Games: Chess
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Your support makes all the difference.The December issue of the British Chess Magazine includes an excellent account of the World Team Championship by John Nunn. His selection of games and positions features a good mixture of missed opportunities and neat combinations. Try your skill at the following positions.
Position one: White to play in Arencibia-Bareyev. White played 1.g3 to avoid the danger of a back-rank mate. Was there a better move?
Position two (top of next column): One move later in the same game. White now played 1.Qc4. Was there a better move?
Position Three (below): Vaganyan, playing Black against Irzhanov, challenged the central white knight with 1...Ne6. Was this a good idea?
Position Four: Short played 1.Nd5 against Korchnoi. Was 1.cxb5 better?
Answers: 1: The simplest move is 1.Rd8 which just wins a piece, but 1.Re7 also wins - see next answer.
2. Now 1.Re7!! is right: 1...Bxe7 2.Qxf7+ and 3.Qg8 mate, or 1...Rxe7 2.Bxe7 Bxe7 3.Qxf7+ Kh7 4.Qxe7 winning a pawn.
3. After 1...Ne6? White won a pawn with 2.Nxe6 fxe6 3.Rxc4!
4. After 1.cxb5! Nunn gives 1...Bxc3+ 2.Rxc3 Nxe4+ 3.fxe4 Rxc3 4.Rh8+ Ke7 5.Rxc8 Rxc8 6.bxa6, or 1...Nxb3+ 2.axb3 Bxc3+ 3.Rxc3 Rxc3 4.Rh8+ Ke7 5.Rxc8 Rxc8 6.bxa6 Bxb3 7.a7 Rc2+ 8.Ke1 Ra2 9.Bb5 and the a-pawn is too strong.
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