9...Qxc3+!!? is one of the more spectacular early queen sacrifices you're ever likely to see!

Board #1 clash of the Asian Continental is heating up!

GM Murali Karthikeyan 🇮🇳 gives up Queen on move 9 in an old line against Iranian phenom Alireza Firoujza 🇮🇷

https://chess24.com/en/watch/live-tournaments/asian-continental-chess-championship-2019/5/1/1

🔹 Asian Continental Open Championships 2019
🔹 PGN format

@UnityChess

🔹 Asian Continental Women Championships 2019
🔹 PGN format

@UnityChess

GM Dmitry Jakovenko (2704) takes a full point lead in #KarpovPoikovsky after the 6th round.

🔹 Karpov Poikovsky Tournament 2019-R6
🔹 PGN format

@UnityChess

⚪️#235 (Strategy-White to Move)
🔸Safarli,E (2671)
🔸Gasanov,E (2502)
🔸Baku Open 2018

15.g4!? [15.e5! Removing the important defender from the black king and gaining more space. 15...dxe5 16.fxe5 Ne8 (16...Nd5 17.Bxe7 Nxe7 18.Ndb5! Rxd3 19.Nxc7 Rxd1+ 20.Rxd1 Rb8 21.Na4±) 17.Bxe7 Qxe7 18.Qe4 Rb8 19.Qe3 Nc7 20.Ne4±; 15.a3!? b5 16.Qh3 e5 17.Nf5 Bxf5 18.Qxf5 Rac8 19.fxe5 dxe5 20.Rxd8+ Bxd8²]

15...Nxe4? [15...b5 16.a3 Bb7 17.Rg1±]

16.Bxe7 Nc5 17.Qg3 Qxe7 18.b4 Nd7 19.Nd5 Qf8 20.Nc7 Nb6 [20...Rb8 21.Ndxe6 fxe6 22.Nxe6 Qf6 23.Nxd8 Qxd8 24.Qb3+ Kh8 25.Qf7 Nf6 26.g5+–]

21.Nxa8 Nxa8 22.g5+–

1–0

⚪️#235 (Endgame-White to Move)
🔸Abasov,N (2629)
🔸Abdulla,K (2168)
🔸Baku Open 2018

35.e5! [35.Rd7!? Kg8 36.Rd6 Rc2 37.Rd8+ Kh7 38.Rd7 f6 39.Qd6 Qe5 40.Qxe5 fxe5 41.Rxb7 Ra2 42.Re7 Rxa3 43.Rxe5 Rb3 44.Ra5 Rxb4 45.f3 Rb6 46.f4 g6 47.e5+–; 35.Qd3! Qxd3 36.Rxd3 b6 37.h4 h5 38.Kf3 Kg6 39.Ke3 Kf6 40.f4±]

35...Qe2 36.Qf4 Qc2 37.Qxf7 Qe4+ 38.Kh3 Rxa3 39.f4 Rf3 40.Kh4 Rxf4+ 41.gxf4 Qe1+ 42.Kg4 Qe2+ 43.Kf5

1–0

🔸ch-RUS Rapid GP Final 2018
🔸Round 3
⚪️Pridorozhni,A (2567)
⚫️Kabanov,N (2450)
🔸1-0

43.Ndb6! [White tries to exploit the uncoordinated position of Black's pieces.]

[43.e4!? △Ndb6 is also interesting: 43...Ng7 44.Ndb6 Rd8 45.c5 Bg4 46.Rxd6 Ne8 47.Rxd8 Rxd8 48.Nd5!± △Ke3]

43...Rd8 44.c5! [White makes use of the pin on the d6–pawn in order to create a strong passed pawn on the c-file.]

44...Be6 45.c6! [△c7]

[45.e4? dxc5! 46.Rxd8 Rxd8 47.exf5 Rd2+!‚ 48.Kg3 Bxf5 49.Nxc5 Rxa2=/+]

45...Rf8 46.c7 Rbe8 47.e4!+– [△R×d6]

⚪️#236 (Strategy-White to Move)
🔸Aleksandrov,A (2599)
🔸Abdulov,Or (2398)
🔸Baku Open 2018

Unity Chess Strategy Multiple Choice 236
public poll

A) e×d4 – 9
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 69%
Gavin, Nikhil, Majid, @YaminiG, اوین, @SophiaCat_does_Chess, Sahil, @AryanLeekha, ThebestBoss@_Kasyap

B) Nce2 – 3
👍👍 23%
@mahyarebrahimi1983, @RahmaniArapardaz, Majid Momeni

C) Nb5 – 1
👍 8%
@A_Somewhat_Cool_Guy

👥 13 people voted so far.