Tactics

Tactics: Pawn for Your Trouble?

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Submitted by John Upper on Wed, 12/17/2014 - 00:51

White has built up an ominous attack. Is there anything wrong with 23.h5, or is it a mistake to let Black win a pawn for his trouble with ...Nxe4 then ...Qxg5?

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Tactics: Development = Attack

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Submitted by John Upper on Wed, 11/26/2014 - 20:36

White has the ideal d4-e4 center and better development.
Should Back counter in the center with ...c5 or is something else better?

Canadian Tactics: 50 Years Ago Today...

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Submitted by John Upper on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 03:47

50 years ago today (11.11.1964) Canada played the Soviet Union in the A-group final at the Tel Aviv Olympiad.
The Russians won, but in one of the games, master of attack Leonid Stein was put to the sword by Canadian Zvonko Vranesic.
Can you find the winning attack?

Critical Positions from 2014 CYCC & Canadian Open

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Submitted by John Upper on Tue, 10/28/2014 - 01:47

20 critical positions from the 2014 CYCC and 2014 Canadian Open to test your calculation and imagination.

Tactics: Castling into It 2

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Submitted by John Upper on Tue, 09/16/2014 - 16:19

Black has mangled pawns but active pieces; White's King is still in the center but it is White to move. What happens if White castles?
(from: Sapozhnikov - Cheng, 2014 Toronto Open)

Tactics: Castling into it

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Submitted by John Upper on Sat, 09/06/2014 - 17:26

This week's Canadian Chess Tactic comes from the U8 girls section of this summer's CYCC. The game started quitely with the Giuoco Piano, but caught fire when White castled into Black's kingside pawn storm. Can you find Black's best finish?

Tactics: Chucky Eats Studies for Dessert

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Submitted by John Upper on Fri, 08/29/2014 - 01:32

GM Vassily Ivanchuk shows Edmonton dinner-mates a challenging problem for dessert. Can you solve it?
Hint: the photo shows the problem partially solved. The full problem follows.

Tactics: Beauty and Truth

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Submitted by John Upper on Fri, 08/08/2014 - 23:28

Sometimes the most beautiful move is also the best.
White to play and win...

Tactics: Analysis First, Cliché Later

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Submitted by John Upper on Mon, 07/07/2014 - 17:59

Whatever Black plays there are contradictory clichées ready-made for the occasion; e.g. "strike while the iron is hot" or "the threat is stronger than the execution"... But knowing chess clichées doesn't help you play chess: analysts can choose clichées, players have to choose moves.
What move should Black play?

Tactics: Anything can happen in blitz...

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Submitted by John Upper on Tue, 06/17/2014 - 20:39

This week's Canadian Tactic comes from the 2014 Toronto Blitz Championship (2014.06.15).

Black had lost an exchange and then a piece in a "reluctant Benoni" line. But in a blitz game, with a
time control of 3min + 2 sec, anything can happen. What happens if White plays 29.Qxc5?

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