevitable. Can you find Black's next move?


HCL-M523-3   (0-1)
Worf - Dailos

black Rook on a8 b8 c8 d8 e8 black Bishop on f8 black King on g8 h88
a7 b7 c7 d7 e7 black Pawn on f7 black Pawn on g7 black Pawn on h77
a6 b6 c6 d6 black Pawn on e6 f6 g6 h66
a5 white Pawn on b5 c5 black Pawn on d5 white Pawn on e5 f5 g5 h55
black Bishop on a4 b4 black Pawn on c4 white Pawn on d4 e4 white Pawn on f4 g4 h44
a3 b3 c3 d3 black Queen on e3 white Knight on f3 white Pawn on g3 h33
white Queen on a2 b2 c2 white Knight moving from d2 white Bishop on e2 f2 white Pawn on g2 h22
white Rook on a1 b1 c1 d1 e1 white King on f1 g1 h11
a b c d e f g h  

This one is beautiful and difficult. White has just played 32.Nd2-f3. This move saves the g3 pawn, but Black has better plans. What was the move that Black played? Do you belive that White had a better defence?


HCL-M504-4   (1-0)
bernalius - Still_Life

a8 black King on b8 black King moving from c8 d8 black Rook on e8 black Bishop on f8 g8 h88
a7 black Pawn on b7 black Queen on c7 black Knight on d7 e7 f7 black Rook on g7 h77
black Pawn on a6 b6 black Pawn on c6 d6 e6 black Pawn on f6 black Bishop on g6 h66
a5 white Pawn on b5 white Pawn on c5 d5 black Pawn on e5 f5 g5 black Pawn on h55
white Pawn on a4 b4 c4 white Pawn on d4 e4 black Pawn on f4 g4 white Pawn on h44
a3 b3 c3 d3 e3 white Queen on f3 g3 white Bishop on h33
a2 b2 c2 white Bishop on d2 white Knight on e2 white Pawn on f2 white Pawn on g2 h22
white Rook on a1 b1 c1 white Rook on d1 e1 f1 white King on g1 h11
a b c d e f g h  

Black has just played 26...Kc8-b8. This move is not terrible, but I think it is not necessary. I guess that this position could be a topic for discussion. White's 27th move is not so easy to find.


HCL-M484-13   (1-0)
Croma - Felix

a8 b8 c8 d8 e8 f8 g8 h88
black Pawn on a7 black Queen on b7 c7 d7 black King on e7 black Pawn on f7 g7 h77
a6 black Pawn on b6 black Bishop on c6 d6 black Pawn on e6 black Knight on f6 g6 h66
a5 b5 black Pawn on c5 d5 white Rook on e5 f5 g5 h55
a4 b4 c4 d4 e4 white Queen on f4 black Pawn on g4 h44
a3 b3 white Pawn on c3 d3 e3 white Pawn on f3 g3 h33
white Pawn on a2 white Pawn on b2 white Bishop on c2 black Rook moving from d2 black Rook moving over e2 black Rook moving over f2 black Rook on g2 h22
a1 white King on b1 c1 d1 e1 f1 g1 white Rook on h11
a b c d e f g h  

Black has just played 31...Rd2xg2. It seems that Black is unaware of the danger. However the little move White played is unexpected. Black resigned without a reply.


HCL-M495-7   (1-0)
papuan - GoodKnight

This is one of the most spectacular games played in PlayChess web site. Here are the moves leading to the following diagram:
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 dxc4 7.e4 g5 8.Bg3 b5 9.Be2 Bb7 10.h4 g4 11.Ne5 b4 12.Na4 Nxe4 13.Bxc4 h5 14.Qe2 Nxg3 15.fxg3 Rh6 16.O‑O f5 17.d5 Bc8 18.Rad1 Qe7 19.dxe6 Bxe6

black Rook on a8 black Knight on b8 black Bishop moving from c8 d8 black King on e8 black Bishop on f8 g8 h88
black Pawn on a7 b7 c7 black Bishop moving over d7 black Queen on e7 f7 g7 h77
a6 b6 black Pawn on c6 d6 black Bishop on e6 f6 g6 black Rook on h66
a5 b5 c5 d5 white Knight on e5 black Pawn on f5 g5 black Pawn on h55
white Knight on a4 black Pawn on b4 white Bishop on c4 d4 e4 f4 black Pawn on g4 white Pawn on h44
a3 b3 c3 d3 e3 f3 white Pawn on g3 h33
white Pawn on a2 white Pawn on b2 c2 d2 white Queen on e2 f2 white Pawn on g2 h22
a1 b1 c1 white Rook on d1 e1 white Rook on f1 white King on g1 h11
a b c d e f g h  

Can you guess White's next move? Can you guess the continuation that leaves Black helpless?

Please, post your comments with your own ideas and solutions. I believe that the thinking mechanism leading to the right answer is much more important than the move itself. Have fun, above all!


Posted by Michalis Kaloumenos at 05:12 PM | Comments (12)


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