Tactics

GOTW: Charbonneau 3, Toronto 1

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Submitted by John Upper on Thu, 01/12/2017 - 17:52

On Wednesday January 11, 2017, the Toronto Dragons played the Montclair Sopranos in the PRO Chess League. GM Pascal Charbonneau played, 4 games against his fellow Canadians. The diagram shows four critical positions from each of those games. The side at the bottom is to move.

Tactics: 22 Olympiad Critical Positions

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Submitted by John Upper on Fri, 12/16/2016 - 14:37

The diagram shows 3 of the 22 Critical Positions in the Olympiad issue of Chess Canada:

GOTW: Leonardi - Ouellet, Baku Olympiad, 2016

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Submitted by John Upper on Tue, 12/13/2016 - 22:31

The Canadian Game of the Week comes from round 7 of the 2016 Women's Olympiad in Baku. In the diagram, Canada's Maili-Jade Ouellet has Black against Slovenia's Caterina Leonardi. What's better: ...Rc4 or ...Nb4. One wins, the other allows an incredible draw.

Happy Birthday Magnus Carlsen ...and still WC!

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Submitted by John Upper on Wed, 11/30/2016 - 21:08

Magnus Carlsen celebrated his 26th birthday by winning the four-game tie-breaks over Sergei Karjakin in New York, and so retains his World Championship title.

The position is from game 4 of the Rapid tie-breaks. Karjakin had been forced to overpress as Black to win and tie the match. Here it is White to move. Can you find the way to end the match in style the way Magnus Carlsen did here as White?

GOTW: Shimanov-Hambleton, Millionaire Chess, 2016

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Submitted by John Upper on Wed, 11/09/2016 - 14:02

The third Millionaire Open was held in Atlantic City in August. It promised large prizes for section winners -- even the U1600 winner would pocket over $10,000 -- topped by a chance to win a 1/64 chance to win $1,000,000. 

Tactics: Deep Water Fishing

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Submitted by John Upper on Mon, 10/03/2016 - 18:38

This week's Canadian Tactic comes from the final round game between David Gordon and Armando Valdizon at the RA Fall Open (Sept.2016).
White has just played h2-h4, a tactic nicknamed "the fishingpole": the Bg5 is the bait, the pawn that takes on g5 is the hook, and the open h-file is the line to reel in the "fish".
But does it? Can Black take on g5? If not now, when?

Tactics: Caution: Manoeuvering in Progress

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Submitted by John Upper on Sat, 08/27/2016 - 20:44

This week's Canadian Tactic comes from round 2 of the Almonte Open (still underway!) between two CYCC champions. White had just pushed e3-e4 and after the exchanges following ...dxe4 both sides are left with isolated pawns. What should White play now:
a) Rfd1 (developing the R and supporting d4);
b) Nb1 (attacking c4 and defending a3 in anticipation of ...Rfb8);
c) something else?

Tactics: Squeezed or Chopped?

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Submitted by John Upper on Wed, 08/17/2016 - 10:16

Today's Canadian Tactic comes from the final round of the Washington International (Aug 13-17, 2016. Still underway!).
In the diagram, the FM playing Black spent 22 minutes choosing between ...Nf6 and ...Nc7. Calculate the tactics on each.

Tactics: A time to attack or a time to defend?

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Submitted by John Upper on Mon, 06/20/2016 - 20:58

Today's Canadian Tactic of the Week is from the round 1 game between FM Dale Haessel and FM Ian Findlay at the 11th Edmonton International. Black is up two pawns, but his Bg2 is offside and both Kings are under pressure. What should Black play?

Tactics: Not how to avoid boring equality

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Submitted by John Upper on Mon, 05/02/2016 - 07:48

This week's Canadian Tactic comes from the Sunday Rapid at the RA Club in Ottawa.
White to play.

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