A Hole for the King

Not everyone has the skill as displayed by Alexander Alekhine. In this game, Alekhine calculated the series of moves with precision. Alekhine-Yates (London, 1022)

White to play and win. Solution: 1. Nf6 Rgf8 2.Rxg7 RxN 3.Ke5 Black Resigns. (3. Rf8 4. Rh7+ Kg8 5.Rcg7+ mate).

Forbidden Gift

Emmanuel Lasker is a German champion who reigned the chess scene for quite a long time. In this game against Euwe, the old Lasker demonstrates that he is still the best in the world. Lasker-Euwe (Germany, 1936)

White to play and win. Solution: 1. b4 Bxb4 2.Nc2 Black Resigns. Black’s bishop and knight are en prise.

Positional Attack

A positional attack demonstrated by Gary Kasparov. Exchanging pieces to create an overwhelming position for white. Kasparov-Browne

White to play and win. Solution: 1. Bh7+ KxB 2. QxB Black Resigns. 3. Rxf7+ is the next killer move.

Double Attack

White’s rook move decides the game. Kasparov-Ricardi

White to play and win. Solution: 1. Rb3 RxR 2.h7 Black Resigns.

Neat Liquidation

A very subtle exchange. Fischer -Eliskases

White to play and win. Solution: 1. RxN KxR 2.Bd4+ Kf7 3.h7 Black Resigns.

Pretty Turned Around

A combination showing Spassky’s highest chess caliber. Spassky- Huebner

White to play and win. Solution: 1. Bh6 NxN 2. Bf7 Black Resigns. Rh3+ mate is inevitable.

Pulled Over

White’s king is pulled over into a danger zone. How can black do that? Larsen-Spassky (Linares, 1981)

Black to play and win. Solution: 1. g4+ 2. Kxg4 Bh5+ 3.KxB Qg5+ mate.

Rear Assault

Attack on the 7th rank is unstoppable. Find the killer move. Spassky-Gipslis (Baku, 1961)

White to play and win. Solution: 1. RxB KxR 2. Rc1 Qa5+ 3.Bxd Kg8 4.Qg5+ Kf7 5.Rc7+ QxR 6.Qg7+ Ke8 7. QxQ Black resigns.

Tactical Pin

There is a hidden tactical pin in the a1-h8 diagonal. Can you find it? Spassky-Pachman (Mscow, 1967)

White to play and win. Solution: 1. Bxf7 RxB 2. Be5 Qc2 3. BxB Black resigns as Rxe6 is coming.

Guarded Corners

This shows a subtle maneouvering by white. Bronstein-Kotov (Moscow, 1946)

White to play and win. Solution: 1. Bh6 NxQ 2.Bxg7+ Kg8 3. Bf6+ mate.

Discoverer

This is a world championship game that brought Bronstein almost winning the match. Bronstein-Botvinnik (Moscow, 1951)

White to play and win. Solution: 1. Bg3 Bg7 2.RxB QxQ 3. Be5 Qxe3+ 4.Kh1 Black resigns. Now, white’s discovering rook is a very disastrous move.

Perfect Thrust

This game is a classic fought between the two giants on the chessboard. Bronstein-Geller (USSR, 1961)

White to play and win. Solution: 1. Qg6 fxQ 2.Rxg7+ Kf8 3.Ng6+ mate.

Tempo

Find the best move. Netto-Abente (Paraguay, 1983)

Black to play and win. Solution: 1. Rg1+ 2. KxR Qe1+ 3.Kg2 Qf1+ 4. KxQ Bh3+ 5.Kg2 Re1+ mate.

Blind Move

The attack of Michael Tal. Find the best move. Tal-NN

White to play and wins. Solution: 1. Nf5 Qg5 2. Qh5 QxQ 3. Ne7+ Kh7 4. RxQ + mate.

Triangle

In this position, I believe that the one who can spot black’s best move in seconds must have an eye of a GM. Now, let’s see what you’ve got. Pirrot-Hertneck (BRD, 1989)

Black to play and win. Solution: 1. Bg4! 2.RxB Qf1+ 3.Rg1 Ng3+ 4.hxN Qh3+ mate.

Knight’s Clockwork

Black has the upper hand in the given position. A knight move by black will guard the perimeter of white’s king. Rodriguez-Olafsson (Las Palmas, 1978)

Black to play and win. Solution: 1. Qg2+! 2.RxQ Nf3+ 3. Kh1 Rd1 White resigns.

Double Rook Aggression

Black should deliver a mating attack otherwise he will put his hat down. Can you find the right move? Ouslokov-Nedobora (USSR, 1990)

Black to play and win. Solution: 1. Qh4! 2.gxQ Re3+ 3.Bf3 Bxe6+ 4.QxB RxB+ mate.

Magnificent Taimanov

Mark Taimanov is a great Russian player that never became a world champion. The game that follows is a masterpiece that demonstrates his superiority over the reigning world champion at that time Anatoly Karpov. Karpov-Taimanov (Leningrad, 1977)

Black to play and win. Solution: 1. Ng3+! 2.hxN (2.QxN RxR) Ra8!! White resigns. Rh8+ mate is unstoppable.

Bolt

The position looks balance for white however black’s next move is a bolt that he can’t handle. Lederman-Pytel (Le Havre, 1977)

Black to play and win. Solution: 1. Qf3! White resigns. (2.QxQ RxR+ mate) (2.NxB QxQ 3.bxQ RxR+).

Ultimate Attack

This game demonstrates the role of the black’s king in aid of attack. Mastilovich-Belic (Yugoslavia, 1976)

Black to play and win. Solution: 1. Kg7+! 2.RxR Kh6 3. White resign. BxN+ mate follows.

Connecting Assault

White is threatening Qc8+ mate with a double attack to black’ unprotected knight. Find a connecting assault to break white king’s quite solid defense. Inchenko-Siusina (USSR, 1971)

Black to play and win. Solution: 1. Qg1+! Surprise (2.RxQ Nf2 mate) 2. KxQ Rgg2+ 3.Kh1 Rh2+ 4. Kg1 Rbg2+ mate.

Narrow Road

In the given position, the idea of black’s bishop penetrating the narrow road via Bg5-h4 makes this game wonderful. Yudovich-Katalimov (USSR, 1968)

Black to play and win. Solution: 1. Bg5! (Threatening h4+, Qh1+ mate) 2.h4 Bxh4+ 3.KxB Qh1+ 4.Kg3 h4+ mate. Fantastic!.

Ultimate Pin

Even a high caliber player Sammy Reshevsky fell into this classic tactic demonstrated by black. Reshevsky-Ivanovic (Skopje, 1976)

Black to play and win. Solution: 1. Qxh2+! 2.KxQ Rh4+ 3.Kg1 Ng3 White resign.

Intersection

Gaprindashvili is women’s world champion. In this game playing black against Levitina, she showed her prowess with a brilliant combination. Levitina-Gaprindashvili (USSR, 1979)

Black to play and win. Solution: 1. e4! 2.Qxe4 Re1 Resign. Threatening mate either in e-file and h1-a8 diagonal (3.QxQ Re1 mate) (3.Qd4+ Bf6+-)

File and Diagonal Attack

This game is a classic example of a double attack executed in both file and diagonal. High caliber players don’t missed such opportunity as in the given position. Halbbauer-Mandel (BRD, 1952)

Black to play and win. Solution: 1. Bf2! 2.BxB Qe4 Resign. (2.RxB Qg1 mate) (2. Qf3 BxB 3. QxB Qg2+ mate).