Test Your Chess IQ: Grandmaster Challenge

139 Pages·3.439 MB·English

by  Livshitz August.

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English Translation Copyright © 1993 Ken Neat
All Rights Reserved. No pan of this ptIblication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system or transmitted in ~10rm or by any means: electronic, electrostatic,
magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying. recording or otherwise, without
permission in writing from 1M publisher.
Fust edition 1981
Second edition 1993
Reprinted 1996
British Library CataloguiDg-in-Publication Data
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
(applied for)
ISBN: 1-85744-002-1
Cover design by McCann-Erickson. courtesy of
William Grant and Sons International
Typeset in Great Britain by Ken Neat. Durham
Printed in Great Britain by BPe Wbeatons Ltd, Exeter
CONTENTS
btroduction ..... . . vii
Combinational Themes:
Double Attack . . .1
Discovered Attack .3
Di..'Covered Check .5
Pin .... .7
Diversion .11
Decoy .. . 19
bterference .23
Defence-elimination .25
Square-vacation .. .29
Line-opening . . . . .31
Ctilization of open files .41
Diagonal-opening ... .43
Ctilization of open diagonals .51
Smothered mate .53
Blocking .. .55
X-ray ..... . .55
Overloading .. .55
Exploiting a back rank weakness .59
Weakness of the second rank .. .' .65
Intermediate move . . . . . . . . .67
Creation and utilization of passed pawns .67
Breakthrough ..... . .75
Simplifying combinations .77
Drawing combinations . . .81
Traps .......... . .85
A ttack on the kingside castled position .89
Attack on the king caught in the centre .97
Destructive combinations 103
Index of Players . . . . . 127
v
INTRODUCTION
Dear Reader! Before you is our third book on chess combinations. We should straight away
::-ae the reservation that, if you are unacquainted with Books 1 and 2, you will find it difficult
:Ii your own to cope with the tests in this book.
lbe arrangement and the tests in this book differ somewhat from those in Books 1 and 2.
~ tests are aimed primarily at players of master strength, or those approaching it. In Russia
~ corresponds to the grades of Candidate Master and Master of Sport (about 200+ on the BCF
;;..-:L-e. or 2200+ on the Elo scale). The system offered was tested for more than ten years with
:."a: youth team of the Russian Republic, which in its time included the former W orid Champion
_~oly Karpov, grandmasters Balashov, Rashkovsky, Sveshnikov, Timoshchenko and Tsesh
~. . and many others who subsequently became well-known players.
The essence of the system is as follows. The evaluation of each test is worked out on as-point
~. The highest score of 5 is awarded for a correct solution, including all the most important
nriarions. If the solver indicates a subtlety not mentioned in the solution. his score may be
.!A.'"TeaSed by 1 point. Often the solver will find a second path. apart from the author's, one which
:.5 also correct. In this case the score should again be 5 points. A score of 4 is awarded for a
cOTeCt but incomplete solution. For example. an important defensive resource may have been
:mined. If the start is indicated correctly, but the essential "point" is missed. a score of 3 is given.
\\llen a correct start is made, but then a bad oversight is committed. a score of 2 is awarded. If
ool~· the first move is given correctly, the solver receives 1 point If no solution is given, or if it
IS a completely incorrect one, no points are awarded.
We have determined a guiding time for each position. depending upon the degree of
difficulty. The total time allotted to one test should be not less than two hours, but also not more
than three. While in the previous books the time allotted to a test was considerably less, here,
taking account of the complexity and serious nature of the examples, we consider the indicated
time to be the most reasonable.
In solving the examples in this book. you should not, as in the previous books, put the accent
on one definite theme, but should select for yourself 8-12 examples beforehand, alternating them
from the various themes. And here we should draw your attention to the fact that all answers
should be written down, and should be checked with the correct solutions only after you have
solved all the positions in the projected test. Basing yourself upon the time planned, choose
positions by alternating difficult ones with less difficult ones. As in Books 1 and 2, you should
award yourself bonus or penalty time points, at the rate of one point per five minute difference
from the suggested total time.
Your Chess IQ
There are altogether 378 positions in this book. so that a 100% solution can earn you a total
of 1890 points. With time bonuses it is possible, of course. to earn a score in excess of 100%.
On the basis of the solutions to a small sample of positions submitted by a range of volunteers,
v. . e suggest the following "Chess IQ" table:
vii
Positions 1-6 1
Theme: "Double Attack" (Nos. 1-10)
1. White to play (8 mins.) 2. White to play (10 mins.)
3. White to play (8 mins.) 4. Black to play (7 mins.)
5. White to play (8 mins.) 6. Black to play (12 mins.)
2 Double Attack / Discovered Attack
SOLUTIONS TO POSITIONS 1-6
1. Ebralidze-Lubemky, Tbilisi,1949
1 Iixh7+!! Iixh72 Iixh7+ ~xh7 3 ~hl+ ~g7 4 f6+! ~xf6 5 Qxd7+ Black
resigns.
2. Honfi-Szabadi, Budapest. 1963
1 'o'xh7+!! ~xh7 2 fth3+ ~gS 3 Dxd5 Axc6 (after 3. .. "ttc7 or 3. .. fte8 White
winsby4 IihS,e.g.3. .. ftc74 Dh5g6S Ah8+ rt2g76 Ah7+ ~g8-or6 ... ~f67
ftf3+ ~gS S h4 mate -7 fth6 and wins,or 3. .. "tte84 AhSf6 S Ah8+ ~p6
fthS+) 4 Iixd7 'o'xd7 5 "ttf3 Black resigns.
3. Minev-Pelinkov, Sofia. 19S6
1 QxdS!! ftxd5(badisl...Dxd52.Ae6!"ttxe63p+ ~fB4fxg8=ft+ ~xg8S
ftfB+ r!Jh76 IiP+) 2 f7+ r!JfS 3 fxg8=ft+ r!JxgS4 ftxd5+ IixdS 5 Ae6+ Black
resigns.
4. Novokhatsky-Le~ Volgograd. 1971
1...Df1+!! 2 Axfl Dxfl+ 3 ~xfl Qd2+ 4 ~el Qxe4 5 Qxe4 ftd3!! and Black
won. The finish was 6 De2 ftbl+ 7 ~d2 ftxb2+ S ~dl ftb3+ 9 ~d2 c410 d7
Ab6 11 .l!.d6 ftd3+ 12 ~el c3. and White resigned.
S. Szabo-Nikitin, Corr.,1964
1 Dxh7+!! ftxh7 2 f7! AdS (2. .. BfB fails t03 Qxg6+.4 ftxh7+ andS QxfB+) 3
Qxg6+ tt!Jg7 4 f8=ft+ Axf8 5 ttxh7+ ~xh7 6 Qxf8+ Black resigns.
6. Tolush-Kopylov, Leningrad. 1954
1...Axg4!! 2'o'xb4 (on2 ftxg4 there follows 2 ... ftg6+ 3 ~al Qc2+ 4 ~bl
IiJ.xd4+ S ~al IiJ.c2+ 6 ~bl Qb4+12 ... AfS 3 ftxfS Bxf5 4 Axa3 fta6 5 Qg3
Ii f2 6 liJ.e4 lH4 White resigns.
Positions 7-12 3
7. Black to play (15 mins.) 8. White to play (10 mins.)
9. Black to play (5 mins.) 10. Black to play (16 mins.)
Theme: "Discovered Attack" (Nos.ll-16)
11. White to play (7 mins.) 12. White to play (10 mins.)
4 Discovered Attack I Discovered Check
SOLUTIONS TO POSITIONS 7-12
7. Chechelian-Baikov, Moscow, 1974
1. .. Qg3! 2 ~d6 (on 2 ftx.f6there follows 2 ... Ae3+.') 2 ... Bel+! 3 ~f2 §f1+!! 4
.o.xfl Qfe4+ S ~f3 Qxd6 6 AeS Qxfl 7 Qe4 Qd2+ 8 §xd2 Qxe4 White
resigns.
8. Peretz-Szeles. Budapest, 1968
1 QfS+!! exfS (if 1... ~g8 2 t!lxf6 gxf5 3 Qh5 fte5 4 fth6 or4 .o.xc4> 2 ftxf6+
~xf6 3 QxdS+ ~eS 4 Qxc7 Da7 S Dfel+ ~d6 6 Qe8+ Black resigns.
9. Kholmov-Gligoric. Moscow. 1947
1. .. Qxd4! 2 Qxd4 §xd4 3 Dxd4 Dxd4 4 Dxd4 t!lel+ S ~h2 fteS+ 6 ftg3
ft xd4. and Black won.
10. Tseshkovsky-Tseitlin, NovcalHrsk.1971
1... Dxf4!! 2 Qxg6+ (White thought that this move would win for him. but .. .)
2 ... hxg63 fth3+ t!lh5 4 t!lxh5+ gxhS S §xf4 Ah6! (this move White had not
foreseen) 6 D cS (if 6 § cfl JJ..rf47 Dxf4 Ae8.') 6 ... Axf4 7 § xhS+ .o.h6! 8 § xbS
§xf7, and Black won. The fmish was 9 g4 Ae310 §xb7 .o.b6 White resigns.
II. Werle-Lundin. Sweden, 1969
I Ae5!! ttxa6 (or 1... De2+ 2 ~f3.' fth5+ 3g4!) 2 §xd8+ ~h7 3 §h8+! ~g6
(3 ... ~xh8 4 ftj8+ and 5 'ttxg7+) 4 fS+! ~g5 5 fte7+ f6 6 ftxg7+ Black resigns.
12. Markland-Hort. Hastings 1970/71
1 .o.dS!! cxdS (the game in fact Vo'ent 1... t!!.xfl + 2 r/ilxfl exd53 Qxd5 b6 4 Qf4
Qxj45 t!!.xf4 .o.a6+ 6 ~gl JJ.dJ 7 ftg5 ~h8 8 t!!.h6+. and Black resigned) 2
QxhS+! gxhS 3 t!!.g2+ ~h6 4 H f5 Qg7 5 ftxg7+!! and White wins.
Positions 13-18 5
13. White to play (10 mins.) 14. White to play (8 mins.)
15. White to play (10 mins.) 16. Black to play (15 mins.)
Theme: "Discovered Check" (Nos. 17-22)
17. White to play (8 mins.) 18. White to play (10 mins.)