Make Your Move, March 2022 - Tactics VI and VII

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

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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 VI: White to Move

Tactic VI Hint - Click here

Making room.

Tactic VI Solution - Click here

[pgn]

	
[Event "World Rapid 2021"]

	[Site "Warsaw POL"]

	[Date "2021.12.26"]

	[Round "3.26"]

	[White "3.6 Firouzja, Alireza"]

	[Black "Jakubowski, K.."]

	[Result "1-0"]

	[ECO "D02"]

	[WhiteElo "2804"]

	[BlackElo "2471"]

	[Annotator "Hansen"]

	[SetUp "1"]

	[FEN "1r4k1/1b1n3p/pp1bpq2/3p4/P1rP2pN/1QN3P1/1P3PP1/1BR1R1K1 w - - 0 25"]

	[PlyCount "19"]

	[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"]

	
{[#]} 25. Ne4 $1 ({This is stronger than} 25. Nxd5 {, for instance,} exd5 26.

	Rxc4 dxc4 27. Qxc4+ Kh8 28. Re6 Rc8 29. Rxf6 Rxc4 30. Rxd6 Rc1+ 31. Kh2 Rxb1

	32. Rxd7 {when White has excellent winning chances but there is still a lot of

	work to be done.}) 25... Qh6 26. Rxc4 dxc4 27. Qxc4 Bd5 ({Also the sharper} 

	27... b5 {fails after} 28. axb5 Bd5 29. Qe2 Bb4 30. Nc3 axb5 31. Nxd5 (31.

	Qxg4+ Kh8 32. Qe2 {also works}) 31... Bxe1 32. Nf4 {and White has a decisive

	advantage.}) 28. Qe2 $1 ({White could also have captured on a6,} 28. Qxa6 {

	but the g4-pawn is more tasty to the World #2.}) 28... Bb4 29. Qxg4+ ({White

	is up two pawns, yet} 29. Rd1 $5 {is possibly even stronger.}) 29... Kh8 30.

	Rf1 Rf8 31. Qe2 Rg8 32. Qxa6 Nf6 33. Qe2 Nh5 34. Nc3 {Black resigned.} 1-0

	
[/pgn]

TACTIC VII: Black to Move

Tactic VII Hint - Click here

Take advantage of pins.

Tactic VII Solution - Click here

[pgn]

	
[Event "World Rapid 2021"]

	[Site "Warsaw POL"]

	[Date "2021.12.26"]

	[Round "1.40"]

	[White "3.7 Nevednichy, V.."]

	[Black "Sjugirov, S.."]

	[Result "0-1"]

	[ECO "C54"]

	[WhiteElo "2498"]

	[BlackElo "2680"]

	[Annotator "Hansen"]

	[SetUp "1"]

	[FEN "r2qk2r/bpp2p2/p1np1n2/4p1B1/P1B1P1b1/1NPP2N1/1PQ2PP1/R3R1K1 b kq - 0 16"]

	[PlyCount "24"]

	[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"]

	
{[#]} 16... Nh5 $3 {A surprising jump, ignoring the pin on the knight to

	exploit a pin of his own.} 17. Be3 ({After} 17. Bxd8 Nxg3 $1 {White gets mated

	because there is no stopping ...Rh1. The bishop hiding on a7 is all of a

	sudden a rather wonderful piece.}) 17... Qh4 $1 18. Bxa7 ({White is hopelessly

	lost, e. g.,} 18. Nd2 Nf4 $1 ({or} 18... O-O-O 19. Bxa7 Nf4 {and Black is

	winning}) 19. Ndf1 Nxg2 {and Black's attack crashes through.}) 18... Nf4 19. f3

	Bxf3 ({Or} 19... Qh2+ 20. Kf2 Qxg2+ {and White's queen falls.}) 20. Kf2 Bxg2 ({

	Or} 20... Rg8 {, but many things win for Black in this position.}) 21. Rh1 Bxh1

	22. Rxh1 Qf6 {White is busted and it was soon over.} 23. Rxh8+ Qxh8 24. Kf3

	Nxa7 25. Nd2 Nc6 26. Ndf1 O-O-O 27. b4 f5 28. exf5 {and White resigned at the

	same time.} 0-1

	
[/pgn]