Category Archives: Beginner Chess Tips

12 chess tactics and how to use those to gain advantage – Part 3

1
Posted by ChessMaster on January 15, 2010 – 5:02 am
Filed under Attacking tactics, Beginner Chess Tips, Chess Tutorials, Chess lessons, Chess tactics
Tagged as attacking chess, attacking chess tactics, Attacking tactics, chess combination, Chess tactics, Chess Tutorials

3. Double Check

From your basic knowledge on chess, you know that when you give check, your opponent has to leave aside all other plans he may have and immediately take action to evade or neutralize the threat to his King.

There are three ways he can do it:

  1. moving the King to any of the adjacent squares where it will not be under check
  2. capturing the attacking piece/pawn that created the check
  3. interposing one of his pieces/pawns in the line of threat between his King and the attacker

If he cannot do any of these, his King is said to be checkmated.

After a double check, which as the name implies is a check from two sides, the problem your opponent faces is that he needs to tackle both with his single move. This is not possible without shifting his King and the other two options 2 and 3 are not available to him. This means that both your attacking pieces are safe from capture by anything other than the King.

The ability of the pieces to attack with a fair amount of impunity and to force the King to move makes double check a dynamite in chess games and you will hardly ever see anyone recovering from its effect! But it is presumed that like any other chess tactics, this double check is also applied with due thought to the opponent’s alternatives.

We borrow the first diagram from the previous lesson after a little alteration to show how double check comes about and the effect it can have.

Just like last time, here also White plays 1. Rd8+. But unlike last time when it was only a discovered check of the Bishop, here the Rook also delivers a check to the Black King. So it becomes a double check and though Black’s Rook is in a position to capture both the attackers, he cannot have both in one move. Even if one were taken out, the other would be delivering check and so Black has no other option but to move his King. But where will he go? In the previous leson, he had at least one move and White had to make a second move for checkmate but here it is a checkmate straightaway!

In the last lesson, we have already shown how Philidor’s mate utilizes the power of double check.

I do not know of any instance, but it is theoretically possible to deliver double check where the piece moved does not give check but exposes the King to attack by another piece (besides the discovered check by the first piece), thereby creating the double check.

This can occur with an en passant pawn capture as shown below.

1. Ba3+ c5 Black interposes his QBP to block the Bishop’s check
 
2. dxc6++ The ‘en passant’ capture by White’s QP removes the interposing pawn to restore Bishop’s check as also creates the Rook’s check, so that it becomes a double check.
 
Note: To show Double check more explicitly, the symbol ++ is used sometimes.

 

You will also appreciate that discovered check through en passant capture is an exception to the general pattern of discovered check by the movement of your own interposing piece as shown in previous lesson.

Here are some examples of double check in master play, the first two being fairly well-known to chess enthusiasts.

After 20 moves in this reputedly “evergreen game”, the play continued as follows:

21. Qxd7+ Kxd7 White made the Queen sacrifice to set up a double check and a quick mate
22. Bf5++ Ke8
23. Bd7+ Kf8
24. Bxe7#

 

The second well-known game in this genre was played at Vienna in 1910 between Reti and Tartakower, two top grandmasters of those times. We will not repeat the play as you can see it in Chess Tactics – some days are really not yours, where White makes a Queen sacrifice at move 9 to set up a double check on the next move. The game ended after another two moves!

In the next position after 20 moves had been played, White maneuvered to set up a double check preceded by a Queen sacrifice!

The game proceeded as given below.

21. Be7 Bxe7
22. Qxe7 Qd6 White’s Queen move attacked Black’s Queen and the Bishop and Black defended in the way expected by White.
 
23. Rxf7 Qxe7 White gives up his Queen to get the double check as his Rook at g4 now comes handy!
 
24. Rfxg7++ Kh8 The double check at last!
25. Rg8+ Rxg8
26. Rxg8#

 

In the next lesson, we will discuss about the use of Pin as a chess tactics.

 

12 chess tactics and how to use those to gain advantage – Part 1

5
Posted by ChessMaster on January 10, 2010 – 11:21 pm
Filed under Attacking tactics, Beginner Chess Tips, Chess lessons, Chess tactics
Tagged as attacking chess, attacking chess tactics, Attacking tactics, Chess tactics, Chess Tutorials

All of us appreciate beautiful chess combinations that occur at all levels – from games between amateurs to those between top grandmasters. A combination is nothing but two or more tactical moves in a sequence that create an advantage for the player who has thought it up. If you examine any such combination, you will find certain elements of tactics have been strung together. At every stage of the game, you should be aware of these tactical possibilities and how these can enable you to get an upper hand on your opponent.

‘Cooking’ up a combination is literally similar to the art of cooking! No matter how esoteric a dish is, its preparation will involve a few of the standard processes of cooking like frying, boiling, steaming, roasting and so on. In the same way, even the deepest chess combination comes out of some standard chess tactics. If you know these techniques, it is up to your imagination to combine some of these to create a memorable combination!

You will notice that at the heart of all chess tactics, there lies some kind of threat or the avoidance of threat. The tactics may threaten the gain of material or a checkmate of the opponent’s KIng, immediately or soon after the move. Your opponent will of course try to counter these threats, but in the process gets forced to create weaknesses in his position which can be exploited by further tactical moves. The build-up of the weaknesses ultimately results in his capitulation.

Though these chess tactics can find use at any stage of the game, they come most useful during the middle game – either for outright win or for steering it towards a winning end game. We will now examine these elements of tactics and see how these are used in games.

1. Check

A check holds importance because the opponent has to attend to it before all else. But check for check’s sake does not achieve anything. Rather, if your opponent can develop his pieces or pawns while refuting the check, it gains him a valuable tempo. Check as a tactics is beneficial when it forces your opponent either to make moves that give him an inferior position or to divert him from his own plans.

In the following position after 25 moves, check is used to force the opponent to defend in a way that exposes him to further tactics threatening the loss of a piece.

26. Qg4+ Kh7 26. … Qg6 does not help as 27. Be6+ will make Black lose his Queen whether he plays 27. … Nxe6 losing support for his Queen or 27. … Kh7 when White replies with 28. Bf5
27. Bd4 Qg8
28. Bf5+ Ng6
29. h4 c5
30. Be5 Resigns Black’s Knight is pinned and will fall when White’s RP advances one more step

 

Following position after White’s move 20. Re3 shows how Black used checks as a tactics to corner the White King.

20. … Nxe2+
21. Qxe2 Nxf3+ If 21. Rxe2, then 21. … Nxf3+ 22. gxf3 Qg5+ 23. Kh1 Bxf3#
 
22. gxf3 Qg5+ If 22. Qxf3, then Black wins a piece by 22. … Rxf3 23. Rxe7 Rxc3
 
23. Kh1 Rxf3 Black now threatens a discovered check on next move
 
24. Rxf3 Qg4 Black creates a two-way pin on the Rook at f3 and White has no way out of it. He resigned as 25. … Bxf3 forces loss of Queen or checkmate.

 

In above two examples, you will notice that other tactical elements like discovered check and pin have been used to exploit the initial check. These and other elements of chess tactics will be discussed later.

Another use of check is to erode the support of one piece for another, making for quick gain of material. In the next position, White plans to exploit Black’s back rank (another tactical element to be explained later) but needs to remove the defensive support of Black’s Rook at c8. He does it by using the power of check.

1. Qc4+ Rxc4 If Black refuses the offer and plays 1. … Kg7 then 2. Qxc8 Qxc8 3. Rxc8 Rxc8 4. e8=Q Rxe8 5. Rxe8 wins for White
2. Rxe8+ Kg7
3. Rg8+ Resigns Black cannot stop the queening of the pawn with mate to follow

 

Sometimes, even the threat of a check is enough to win material as shown in the following typical endgame situation which you must take note of.

check as a tactics - example 4

The only winning move for White is 1. Rh8. If 1. … Rxa7, then 2. Rh7+ or if 1. … Kg7, then 2. a8=Q Rxa8 3. Rxa8. In either case, White wins the Black Rook.

We will continue the discussion of the other tactics in the next part.

 

Types of Centers and How to Deal with Those

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Posted by ChessMaster on November 10, 2009 – 11:30 am
Filed under Beginner Chess Tips, Chess Strategy, Chess Tutorials, Chess lessons, Chess tactics
Tagged as Chess Strategy, Chess tactics, chess tutorial

The article on Center Control in Chess tried to show the importance of this aspect in any chess game. But the type of chess strategy and chess tactics used for wresting control of the game varies with the different types of centers that may arise during the middle game. In one of his books, Russian GM Alexander Kotov wrote in detail about this issue with a large number of examples and I liked the way he explained the methods to deal with different center formations.

For the sake of beginners who may find it difficult to go through all the details, I am trying to summarize in a single article the discussions which needed a pretty long chapter by the GM. Obviously, it has been possible to touch only the salient points. I hope that the beginners can benefit from the ideas to try to apply the principles in their games without getting bogged in details. Those who are so inclined can go for the in-depth study by going through the Master’s treatment of the subject.

The types of centers that can arise have been broadly divided into five categories.

  • Closed center
  • Fixed center
  • Open center
  • Mobile center
  • Dynamic center

Closed center:

This is characterized by:

  • Pawns of both sides face each other with none able to advance or to capture opponent’s pawns.
  • No files are open for Rooks to operate or even if there is one file open, neither side is able to take advantage of it.
  • Diagonals are blocked by own or enemy pawns, restricting Bishop movements.
  • There is no immediate prospect of opening a line or diagonal.

How to deal with such centers

  • Start actions on the flanks through maneuvering of pieces and advancing pawns.
  • This is usually started by the player who has the greater advantage in terms of space or availability of pieces on that flank.
  • The defending side either waits to see the action and then try to counter it, or start his own action often on the other flank.
  • Under favorable situations, try to break open the center. This is usually done through sacrifices to utilize the breached positionn.

Fixed center:

The central pawn(s) of both sides face each other and their positions cannot be changed without application of significant forces. This type of center may seem to be same as Closed center discussed above. But unlike Closed centers, all files and diagonals are not blocked and pieces can be moved around the pawn center.

How to deal with such centers

  • Attacking side will try to achieve superiority of forces around the center, forcing opponent’s forces to retreat.
  • Gaining this advantage enables attack on the flanks.
  • Defending side will oppose the above plan and try to neutralize the attack by exchange of pieces, if necessary. If this is successful, counter-attack can be planned on the wings.

Open center:

There are none or only a few pawns in the center files and those which may be present are not playing any important role.

How to deal with such centers

  • Instead of flank attack and attempt to surround enemy position as used in Closed centers, Open centers call for direct attack by using the pieces.
  • This is initiated by the player who has the greater advantage.
  • Identify and exploit weak positions or create weakness in enemy position and then attack those positions.
  • Pawn storming is usually avoided as the resultant weaknesses in the King’s position makes it very vulnerable with an open center.
  • The defense lies in warding off such attacks and trying to launch one’s own attack if the opponent overstretches his resources.

Mobile center:

When one player has a pawn chain at center with at least two united pawns whereas the opponent has none or only one pawn facing the pawn chain, it becomes a Mobile center.

How to deal with such centers

  • The player who has the strong center pawns should advance his pawns with aim to create a passed pawn.
  • If the above is not possible, then he should use his pawns to drive away enemy pieces from key positions to facilitate an attack on the flanks.
  • The tactics of the defending player is to block the center and to try to decimate it.

Dynamic center:

This is the situation when the pawn positions in the center have not yet stabilized into one of the aforesaid types. The position remains unclear till the moves by the players transpose it to a more definitive type. It behoves each player to assess the type of center that will be favorable to his position and try to achieve it by moving his pieces and pawns to that end. Once the center formation crystallizes, appropriate tactics can be followed as described above.