CBM training

on Sun Jun 24, 2012 2:12 am by · on Sun Jun 24, 2012 2:12 am by

- Dominance Duel
- The last pawn
- The cut-off
- Bartholomew's stalemate

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=8256

on Sun Jul 01, 2012 12:25 am by · on Sun Jul 01, 2012 12:25 am by

Octopus

White possesses the infamous knight on d6, against which Black has just prepared the doubling of rooks on the d-file with 20...Rd7 (diagram). Backing up this piece with 21.Rf2 Rad8 22.Rfd2 now leads to ...

A)... a clear positional advantage for White;
B)... balanced chances;
C)... material gains for Black.

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=8286

on Mon Jul 02, 2012 3:12 am by · on Mon Jul 02, 2012 3:12 am by

- Caruana's king
- Activate the rook
- Passed pawns must be pushed

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=8291

on Thu Jul 12, 2012 4:15 pm by · on Thu Jul 12, 2012 4:15 pm by

Royal road

The weakness of Black's back rank is obvious, but so is the vulnerabilty of White's king. In concrete terms: how is the position after 62.Qf7 Qf1+ to be evaluated?

A) won for Black;
B) won for White;
C) balanced.

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=8313

on Fri Aug 03, 2012 5:17 pm by · on Fri Aug 03, 2012 5:17 pm by

Chance for whom?

One of the many intriguing positions from the just finished Biel grandmaster tournament. Here followed the simplification 31...dxe5 32.Qxd8+ Qxd8 33.Rxd8+ Bxd8 34.Bxb5 Bxa5 35.Kf2 with a draw. Instead, which continuation would you have chosen as White after the intermediate move 31...Bg5?

A) 32.Bxd6
B) 32.Bf4 Bxf4 33.Qxf4 Bxe2
C) 32.Qc2

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=8381

on Sun Aug 12, 2012 10:48 pm by · on Sun Aug 12, 2012 10:48 pm by

Nordic edge walking

White has just implanted his knight into the enemy king's position with 51.Ng4-f6 (diagram). Which move gives Black the advantage now?

A) 51...Qa8
B) 51...Qe7
C) 51...Rc4

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=8397

on Wed Aug 22, 2012 6:34 pm by · on Wed Aug 22, 2012 6:34 pm by

Karjakin's kings and Svidler's surprise

- Karjakin's King
- Karjakin's King II
- Svidler's Surprise

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=8426

on Fri Aug 24, 2012 7:50 pm by · on Fri Aug 24, 2012 7:50 pm by

Test your IQ(P) IV

The move 17...Nc2 unleashes a double attack on White's rook on the edge and forces the answer 18.Ra2 (18.Rb3 Na1!). Thereupon Black wins ...

A)... a piece;
B)... a pawn;
C)... nothing, he must repeat moves with 18...Ncb4.

Solution: http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=8432

on Fri Aug 31, 2012 4:53 pm by · on Fri Aug 31, 2012 4:53 pm by

are known to favour the side with the initiative, here operating with queen, rook and bishop. The first player has just forced the move 32...h6 (why?), and now the sequence 33.Qc8+ Re8 34.Qd7 hitting d6 and g7 leads her to ...
A) ... victory;
B) ... a clearly better endgame;
C) ... defeat.

Solution: http://www.chessbase.com/cbm/reeh2012e/3512.html

on Sat Sep 08, 2012 11:29 am by · on Sat Sep 08, 2012 11:29 am by

Coffin Nail Polish

In order to take advantage of her pawn on h3, the second player must find a way to clear the long diagonal and/or get access to the opponent's back rank. After 30...Bxf3 31.Rxf3 from the diagramm position, which is the winning continuation?

A) 31...Rxe2
B) 31...Rd4
C) neither nor, the exchange on f3 is premature.

Solution: http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=8462

on Wed Sep 12, 2012 4:21 pm by · on Wed Sep 12, 2012 4:21 pm by

Learning from the Chess Olympiad

- Volokitin's Breakthrough
- Race of the Passed Pawns
- Race of the Rook's Pawns
- Oswaldo Zambrana's Octopus

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=8469

on Fri Sep 14, 2012 9:17 am by · on Fri Sep 14, 2012 9:17 am by

Ivanchuk in Istanbul

The first player has sacrificed a piece to invade with his rook on the 7th rank, but the calm 24.Raf1 in the diagram position would allow the excuse 24...Qxg2+. The alternative 24.gxh7+ Kxf7 leads to ...

A) ... a white victory by force
B) ... perpetual check
C) ... a winning position for Black

Solution: http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=8476

on Fri Sep 21, 2012 5:35 pm by · on Fri Sep 21, 2012 5:35 pm by

Good choice?

The second player has parried the attack on her rook e8 with 15...Be6-d7 (diagram), leaving the pawn d5 momentarily without sufficient protection. Now the capture 16.Nxd5 earns White ...

A) ... the loss of a piece;
B) ... the win of a pawn;
C) ... an endgame advantage with material equality.

Solution: http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=8493

on Sat Oct 06, 2012 1:18 am by · on Sat Oct 06, 2012 1:18 am by

Deflection sacrifice

The white squares in Black's camp are vulnerable. What can the first player achieve in the diagram position by playing 45.Bh5+ Kxf5 46.Qxf5+?

A) win of the queen
B) win of a pawn
C) only perpetual check.

Solution: http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=8530

on Sat Oct 20, 2012 4:46 am by · on Sat Oct 20, 2012 4:46 am by

Your judgement, please

In this position with mutual rook batteries and knight forks, three continuations are to be considered - one wins for White, one for Black and one leads to a roughly equal situation. Make your pick!

A) 47...Qa7 48.Qxd6
B) 47...Qa7 48.Ng5+
C) 47...Ne5 48.Rxe5

Solution: http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=8565