Make Your Move, March 2022 - Tactics I and II

Make Your Move chess tactics appear monthly in Chess Life magazine, an exclusive US Chess member benefit. Not a member? Join today!

Image

This month's 9 puzzles are all taken from the 2021 World Rapid and Blitz Championships in Warsaw, Poland. The puzzles start from easy (1) and gradually move toward being difficult (9). Please note that "easy" is a relative term. Newer players will find the "easy" puzzles to also be a challenge.

First, try to solve the puzzle without checking the hint. If you cannot, open the hint to get a clue. Try your best to solve the puzzle completely on your own before checking the solution. 

If you were unsuccessful, return to the puzzle in a few weeks to see if you can solve it. That way, you gradually expand your tactical vision and you'll be more likely to spot tactics when they occur in your own games. 

Whatever you do, do not use an engine to solve the puzzles. You will only be cheating yourself out of improving your game.

TACTIC I: White to Move

Tactic I Hint - Click here

Distract the defender.

Tactic I Solution - Click here

[pgn]

	
[Event "World Rapid 2021"]

	[Site "Warsaw POL"]

	[Date "2021.12.26"]

	[Round "3.31"]

	[White "Salem, AR.."]

	[Black "Tari, A.."]

	[Result "1-0"]

	[ECO "D32"]

	[WhiteElo "2690"]

	[BlackElo "2653"]

	[Annotator "FM Carsten Hansen"]

	[SetUp "1"]

	[FEN "1b3rk1/3n1ppp/R7/2qr1N2/1p2nP2/4P2Q/1P2B1PP/2B2RK1 w - - 0 28"]

	[PlyCount "9"]

	[EventDate "2021.12.26"]

	[EventType "swiss (rapid)"]

	[EventRounds "13"]

	[EventCountry "POL"]

	[SourceTitle "Chess Life March 2022"]

	[SourceDate "2022.03.01"]

	[SourceVersion "1"]

	[SourceVersionDate "2022.03.01"]

	[SourceQuality "1"]

	
{[#]} 28. Rc6 $1 {Forcing the queen away from c5 where it guards the e7-square.

	For the same reason, the rook cannot be captured as Ne7+ will fork Black's

	king and queen.} Qa5 29. Ne7+ Kh8 30. Ra6 {Winning a tempo to set-up the final

	win of material. Note that} (30. Rc4 {also accomplishes this for White.}) 30...

	Qc5 31. Nxd5 Qxd5 32. Rd1 {Black resigned.} 1-0

	
[/pgn]

TACTIC II: Black to Move

Tactic II Hint - Click here

Overburdened defender.

Tactic II Solution - Click here

[pgn]

	
[Event "World Rapid 2021"]

	[Site "Warsaw POL"]

	[Date "2021.12.26"]

	[Round "2.55"]

	[White "Dvirnyy, D."]

	[Black "Kosakowski, Jakub"]

	[Result "0-1"]

	[ECO "B90"]

	[WhiteElo "2492"]

	[BlackElo "2437"]

	[Annotator "FM Carsten Hansen"]

	[SetUp "1"]

	[FEN "r5k1/r2n3p/1p1p2p1/2nP1p2/P1P1pP2/R5P1/2Q1Bq1P/R4N1K b - - 0 30"]

	[PlyCount "9"]

	[EventDate "2021.12.26"]

	[EventType "swiss (rapid)"]

	[EventRounds "13"]

	[EventCountry "POL"]

	[SourceTitle "Chess Life March 2022"]

	[SourceDate "2022.03.01"]

	[SourceVersion "1"]

	[SourceVersionDate "2022.03.01"]

	[SourceQuality "1"]

	
{[#]} 30... Rxa4 $1 {Black has several other strong moves, but the text move

	is the most direct and best.} 31. Rxa4 Rxa4 32. Rxa4 Nxa4 33. Qxa4 Qxe2 {

	The point: White's queen has been diverted to a4, and now White's kingside

	defense crumbles.} 34. Kg1 e3 $1 ({The threat of ...Qf2+ forces White's

	resignation. Black would probably also win after} 34... Nf8 35. Qb3 {but that

	is much slower and less concrete.}) 0-1

	
[/pgn]