A to Z Chess Tactics PDF

 Contents Introduction No Retreat Attraction Overloading Back Rank Mate Pawn Fork Back Rank Weakness Pawn Promotion Battery Pawn Roller Bind...

 Contents Introduction No Retreat Attraction Overloading Back Rank Mate Pawn Fork Back Rank Weakness Pawn Promotion Battery Pawn Roller Bind Perpetual Check Castling Pin Checking the King Queen Ambush Classic Bishop Sacrifice Removing the Defender Clearance Sacrifice Simplification Counter Pin Skewer Cross Check Smothered Mate Desperado Swindle Discovered Attack Triangulation Discovered Check Underpromotion Diversion Vacating a Square Double Attack Windmill Attack Double Check Winning Material Establishing a Fortress X-Ray Attack Flank Weakness Yielding to Zugzwang Forced Move Zwischenzug Gaining a Tempo Tactical Exercises Hunting the King Evaluation Symbols Infiltration Solutions to Exercises Interference Exercise References by Themes Jostling the King Index Knight Fork Lead in Development Line Clearance Manoeuvring on the Staircase  Introduction The following remarkable game features a variety of spectacular attacking motifs. It was won by former world champion Garry Kasparov and illustrates how tactics can arise in a chess game and how they can be exploited. It was played at the Wijk aan Zee tournament in 1999. Kasparov had the white pieces against Topalov, who adopted the Pirc Defence. 10 a3 1 e4 d6 2 d4 ♘f6 3 ♘c3 g6 4 ♗e3 ♗g7 5 This is a restraining move. In chess such an ♕d2 c6 6 f3 b5 7 ♘ge2 ♘bd7 action is known as prophylaxis. It is intended to delay or discourage Black from an immediate advance of the b-pawn. 10...e5 Before castling queenside Black decides to reduce the central tension. 11 0-0-0 ♕e7 12 ♔b1 Both sides are already staking out their strategic plans. Black intends to operate on the queenside. White’s actions are aimed at the centre and on the kingside. 8 ♗h6 Black’s king is ready to castle but this would not be advisable now as White would advance the g- and h-pawn can opener and storm the This is a prudent move, often used in kingside. queenside castling to secure White’s king. It is another prophylactic move intended to reduce 8...♗xh6 9 ♕xh6 ♗b7 Black’s chances on the c-file and along the c1-h6 So Black adjusts the strategy, preparing to diagonal. The king vacates c1 and arrives at b1, secure the king on the queenside instead. a safer square. 12...a6 13 ♘c1 0-0-0 14 ♘b3 White has repositioned the knight from e2 to b3 where it supports d4 and can later consider moving to a5.  14...exd4 Black has finally achieved the desired Black releases the central tension. With advance of the d-pawn. However here White Black castled on the queen’s flank White’s can use this opportunity to bring the queen queen is temporarily misplaced, while the back into play with tempo, as Black’s king is remaining bishop on f1 is still undeveloped. clearly less secure now and will soon come Black might be able to generate activity on the under attack. d- and e-files by opening the centre. 20 ♕f4+ ♔a7 21 ♖he1 d4?! 15 ♖xd4 c5 16 ♖d1 ♘b6 17 g3 This move allows White to develop the bishop to h3, where it will be actively placed. 17...♔b8 In the same fashion as White’s prophylactic twelfth move, Black moves the king to a safer square prior to playing an eventual d6-d5. Now the tactical fireworks begin in earnest. Black’s king is not secure. This provides the justification for White’s use of aggressive tactics. After 21...dxe4 22 fxe4 White would contest the d5 square and the white pieces would take up more active positions. 22 ♘d5! ♘bxd5 If 22...♗xd5? 23 exd5 ♕d6 then 24 ♖e7+ 18 ♘a5 ♗a8 ♔a8 25 ♘c6+-. Or 22...♘fxd5? 23 exd5 and Black wants to retain this bishop, keeping it Black is overloaded, enabling White to obtain a on the a8-h1 diagonal to support an eventual winning position after 23...♕d6 24 ♕xf7+ ♔b8 central break by d6-d5. The loss of this bishop 25 ♖e6 ♕c7 26 ♖e7. would strengthen White’s grip on the contested d5 square. 23 exd5 ♕d6 19 ♗h3 d5  26...♔xa5 26...♕c5 does not hold. After 27 ♕xf6+ ♕d6 White has the beautiful 28 ♗e6. The point is that if Black now continues 28...♗xd5 then after 29 b4 ♗a8 or 29...♗c6 White has 30 ♕xf7 with mating possibilities developing along the seventh rank. 27 b4+ ♔a4 28 ♕c3 Computers are quick to point out that White also had the elegant winning move 28 ♖a7!. 28...♕xd5 24 ♖xd4! Black captures an important central pawn and guards against ♕b3#. White’s rook is still This speculative rook sacrifice blasts the taboo: 28...♕xe7? 29 ♕b3#. centre wide open. Black’s king will now be subjected to a strong attack. 29 ♖a7 24...cxd4 As tempting as this was, the rook should not have been taken. Black cannot recover after this so 24...♔b6 or 24...♗xd5 were better choices for Black. 25 ♖e7+ 25 ♕xd4+? would have been a mistake. Black would have come out ahead after 25...♕b6 26 ♖e7+ ♘d7∓. White has now infiltrated with the rook and Black cannot capture it since 25...♕xe7? loses quickly to 26 ♕xd4+ ♔b8 27 ♕b6+ ♗b7 28 ♘c6+ ♔a8 29 ♕a7#. Mate is now threatened on the a-file, so 25...♔b6 Black must respond accordingly. 29...♗b7 30 ♖xb7 The rook remains immune from capture. Black’s ♗b7 gives up the bishop but allows a rook to reach a8 to defend against the mate threat. 29...♖d6? would have enabled White to play 30 ♔b2+-, with the threat of 31 ♕b3+ ♕xb3 32 cxb3#. On the other hand 30 ♕c7? would have allowed a swindle, giving Black a draw by perpetual check. 30...♕d1+ 31 ♔b2 ♕d4+. 30...♕c4 Simplification by a trade of queens would 26 ♕xd4+! help Black to relieve the pressure. White resists White is prepared to sacrifice the knight in the offer in favour of snatching the loose knight order to draw Black’s king further up the board. on f6. Here computers prefer 30...♖he8 for A classic king hunt is now under way. Black. 31 ♕xf6  The king hunt continues as Black’s king endures its long march up the board. Disastrous would be either 34...♔b3 35 ♕b2+ checkmating, or 34...♔d3 35 ♗f1+ skewering the queen. 35 ♕b2+ ♔d1 31...♔xa3 Black’s best chance would have been to continue 31...♖d1+ after which White would be able to reach a difficult but technically advantageous endgame. Then 32 ♔b2 ♖a8 33 ♕b6 threatens mate, so Black would need to simplify with 33...♕d4+ 34 ♕xd4 ♖xd4 35 This is a sensational position. Black’s king ♖xf7 ♖d6 36 ♖d7! ♖f6. Black dare not take has travelled from e8, its initial square, to d1. It the rook by 36...♖xd7? because of the clincher will end its journey on e1. The king has been 37 ♗e6! when the bishop mates on b3. forced to take a march towards the scaffold. 32 ♕xa6+ ♔xb4 36 ♗f1! Now White maintains the initiative and Remarkably this sauntering bishop is safe sustains the attack. from capture: 36...♕xf1 37 ♕c2+ ♔e1 38 ♖e7+ ♕e2 39 ♕xe2#. If Black moves the queen to a safe square White has a mating attack. For example, White would mate with either 36...♕c6 37 ♕e2# or 36...♕e6 37 ♕c1#. 36...♖d2 33 c3+! The pawn sacrifice gives White even more lines of attack. 33...♔xc3 Capturing with the king is necessary as 33...♕xc3? would allow White to mate in three moves: 34 ♕xb5+ ♔a3 35 ♖a7+ ♕a5 36 37 ♖d7! ♖xa5#. White makes one exquisite move after another. This partial pin forces a favourable 34 ♕a1+ ♔d2 exchange for White, simplifying the position.  37...♖xd7 38 ♗xc4 bxc4 39 ♕xh8 ♖d3 or another. Many of these same motifs are 40 ♕a8 c3 described in more detail throughout this book. The advanced c-pawn is Black’s slim and Some of the tactical motifs that occurred or only remaining hope. might have possibly arisen in this game included pawn storms, prophylaxis, a central 41 ♕a4+ ♔e1 pawn break, checking the king, vacating a square, opening the centre, piece development, gain of tempo, rook sacrifice, clearance sacrifice, infiltration, weaknesses on the flank, knight sacrifice, hunting the king, jostling the king, perpetual check, maintaining the initiative, pawn sacrifice, overloading, simplification, hanging pieces, forced moves, skewers, pins, mating attacks and blockades. A to Z of Chess Tactics provides an alphabetical reference of tactics, a careful study of which will most certainly help readers become stronger chess players. Then from time to time these topics can be referred to again and again as necessary. 42 f4 The tactical exercises can be used for This is the final finesse. It removes any hope practice and for tournament preparation. It is of establishing a defensive fortress. The recommended that a few exercises should be remaining kingside pawns will eventually attempted daily. It is also recommended to set decide the outcome. up these positions on a chess board and make a real effort to solve them. 42...f5 43 ♔c1 Cognitive neuroscience addresses the The king provides a blockade, preventing the importance of retrieving recognised patterns advance of the c-pawn. from memory. Incoming sensory stimuli are 43...♖d2 44 ♕a7 1-0 compared with stored templates. Acquiring those stored templates in long-term memory requires dedicated study and practice. There are no shortcuts here. No one gets admitted for free. Even child chess prodigies need to study seriously if they aspire to compete at the highest levels. The exercises are intentionally given without any indication as to what tactics are involved. The reason for this is to more realistically simulate what happens in real games! One needs to acquire a sense of tactical intuition. Depending on one’s level of proficiency, the amount of time required to solve these exercises will vary. A timer may be used to allow as much time as is deemed to be necessary. Studying the Black is unable to play 44...♖xh2? because exercises under time constraints simulates the of 45 ♕g1+ when the double attack snags additional psychological pressure of playing Black’s rook. with a clock. White will now begin to liquidate some of Should one wish to practice tactics Black’s remaining pawns, with further thematically, a cross-reference of the exercises simplification to a won endgame: 44...h5 45 by theme is provided in the Appendix. ♕g1+ ♔e2 46 ♕b6+-. The tactical exercises become progressively This is a beautiful chess game. A wide more difficult, extending for more moves and variety of tactical motifs were used at one point often including several possible variations, each of which should be given due consideration. Here are a few suggestions for improving tactical awareness. Practice. There is no substitute for this. Regular practice is essential. Practice daily if possible. Work with a higher-rated training partner, a trainer, or a chess coach. If you have no one you can approach in your area there are always chess trainers available on the Internet. Use a chessboard when training. This has to do with the importance of Material is equal but White’s pieces are developing a recognition of those important much better placed. White’s rook controls the tactical templates that are stored in memory. open f-file, the knight is well centralised and Most players would agree that this approach is supported by a passed pawn, and the queen is much better than working only with diagrams well placed for both attack and defence. on paper or on a computer display. 1 ♖f8+! Examine every position carefully. Consider all combinations. Look closely at White exploits the back rank weakness. any move that involves a check on the king. Be 1...♔xf8 aware of possible sacrifices on the board. These dynamics change from move to move. White forces this capture, thereby drawing Reconsider them on every turn. the black king to the f8 square. This illustrates the key idea behind an attraction tactic. The Develop tactical awareness. king has been obliged to relocate to a vulnerable Be able to recognise situations where the square on which it will be subjected to a knight main tactical themes are likely to arise. Study fork, winning Black’s queen. tactics and remember the first point listed here 2 ♘d7+ – practice! That really is the key to success. In any creative endeavour, practice, training and After Black moves the king – 2...♔g8 is hard work are required. There are no probably best but the position is still resignable substitutes. This applies equally well to – White plays 3 ♘xb6 with a winning dilettantes and experts. advantage. Enjoy the book. Hopefully it will serve you Another example, also involving a rook well. sacrifice, is seen in the next position. The author may be contacted at [email protected] A Attraction Attraction is a tactical motif that lures or forces an opponent’s piece to a square on which it can be exploited in some way. A sacrifice is often used. For example, in the following hypothetical position, White uses an attraction tactic to secure a winning advantage. Black’s first move, 1...♖xg2+! forces White’s reply, 2 ♔xg2. Black has thereby exploited the pin on White’s queen so it is the The queen sacrifice has to be accepted king that must capture the rook on g2. otherwise Black will get mated on the next Using the attraction motif, Black has move: 3...♔c8 4 ♕a8#. Notice that the queen repositioned White’s king by only one square to check on a7 sets up the crucial double check g2, but this is all that is needed to allow a quick that follows on the next move. mating finish. 4 ♘c6+ ♔a8 2...♕h2# If 4...♔a6 then 5 ♖a1+ and Black will be Another attraction motif involving sacrifices mated. occurred in the game Wahls – Bjarnason, 5 ♖a1+ 1-0 Malmö, 1986. Checkmate is unavoidable in two more moves at most. A beautiful example of the attraction motif occurred in the next game Spraggett – Delva, Columbus, 1977. The open a-file provides an infiltration route for White. Close attention should be paid to the knight on d4 and the bishop on e3. They will play a key role in the attack, which will feature an important double check later on. 1 ♖a8+ White’s first move, a rook sacrifice based on an attraction tactic, must have come as quite a Black must accept the rook sacrifice, but this surprise. attraction has placed the king on the open a-file. 1 ♖f7! 1...♔xa8 2 ♕a1+ ♔b8 White threatens mate with 2 ♕xh7# thus White has gained a tempo, bringing the forcing Black’s reply. queen into the attack with a check. 1...♔xf7 Black’s king has been relocated to f7 where it no longer protects the h7 pawn. This gives White the opportunity to infiltrate with the queen and a bishop. 2 ♕xh7+ ♔e8 3 ♕xg6+ ♔f8 4 ♗h6# Had Black tried 2...♔f8 instead, then White would have been able to play 3 ♗h6+ ♔e8 4 ♕xg6#. Sometimes attraction is also referred to as a deflection. The tactic attracts a piece to a key square, or diverts the piece away from a better square, so one could conceptualise this motif in 3 ♕a7+! ♔xa7 either way.  In the game Ornstein – Schneider, Sweden, 1985, Black uses a pawn sacrifice followed by a knight sacrifice to draw the opponent’s king into a mating net. 1...♖c2+! This attraction follows a similar motif to the Spraggett – Delva game. It is instructive to see how quickly things start to go bad for White 1...f3+! after the rook sacrifice has drawn White’s king Black’s pawn acts like a magnet, attracting away from its protection of the a2 pawn. White’s king into the open. The h3 square is 2 ♔xc2 ♕xa2+ 3 ♔d3 unavailable because of the bishop on e6. A retreat is not advisable because of the weakness After 3 ♔c1 Black penetrates even more of the back rank: 2 ♔f1 ♖d1+ 3 ♖xd1 ♖xd1#. quickly by 3...♖xb3 and then mating White on The advanced pawn on f3 controls the e2 and g2 the back rank. flight squares. 2 ♔xf3 ♘h4+ 0-1 Checkmate cannot be avoided, whether or not the knight sacrifice is accepted. If the sacrifice is refused the game will finish 3 ♔e3 ♖4d3+ 4 ♔e4 ♗f5+ 5 ♔xe5 f6+ 6 ♔f4 ♖xf2#. Accepting the sacrifice is also fatal: 3 gxh4 ♖4d3+ 4 ♔e4 (4 ♔g2 ♗h3+ 5 ♔g1 ♖d1+ 6 ♖xd1 ♖xd1#) 4...f5+ 5 ♔xe5 ♖e2+ 6 ♔f4 ♖e4#. The attraction tactic can disrupt a defender’s position completely. One further example, from Piredda – Joksić, Milan, 1980, shows just how quickly a position can collapse from the 3...♖xb3+ 4 ♘c3 ♕xg2 5 h4 ♘xe5+ timely use of this tactic. This diversion forcefully relocates the queen, Black’s best defender on the board. 6 ♕xe5 ♕f3+ 7 ♔d2 After 7 ♕e3 Black could finish with a swallow’s tail mate: 7...♕xd1+ 8 ♕d2 ♖xc3+ 9 ♔xc3 ♕b3#. 7...♖b2+ 0-1  It is mate in one after 8 ♔c1 ♕xc3# or 8 This is indeed a dazzling display of chess ♔e1 ♕f2#. artistry! Here is an enchanting example of the Another nice example of the attraction motif attraction motif, taken from the game Caruana comes from the game Urkedal – Illingworth, – Ponomariov, Dortmund, 2014. Baku, 2016. 1 ♖e7! 1 ♖c7! White exploits the weakness of the c-pawn, This is only a temporary rook sacrifice. The diversion weakens the back rank so White’s threatening ♖xc7+. queen is able to infiltrate on d8, gaining a 1...♕xe7 tempo with check, capturing Black’s rook, and driving Black’s king into the open. White’s The point of the sacrifice was to relocate queen and bishop pair will then be able to hunt Black’s queen so that it is no longer protecting Black’s exposed king. the back rank. Other options are also bad for Black: 1...♗e8 2 ♖xe8 ♕xe8 3 ♕xe8+-; 1...♖xc7 1...♕b8 2 ♖xc7+ ♕xc7 3 ♕xc7+ ♔a8 4 ♗a6+-; White would still have the upper hand with 1...♔b8 2 ♗a6+-. 1...♘e6 after 2 ♗b7 ♘xc7 3 ♗xa6 ♘xa6 4 Now all is revealed. ♗d6. Allowing White’s rook to remain on the seventh rank by playing 1...♖e8?! might lead to 2 ♗a6! 2 ♕h5 ♖b8 3 ♕f7 ♕h6 4 ♕g8+ ♖xg8 5 Mate is threatened on b7. Black must hxg8♕#. capture the bishop. 2 ♕d8+ ♔xh7 3 ♗g8+! 2...♔xa6 3 ♕a8# This is an important zwischenzug and much better than checking with the queen on g8. It drives Black’s king into the open with tempo. Black’s king cannot go back to h8 as then a Trying to shield the king with 5...♕g5 loses discovered check would lead to mate: 3...♔h8?! the queen: 6 ♗h7+ ♔h6 7 ♕h3+ ♕h5 8 ♗d2+ 4 ♗f7+ ♗f8 5 ♕xf8+ ♔h7 6 ♕g8+ ♔h6 7 ♔xh7 9 ♕xh5+. ♗d2#. 6 ♕h3+ 3...♔g6 4 ♕xc7 6...♔g6 Even though White’s king is exposed as well, Black’s king goes to the only available white Black has no good way of attacking it. Without counterplay Black is completely on the square. Instead 6...♔g5 would give White an defensive. extra tempo to bring in the other bishop: 7 ♗d2+ ♔g6 8 ♕h7#. 4...♕f6 7 ♕h7+ ♔g5 The point of this move is to discourage White from playing ♕f7+ which would mate Black’s king has been forced to a dark quickly. However, White still has another way square. to check Black’s king. 8 ♗d2+ ♔g4 9 ♕h3# 5 ♕g3+ The attraction tactic, starting with the move 1 ♖c7!, gave White the initiative. It was the winning move in this game. In the game J. Polgar – Berkes, Budapest, 2003, White used an attraction tactic to create a mating attack on the h-file. 5...♔h5 The king hunt is under way. Note the role of White’s bishop on g8. 5...♔h6 doesn’t hold the position either: 6 ♗d2+ ♔h5 7 ♕h3+ ♔g6 8 ♕h7#. White has already sacrificed a minor piece. To sustain the attack, immediate action is required. Black cannot be given the time needed to reverse the trend. 1 ♖h7+! Here again the attraction motif is used advantageously. White obtains the necessary time to set up a battery on the h-file. 1...♔xh7 Refusing the rook by 1...♔g8 still allows White to develop a mating attack by playing 2 ♖dh1, since Black has no adequate means of defence. 2 ♕h2+ Black has an open h-file and a beautiful pair This is the point of the attraction tactic. of raking bishops. White gets control of the h-file, gaining a tempo with check. 1...♖h1+ 2...♔g8 3 ♖h1 ♗xg5+ 4 ♘xg5 ♕xg5+ 5 The sacrificed rook must be captured by the f4 knight. This will deprive White’s king of the h1 square. 2 ♘xh1 Black’s position has deteriorated. 5...♕xf4+ 6 ♕xf4 ♗xe4 7 ♕xe4 2...♗h2+! White has an endgame advantage. The game has entered a technical phase with White clearly White’s king would have been dragged to the ahead. h-file with this beautiful bishop sacrifice. In the game Schiffers – Chigorin, St. 3 ♔xh2 ♖h8+ Petersburg, 1897, Black missed a chance to use Now the king would have been drawn the attraction motif to draw the white king into further up the board into a mating net. White a mating net. cannot play 4 ♔g1 because of 4...♖xh1#. 4 ♔g3 ♘f5+ 5 ♔f4 ♖h4# B Back Rank Mate The basic motif of a back rank mate follows important patterns that should be studied thoroughly. Avoiding the threat of a back rank mate requires foresight, in order to prevent situations in which the king is unable to move off the back rank. Even chess masters fall victim to back rank mates. A rook or queen can deliver a back rank mate against a king that is unable to evade the check because there are pawns or other pieces in front of the king, preventing it from leaving the back rank. Black’s king is confined to the back rank because it does not have access to the flight square on h7, as White’s bishop controls that square. With White to move, the game ends immediately by 1 ♖e8#. Other tactical elements frequently come into play to produce back rank mate threats. Consider the following situation with White to move. 1 ♖a8# Black’s king is prevented from leaving the back rank by its own pawns. Imagination is sometimes required to create a position where a back rank mate is possible, as can be seen in the following diagram. The g7 square is controlled by the white bishop on h6. Black has a kingside weakness on the dark squares. This can be thought of as a weakened or ‘broken’ fianchettoed position; Black’s lack of a dark-squared bishop severely compromises the position, as it eliminates the possibility of using g7 as a flight square. The consequent back rank weakness can be 1 ♖c8+ ♘xc8 2 ♕d8# exploited by White who can win by creating a Black’s knight has been diverted, allowing diversion to get the black queen off the back the queen to mate on d8. The queen cuts off the rank. e7 flight square. Black’s pawns also prevent the king from leaving the back rank. 1 ♕xc5! In the next example White’s pawns on f2, g2, This is the decisive move. White wins the and h2 prevent White’s king from leaving the rook outright since Black cannot recapture with back rank. If it were Black’s move the game the queen because the back rank would be left unprotected. would end quickly after 1...♖d1+ 2 ♖e1 ♖xe1#.  1...♕xc5 2 ♖d8+ ♕f8 3 ♖xf8# A few examples from actual play will now be examined. Note the moves leading up to the back rank mates. The first is a back rank mate threat preceded by a sacrifice and other tactical motifs. It occurred in the game Ivanchuk – Anand, Reggio Emilia, 1988. 3 ♕c2 If White accepts the offered bishop sacrifice by playing 2 gxh3, the partially opened g-file on the kingside would give Black the opportunity to infiltrate by 3...♕g6+, gaining a tempo with check and maintaining a strong attack similar to that which actually occurs in the game. White has now just played 1 f3 attacking two 3...♕g6 minor pieces with a pawn fork. Black’s knight on e4 and bishop on g4 are both threatened. In White’s g2 square is very weak. The pin now this position the tactics become frenzied. Black prevents the g-pawn from capturing the bishop. ignores the threats against these two minor Black threatens 4...♕xg2#. pieces and continues the attack. 4 ♘b3 The attack is justified. White is behind in White protects the g2 square with the queen development and the rooks on the first rank are by relocating the knight. It is unfortunate that not yet connected, leaving the potential of the knight had to move away from the side of creating back rank mating threats. The rook on the board being attacked. Whenever possible, e1 is also unprotected. minor pieces should be brought towards the 1...♗h4! side of the board under attack in order to bolster the defence, but White did not have that This move attacks the hanging rook on e1. If option in this position. White captures one of the minor pieces forked by the pawn, Black can capture the rook, 4...♖hf8 5 ♘a3 winning the exchange. White tries to develop and defend. 2 ♖f1 Unfortunately this knight too has to move to a bad square, again away from the critical side of On 2 fxe4 Black simply wins the exchange the board where White is under attack. with 2...♗xe1. Even worse for White would have been 2 fxg4 ♗f2+ 3 ♔f1 ♕xh2 and Black would 5...♖de8 6 ♔h1 have a winning attack. Instead, if White plays 3 ♔h1 then 3...♘g3+ 4 hxg3 ♕h6# would provide Black with a nice finish. 2...♗h3!  The following game between Bernstein, playing White against Capablanca in Moscow, 1914, included a back rank mate threat, created by means of a diversion. White moves the king from the g-file, relieving the pin on the g2 pawn. This allows for the possibility of playing gxh3 if the opportunity should arise. However, moving the king to h1 has the undesired consequence of creating the Both kings lack flight squares from the back conditions for a back rank mate. rank. It appears that the rooks guarding the 6...♘f2+ 7 ♖xf2 back ranks for both players stop any threats of mate there. However the tactical threat of a The diversion of the rook leads to mate. Had back rank mate can emerge suddenly, as seen White played 7 ♔g1 instead, then 7...♕xg2# here. checkmates immediately. 1...♖xc3 2 ♖xc3 ♕b2! 0-1 7...♗xg2+! 0-1 White resigned because Black has White resigned because if 8 ♖xg2 is played successfully created a position where White’s then 8...♖e1+ and White mates in two more queen is diverted from its protection of the d1 moves, exploiting the back rank weakness: 9 square, making possible the threat of a back ♗f1 ♖xf1+ 10 ♖g1 ♖xg1# or 10...♕xg1#. Nor rank mate. can White escape by playing 8 ♔g1, because of 3 ♕xb2 ♖d1# 8...♖e1+ 9 ♗f1 ♖xf1+ 10 ♖xf1 ♗xf3+ 11 ♕g2 If White tries 3 ♕e1 then Black can play ♕xg2#. 3...♕xc3 winning the rook. Black cannot retake Examples such as this show that back rank the queen on c3 because of the back rank mate mate threats often occur even among that would follow: 4 ♕xc3 ♖d1+ 5 ♕e1 ♖xe1#. grandmasters. In fact, most of the games presented in this book were played by very Also 3 ♖c2 loses a rook at once after highly rated players, some of whom were even 3...♕b1+ 4 ♕f1 ♕xc2 and Black further world chess champions. threatens to play the rook to d1.  Notice that an immediate 5...♖d1? fails to 6 ♖c8+ and the tables are turned, with White suddenly winning because of the mate on the other back rank. Here is a related example based on the same motif, using a diversion to exploit a back rank weakness. It is taken from the game Doroshkevich – Fedorov, USSR, 1981. White’s mistake allowed Black to conjure up a winning tactical combination, starting with a rook sacrifice. 1...♖xf3! 0-1 The reason why White resigned so suddenly was due to the tactical threats arising from the weakness of the back rank. In his notes to the game, Alekhine wrote that he considered Black’s king is confined to the back rank White’s best defence to be 1 ♕d2, after which where it is liable to be mated as Black’s queen he intended to continue 1...♗xf3 2 ♘xf3 ♘xf3+ and rook on the seventh rank provide 3 ♖xf3 ♖xf3 4 ♕xg5 ♖xf1+ 5 ♖xf1 ♖xf1+ 6 insufficent defence against the potential threats. ♔xf1 hxg5 7 ♔e2 ♔f7 8 ♔f3 ♔e6 9 ♔e4 b5! 1 ♖c2! with a winning endgame. White’s doubled pawns on the b-file could then be picked off After this marvellous move, White’s queen easily, whereas Black’s connected pawns on the and rook are now both en prise, but capturing d- and e-files will be unassailable. against the either is taboo. 1...♕xe5 2 ♖c8+ ♖e8 3 ♖xe8# Duke of Brunswick and Count Isouard. or 1...♕xc2 2 ♕b8+ ♕c8 3 ♕xc8+ ♖e8 4 After the move 1...♖xf3!, played in the ♕xe8#. White is also winning after 1...♗c6 2 game, there is a back rank mate threat. To avoid ♕c3 ♖d7 3 ♕xc6 ♖d1+ 4 ♗f1 ♕d8 5 ♕c8+-. being mated White must give up too much 1...♕d7 2 ♖c8+ ♖e8 material. For example, 2 ♖xf3 ♕xe3 3 ♖xe3? and Black has a back rank mate on f1 with Black would have not done any better with 3...♖xf1#, while after 3 ♘c2 ♘xc2 4 ♖xe3 2...♕xc8 4 ♗xc8 ♗xb3 5 ♕d6 ♖e8 6 ♗d7 ♘xe3 5 ♖a1 ♖xf1+ 6 ♖xf1 ♘xf1 Black has an ♖a8 7 ♕xb6+-. overwhelming advantage due to the extra minor 3 ♕c7 1-0 pieces. Black is completely overloaded, as the White managed to exploit a back rank following lines show: 3...♖xc8 4 ♕xd7; weakness by a queen sacrifice in the game 3...♕xc7 4 ♖xe8#; 3...♕e7 4 ♕xe7 ♖xc8 5 Ostropolsky – Ivanovsky, USSR, 1949. ♗xc8; 3...♕xc8 4 ♗xc8. The threat of a back rank mate occurs frequently in tournament play. Sometimes just the threat of a back rank mate is sufficient to cause immediate resignation, without the threat ever being carried out. The following position arose in the game Ståhlberg – Alekhine, Hamburg, 1930. White had just blundered by playing 1 ♔h1?  2...♕e6 Black breaks one of the pins. On 2...♕b4 White would still exert pressure after 3 ♗xf6 gxf6 (3...♕xb3 4 ♗xd7#) 4 ♗xd7+ ♔d8 5 ♕xf7±. 3 ♗xd7+ 1 ♕xd7+! White’s bishop controls the d8 and e7 squares. Black’s replies to this queen sacrifice are forced. 1...♖xd7 2 ♘c7+ This knight check diverts Black’s rook from the d-file, allowing White’s rook to deliver the mate. 3...♘xd7 2...♖xc7 3 ♖d8# Other choices for Black were no better: Here is a nice mate delivered in a famous 3...♕xd7? 4 ♕b8+ ♔e7 5 ♕xe5+ ♔d8 game played at the opera in Paris 1858 by (5...♕e6 6 ♕c7+ ♕d7 [6...♔e8 7 ♖d8#] 7 Morphy, with White against the Duke of ♕xd7#) 6 ♗xf6+ gxf6 7 ♕xf6+ ♔c7 8 ♖xd7+ Brunswick and Count Isouard. +-. No improvement was 3...♔e7? 4 ♕b4+ ♔d8 (4...♕d6 5 ♕xd6+ ♔d8 6 ♕b8+ ♔e7 7 ♕e8#) 5 ♕b8+ ♔e7 6 ♕e8#. 1 ♖xd7! Black is behind in development and this exchange sacrifice increases the pressure on the beleagured position. White’s other rook will Now White concluded the game with a next go to d1 to exploit the pinned pieces. Black beautiful mating combination. is essentially playing without the kingside bishop and rook. 4 ♕b8+! ♘xb8 5 ♖d8# 1...♖xd7 2 ♖d1 Another example of exploiting a back rank weakness by a queen sacrifice comes from a White’s bishops are both showing the power game Tisdall – J. Polgar, Reykjavik, 1988. of the pin.  the back rank weakness arose in actual play, and how various tactical motifs emerged at different stages of the game. 1 d4 ♘f6 2 c4 e6 3 ♘c3 c5 4 d5 exd5 5 cxd5 g6 6 ♘f3 ♗g7 7 e4 d6 8 ♗e2 0-0 9 ♘d2 ♖e8 1...♖1h3 2 ♕e2 ♕a4+! White’s king is weak on the flank as well as on the back rank. This opening is the Classical Benoni. Black endeavours to gain space on the queenside, while White will castle on the kingside and aim for f2-f4, putting pressure on e5 and intending an eventual breakthrough by an advance of the e-pawn. 10 0-0 ♘bd7 11 a4 a6 12 ♔h1 White duly prepares the advance of the f- pawn with this precautionary move, removing the king from any potential checks along the a7- If White declines the queen sacrifice by g1 diagonal. playing 3 ♔b1 Black will win with 3...♖h1+ 4 12...♖b8 13 f4 c4?! ♕e1 ♕xe4. 3 ♖xa4 ♖xa4+ 4 ♔b1 ♖h1+ 0-1 It is checkmate in two moves. Back Rank Weakness A back rank weakness has many of the same characteristics as a back rank mate. The threatened side can only avert mate on the back rank by making serious concessions which can then be exploited. Sometimes a threatened mate on the back rank forces the defending side to give up material to stop mate or to allow other weaknesses to develop in the position, which Black’s idea is to place the knight on c5, might then be exploited in a variety of ways. increasing pressure on White’s e4 pawn. A slower but better idea would have been to play In Larsen – Ljubojević, Milan, 1975, the 13...♕c7, creating more tactical chances after game was decided as a consequence of the threats directed against Black’s weakened back the c5-c4 advance. rank. The entire game is given as it shows how 14 e5  Annotations by Unzicker suggest that Black 21...♗e6 22 ♗xe5 ♗xe5 might stand slightly better after 14 ♗xc4. He gives 14...♘c5 15 ♕f3 (15 e5 dxe5 16 fxe5 ♖xe5 17 ♘f3) 15...♗g4 16 ♕g3 b5 17 axb5 axb5 18 ♗xb5 (18 e5!) 18...♘cxe4! 19 ♘dxe4 ♘xe4 20 ♕xg4 ♖xb5! 21 ♘xe4 (21 ♘xb5? ♘f2+ 22 ♖xf2 ♖e1+ 23 ♖f1 ♖xf1#) 21...♖xe4. 14...dxe5 15 ♘xc4 b5 16 axb5 axb5 Black has an extra pawn but is the exchange down. The active centralisation of the bishops and the knight offers good compensation for this slight material deficit and in fact Black’s position is superior. White’s king is tucked away nicely in the corner, but the minor pieces do not provide much support for protection of the castled position. Black’s queen can access the kingside via h4, whereupon a mate threat on h2 17 ♘xe5 already appears, along with a double attack on Better for White was 17 ♘d6! ♖e7 18 ♘xc8 the unguarded bishop on c4. ♖xc8 19 ♗xb5. As will soon be evident, a back rank 17...b4! 18 ♘b5 weakness is beginning to form and this will become even more significant as Black’s attack Black had offered a tempting sacrifice which develops over the next few moves. White either missed or purposely declined. A very interesting continuation would have arisen 23 ♕e2 after 18 ♘c6 bxc3 19 ♘xd8 cxb2 20 ♗xb2 This move serves two purposes – guarding ♖xb2 21 ♗f3 ♖xd8 reaching an unclear the bishop on c4 and attacking Black’s bishop position with chances for both sides. on e5. 18...♘xe5 19 fxe5 ♖xe5 20 ♗f4 ♘xd5 Black would have had a winning advantage after 23 ♘d4?! ♘e3! 24 ♘xe6 ♕h4 25 g3 ♕xc4. 23...♕g5 21 ♗c4 White’s knight would be badly misplaced after 21 ♗xe5 ♗xe5 22 ♗c4 ♕h4 23 h3 ♕xc4∓.  24 ♗xd5? Much better for White was 24 g3 as both g2 and h2 are very weak. 24 g3 would give the king an escape square from the back rank on g2 and provide some protection against possible threats along the b8-h2 diagonal. However it would also expose White’s king to attack along the a8-h1 diagonal. Such is chess, where positional compromises are sometimes required. White is now in serious trouble. This is a critical point in the game. It is important for players to sense situations where tactics are emerging on the board. 27 ♕xe5 24...♗xd5 Black’s last move involved some very interesting tactics. It might appear as if the bishop on e5 was left unprotected by accident. Players should be particularly wary of such ‘gifts’ as they might contain venom. After 27 h3 mate would have followed with 27...♕xh3+ 28 ♔g1 ♗d4+ 29 ♖f2 ♕xg2#. Now the back rank weakness is evident and Black exploits this by means of a diversion. 25 ♖a5 White is overloaded as both the weak g2 square and the knight on b5 must be guarded. 25 ♖ae1? would allow Black to create a diversion by playing 25...♖xb5 when White’s queen would be unable to recapture the rook because of 26 ♕xb5 ♕xg2#. One possible try was 25 ♖f2 ♖xb5 26 ♕xb5 ♕h5 27 h3 ♕xh3+ 28 ♔g1 when after the 27...♕f2! 28 ♖g1 cunning 28...♕h5 White must watch out for the It appears as if White has managed to trap 29 ♕xd5 ♗h2+ losing the queen to a defend successfully. Capturing White’s queen discovered check. Instead White could play 29 would have been a mistake, allowing a back ♕d3, and would still be winning after rank mate: 28 ♖xf2 ♖c1+ 29 ♕e1 ♖xe1+ 30 29...♕h2+ 30 ♔f1 ♕h1+ 31 ♔e2 ♕xa1 32 ♖f1 ♖xf1#. ♕xd5 ♕xb2+ 33 ♔e3 ♕c3+. 25...♖c8 26 ♘a7 ♕h4!  28...♕xg2+! 29 ♖xg2 ♖c1+ 0-1 Notice how Black’s queen is tied down, having to protect the e8 square in order to prevent mate by the white rook. White played 1 ♕f5! upon which Black resigned at once, because 1...♕xf5 allows 2 ♖e8# exploiting the weak back rank. Attempting to prevent the mate leads to a crushing loss of material after a line such as 1...♕e6 2 ♖xe6 fxe6 3 ♕xe6+ ♔f8 4 ♕f5+ ♔g8 5 ♕d7 ♗f6 6 ♘xc7. A famous example of a diversion used to exploit a back rank weakness occurred in the alleged game Adams – Torre, New Orleans, 1920. The queen sacrifice has proved decisive. In the following position White has pressure White’s rook is pinned by the bishop and mate along the e-file due to the rook battery. Notice that if it were not for Black’s queen offering follows on the back rank after 30 ♕e1 ♖xe1#. support, White would have back rank mating Notice the unfortunate placement of White’s possibilities. What now follows is an almost rook and knight on the a-file, away from where surreal hunt to divert Black’s queen from its the critical action took place on the board. protection of e8. White’s defeat was ultimately determined by the inability of these pieces to participate fully in either attack or defence. Another example of using a diversion to exploit a back rank weakness is illustrated by a game of Pillsbury, playing White against an unknown player in St. Petersburg, 1896. 1 ♕g4! This move must have come as a surprise. White’s queen cannot be taken because of the back rank mate: 1...♕xg4 2 ♖xe8+ ♖xe8 3 ♖xe8#. Also the queen cannot go back to d8 because of the loss of material: 1...♕d8 2 ♕xc8! ♖xe2 3 ♕xd8+ ♗xd8 4 ♖xe2 and White is a whole rook ahead. Notice as well that after 1...♖xe2 2 ♕xd7 ♖xe1+ 3 ♘xe1 ♖d8 4 ♕xb7 White is winning. Black’s only remaining option is to move the queen along the a4-e8 diagonal, maintaining protection of the e8 square. 1...♕b5 2 ♕c4! White now offers a rook to exploit the opponent’s overloaded pieces. Neither White’s queen nor rook may be taken: 5...♖xe4 6 ♕xc8+ with a back rank mate to follow: 5...♕xe4 6 ♖xe4 ♖f8 7 ♕xa5 +-; or 5...♖xc7 6 ♖xe8+ also mating next move on the back rank. 5...♕b5 6 ♕xb7 1-0 Again Black cannot take the queen either way without leaving the back rank unprotected. If 2...♖xc4 3 ♖xe8+ ♕xe8 4 ♖xe8# or 2...♕xc4 3 ♖xe8+ ♖xe8 4 ♖xe8#. 2...♕d7 3 ♕c7! There is nothing left for Black to do to save the game. If 6...♕xb7 (or 6...♕a4 7 ♖xa4 ♖xe1+ 8 ♘xe1+-) then White checkmates by 7 ♖xe8+ ♖xe8 8 ♖xe8#. The game Gheorghiu – Kinnmark, played in The Hague, 1961, shows White using a There is humour in the sheer logic of chess. diversionary tactic involving a sacrifice of the White is doing everything possible to give away exchange to exploit a back rank weakness. the queen but Black must continue to reject its capture. White continues to pursue a similar theme for the next few moves, until Black’s queen runs out of places to hide. Either 3...♕xc7 or 3...♖xc7 allow White to mate with 4 ♖xe8+. 3...♕b5 4 a4 ♕xa4 5 ♖e4  The weakness on the back rank is due to the 3...♖f8 action of the rook on the e-file and the white bishop on f5, which denies Black’s king access Alternatively, Black could have tried to bring to the flight square on h7. Black’s undeveloped the queen back, but the position would be bishop on c8 also prevents the rook on a8 from hopeless: 3...♕f8 4 ♖xf8+ ♖xf8 5 ♕d2 ♔g8 co-operating with its counterpart on f8 to but not 5...♗xf5? because White would have 6 protect the back rank. An exchange sacrifice ♕xh6+ mating next move. now gets things started. 4 ♕d2! 1 ♖xd6 ♕xd6 2 ♘xf7+ Black’s queen is overloaded. 4...♕xd2 allows the back rank mate: 5 ♖xf8#. Black cannot guard the rook with 4...♕f6 because of 5 ♗xf6. An interesting example of a back rank weakness occurred in Esbjerg, 1979, in the game Castro Rojas – Sigurjonsson. This knight fork is the real point of diverting the queen first. The knight check on f7 now practically forces Black to capture the knight with the rook due to the fork on the king and queen. 2...♖xf7 Black’s back rank is now critically weakened. 3 ♖e8+ Black’s last move ♘xb4? launched a If Black responds by blocking this check discovered attack on White’s queen along the d- with the rook, White has another diversionary file. Black had hoped to capitalise on this tactic tactic. but soon realised it was a mistake that would cost the game. 1 ♕xd8+! ♗xd8  Recapturing with the queen would lose find a way to exploit Black’s back rank material because of the hanging knight on b4. weakness. 1...♕xd8 2 ♖xd8+ ♗xd8 2 axb4+-. Then, by adding the rest of the material on the board, a position from the game Najdorf – Timman, Buenos Aires, 1980, can be shown. Notice the similarities in kingside pawn structure to the previous diagram. 2 ♗xb7 1-0 White’s bishop pair is very strong. Black must give up the queen to avoid being mated by the rook on the back rank. White would then be a rook up. White noticed and exploited the back rank weakness to win material. One way of analysing a position is to strip away everything except the kings and pawns. 1 ♗d6! ♔g8 2 ♖e8 1-0 Compare the following hypothetical king Black resigned because after 2...♔f7 3 positions and relative king safety, momentarily ♖xf8+ ♔e6 4 ♗xc5 White holds on to the extra disregarding what else may be on the board. minor piece. Here is another example, starting with only the kings and pawn formations, in which potential regions of strength and weaknesses can be identified. It is taken from the game Rubinstein – Hirschbein, Lodz, 1927. This example highlights the importance of noting important structural elements in a position, such as king safety and pawn formation, as these may play an important part in tactics or combinations. As seen here, by narrowing down the situation to just these elements, one might be able to gather important Judging by the pawn structure, White may insights. have a potential back rank weakness. The f2 and h2 squares may also be potentially weak. By examining only this pattern on part of Otherwise, this is one of the safest kingside the board, one can see that in situations with formations available after White has castled other material present White might be able to kingside.  White is a pawn down. A minority attack controlling the dark squares, Black has a weak might be a longer term strategy for White to dark square complex, particularly on the pursue, trading off two queenside pawns then kingside. attacking the remaining one. White’s queen and rook serve as a battery on Black’s kingside pawn structure also shows the c-file. The rook on d1 is very active on the potential weaknesses. The h6 pawn may be open d-file. The exchange sacrifice on d7 is a particularly weak and might eventually have to potentially serious tactical threat and indeed be advanced to h5. White began with 1 ♖xd7!. The f7 pawn may be a potential weakness as Now Black cannot recapture with the queen well. The f6 square is a hole that might allow an because of a family check: 1...♕xd7? 2 ♘f6+ enemy infiltration on the kingside. ♔f8 3 ♘xd7+ ♗xd7 4 ♗xg6! when Black is in There may be a potential weakness for Black serious trouble, e.g. 4...fxg6?! 5 ♕f6+ ♔g8 6 along the a1-h8 diagonal, as the protective dark- ♕xg6+ ♔f8 7 ♕f6+ ♔g8 8 ♖c4+-. squared bishop has been exchanged. 1...♗xd7 The d5 square is a potential outpost for Black. White could possibly undermine that outpost by advancing the e-pawn to e4. On the queenside Black might be able to obtain a passed pawn by exchanging or eliminating the two white queenside pawns. It appears that Black is safer against back rank threats, but this is an illusion, particularly if White controls the a1-h8 diagonal with the queen or bishop. Having gleaned all of this information from the pawn structure and the relative king safety, consider the further elements that become noticeable when the other pieces are added to the board. 2 ♘f6+ The exchange sacrifice has removed one of the defenders of the f6 square, thereby enabling this knight check. The key point to note is that Black’s king will be diverted to f8, creating a back rank weakness. 2...♔f8 The king was forced to move to f8 because of the discovered check: 2...♔h8? 3 ♘d5+ e5 4 ♘xe7 ♖xe7 5 ♕b4+- or the deadly double check after 2...♔g7? 3 ♘xe8+ ♔g8 (3...♔f8 4 ♕h8#) 4 ♕g7#. White now concludes the game abruptly. With the inclusion of the other pieces several other important things become 3 ♘d5! 1-0 apparent. Black’s bishop on c8 has not been developed. As a result Black’s rooks are not yet working together. White’s knight has two possibly great squares on d6 and especially f6, where a potentially deadly knight fork might be delivered. White’s queen has control of the a1- h8 diagonal. In the absence of the king’s bishop,  Battery A battery involves tactical formations that allow two or more pieces to operate on a file, rank, or diagonal. Line acting pieces – queens, rooks and bishops – are typically involved. The strength and synergy of the mutually protective action of the pieces involved in a battery allows for tactical possibilities. For example, in the next position from David – Seitan, Romania, 1956, White has two active batteries. Black resigned because of 3...e5 4 ♘xe7 winning the queen, while 3...exd5 or 3...cxd5 expose the back rank weakness by 4 ♕h8#. Here’s another beautiful example of how a back rank weakness can be exploited. In Capablanca – Rossolimo, Paris, 1938, the following position was reached. White has just played the bishop from a6 to d3, denying the black king the flight square on h7 and introducing a discovered attack on the rook at a8. The rooks act together, forming a battery on the f-file. The bishop and queen also form a battery along the b1-h7 diagonal. Note that in this second battery, if the queen is in front of the bishop on the diagonal, different tactical chances arise compared to having the bishop in front of the queen. In the present position, the tactical opportunities existing along the b1-h7 diagonal offer exciting winning prospects. Black’s queen is currently preventing mate on h7 so diverting this piece would allow the mate to be delivered. 1 ♖1f6 The back rank weakness is paralysing. Black The move serves two important purposes – will have to lose a piece to avoid the threatened to weaken Black’s king position and to divert mate. Black’s queen. 1...♖d8 2 ♖xe5 1-0 1...gxf6 If Black had tried 1...♖e8 then White could Had Black chosen to move the queen, the have still played 2 ♖xe5 with impunity. Black following possibility may have arisen: 1...♕h5 could not recapture the rook because of the (The queen must remain on the h-file since back rank weakness. 2...♖xe5 3 ♖a8+ leads to 1...♕g5? 2 ♕h7#.) 2 ♖xg7+ ♔xg7 3 ♖g6+ mate. ♔h8 (3...♔f8 4 ♕f2+ ♔e7 5 ♖g7+ ♕f7 6 Alternative defences were equally ♕xf7#) 4 ♕d2 threatening 5 ♖h6+. inadequate. 1...♖ab8 2 ♖xe5 and 1...♖bb8 2 White next uses the power of the battery to ♖xa8 ♖xa8 3 ♖xe5 both lose the knight on e5. divert the queen from the h-file.  2 ♖h7 ♕g5 White has a rook battery on the a-file and it will be activated if White captures the b-pawn Now the battery is unleashed with the offer with axb6. White’s other positional asset is the of a rook sacrifice. knight on b5, as it is applying pressure against 3 ♖h8+ Black’s weak c-pawn. White’s dark-squared bishop is ready to liquidate the annoying knight Black declines the offered rook in an effort on h4. to prolong the game. 3...♔xh8 allows an immediate mate by 4 ♕h7#. Black’s key asset is the pin on the g-file. The rook and knight are both targeting g2. Black’s 3...♔f7 bishop is weak, unable to do anything White’s queen now infiltrates. significant right now. 4 ♕h7+ 1-0 1...♕xh3 The pin on the g-file prevents White from capturing the queen and so another attacker is staring down at the pinned bishop on g2. The attack on the pinned piece both diagonally and along the file is sometimes referred to as a crossfire. White has to reduce the pressure exerted by this pin at once, to avoid material loss. 2 ♗xh4 ♕xh4 This is a much better move than 2...♖xa5?! after which White would be able to generate strong counter-play by 3 ♕e2 ♖xa2 4 ♖xa2 ♕xh4 5 ♘xc7, mainly because of Black’s bad bishop and weak b- and d-pawns. Exploiting the tactical power of the battery was the key to winning. The game might have 3 axb6 continued 4...♕g7 5 ♗g6+ ♔e7 6 ♕xg7#. Tactics can be used to undermine a battery, reducing its power. A rook battery proved to be just such a liability in Johannessen – Vouldis, Athens, 2003.  San Remo, 1930. The formation involves placing the queen behind a rook battery, forming a type of battering ram. White has suddenly activated the rook battery on the a-file and the advanced pawn, now on b6, has potentially become very dangerous. Black cannot recapture that pawn White played 1 ♕c1 producing the on the next move because of the battery on the Alekhine’s gun battery formation. The knight on a-file. c6 is pinned. Moving the knight would expose Black now has the opportunity to undermine the queen to attack by the bishop and the c7 White’s rook battery. rook to the battery along the c-file. All of Black’s pieces are tied down to the defence of the knight 3...♖xg2+ 0-1 on c6, so Black attempts to increase the protection of this piece. 1...♖bc8 White does not have an adequate response. Capturing the rook with the king leads to a quick mate: 4 ♔xg2 ♖g8+ 5 ♔f1 ♕h1+ 6 ♔e2 ♖g2#. White is attacking the knight on c6 four times, while Black is defending that square the Capturing with the rook results in a loss of same number of times. Therefore no material: 4 ♖xg2 ♖xa1+ and the queen has to combination to win material is yet playable return to f1 to block the check. After 5 ♕f1 here. Such an opportunity may arise in certain ♖xf1+ 6 ♔xf1 ♕h1+ 7 ♔f2 cxb6∓ Black’s d- cases, e.g. where a sequence of captures allows pawn is very weak but that alone will not be the attacking side to exploit tactics and win sufficient for White to trigger a central pawn material. Instead, White plays a move that roller. Black’s bishop is bad but for the time threatens a pawn advance to b5. being it will serve an important defensive role 2 ♗a4 until the position has been simplified. With the white pawn on b5 and the bishop A very powerful type of battery, dubbed behind it on a4, White would be able to ‘Alekhine’s gun’, became well known after a game between Alekhine and Nimzowitsch in introduce one more attacker against the knight and unable to do anything useful to free up the on the c-file. Black tries to stop this threat. position. 2...b5 Continuing logically, White will now capture the pawn and then proceed to restore the Bind threat. A bind is a strong grip on a position, usually 3 ♗xb5 created by one or more advanced pawns. It is also sometimes called a squeeze or a clamp. It White threatens to play the bishop back to can claim an advantage in space or have a a4 and advance the b-pawn to b5. restricting effect, tying the opponent down. A Black’s last hope is to bring up the king in bind can have both short term tactical order to support the defence. consequences and longer term strategic implications. Sometimes a bind can be 3...♔e8 established early in the opening. One well Now a critical situation has been reached. known example is the Maróczy Bind, named after the Hungarian player Géza Maróczy. The idea for White is to advance both the c- and e- pawns to gain a strong grip on d5. This bind can be created in several different openings. Most commonly, but not exclusively, it arises in some variations of the Sicilian Defence. Here is an example of the Maróczy Bind against the Taimanov Variation. 1 e4 c5 2 ♘f3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ♘xd4 ♘c6 5 ♘b5 d6 6 c4 4 ♗a4 ♔d8 5 h4 h5 6 ♔h2 g6 7 g3 1-0 The bind discourages Black from playing the freeing move d6-d5 in the near future, thereby creating tension in the centre. Based on results in actual play, statistically both sides have roughly equal winning chances from this position. What is important is that players should assess how comfortable they would feel Black is in zugzwang. Any move for Black playing this position from either side of the will only make the situation worse. 8 b5 is board and whether they should try steering the coming. There is nothing that Black can do to game toward or away from it. prevent the loss of material. The pin on the c6 knight has proved to be decisive. Instead of Binds can be used with other tactical motifs. rushing ahead with the attack, White has Here is an example from the Sicilian Defence, prepared it slowly and deliberately, building up as played in a game Adams – Williams, the pressure until Black was completely tied up Canterbury, 2010.  1 e4 c5 2 ♘f3 d6 3 ♗b5+ ♗d7 4 ♗xd7+ This is a very nice approach. Opening the ♕xd7 5 c4 centre with 13 exd5?! would be bad for White because the king is not yet in a safe place. Black can then exert pressure by 13...exd5 14 ♘xd5 ♘xd5 15 cxd5 ♖e8 and suddenly it is White who must start to defend. 13 cxd5 exd5 14 e5 would transpose to the game but White’s e4-e5 advance maintains the initiative and pushes back Black’s knight. 13...♘e8 14 cxd5 exd5 15 f4 ♘c6 16 0- 0 White has established the Maróczy Bind very early, even before the usual d4 pawn push, and it will take several moves for Black to prepare the d6-d5 counter punch. This gives White the necessary time to develop and generate other threats. 5...♘f6 6 ♘c3 g6 7 d4 cxd4 8 ♘xd4 ♗g7 9 f3 0-0 10 ♗e3 ♖c8 11 b3 e6 White only has a very slight edge due primarily to the supported pawn on e5. 16...♘c7 17 ♘xc6 bxc6 It looks as if White has done the opponent a favour as Black’s d-pawn is no longer isolated. Nevertheless White’s move does have a tactical purpose. 18 ♘e4 Here is the point. The knight can reposition itself this way because of the pin on the d-file – Black’s queen would be hanging if the knight were captured. This move prepares the d6-d5 push. White 18...♘e8 19 ♘c5 has still not castled so king safety must be given priority. However, it would be a serious mistake White gains a tempo by chasing away the for White to decide on queenside castling. In black queen. this case Black’s rook on the semi-open c-file, 19...♕e7 20 ♘d3 ♕e6 21 ♕f3 a5 22 fianchettoed bishop and possible a5-a4 pawn ♘c5 can opener to soften up White’s queenside pawns, supported by the a8 rook, would all contribute to giving Black a strong attack. 12 ♖c1 d5 Black has finally achieved the objective of advancing the d-pawn. 13 e5!  12...e3 White’s knight has a strong outpost on c5. It blockades the backward c-pawn. Black’s pieces – the queen and knight in particular – cannot Capturing the e-pawn would cost a piece: 13 seem to find good squares. The bind on the d5 fxe3 ♕xe3+ 14 ♔h1 ♕xg5. square no longer exists but White’s supported 13 f4?! e-pawn continues to have a restricting effect on Black’s position. It would have been much more prudent to play 13 f3. The pawn on e3 gives Black a 22...♕e7 23 ♗f2 ♖ab8 24 ♕h3 f5?! powerful bind. The pawn restricts White’s e- Black should have refrained from playing pawn and places a big clamp on the position. this move so as to keep open the option of White’s mobility is thereby reduced while the playing an eventual...f6, contesting White’s grip kingside is seriously compromised. on e5. After the move played, Black just gave 13...♘f8 14 b4 ♗f5 15 ♕b3 h6 16 ♘f3 White a passed d-pawn. ♘g4 17 b5 g5 18 bxc6 bxc6 19 ♘e5 25 ♕c3 ♖a8 26 ♘a4 ♖a6 27 ♕d3 1-0 27...♖aa8 loses the exchange to 28 ♘b6, while after 27...♘c7 28 ♘b6 ♖b8 29 ♖xc6 the entire house of cards starts to collapse. Black’s resignation may be slightly premature. Though White enjoys a clear advantage Black did not have to give up quite just yet. As the celebrated American football player and coach Vince Lombardy used to say, “Winners never quit and quitters never win.” Binds can also develop suddenly in latter stages of a game rather than quickly in the opening. Here is an example of a bind established in a game between Ivanchuk, White exploits the pin on the d6 pawn. controlling the white pieces, and Yusupov, in However Black will give up the c- and d-pawns Brussels, 1991. in order to maintain the attack. It was a tense game, played at a critical point 19...gxf4 20 ♘xc6 ♕g5 21 ♗xd6 ♘g6 of their match. The opening, by transposition, a 22 ♘d5 ♕h5 23 h4 King’s Indian Defence, proceeded as follows: 1 c4 e5 2 g3 d6 3 ♗g2 g6 4 d4 ♘d7 5 ♘c3 ♗g7 6 ♘f3 ♘gf6 7 0-0 0-0 8 ♕c2 ♖e8 9 ♖d1 c6 10 b3 ♕e7 11 ♗a3 e4 12 ♘g5 Black now advanced the e-pawn, backed up by the queen and rook battery.  Black now sacrifices a rook and maintains the attack. 29 ♕xa8+ ♔h7 Black next uses a knight sacrifice to soften up White’s kingside. 23...♘xh4! 24 gxh4 ♕xh4 The bind creates a back rank weakness for White. The splendid rook sacrifice 28...♖g6! brought another attacker into action. White now delivers a surprising counter punch to remove the rook, as Black was threatening 30...♕h1+ 31 ♗xh1 ♘h2+ 32 ♔e1 ♖g1#. 30 ♕g8+! ♔xg8 31 ♘ce7+ ♔h7 32 ♘xg6 fxg6 Now Black sacrifices additional material, continuing to press the attack. 25 ♘de7+ ♔h8 26 ♘xf5 ♕h2+ 27 ♔f1 ♖e6 The rook is heading for the g-file. 28 ♕b7 ♖g6! The remaining moves again show the tactical possibilities resulting from the bind created by the advanced e-pawn. 33 ♘xg7 ♘f2! 34 ♗xf4 ♕xf4 35 ♘e6 ♕h2 36 ♖db1 ♘h3 37 ♖b7+ ♔h8 38 ♖b8+ ♕xb8 39 ♗xh3 ♕g3 0-1  Capturing the rook is not advisable: 1...♖xe7 2 fxe7+ ♔xe7 3 ♕xh8 with advantage for White. 2 ♖exd7 This gives White access to the weak back rank. 2...♖xd7 3 ♖a8+ ♖d8 Mate on f2 is unavoidable. The bind provided winning opportunities for Black right up to the end of this impressive game. Another example of a bind created by an advanced pawn can be seen in the game Andres – Alvarez, Cuba, 1988. Some very interesting tactics arise in this position. 4 ♕b4! 1-0 This beautiful diversion amply demonstrates Black’s helplessness. The bind created by the pawn on f6 traps Black’s king on the back rank. Now 4...♕xb4 is met with 5 ♖xd8# and 4...♖xa8 with 5 ♕xd6+ ♔g8 (5...♔e8 6 ♕e7#) 6 ♕g3+ ♔f8 7 ♕g7+ ♔e8 8 ♕xh8+ ♔d7 9 ♕xa8 is brutal. Another example of a bind created by an advanced f-pawn occurred in Bartel – Nepomniachtchi, Jerusalem, 2015. The pawn on f6 creates a powerful bind. It confines Black’s king to the back rank, prevents the advance of Black’s f-pawn, and disrupts the coordination of the black rooks. It also prevents Black’s queen from moving horizontally along the sixth rank, to get to g6 or h6 if necessary. White is a minor piece down but the tactical opportunities provide more than adequate compensation. 1 ♖e7 Also strong would have been 1 ♖xe8+ ♗xe8 2 ♖a8 ♖g8 3 ♖d8!. Now 3...♕xd8? would allow 4 ♕b4+ winning for White, while 3...♖g4?! is met by 4 ♕e3 ♕xd8 5 ♕h6+ ♔g8 The situation is critical. The pin on White’s 6 hxg4+-. rook on f3 and the exposed position of White’s 1...♖d8 king could lead to the game going either way. However, White has the move and seizes the initiative, using a double check to set up a bind.  1 gxf6+ ♔xf6 threat of ♖h8# exploiting the weakness of Black’s back rank. If Black plays 1...♔f8 White wins with 2 ♕b8+ in a manner similar to that which happens later in the game. 2 ♕h4+ ♔g7 3 f6+ C Castling Castling does not often serve as a tactical motif. It usually has more long-term strategic importance. However, castling can be an important tactic in certain situations. There are games where one or both sides do not castle for the entire game, but in most openings players will try to castle early in order to complete the development of their pieces. Castling serves several important purposes. It can provide a safe haven for the monarch and also helps to connect the rooks, allowing them to work together. In some situations castling can activate a rook on an open file. If the f-file is The bind has been established on f6. open, kingside castling accomplishes this, while castling on the queenside can immediately 3...♔g8 activate a rook on an open d-file. Advancing the king with 3...♔g6 would An important tempo might be gained in enable White to win by means of some subtle such situations, e.g. where castling is manoeuvring: 3...♔g6 4 ♕g4+ ♔h6 5 ♕g7+ accompanied by a check to the opposing king or ♔h5 6 ♕xf7+ ♔g4 7 ♕g7+ ♔h4 8 ♕h7+ ♔g5 an attack on an undefended piece. 9 ♕f5+ ♔h4 (9...♔h6 10 f7+-) 10 ♔f2!+-. Here is an example from the correspondence Breaking the pin on the rook gives White fatal game Gurvich – Pampin, played in 1976. control of h3. White’s knight is pinned, the bishop is 4 ♕g3+ ♔f8 hanging and the queen attacked by the rook. There is an advanced passed pawn on the b-file Not 4...♔h8? because of the retort 5 ♕g7#. but this does not seem to present any real 5 ♕b8+ ♕e8 danger. At first glance it appears that here White’s game is on the verge of collapse. 6 ♖h3! ♖d2+ 7 ♔f3 1-0 Black’s rook has run out of useful checks. The bind provides White with the irrefutable However, Black’s queen would be in jeopardy if it were not for the pin on the knight. White is able to exploit this circumstance and gain a decisive advantage with a tactic involving 1 ♗e3 castling. In reply to this developing move, Black now 1 ♕xd8+ ♔xd8 makes a dubious capture. Black’s king has been diverted to the open d- 1...♖xb2?! file. If Black had tried 1...♔f7 instead, then the It would have been better to continue pawn, which seemed only a moment ago to have 1...exd4 as now White clears the d-file with a no future, would be able to promote on the b- knight sacrifice. file by 2 b8♕. At this critical moment White is able to gain an important tempo, break the pin, 2 dxe5 fxe5 3 ♘xe5 and secure the king by castling queenside. Black replies with a blunder. 2 0-0-0+ 3...dxe5? Black’s last chance was to play 3...♖b8. After 4 ♖d1 ♗e6 13 ♘f3 White would still have the edge. Instead Black blundered with 3...dxe5? allowing White a winning shot delivered by the tactical motif of castling. Now White’s knight is no longer pinned and therefore Black’s king and queen are simultaneously under attack. Black has no satisfactory way of dealing with both these threats. 2...♔e7 4 ♕xd8+ ♔xd8 5 0-0-0+ 1-0 No better is 2...♕d7 3 b8♕+ ♔e7 4 ♕xb4+ By castling with check, White gained a ♔e8 5 ♖xd7 and Black will soon be mated. valuable tempo. Now the unprotected rook on 3 ♘xb5 1-0 b2 can be captured with the king and White emerges the exchange ahead. In addition Castling was also used as a tactical device to Black’s queenside pawns are weak and will win a rook in the game Feuer – O’Kelly, eventually fall like ripe fruit from the vine. Belgium, 1934. Castling is the only move that allows a king to move two squares laterally in one move and it is for this reason that the unprotected rook on b2 was vulnerable to attack. Black was caught in an unusual double attack after White castled queenside with check. The rook ended up on d1, checking Black’s king, while simultaneously White’s king went to c1, striking Black’s errant rook. The following exciting finish from the game Ed. Lasker –