Chess Tactics for Improvers - Volume 1: Daily Chess Training, #1

Foreword by Grandmaster Max Illingworth

What is the best way to improve your chess, and win more chess games?

In my playing career, my big surges in playing strength came when I solved a lot of tactics puzzles.

In late 2003, as a 10-year old, I decided to start solving lots of puzzles – at first checkmate puzzles – before moving on to tactics programs such as CT-ART. Solving these problems several times, and then applying the tactical themes regularly in tournaments, allowed me to surge from a 1400ish rating to over 1800 in about a year, and get a starting FIDE rating of over 2000 soon after.

I know that I wouldn’t have become an Australian Junior Champion (Under 12), and then an Australian Champion (twice), if I hadn’t done regular tactics solving. I’m sure you know that you can lose after playing a lot of great moves, just because you missed some ‘trick’ in the position, right?

That’s why, in the many years I’ve spent coaching chess (starting with helping my primary school teammates to play better chess and win the school competitions), I’ve consistently recommended that anyone serious about improving their chess should solve tactics puzzles every day. It should eventually become a habit as natural as brushing your teeth or showering each day, if you have dreams of becoming a chess master or chess champion.

In fact, I once read that Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (the former no.3 player in the world) had solved about 250,000 chess puzzles! That explains where his amazing tactical vision and calculating ability comes from! In my case, I found that my Chess.com blitz quickly improved from a 2500 to a 2700+ level (back when such a rating meant a top 50 ranking) when I solved thousands and thousands of chess puzzles – I have solved about 150,000 chess puzzles (including repeating old puzzles) by now.

You know that the single best thing you can do to improve at chess, along with playing and learning from your games, is to solve tactics puzzles. So, why should you use Carsten’s book for your training, as opposed to the many other resources out there?

First, I can vouch for Carsten as a quality author, whose dedication comes through in both his books and the many challenging puzzles he shares on social media. Indeed, even though I am currently retired from professional chess, I solve his puzzles regularly to stay tactically sharp for my lessons with my students. He’s very willing to help others and he cares about you, and the results you get from working through his material.

Finally, what about those players that solve lots of tactics puzzles, but still don’t improve? In my experience, this happens because they get into the habit of working through the puzzles too quickly, causing them to miss key variations when calculating in a real game. It’s not enough to have good pattern recognition in chess – we also need to be able to slow our thinking down, and deliberating come up with good moves that don’t come automatically to us.

Carsten’s tactics puzzles are somewhat different from those you can find in other resources. He has a knack for picking positions where it’s not enough to see the first move – you have to sit there, work out the variations, and spot some clever ideas along the way, much like in a tough chess game against a good player. He also doesn’t rehash examples from other tactics books – his material is all original, so even if you’ve solved lots of tactics puzzles, you’ll find little to no overlap with what you’ve solved before.

If you work through this book, your skill in both key areas – pattern recognition and calculation – will significantly improve.

Max Illingworth

Sydney

January 2020

Author’s Preface

An essential part of improving at chess is tactics. Tactics occur at every level of chess but once the players become stronger the elements involved in spotting the puzzles tend to become more complex and deeper, whereas among weaker players elementary skewers, forks and deadly pins are more frequent visitors.

This book is no instruction manual in chess tactics, but rather a representation of some of the best tactical shots from master games played almost exclusively in the first second half of 2019.

On Twitter, Instagram, as well as my Facebook page, Winning Quickly at Chess, the puzzles are presented at a rate of two puzzles per day (one in the morning and one is the afternoon, both US East coast time) and thousands of chess enthusiasts, from almost beginners to strong grandmasters, are joining in to solve the puzzles.

Some of the puzzles are relatively straightforward, but there are also some rather tricky ones where even very strong players have gotten it wrong or failed to solve them, so do not despair if you are struggling with some of them. Remember that any improvement, whether in chess or other things in life, starts right outside your comfort zone.

I want to thank everybody who have taken part in solving the puzzles online, without them, the solutions presented would have looked very differently. When writing the solutions, I have tried to take into account most of the relevant, but wrong suggestions that have been made online.

If you find errors or other things that should be corrected, kindly submit these to me on email: [email protected]

Should you have enjoyed this book kindly leave a review, no more than 10-20 words are needed. Reviews mean a lot for an author as it tells other potential readers why a book did or did not make a difference for them.

Thanks for picking up this book, I hope you will enjoy solving the puzzles as much as I have selecting them and putting this book together.

Carsten Hansen

Bayonne (NJ)

February 2020 

How to work with this book

This is not your usual tactical puzzle book. It is very different for a number of reasons:

1) You’re not being told what the demand is! That you will have to figure out on your own. This is to give you more of a game feel simulation and therefore, the first tactical idea you get may not be the best, so keep looking until you are satisfied. Nor do I tell you who the players are – you will get that in the solution part. Names may spark your memory if you have seen the game before. The demand can be mate, but sometimes all you can get is a positional advantage or in a few cases a draw. You don’t know, so think before moving.

2) The first move is sometimes enough but always try to calculate a little further.

3) Don’t use a computer to solve the puzzles for you! You don’t learn anything from that, and you don’t have a computer handy when you’re playing your own games. When you’re certain that you have found the right continuation (not move!) or you have given up hope that you can solve it, then check the solution. If you got it wrong or couldn’t solve it, then mark the page or highlight it in your ebook and then revisit the puzzle next week.

4) Solving these puzzles will make you a better chess player – guaranteed! If you follow the instructions and tips above, your tactical vision will expand, your calculation skills will improve, just like Max talks about in the Foreword.

Or come join us on social media:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/WinningQuicklyatChess/ or www.facebook.com/groups/WinningQuicklyatChess/

Twitter: twitter.com/CazHansen

Instagram: www.instagram.com/chansen64/

Or on my website: www.winningquicklyatchess.com

Welcome on board, prepare yourself to get seriously better at chess.

Chapter 1

Sets 1-10

Set 1

Exercises to Set 1

1.1)

1.2)

1.3)

1.4)

1.5)

1.6)

1.7)

1.8)

Solutions to Set 1

1.1)

Solution

25.Re7+! Kf6 26.Kh5! Protecting the knight on g6 and thus taking that square away from the black king. White now threatens mate with Nd5+, Ng4+ and Rf1+, there is no way for Black to guard himself against all of them. 26...Rxg6 27.Nd5# 1–0 Shirov (2658) - Chukavin (2300) Riga rapid 2019

1.2)

Solution

24...e3+! 25.Kg1 Or 25.Kxe3 g5, trapping the knight. 25...g5 26.Ng2 Bxg2 27.Kxg2 White has saved the knight but now the white king is stuck behind his pawns and Black is much better in the endgame. 27...Ke5 28.h4? White is trying to create counterplay but this move only makes matters worse. Instead 28.Nd1 was necessary. 28...Kd4 29.Nd1 gxh4 30.g4 Or 30.gxh4 Nd3! (intending ...Nc1) 31.exd3? e2 and the pawn queens. 30...Ne6 and with ...Nf4+ coming, White resigned. 0–1 Ustiyanovich (2376) - Yuffa (2582) Riga rapid 2019

1.3)

Solution

26...Qf3+! 27.Kg1 Rxe7 Also 27...cxb3 wins, e.g., 28.Nxe8 Qg4+ 29.Kh1 Rxe8 30.axb3 f4 31.Bxf4 Qf3+ 32.Kg1 Rxe7 and Black is winning. 28.Be3 Rxe3 and White resigned. 0–1 Klimakovs (2313) – A.Moiseenko (2628) Riga rapid 2019

1.4)

Solution

22...Re3! The d-pawn was blocked on d4, after the text move, it once more moves forward. 23.Bxe3 dxe3 24.Rde1 Or 24.Rfe1 Ne5! 25.Nxe5 (also 25.Rxe3 Bxe3 26.Qxe3 Qc6 27.Kg2 Re8 28.Qc3 Nxc4 wins for Black) 25...exf2! 26.Re2 Rd8! 27.Qb1 (27.Qxd8 f1Q+ wins easily for Black) 27...Rxd1+ 28.Qxd1 Qc8 29.Qb1 Ne4!! 30.Kg2 (or 30.Rxe4 Qxf5) 30...Qxf5 31.Rxe4 f1Q+ 32.Qxf1 Qxe4+ 33.Nf3 Qc2+ and Black is much better in the endgame. 24...Rd8 25.Qb3?? White should have played 25.Qc2 when 25...Nd4 26.Nxd4 Rxd4 27.Nd1 Ne4 28.Rxe3 Rxd1 29.Qxd1 Bxe3 30.Qe2 Bd2 with a clear advantage for Black. 25...e2 Now White is simply lost. 26.Nd3 exf1Q+ 27.Rxf1 and White resigned at the same time. 0–1 Lanka (2395) - Volokitin (2546) Riga rapid 2019

1.5)

Solution

10.Nxd5! Nxd5 11.cxd5 Bxd2 12.Nxd2 Bxd5 13.Qc2 White sets up dual threats against h7 and c7. 13...Nf6 14.Qxc7 Qxc7 15.Rxc7 Bxa2 Black has temporarily regained the pawn but the troubles are not yet over. 16.Ra1 Nd5 17.Rb7 Nb4 18.Rxb6 Nxd3 19.Rxa2 and White has won a pawn. Aleksandrov (2571) – Solozhenkina (2324) Riga rapid 2019

1.6)

Solution

27...Re1+! 28.Kf2 Qe8! This threatens ...Re2 with devastating effect. 29.Bc3 Rc1 Threatening not just the bishop on c3 but also ...Qe1#. 30.Qe3 Rf1+ and White resigned. 0–1 Pogosyan (2334) - Parligras (2638) Riga rapid 2019

1.7)

Solution

19...Rxd4! This is best although Black has two alternatives that also win: a) 19...b6 20.Qa3 Bxd4+ 21.cxd4 Rxd4 22.Qc3 Qc5 or 19...Bxd4+ 20.cxd4 Rxd4 21.Qc3 Qc5 and White loses a piece and ends up with a lost position.. 20.cxd4 Bxd4+ 21.Kh1 Nxh2! Cracking a devastating hole in White's king shelter. 22.Rf4 Ng4 23.Qe1 Nf2+! Also 23...Rf8! wins. 24.Rxf2 Qh4+ 25.Kg1 Bxc4 26.Be2 Rf8 The point behind the previous moves. 27.Bf3 Rxf3! White resigned. 0–1 Kanep (2432) - Alekseev (2645) Riga rapid 2019

1.8)

Solution

15...e3! The game continuation was 15...Ng4 16.h3 e3 17.hxg4 e2 18.Qa4 exf1Q+ 19.Nxf1 Nc4 20.gxf5 Nxb2 21.Qb3 (Demidov (2546) - Smirnov (2421) Riga blitz 2019) and here Black should have played 21...Bxd4 with a winning position. 16.fxe3 Ng4 and White is busted, the e3–pawn cannot be protected after which Black's knights penetrate the white position with devastating effect, e.g., 17.Qc1 Nxe3 18.Rf2 Qd7 19.Ra2 Or 19.a4 Nc2 and Black is winning. 19...Bh6 20.Nf1 Ng4 and White loses material.

Set 2

Exercises to Set 2

2.1)

2.2)

2.3)

2.4)

2.5)

2.6)

2.7)

2.8)

Solutions to Set 2

2.1)

Solution

28.d6! This is by far the best move, forcing the black bishop on e7 away from the defense of the f6–pawn. That being said, both 28.Bb5 and 28.Bd3 f5 29.Bxf5! Rb6 30.Bc2 should also win for White. But again, not as convincingly as the game continuation. 28...Bxd6 Anything else simply loses a piece. 29.Qxf6 Bf8 and Black resigned at the same time. After 29...Qf7, the most convincing win is 30.Bc4 (capturing on d6 obviously also wins) 30...Re6 31.Bxe6 Nxe6 32.Qxf7+ Kxf7 33.Rxd6 and White is a full rook up. 1–0 Guseinov (2533) - Barskij (2389) Riga blitz 2019

2.2)

Solution

12...Be6! This is best. In the game, Black instead gave preference to 12...Ba6!? with the same idea as in our main line, but Black's pieces are slightly less well-placed: 13.b3 Nxc4 14.Bg5 Qc8 15.bxc4 Bxc3 16.Rac1?! (16.Rab1 would have been a better choice although Black, of course, has the better chances) 16...Bg7 17.Rfd1 Re8 18.Qc2 Rb8 with a clear advantage for Black. Black can also insert 12...Bg4!? 13.f3 before returning to 13...Be6 14.b3 Nxc4 and it is a matter of taste what matters more: White's weakening of the dark squares with f2–f3 or Black having access to the g4–square; I tend to prefer the latter; after 15.Bg5 Qb8 (after 15...Qd7 16.Rac1 Ne5 as in our main line, Black would probably prefer to have the g4–square available) 16.Rac1 Qb4 17.Nd1 Ne5 with an advantage for Black. 13.b3 Nxc4! 14.Bg5 Qd7 15.Rac1 Ne5 and Black has an extra pawn and a clear advantage. Usmanov (2443) - Ziska (2546) Riga blitz 2019

2.3)

Solution

25.Bxg7! Best, although both 25.Rxc7 Qxd4 26.Be3 Qd8 27.h6 and 25.d5!? Qxd5 26.Bxg7 Bxg7 27.h6 Qe5 28.Rd2 also should win for White. 25...Bxg7 26.h6 Qxd4 27.Rd2 Qe5 28.Rc5!? and Black resigned. Also 28.f4! wins on the spot. 1–0 Guseinov (2636) - Shishkov (2390) Riga blitz 2019

2.4)

Solution

26...Ra8! An important move, chasing the white bishop away, something that becomes crucial for Black's follow-up. 27.Bd3?? A gross blunder. White overlooks Black's simple follow-up. Instead 27.Bf1 would have been better. After 27...Bc6 28.Bg2 Bxg2 29.Kxg2 Kd6 30.Rc3 Rxa2, Black has an extra pawn and excellent winning chances in the rook ending. 27...Bc6 28.b4 Kd6 and the White rook is trapped. White resigned. 0–1 Guseinov (2654) - Grachev (2621) Riga blitz 2019

2.5)

Solution

20.Qd5! This is simplest and best although White also wins after 20.Be3 Qe5 21.Bd4 Bg5 22.Bxe5 Bxd2+ 23.Rxd2 dxe5 24.bxa4 or 20.Bxd6 exd6 21.Qxd6 Qxd6 22.Nxd6+ Kf8 23.bxa4, in both cases with winning positions for White. 20...Bc6 21.Nxd6+! Forcing mate. In the game continuation, White preferred 21.Qxf7+ Kd7 22.Rxd6+ Kc8 23.Be6+ Kb7 24.Rxc6 Kxc6 25.Bd5+ Kb6 26.Qe6+ Ka5 27.Bxa8 Qc3 28.Qd5+ Kb6 29.Qb7+ Ka5 30.Bc7+ and Black resigned. 21...exd6 22.Qxf7+ Kd8 23.Bxd6 and Black will have to give up material just to delay mate. Guseinov (2636) - Gretarsson (2412) Riga blitz 2019

2.6)

Solution

28.Nf5+! 28.Rb8 also wins but the text move is best. 28...Kf6 Or 28...gxf5 29.Qg5+ Kf8 30.Rb8+ with mate. 29.Nh6! Ra7 30.Ng4+! Black resigned. He would get mated after 30.Ng4+ Kg7 31.Qh6+ Kg8 32.Nf6+ Kh8 33.Qxh7#. 1–0 Lupulescu (2649) - Antoms (2337 Riga blitz 2019

2.7)

Solution

20...Rxf2! In the game, Black continued with 20...Bxe3!? and soon won after 21.Nxf8 Bd2+ 22.Ke2 Qh5+ 23.Kf1 Rxf8 24.Bxe4 Qh4 25.Qe2 Bxe4 26.Qxd2 Bxh1 and White resigned. 21.Nd4 Rxb2! 21...Rxg2 also wins. 22.0–0–0 Ba3! and White can't avoid heavy material losses. Krakops (2510) – Predke (2632) Riga blitz 2019

2.8)

Solution

28.Qd6! Kg7 White also wins after the alternatives 28...Rcxd7 29.Qxb8; or 28...Rdxd7 29.Qxf6, in both cases winning material for White. 29.Re8! Kh6 Or 29...Rxe8 30.dxe8Q Qxe8 31.Qxc7 and White has won a rook. Black resigned after the text move. The fastest win is 29...Kh6 30.Qf8+! Kh5 31.g4+! fxg4 (or 31...Kxg4 32.Qh6! with mate to follow) 32.Rd5+ with mate in a few moves. 1–0 Potapov (2485) - Frolov (2453) Pardubice rapid 2019

Set 3

Exercises to Set 3

3.1)

3.2)

3.3)

3.4)

3.5)

3.6)

3.7)

3.8)

Solutions to Set 3

3.1)

Solution

18...Qb6+! In the game, Black continued with the less accurate 18...Bxh3 19.Qxh3 Kxe7 20.Qh4+?! (20.Qb3!? was a much better choice although Black is clearly better) 20...f6 21.e5? Qxe5+ 22.Rd4 g5 23.Qf2 Kf7 24.Re1 Qc7 25.Qf5 Qc3+ 26.Ka2 Qxd4 and White resigned. 19.Kc1 Or 19.Ka1 Rxc2 20.Bxd7+ Kxe7 when preventing mate will cost White an army of material. 19...Qh6+, winning the bishop on h3. J.Geller (2525) - Movsesian (2649) Pardubice rapid 2019

3.2)

Solution

29...Qa6! Threatening ...Bd3, forcing the queen away from b1 and the protection detail of the a2–square. 29...Qa5!? to transfer the rook to a8 is also very strong and wins for Black. 30.Rf2 In the game, White blundered with 30.Kc2?? and after 30...Bd3+, he resigned. 30...Rxf2 Black also wins after 30...Nf6; and 30...Ra8. 31.Bxf2 Ng5 with ...Bd3 to follow and White can resign. Sahidi (2369) - Mirzoev (2493) Pardubice rapid 2019

3.3)

Solution

27...Bxg5! The simple and straight-forward 27...Bxb4 is also much better for Black. 28.Qxg5 Rd5!? Or 28...Rd7 followed by ...Qc4 winning for Black. 29.Rc1? Or 29.Qe3 Qc4 and Black is winning. 29...Rxd4! and White resigned as the queen on c7 can't be captured due to ...Rd1#. 0–1 Najdin (2314) - Deepan (2532) Pardubice rapid 2019

3.4)

Solution

30.Bd2! White also wins after 30.Ne4 Rc4 31.Rba2! Rb4 32.Rxb8+ Bxb8 33.Rc2! and White is winning. The game continuation was 30.Bd2! when Black resigned on the spot. 30...Rc4 31.Ba5! Ra4 32.Rc2! and Black can't defend without facing heavy material losses. Andreikin (2727) - Ding Liren (2812) Wenzhou rapid 2019

3.5)

Solution

18...Rxc4! The game continuation was 18...Qb6 19.b3 Nxc4 20.Rxc4 Rxc4 21.a5 Qb5 22.bxc4 b3 23.cxb5 bxa2 24.e4 Bg6 25.Rxa2 f5 26.Bb4 Rc8 27.exf5 Bxf5 28.a6 b6 and White has the better chances. 19.Rxc4 b3! 20.Bb4 Qa6! and White ends up a piece down. V.Ikonnikov (2499) - Lenaerts (2355) Leiden 2019

3.6)

Solution

27...Ra1+! The text move forces mate. Black also wins after 27...Qxb2+. 28.Kc2 Or 28.Bxa1 Rxa1+ 29.Kd2 Qb2+ 30.Kd3 Rd1+ 31.Ke4 Rd4+ 32.Kf3 Qxc3+ 33.Kg4 Ne5+ 34.Kh4 Qe1+ with mate in a few moves. 28...Qxb2+! In the game, after 28...Qxb2+, White understandably resigned. A possible continuation was 29.Kxb2 R8a2+ 30.Kb3 Nd4+ 31.Kb4 Ra4# S.Ivanov (2496) - Sandipan (2516) Leiden 2019

3.7)

Solution

26.Nb5! Another way to an advantage is 26.Bxf6! Bxf6 27.Nb5! Qxa4 (or 27...axb5 28.Rxc4 bxc4 29.Qb4 and White has a large advantage) 28.Nxd6 Rf8 29.Nxb7 and White is winning. 26...Qxa4? Or 26...axb5 27.Rxc4 bxc4 28.Bxf6 Bxf6 29.Qb4 and White has, like mentioned above, a clear advantage. 27.Nxd6 Nxe4 28.Nxe4 Bxd4 29.b3! and Black resigned. 1–0 Sanikidze (2509) - Tutisani (2460) Poti 2019

3.8)

Solution

26.hxg6! This is much better than 26.Nf6 Nc4 27.h6+ Kh8 28.Rhe1 when White has a large advantage but it is not yet decisive. 26...Qxe4 Or 26...dxe4 27.Rh7+! Kg8 (also 27...Kxg6 28.Qh5+ Kf6 29.Rh6+ Kg7 30.Qg4+ Kxh6 31.Rh1+ leads to mate) 28.Qc3! Qg5+ 29.Kb1 f6 30.Rh8+! Kg7 (30...Kxh8 31.Qh3+ with mate) 31.Qc7+! with mate. 27.Rh7+ Kxg6 28.Rh6+! In the game, White continued with 28.Qg3+ Kf6 29.Qd6+ and Black resigned. 28...Kxh6 29.Qf6+ Kh5 30.g4+! and Black will get mated in a few moves. Tang (2495) - Hilby (2433) USA Junior ch 2019 (Saint Louis) 2019

Set 4

Exercises to Set 4

4.1)

4.2)

4.3)

4.4)

4.5)

4.6)

4.7)

4.8)

Solutions to Set 4

4.1)

Solution:

28...Ng4+! 29.Kg2 29.Kh1 or 29.Kh3 both run into 29...Nf2+, forking the king and queen. 29...Nf5! and White resigned. After 29...Nf5 30.Qe1 (but not 30.fxg4?? Nxh4+, winning the queen) 30...Nf6 31.Kh2 (or 31.Bb2 Nxh4+) 31...e4! (forcing more weaknesses around White's king) 32.f4 Ng4+ 33.Kg2 e3! 34.Bb2 Ne5! 35.fxe5 Nxh4+ 36.Kh3 Qg4+ 37.Kh2 Nf3+ and Black is, of course, winning. 0–1 Jakab (2377) - Hera (2610) Hungarian ch Rapid (Ajka) 2019

4.2)

Solution

22...Qg5! Black creates a double-threat against e3 and f3. 23.Bxc6 Qxe3+! The text move is stronger than the recapture on c6: 23...Rxc6 24.f4 exf4 25.exf4 Qxf4 26.Ne2 when Black has won a pawn and is clearly better. The game continuation is considerably better. 24.Kf1 Rxc6! 25.Rxd8 Qxc1+ 26.Rd1 Qc2 White resigned due to Black's threat of ...Nd3. 0–1 Vertetics (2438) - Gledura (2654) Hungarian ch Rapid (Ajka) 2019

4.3)

Solution

21...Nxb2! This sacrifice is best. The game continuation was 21...Nf6 22.Nd2? (22.c3 was necessary) 22...Nxb2! 23.Kxb2 e4 24.Qb3 Nxd5+ 25.Ka3 Nc3 26.Be3 d5 27.Rhf1 Qd6+ 28.Kb2 Nxb5+ 29.c3 Nxc3 and White resigned. 22.Qh3 22.Kxb2?? e4+ wins on the spot. 22...Nc4! Black sacrifices the knight on g4 to penetrate on the queenside. 23.Qxg4 Na3+! 24.Ka2 Qc3! 25.Qg3 Or 25.Kxa3 e4 and White will not be able to prevent mate. 25...Nxb5 26.axb5 Qb4 27.c3 Qa4+ 28.Kb2 Qxb5 29.Ka3 Also 29.Kc2 a4 wins for Black. 29...Rc4 followed by ...e5–e4 and White can resign. 0–1 Stijve (2336) - Baenziger (2352) Swiss ch (Leukerbad) 2019

4.4)

Solution

26.Nd6+! cxd6 27.Qxb5 Black resigned. 1–0 S.Volkov (2548) - Baenziger (2352) Swiss ch (Leukerbad) 2019

4.5)

Solution

23...Rxf3! 23...Qg5! is also much better for Black. 24.Qxe3 24.gxf3?? Nxf3+ is