Tactics Lab
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Chess Crackers (September/October 2010)
There are a number of exciting games at the 2010 Chess Olympiad. One of the problems with so many games is that there are often masterpieces or tactical flourishes going unnoticed. Jamaica’s Shane Matthews is known as “The Magician” in his home island and the seven-time national champion showed that…
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Chess Crackers (March-April 2010)
A good diversity of positions here… endgame tactics, queen sacrifices, king hunts! A usual game involving Emory Tate but this one features a classic game with Maurice Ashley! Also John Porter has the “game of a lifetime”. Amon Simutowe has a key victory enroute to his 2nd place finished in…
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Chess Crackers (January/February 2010)
More Chess Crackers for your enjoyment. The solution to the position below is hard to spot but pure beauty. GM Maurice Ashley certainly spotted it! IM Pontus Carlsson has a nice one against GM Vasilios Kotronias. A few months later, he was awarded the GM title. I grudingly threw in…
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Chess Crackers (November/December 2009)
More Chess Crackers for your enjoyment. This set are positions from IM Michael Schleifer’s games. A couple of them are not very difficult, but there are some very instructive ideas here. Enjoy! IM Michael Schleifer – IM Mark Bluvshtein (2002 CMA Futurity, Montreal, Canada) White to Move (after 19…Rc8xc1) More…
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Lesson in Touch Move?
There was an interesting (albeit erroneous) document circulating on the Kenyan Chess Forum that was highlighted here yesterday. I removed the story after GM Amon Simutowe stated that it was simply one of many data entry errors in Libya. The report illustrated a game from the 2009 African Championships between…
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Chess Crackers (May/June 2009)
IM Amon Simutowe – FM Patrick Van Hootlandt 2009 Cappelle La Grande White to Move (after 33…Qf8xa8) More Chess Crackers!
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Chess Crackers (March/April 2009)
Following are some new crackers for you to munch on. These are a bit more subtle the previous sets, but still enjoyable. I have added one of my positions. Not my greatest game, but not bad. IM Watu Kobese – FM Norman Rogers 2001 Wilbert Paige Memorial White to Move…
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Chess Crackers (January/February 2009)
February is “Black History Month” and while the celebration typically focuses on the same figures such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Harriet Tubman and Jesse Owens, there are some forgotten heroes in our history. While there are many figures in sport who have made contributions, chess has often be…
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Chess Crackers (November/December 2008)
More crackers to snack on! This month’s Olympiad edition brings fireworks. Botswana’s national champion Phemelo Khetho made quite an impression with his win over an IM from Indonesia, Sadikin Irwanto. He plays a slow and stodgy KIA, but builds up a lethal attack with a number of killer moves! Very…
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