Hello all,
The ever-growing list of tactical tools now stands at 18, and there are
definitely more out there.
Latest additions are: Quiet move, smothering.
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.
* * *
Judit Polgar On The Attack!, Part 06, (006).
List of tactical tools.
#01. Barrage.
#02. Battery.
#03. Deflection.
#04. Desertion.
#05. Destruction.
#06. Discovered attack.
#07. Double attack.
#08. Fork.
#09. Interference.
#10. Line clearing.
#11. Overloading.
#12. Pin.
#13. Quiet move.
#14. Skewer.
#15. Smothering.
#16. Undermining.
#17. Unleashing.
#18. X-ray attack.
FEN diagram: White pieces upper case, black pieces lower case, top line is the
black back rank, bottom line the white back rank.
## 36. Judit Polgar vs Vladimir Epishin, Geneva, 1996.
Note: Those present in the 06 September coaching session have already examined
this game.
Material imbalance, white has a pawn for the exchange.
A couple of options for this puzzle.
The game itself is of value, so first comes the game moves.
Pay careful attention at white move 25, next white move 28 is a lovely
surprise, and finally white move 30 is the puzzle position.
If you do not wish to play through the game just arrow down to find the
diagram.
J. Polgar (2665) - V. Epishin (2620), Geneva ( Rapid 20 minutes each), 1996.
1. e4 c6
2. d4 d5
3. Nc3 dxe4
4. Nxe4 Nd7
5. Bc4 Ngf6
6. Ng5 e6
7. Qe2 Nb6
8. Bb3 h6
9. N5f3 c5
10. Bf4 Bd6
11. Bg3 Qc7
12. dxc5 Qxc5
13. O-O-O Bxg3
14. hxg3 Bd7
15. Rh4 Rc8
16. Ne5 Bb5
17. Qe1 O-O
18. Ngf3 Nbd5
19. Kb1 Bc6
20. Qd2 Rfe8
21. Rdh1 Qf8
22. g4 Ne4
23. Qe1 Nd6
24. g5 Nf5
25. gxh6 Nxh4
26. h7+ Kh8
27. Nxh4 Nf4
28. Qb4 g5
29. Qd4 Kg7
30. Nf5+ exf5
31. h8=Q+ Qxh8
32. Nxf7+
1-0.
White to play.
White pieces: Kb1, Qd4, Rh1, Bb3, Nh4, Ne5.
White pawns: a2, b2, c2, f2, g2, h7.
Black pieces: Kg7, Qf8, Rc8, Re8, Bc6, Nf4.
Black pawns: a7, b7, e6, f7, g5.
2r1rq2/
pp3pkP/
2b1p3/
4N1p1/
3Q1n1N/
1B6/
PPP2PP1/
1K5R
Solution With Tactical Tools Used.
Key move: 1. Nf5+.
In all these lines white uses an unleashing, Nf5+, allowing the h1 rook to
support the advance of the white h7 pawn.
In all these lines white makes use of the x-ray attack of the white d4 queen on
the black g7 king.
(A). 1. Nf5+ exf5 2. Nxf7+ Kg6 3. h8=N+ Qxh8 4. Nxh8+ Rxh8 5. Rxh8, white
emerges a queen up in the trading, decisive material advantage, a different
move-order is available.
White uses a checking discovered attack, Nxf7+, to take complete control of the
h8 promotion square.
(B). 1. Nf5+ exf5 2. h8=Q+ Qxh8 3. Nxf7+ Kg6 4. Nxh8+ Rxh8 5. Rxh8, decisive
material advantage.
White uses a checking discovered attack, Nxf7+, to take complete control of the
h8 promotion square.
(C). 1. Nf5+ Kf6 2. Nd7+ Kxf5 3. Nxf8 Rxf8 4. h8=Q Rxh8 5. Rxh8, white emerges
a queen up in the trading, decisive material advantage, but there is better for
white.
White uses a doubly-checking discovered attack, Nd7+, to win the black f8 queen
and so achieve complete control of the h8 promotion square.
In the following lines white uses a doubly-checking discovered attack, Nd7+, to
achieve a queen invasion leading to mate.
(D). 1. Nf5+ Kf6 2. Nd7+ Kxf5 3. Qe5+ Kg6 4. Qf6+ mate.
(E). 1. Nf5+ Kf6 2. Nd7+ Kxf5 3. Qe5+ Kg4 4. Nf6+ mate.
(F). 1. Nf5+ Kf6 2. Nd7+ Kxf5 3. Qf6+ Kg4 4. Ne5+ mate.
(G). 1. Nf5+ Kf6 2. Nd7+ Kxf5 3. Qf6+ Ke4 4. Qe5+ mate.
(H). 1. Nf5+ Kf6 2. Nd7+ Kg6 3. Qf6+ mate.
## 37. Judit Polgar vs Evgeny Bareev, Moscow, 1996.
White to play.
White pieces: Ke2, Qh4, Rc1, Bb2, Nd3.
White pawns: d4, e5, f2, g2, h5.
Black pieces: Kf8, Qa2, Rh8, Nd5, Ne7.
Black pawns: a6, e6, f7, g7, h6.
5k1r/
4npp1/
p3p2p/
3nP2P/
3P3Q/
3N4/
qB2KPP1/
2R5
Solution With Tactical Tools Used.
Key move: 1. Rc8+.
(A). 1. Rc8+ Nxc8 2. Qd8+ mate.
White uses a deflection, Nxc8, permitting the h4 queen to invade on the d8
square with mate.
## 38. Judit Polgar vs Anatoly Karpov, Melody Amber rapid, 1996.
Material imbalance, white is a pawn down.
White to play.
White pieces: Kc2, Re6, Rd7, Bc3, Ng5.
White pawns: b2, b4, f2, h3.
Black pieces: Kg8, Rd8, Re8, Bf8, Ne7.
Black pawns: a6, c4, c6, g6, h5.
3rrbk1/
3Rn3/
p1p1R1p1/
6Np/
1Pp5/
2B4P/
1PK2P2/
8
Solution With Tactical Tools Used.
Key move: 1. Rdxe7.
(A). 1. Rdxe7 Bxe7 2. Rxg6+ Kf8 3. Bg7+ Kg8 4. Bh6+ Kh8 5. Nf7+ Kh7
6. Rg7+ mate, a curious mutual-protection pattern worthy of committing to
memory.
White uses an undermining, Rdxe7, to play, Rxg6+, the start of a barrage
leading to mate.
(B). 1. Rdxe7 Rxe7 2. Rxg6+ Bg7 3. Bxg7 Rxg7 4. Rxg7+ Kxg7 5. Ne6+ Kf6
6. Nxd8, white has won a piece in the trading, decisive material advantage.
White uses an undermining, Rdxe7, to play, Rxg6+, which is followed with a
barrage leading to winning a piece.
White uses a checking fork, Ne6+, to emerge a piece up in the trading.
(C). 1. Rdxe7 Rxe7 2. Rxg6+ Bg7 3. Bxg7 Re2+ 4. Kb1 Rd7 5. Bc3+ Kf8
6. Rxc6, white has 2 minor pieces plus a pawn for a rook, decisive material
advantage, though some technique is required to convert.
White uses an undermining, Rdxe7, to play, Rxg6+, which leads to a decisive
material advantage.
White uses a discovered check, Bc3+, to strengthen the position, remove the g7
bishop from danger and next win the black c6 pawn with, Rxc6.
## 39. Judit Polgar vs Veselin Topalov, Leon, 1996.
Material imbalance, white is a pawn down.
White to play.
White pieces: Kh1, Qb7, Rc1, Rf1, Bc3, Ne4.
White pawns: d3, g2, h2.
Black pieces: Kg8, Qa2, Rc8, Rf8, Bg7, Ne5.
Black pawns: a6, d6, g6, h5.
2r2rk1/
1Q4b1/
p2p2p1/
4n2p/
4N3/
2BP4/
q5PP/
2R2R1K
Solution With Tactical Tools Used.
Key move: 1. Bxe5.
In all these lines white uses a discovered attack, Bxe5, to place a double
attack on the singly-defended black c8 rook.
In all these lines the white capture, Bxe5, places a double attack on the
singly-defended black g7 bishop.
(A). 1. Bxe5 Rxf1+ 2. Rxf1 Bxe5 3. Qxc8+, white wins a rook in the trading.
(B). 1. Bxe5 Rxc1 2. Qxg7+ mate.
(C). 1. Bxe5 Bxe5 2. Rxc8, white wins a rook in the trading, note that, 2. ...
Rxf1+, is illegal, the black f8 rook is pinned.
## 40. Judit Polgar vs Vassily Ivanchuk, Monte Carlo, 1996.
Material imbalance, white is an exchange plus pawn down.
White to play.
White pieces: Kg1, Qc1, Bc3, Ng3, Nf6.
White pawns: b2, f2, g2, h3.
Black pieces: Kg6, Qa6, Re8, Bb7, Bf8.
Black pawns: c4, d3, f7, g5, h6.
4rb2/
1b3p2/
q4Nkp/
6p1/
2p5/
2Bp2NP/
1P3PP1/
2Q3K1
Solution With Tactical Tools Used.
Key move: 1. Qd1.
Note: Describing the variations from the list of tactical tools seems not to
apply on all occasions here, so general comments will have to do.
In all these lines white uses a quiet move, Qd1, intending a checking invasion
on the h5 square.
(A). 1. Qd1 Bg7 2. Qh5+ mate.
Black performs a self-smothering, Bg7, denying the black king the g7 flight
square.
(B). 1. Qd1 Be7 2. Qh5+ Kg7 3. Nxe8+ Kf8 4. Ng7, white has won a rook back and
emerges a piece up in the trading, decisive material advantage.
White uses a checking double attack, Nxe8+, to win a rook with gain of tempo.
(C). 1. Qd1 Re1+ 2. Qxe1 Qc6 3. f3, black has avoided the white, Qh5, invasion,
but at the cost of a rook, white emerges a piece up for a pawn at the end of
the trading, decisive material advantage.
Black uses a deflection, Re1+, to prevent the white queen invasion on h5, but
this only slows down the eventual defeat.
Black uses a queen-bishop battery, Qc6, to force white, pawn f3, closing the d1
- h5 diagonal.
But surely in the diagram position white can simply play, 1. Nxe8, going a
piece up?
(D). 1. Nxe8 Qc6 2. Nf6 Qxg2+ mate.
Black uses a fork, Qc6, prongs hitting the unprotected white e8 knight and g2
pawn.
(E). 1. Nxe8 Qc6 2. f3 Qxe8, black emerges a pawn up in the trading, white will
struggle to avoid a loss.
Black uses a fork, Qc6, prongs hitting the unprotected white e8 knight and g2
pawn.
In the remaining lines through to the game continuation white uses superior
force in the region of attack to overpower black.
(F). 1. Qd1 Re6 2. Qh5+ Kg7 3. Nf5+ Kh8 4. Qxf7 Bg7 5. Qxg7+ mate, also, 5.
Qg8+ mate.
(G). 1. Qd1 Re6 2. Qh5+ Kg7 3. Nf5+ Kh8 4. Qxf7 Rxf6 5. Bxf6+ Qxf6
6. Qxf6+ Kg8 7. Ne7+ Kh7 8. Qg6+ Kh8 9. Qg8+ mate.
(H). 1. Qd1 Re6 2. Qh5+ Kg7 3. Nf5+ Kh8 4. Qxf7 Rxf6 5. Bxf6+ Qxf6
6. Qxf6+ Kg8 7. Ne7+ Bxe7 8. Qxe7, white emerges with queen against bishop,
decisive material advantage.
(I). 1. Qd1 Re6 2. Qh5+ Kg7 3. Nf5+ Kh8 4. Qxf7 Rxf6 5. Bxf6+ Qxf6
6. Qxf6+ Kh7 7. Qf7+ Bg7 8. Qxg7+ mate.
(J). 1. Qd1 Re6 2. Qh5+ Kg7 3. Nf5+ Kh8 4. Qxf7 Rxf6 5. Bxf6+ Qxf6
6. Qxf6+ Kh7 7. Qf7+ Kh8 8. Qxf8+ Kh7 9. Qg7+ mate.
(K). 1. Qd1 Qxf6 2. Qh5+ Kg7 3. Bxf6+ Kxf6 4. Qg4, with ideas of, Qf5+, and,
Qxc4, to be neutralised, but white has better, find game continuation in
variation (L). below.
(L). Game continuation, some nice play by white here.
33. Qd1 Qxf6 34. Qh5+ Kg7 35. Nf5+ Kg8 36. Bxf6 d2 37. Kh2 Re6
38. Nxh6+ Bxh6 39. Qxh6 Rxf6 40. Qxg5+ Rg6 41. Qd8+ Kg7 42. g4 Be4
43. Qxd2 Bd3 44. Qc3+ Kg8 45. Kg3 Rb6 46. Qd4 Rb3 47. Kf4 Be2
48. h4 f6 49. Qe4 Bd3 50. Qe8+ Kg7 51. Qe7+ Kg8 52. Qxf6 Rb7
53. Qe5 1-0.
## 41. Evgeny Bareev vs Judit Polgar, Geneva, 1996.
Material imbalance, black is a pawn down.
Black to play.
White pieces: Kd3, Rh2, Re5, Bc3, Nc2.
White pawns: a3, c5, d4, e3.
Black pieces: Kg6, Rf3, Rf8, Bh6, Nf5.
Black pawns: a5, c7, h3.
5r2/
2p5/
6kb/
p1P1Rn2/
3P4/
P1BKPr1p/
2N4R/
8
Solution With Tactical Tools Used.
Key move: 1. ... Bf4.
In all these lines black uses a pin, Rf3, through the e3 pawn onto the white d3
king to permit access to the f4 square.
In all these lines black uses a skewer, Bf4, to attack both of the white rooks.
In all these lines at the end of the trading white will always have extreme
problems in preventing promotion of the advanced black h-pawn.
(A). 1. ... Bf4 2. Re6+ Kf7 3. Ra6 Bxh2, black wins a rook, decisive material
advantage.
(B). 1. ... Bf4 2. Rxf5 Bxh2 3. Rxf8 Rxf8, black has won an exchange in the
trading, decisive material advantage, and the h3 pawn is ready to roll.
(C). 1. ... Bf4 2. Rxf5 Bxh2 3. Rxf3 Rxf3 4. Ke2 Rf8, black has won an exchange
in the trading, decisive material advantage, and the h3 pawn is ready to roll.
(D). 1. ... Bf4 2. Rh1 h2 3. Re6+ Kf7 4. Ra6 Rh3 5. Rxa5 Bxe3
6. Nxe3 Nxe3 7. Ke2 Rg8 8. Kf2 Rg2+ 9. Ke1 Rg1+ 10. Kf2 Rxh1, black has won a
rook in the trading, decisive material advantage, and promotion on h1 soon.
## 42. Judit Polgar vs Nigel Short, Dortmund, 1997.
Material imbalance, black has traded a piece for 3 white pawns.
White to play.
White pieces: Kd2, Qh4, Rg5, Re6, Bd3, Nd4.
White pawns: b4, c2, h2.
Black pieces: Kg7, Qa3, Rd7, Rc8, Bb7.
Black pawns: a6, b5, d5, f7, g6, h7.
2r5/
1b1r1pkp/
p3R1p1/
1p1p2R1/
1P1N3Q/
q2B4/
2PK3P/
8
Solution With Tactical Tools Used.
Key move: 1. Nf5+.
(A). 1. Nf5+ Kf8 2. Qh6+ Kg8 3. Qg7+ mate.
In all the remaining lines white uses a fork, Ne7+, to push the black king
around.
(B). 1. Nf5+ Kg8 2. Ne7+ Kh8 3. Nxc8 fxe6 4. Rxg6 Bxc8 5. Qf6+ Rg7
6. Qxg7+ mate.
White exploits a pin on the black h7 pawn, Rxg6, to create a mating net.
(C). 1. Nf5+ Kg8 2. Ne7+ Kh8 3. Nxc8 fxe6 4. Rxg6 Qb2 5. Ne7 Rd8
6. Rxe6, white emerges a piece up for a pawn in the trading, decisive material
advantage.
White exploits a pin on the black h7 pawn, Rxg6, to win a couple of pawns.
(D). 1. Nf5+ Kg8 2. Ne7+ Kf8 3. Nxc8 fxe6 4. Rg3 Qb2 5. Rf3+ Ke8
6. Qf4 Bxc8 7. Qf8+ mate.
White uses a battery, Qf4, to invade up the f-file to give mate.
(E). 1. Nf5+ Kg8 2. Ne7+ Kf8 3. Nxc8 fxe6 4. Rg3 Qb2 5. Rf3+ Kg8
6. Qf4 Bxc8 7. Qf8+ mate.
White uses a battery, Qf4, to invade up the f-file to give mate.
(F). 1. Nf5+ Kg8 2. Ne7+ Rxe7 3. Rxe7 Ba8 4. Qd4, white emerges a rook up for 3
pawns and dominates the position, decisive material advantage.
* * *
