Hello all,
Since there are no coaching sessions during August perhaps a daily puzzle might
be some consolation?
Find below 7 more positions from the games of Judit Polgar.
Diagrams, marked with double hash signs, are given in 2 formats, choose
whichever you find more convenient.
The solution with analysis is given with each diagram.
Paul Benson.
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Judit Polgar On The Attack!, Part 02, (002).
List of tactical tools.
#1. Battery.
#2. Deflection.
#3. Discovered attack.
#4. Double attack.
#5. Fork.
#6. Interference.
#7. Overloading.
#8. Pin.
#9. Skewer.
#10. Undermining.
Fen diagram: White pieces upper case, black pieces lower case, top line is the
black back rank, bottom line the white back rank.
## 8. Judit Polgar vs H Winfridsson, Goteborg, 1989.
White to play.
White pieces: Kg1, Qh5, Bh6, Bf7, Nb3.
White pawns: a2, b2, c3, e5, g2, h2.
Black pieces: Kh8, Qc7, Ra8, Rf8, Bc5, Bd7.
Black pawns: a6, b7, d5, e6, h7.
r4r1k/
1pqb1B1p/
p3p2B/
2bpP2Q/
8/
1NP5/
PP4PP/
5R1K
Solution With Tactical Tools Used.
Key move: 1. Bg7+.
(A). 1. Bg7+ Kxg7 2. Qg5+ Kh8 3. Qf6+ mate.
White uses a deflection to draw the black king forward permitting the white
queen to complete the barrage, a sequence of forcing moves, on the dark
squares.
## 9. Alon Greenfeld vs Judit Polgar, Haifa, 1989.
Black to play.
White pieces: Kg1, Qd5, Rd1, Nd4.
White pawns: b3, b5, f2, g2, h4.
Black pieces: Kh7, Qc7, Rb2, Bg7.
Black pawns: d7, f5, g6, h6.
8/
2qp2bk/
6pp/
1P1Q1p2/
3N3P/
1P6/
1r3PP1/
3R2K1
Solution With Tactical Tools Used.
Key move: 1. ... Rd2.
(A). 1. ... Rd2 2. Rxd2 Qc1+ 3. Kh2 Qxd2 4. Qxd7 Qxd4, black wins a knight.
Black uses a deflection to permit a checking fork on the weakened white back
rank to regain material.
Black uses a pin on the white d4 knight to exploit the unprotected nature of
the white d5 queen.
(B). 1. ... Rd2 2. Re1 Rxd4, black wins a knight.
Black uses a double-attack to win the under-defended white d4 knight.
## 10. Judit Polgar vs Peter Popovic, Novi Sad, 1990.
White to play, take care, there is a winning idea and a tempting but failing
attempt.
White pieces: Kh1, Qh5, Rd1, Rg4, Nd5.
White pawns: a2, b4, f5, h2.
Black pieces: Kg8, Qd8, Rc2, Re5, Bf2.
Black pawns: a6, b7, d6, f7, g7.
3q2k1/
1p3pp1/
p2p4/
3NrP1Q/
1P4R1/
8/
P1r2b1P/
3R3K
Solution With Tactical Tools Used.
Key moves: 1. Qh6.
(A). 1. Qh6 Qf8 2. Nf6+ mate.
White uses 2 pins on the black g7 pawn to give mate.
(B). 1. Qh6 g6 2. fxg6 Qf8 3. Nf6+ mate.
(C). 1. Qh6 g6 2. fxg6 Rxd5 3. Qh7+ Kf8 4. Qxf7+ mate.
(D). 1. Qh6 g6 2. fxg6 Qh4 3. Rxh4 Bxh4 4. Qh7+ Kf8 5. Qxf7+ mate.
(E). 1. Qh6 g6 2. fxg6 fxg6 3. Rxg6+ Kf7 4. Rg7+ Ke8 5. Qh8+ mate.
No tactical tools used in (B) through (E), it was just tactics flowing from a
superior position which gave the wins.
And the tempting but failing attempt?
(F) 1. Rxg7+ Kxg7 2. f6+ Kf8 3. Qh8+ mate.
(G). 1. Rxg7+ Kxg7 2. f6+ Kg8 3. Qh6 Qf8 4. Ne7+ Rxe7 5. Qg5+ Kh7
6. fxe7 Qe8 7. Qf5+ Kg8 8. Qxc2, white is a clear exchange up, decisive
material advantage, fine, but is there a stronger idea for white?
(H). 1. Rxg7+ Kxg7 2. f6+ Kg8 3. Qh6 Qf8 4. Ne7+ Rxe7 5. Qg5+ Kh7
6. fxe7 Qe8 7. Qf5+ Kg8 8. Rxd6 Rc8 9. Qg5+ Kh8 10. Rh6+ mate.
So what is wrong with, 1. Rxg7+, exposing the black king?
(I). 1. Rxg7+ Kxg7 2. f6+ Qxf6 3. Nxf6+ Rxh5 4. Nxh5+ Kh6, white is a pawn down
and struggling to draw.
(J). 1. Rxg7+ Kxg7 2. f6+ Qxf6 3. Qg4+ Qg6, white has thrown away a rook for
nothing.
## 11. Judit Polgar vs Branko Damljanovic, Wijk an Zee, 1990.
White to play, many variations given in the analysis, but if you find the
winning idea then the variations would probably be found over the board when
required.
White pieces: Kg1, Qh6, Rg2, Rh4, Bd3.
White pawns: a4, b2, c2, e4, g5, h2.
Black pieces: Kg8, Qd8, Re6, Ra8, Bb7, Ng6.
Black pawns: a6, b4, d4, d5, f7.
r2q2k1/
1b3p2/
p3r1nQ/
3p2P1/
Pp1pP2R/
3B4/
1PP3RP/
6K1
Solution With Tactical Tools Used.
Key move: 1. e5.
(A). 1. e5 Rxe5 2. Bxg6 fxg6 3. Qxg6+ Kf8 4. Rh8+ Ke7 5. Rh7+ Kf8
6. Qf7+ mate.
White uses an undermining, Bxg6, removing the protector of the h8 square.
(B). 1. e5 Rxe5 2. Bxg6 Re6 3. Qh7+ Kf8 4. Qxf7+ mate.
(C). 1. e5 Rxe5 2. Bxg6 Re7 3. Qh8+ mate.
White uses an undermining, Bxg6, removing the protector of the h8 square.
(D). 1. e5 Nxe5 2. Qh8+ mate.
White uses a deflection, Nxe5, to draw away the protector of the h8 square.
(E). 1. e5 Nxh4 2. Bh7+ Kh8 3. Bg6+ Kg8 4. Qh7+ Kf8 5. Qxf7+ mate.
White uses a deflection, Nxh4, to draw away the line-blocker of the white
bishop access to the h7 square.
(F). 1. e5 Qf8 2. Qh7+ mate.
(G). 1. e5 Qd7 2. Bxg6 Rxg6 3. Qh8+ mate.
White uses an undermining, Bxg6, removing the protector of the h8 square.
(H). 1. e5 Qd7 2. Bxg6 fxg6 3. Qh8+ Kf7 4. Rh7+ mate.
White uses an undermining, Bxg6, removing the protector of the h8 square.
(I). 1. e5 f5 2. gxf6 Kf7 3. Qxg6+ Kf8 4. Rh8+ mate.
(J). 1. e5 f5 2. gxf6 Rxf6 3. Rxg6+ Rxg6+ 4. Qxg6+ Kf8 5. Rh8+ Ke7
6. Rh7+ Kf8 7. Qf7+ mate.
(K). 1. e5 f5 2. gxf6 Rxf6 3. Rxg6+ Kf7 4. Qg7+ Ke8 5. Rh8+ Rf8
6. Rxf8+ mate.
(L). 1. e5 f5 2. gxf6 Rxf6 3. Rxg6+ Kf7 4. Qg7+ Ke6 5. Rxf6+ Qxf6
6. Qxf6+ Kd7 7. Rh7+ Kc8 8. Qh8+ mate.
(M). 1. e5 f5 2. gxf6 Rxf6 3. Rxg6+ Kf7 4. Qg7+ Ke6 5. Rxf6+ Kxe5
6. Qg5+ mate.
The Fischerism is true: "Tactics flow from a positionally superior game."
But why not play, 1. exd5, with exactly the same line-opening idea for the
white d3 bishop but with an attack-tempo on the black e6 rook?
(N). 1. exd5 Qxd5 2. Bxg6 Qxg2+ mate.
All line-clearances are equal, but some line-clearances are less equal than
others.
## 12. Judit Polgar vs Annett Wagner-Michel, Novi Sad Ol, 1990.
White to play.
White pieces: Kg1, Qb3, Ra1, Rf1, Ba3, Nf3.
White pawns: a2, c3, d4, g2, h2.
Black pieces: Kg8, Qd8, Rf6, Ra8, Bc7, Na6.
Black pawns: a7, d5, f4, f5, g7, h7.
r2q2k1/
p1b3pp/
n4r2/
3p1p2/
3P1p2/
BQP2N2/
P5PP/
R4RK1
Solution With Tactical Tools Used.
Key move: 1. Be7.
(A). 1. Be7 Qxe7 2. Qxd5+ Kh8 3. Qxa8+ Rf8 4. Qxa7, white has traded a bishop
for a black rook plus 2 pawns, decisive material advantage.
White uses a deflection, Qxe7, to draw the black queen away from defending both
the d5 pawn and a8 rook.
(B). 1. Be7 Qb8 2. Bxf6 gxf6, white has won an exchange while giving black
tripled isolated f-pawns, decisive material advantage.
White uses a skewer, Be7, to win an exchange.
(C). 1. Be7 Rb8 2. Bxf6 Rxb3. 3. Bxd8 Rxc3 4. Bxc7 Nxc7, white has picked up a
rook in the trading, decisive material advantage.
White uses a skewer, Be7, to win a rook in the trading.
(D). 1. Be7 Rb8 2. Bxf6 Qxf6 3. Qxd5+, white has traded a bishop for black rook
plus pawn, decisive material advantage.
White uses a skewer, Be7, to win an exchange.
White uses a deflection, Qxf6, to win a pawn.
## 13. Judit Polgar vs Spyridon Skembris, Corfu, 1990.
White to play.
White pieces: Kg3, Rd1, Rd8, Nf5.
White pawns: f2, g4, h3.
Black pieces: Kg8, Ra4, Bf8, Nh4.
Black pawns: a5, b6, f7, g5, h6.
3R1bk1/
5p2/
1p5p/
p4Np1/
r5Pn/
6KP/
5P2/
3R4
Solution With Tactical Tools Used.
Key move: 1. Rxf8+.
(A). 1. Rxf8+ Kxf8 2. Rd8+ mate.
White uses a deflection to draw the black king into a back rank mating pattern.
(B). 1. Rxf8+ Kh7 2. Rxf7+ Kh8 3. Rd8+ mate.
(C). 1. Rxf8+ Kh7 2. Rxf7+ Kg8 3. Rg7+ Kf8 4. Rd8+ mate.
(D). 1. Rxf8+ Kh7 2. Rxf7+ Kg6 3. Rg7+ Kf6 4. Rd6+ Ke5 5. Re7+ mate.
No tactical tools for lines (B) through (E), just superior forces coordinating
excellently to round up a very lonely black king.
## 14. Rob Bertholee vs Judit Polgar, Amsterdam, 1990.
Black to play.
White pieces: Kg3, Ra7.
White pawns: a3, f3, g4, h5.
Black pieces: Kg8, Rd4.
Black pawns: b3, f6, g7, h6.
6k1/
R5p1/
5p1p/
7P/
3r2P1/
Pp3PK1/
8/
8
Solution With Tactical Tools Used.
Key move: 1. ... Rb4.
(A). 1. ... Rb4 2. axb4 b2, and black will promote to a queen as the b-file is
now blocked and the a1 square is under the b2 pawn control.
Black uses a deflection to shield the passed b3 pawn from an attack from the
rear, Rb7, being the foiled white plan.
Fine, but is a queen good enough to beat a rook plus distant passed pawn?
At this level of chess she should, but many a club player with black might
struggle to convert this.
(B). 1. ... Rb4 2. Rd7 b2 3. Rd1 b1=Q 4. Rxb1 Rxb1, black has traded the b-pawn
for a rook, decisive material advantage.
Black uses an interference, Rb4, to prevent the white rook from getting behind
the passed b3 pawn.
(C). 1. ... Rb4 2. a4 b2 3. Ra5 b1=Q 4. Rb5, too slow, black has already
promoted.
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