40.h3! [A quiet but strong move. Besides opening an escape square for his king, White strengthens the outpost on g4.]

40...Rxg4 [40...Kg8 41.Nc4! Qe6 42.Bd2 Rxg4 43.Rxg4+– △R×h4]

41.Rxg4 Rf4 42.Kh2!? [A closer look at the position shows that Black has no useful move and almost all of his pieces are tied to defending somewhere. Therefore, White is in no hurry to attack and improves his king's position.]

[¹42.Rxf4! exf4 43.Ng4 △Bf6 43...Bxc3™ 44.Qxc3 Qd4 45.Qb3! c4 46.dxc4 Qd1+ 47.Kh2 △c5 47...Qxc2 48.Qxf3 Qxc4 49.Qxf4 Kg8 50.Qd6+–]

42...Qf7 43.Qxf7 Rxf7 44.Rxh4+ Kg8 45.Rg4 Rd7 46.Rg1+–

1946, Championship of Georgia. Out of the competition, Keres and Mikenas played. 16-year-old Tigran played a draw with Paul. A precious record of the game, he was so afraid of losing that he lost! Many years later, Keres presented the world champion with a second form ...

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"You need to motivate yourself, no matter what-definitely when things are bad, but also when things are good. Or else, you risk becoming complacent."

🔸 Viswanathan Anand

@UnityChess

One of José Raúl Capablanca's finest queen sacrifices was played in a game against A. Chase in New York on February 23, 1922.

@UnityChess

International Master & trainer V. N. Kozlov (b. 1950) has passed away.
In this famous photo of the Botvinnik training school (also featuring Dvoretsky, Jussupow & a young Kasparov), Kozlov is seated on the far right.

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Best Checkmate Combinations Ever - 9

What a checkmate! 😍

Shuvalova sacrifices her queen and rook with 31.Rxg7+! and 32.Qxh7+!! to begin one of the prettiest finishes you'll ever see at the 2019 World Youth Girl's Championship!

https://www.chess.com/events/2019-world-youth-girls-championships/07-Shuvalova_Polina-Afonasieva_Anna

Shuvalova, Polina - Afonasieva, Anna

1-0

World Youth Girl's Chess Championships 2019 round 07

A 5-year-old girl is playing grown men in chess, blindfolded. And she's winning

🔸St Louis Winter A 2018
🔸Round 3
⚪️Ali Marandi,C (2552)
⚫️Benjamin,Joe (2526)
🔸1-0

12.Qa6! [White exploits unprotected Black's queen in order to seize the initiative.]

12...Qxa6? [¹12...Qd8! 13.Nxb4 Qb8! 14.Nd3 c5 △c4 15.b3 c4 16.Nb2 cxb3 17.axb3 Bb4 18.Bc4 0–0!² △Nc5]

13.Nc7+ Kd8 14.Nxe6+! [This move was calculated in advance. White gains the two-bishop advantage and damages Black's pawn structure.]

14...fxe6 15.Bxa6 Nc5 16.Bc4 a5 17.a3! Rb8 18.axb4 axb4 19.Nh3!± [19.b3!? h6 20.Nh3 Nfd7 21.Kf2 Kc7 22.Kg3 Be7 23.Nf2 Rhd8 24.g5! Nb6 25.Bxb4 Nxe4+ 26.Nxe4 Bxb4 27.Bxe6±]

Back in 1896, Wilhelm Steinitz lost in a simul game in Harleem against a certain Van Foreest.
A position from this game is included in the book "The Woodpecker Method".

"Chess is a sport. A violent sport."

🔸 Marcel Duchamp (2010). “Drawing on Art: Duchamp and Company”

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Amazing mate in 4 from the game Elina Danielian vs Anna Zatonskih, Duisburg, 1992.
White to move and mate in 4.

Footage of the 1960 Leipzig, Germany chess olympiad.

@UnityChess

Happy Birthday to Ruslan Ponomariov, former FIDE World Champion (2002–2004), charismatic grandmaster and a tireless chess streamer! 🎁