Unity Chess Club
Bareev – Azmaiparashvilli Shenyang 2000 Black to play Black has more than one way to win. Which is the easiest?
The conversion 1 … Rxe4+! 2 Rxe4 Kxf6. White’s king is cut off.
He tried 3 a4 with the idea of a4-a5 and Kc4-c5-c6. But Black replied 3 … a5 4 Kc5 (4.Kb5 Rd5+! and then Rf5-+) 4...Re7!
Unity Chess Club
Timman – Spassky Hilversum 1983 Black to play White threatens to win the knight with 1 Qe7+ Kc8 2 Qe8+ or 1 f7. What can Black do?
Black created a fortress with 1 … Nxf6! and 2 Qxf6+ Kd7.
The g-pawn isn’t needed to draw. White won it after 3 Qf7+ Kc6 4 Qb3 Re5 4 Kxg4 Kd7.
There is no zugzwang because Black can shift his rook back and forth between c5 and e5. White’s king cannot cross the fifth rank. His queen cannot create a passed pawn or give itself up favorably for the rook.
Unity Chess Club
Grischuk – J. Polgar Biel 2007 Black to play A knight and two connected pawns usually beat a knight. Why is this position different?
It’s different because of a blockade, 1 … Ng4!, and stalemate (2 Nxg4). White gave up one pawn but Black stopped the other, e.g.
2 Nc4 Nh2+ 3 Ke4 Nf1! 4 Ne3 Nxg3+ 5 Ke5 and now 5 … h5 is one way to draw.
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Ljubojevic – Smeets Amsterdam 2007 White to play White is in check and will lose the c5-pawn. What’s the difference between 1.Ke5 and 1.Kc7?
White can achieve the checking distance with 1 Kc7! Kxc5 2 Rb1!.
It doesn’t help Black to cut off the king by a rank with 2 …Rh7+ 3 Kc8 since the Black king can’t advance the pawn alone, 3 … Kd5 4 Rd1+! Ke4 5 Rc1 draws
In the game White lost after 1 Ke5?? Kxc5 2 Ke4 Kc4 3 Ke3 Kc3 4 Rc7! Re6+! 5 Kf4 Kc4 6 Kf5 Rh6 7 Ke4 c5 and so on.
Unity Chess Club
Dreev – Cifuentes Wijk aan Zee 1995 White to play On 1 Ng5 Black defends with 1…Nf6. What else can White do?
The sacrifice 1 c5! bxc5 2 dxc5 Nxc5 (not 2 … Bxc5 3 Rxd7 and 4 Bxc5) is strong after 3 Qc2.
Black’s knight is threatened and cannot get back to defend the kingside because 3 … Nd7 4 Qd2 costs a piece.
After 3 … Na6 4 Ng5! g6 and 5 Qa4! White either gets a decisive attack (5 … Nb8 6 Qh4) or wins material (5 … Nb4 6 Rxd6! Qxd6 7 Ne4).