Now the tempting 23.Qxh7? Qxf6 leads only to an unclear game.

But after
23.Rxf7+!!
Black immediately laid down his weapons because of 23...Rxf7 24.Qh8#.

Li Shilong 2514
Wang Hao 2722
Xinghua ch-CHN 2010 (2)

White to play

32.Nxe6!
A double blow, an unpleasant surprise for Black. Taking the knight is impossible because of mate on
e8.
32...Bxg2
32...fxe6 33.Qe8#.
33.Nxg7 Bxf1 34.Ne8!
The final double attack. The knight has done sterling work, Black resigned.

Elisabeth Pähtz 2474

Jolanta Zawadzka 2368
Antakya Wch W playoff rapid 2010 (1)

101
 White to play

Black has just carelessly moved the attacked queen to f4, instead of the correct 23...Qf6.
24.Rd7!
Again, a double attack is the order of the day. Black would like to defend the bishop, but the f7-square
is more valuable. After the correct 23...Qf6 this rook jump would have brought White ‘only’ an extra
pawn (a7).
24...Rf8 25.Rxb7 Rd2 26.Bd1 Rxf2 27.Bf3
And soon Black resigned.

Manuel Rivas Pastor 2461

Enrique Rodriguez Guerrero 2464
Lorca 2005 (6)

102
 White to play

Here the mating net around the black king is built by its opposite number personally:
32.Kg5! h4
This loses quickly.
A) Equally cheerless is 32...Qxg2+ 33.Kh6 f6 34.Rg7+ Kh8 35.Rf7!; or
B) 32...e5 33.Qf6 Qa6 34.dxe5;
C) The most tenacious is 32...Qd3 (or 32...Qb1) 33.Kh6 Qf5 34.Qxf5 exf5 35.Rxb7,

103
 analysis diagram

which leads to a hopeless rook endgame for Black, in which White has a great positional advantage, in
addition to an extra pawn. A sample variation: 35...Rc8 36.b4 Kf8 37.b5 Rc2 38.b6 Rb2 39.Rb8+ Ke7
40.b7 Kf6 41.f4 h4 42.Kh7 Rb1 43.Kg8 Rb2 44.Kf8 Rb1 45.Rd8 Rxb7 46.Rd6#.
33.Kh6 Qe2 34.f3 f6 35.Rg7+ Kh8 36.Qc7
Black resigned.

John Emms 2502

Dave Ledger 2252
England 4NCL 2005/06 (9)

White to play

We have material equality, but the white forces are pointed menacingly at the enemy king, which gives
the impression that White is material up. In such positions, there is often a combinative solution.
18.Nxg7! Kxg7
Allowing the opponent to show his idea. However, the more tenacious 18...Qxg7 also fails to solve the
problems: 19.Nf5 Qg6 (or 19...Qg4? 20.Nh6+ or 19...Qf8 20.Bh6) 20.h5 Nxh5 (what else?) 21.Rxh5
with an overwhelming advantage to White. For example: 21...f6 22.b4!? (shifting the centre of the
action to the other flank, a device always worth remembering) 22...Nc4 23.Bb3!, and Black cannot
avoid a2-a4, winning a piece.
19.Bh6+!!
The point of White’s idea. Now Black has a miserable choice between mate or loss of the queen.
19...Kxh6 20.Nf5+ Kg6 21.Qg3+ Kh5 22.Qg5#

104
In the following example, White opens a key diagonal for the attack, with some unstereotyped actions.

Rune Djurhuus 2491

Oystein Sande 2295
Gausdal 2001 (3)

White to play

19.d5! cxd5
After 19...exd5 20.Nxf6+ the decisive factor is that the black king does not have the escape square e7.
20.c6!
The bishop is attacked and Black must react. But after any reply, White has achieved his aim – the
diagonal a3-f8 is open for his bishop.
20...Qxc6 21.Nxf6+
Black resigned on account of 21...Bxf6 22.Qh7+ Kf8 23.Ba3+ Be7 24.Qh8#.

Nikita Vitiugov 2703

Ding Liren 2680
St Petersburg tt 2012 (1)

105
 White to play

Here, two sacrifices allow White not so much to clear the diagonal as eliminate the chief defender of
the black king, the dark-squared bishop:
21.e5! Bxe5 22.Rxe5! dxe5 23.f6 Kh7 24.Rf5!
The decisive blow. Black resigned because of 24...gxf5 25.Qg5 Rg8 26.Qxh5#.

Ivan Bukavshin 2539

Kacper Drozdowski 2306
Albena Ech jr 2011 (7)

106
 Black to play

No, there is no mistake in the players’ names: the opponent of the talented Russian junior, tragically
killed in 2016, was not GM Yuri but the Polish master Kasper. The game was played in the European
U16 Championship.
29...Re1! 30.Rxe1 Rxe1
At first, it may seem as though Black has blundered a piece:
31.Qb8+ Kh7 32.Qxg3,
but in reality, he has prepared a knockout blow –
32...Rxf1+!
White resigned.
Above we saw a number of examples where the queen’s faithful assistants were bishops and rooks. But
the pairing of queen and knight is also traditionally a good one.
Admittedly, sometimes the knight has to sacrifice itself to the common good...

Leinier Dominguez Perez 2734

Veijo Maki 2383
Eilat tt 2012 (3)

107
 White to play

27.Ne5! fxe5 28.Qxe5+ f6 29.Nxf6 Rc5

The knight which remains alive also sacrifices its life for the sake of victory:
30.Nd5+ Kg8 31.Ne7+ Bxe7
31...Kf7 32.fxg6+ hxg6 33.Rf1+.
32.Qg7#

Aleksey Goganov 2562

108
 Ildar Khairullin 2658
Yekaterinburg 2013 (3)

White to play

44.Qh8+ Kg5 45.Ne6+!

Black resigned. He either loses the queen or is mated: 45...Bxe6 (45...fxe6) 46.f4+ Kf5 (46...Kg4
47.Qh3#) 47.Qe5+ Kg4 48.Qg5#; 45...Kf5 46.Nd4+ Kg5 47.f4+.
Sometimes a rook is parted with, to allow the queen to participate in the attack.

Tigran L Petrosian 2645

Tomasz Markowski 2567
Legnica Ech 2013 (10)

109
 White to play

43.Rb4!
Deflecting the enemy queen from the defence of the d5-square. On 43.Rxd5 there is the unexpected
43...Nf6!–+.
43.Rb4! Qxb4
On 43...Qd7 or 43...Qa8 there is the decisive 44.Qxb3 with the threats of 45.Rb8+ and 45.Rxe4.
44.Qxd5+ Kh8 45.Rc8+ Rf8

46.Qf7! 1-0

110
 Yuriy Kryvoruchko 2668
Pavel Kotsur 2552
Dubai 2013 (6)

White to play

In this game between two well-known GMs, White is well-prepared for the final storming of the enemy
king, but first would like to open lines towards the black monarch. The direct 32.h6 does not work
because of 32...g6. A blockading sacrifice comes to his aid:
32.Bg6! Ne4
Of course, bad is 32...fxg6 33.hxg6+ Kg8 34.Rh8+ Kxh8 35.Qh3+ Kg8 36.Qh7#.
33.h6 Ng5
Here too, taking the bishop is no good for Black: 33...fxg6 (33...gxh6 34.Nxh6) 34.hxg7+ Kxg7
35.Nf6 Nxf6 36.exf6+ Qxf6 37.Rh7+ Kxh7 38.Qxf6. The rest is simple.
34.hxg7+ Kxg7 35.Nf6 Qxe5 36.Nxe8+ Rxe8 37.Rxg5
Black resigned.

111
 Show in Text Mode

Exercises

61

White to play

Show/Hide Solution

61 38.Bh6! 1-0 Lugovoi-Lastin, Kazan ch-RUS 2002.

62

112
 Black to play

Show/Hide Solution

62 27...Rxf3+! 0-1 Padjen-V.Srebrnic, Bled 2003; 28.gxf3 Qxh2#.

63

113
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

63 35.Rd7! 1-0 Gashimov-Managadze, Athens 2005.

64

114
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

64 27.Nc5! Potapov-Henrichs, Pardubice 2006; Black resigned, because he loses the Bb7: 27...dxc5
28.Qxg6# – an epaulette mate; nothing is changed by the preliminary rook exchange 27...Rxf1+
28.Rxf1.

65

115
 Black to play

Show/Hide Solution

65 38...Rh1+! Mateo-Hernandez Carmenates, Madrid 2007; White resigned because of 39.Kxh1 Qa1+
40.Kh2 Qg1+ 41.Kh3 Qh1#.

66

116
 Black to play

Show/Hide Solution

66 26...Rxa3+! 27.Kb1 27.bxa3 Qb3+ 28.Ka1 Qxa3+ 29.Ra2 Qxc1#. 27...Rxa4 0-1 Dourerassou-
Dizdar, Paris 2007.

67

117
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

67 34.Rh4+! 1-0 Miroshnichenko-Zubov, Ukraine tt 2009.

68

118
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

68 46.Nf7+! Rxf7 47.Rb8+ Kh7 48.Rxh6+ Kxh6 49.Qg6# Milanovic-Jovanic, Sarajevo 2006.

69

119
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

69 24.Bxh7+! 1-0 Maslak-Potkin, Novokuznetsk 2008; 24...Kxh7 25.Qxf7+; 24...Nxh7 25.Qg3/4+.

70

120
 Black to play

Show/Hide Solution

70 30...Nf3! 31.Qxd8+ 31.Qxf3 Qe1+. 31...Qxd8 32.gxf3 Qd1+ 33.Kg2 Qxc2+ 34.Kh3 h5 and Black
won in Kovchan-Nepomniachtchi, Russia tt 2010.

71

121
 Black to play

Show/Hide Solution

71 22...Re1+! 23.Nxe1 Qe2+ 24.Kg1 Qxe1# Frisk-Marrero Lopez, Khanty-Mansiysk ol W 2010.

72

122
 Black to play

Show/Hide Solution

72 26...Bxg2+! 0-1 C.Eriksson-Rej, Copenhagen 2010; 27.Nxg2 Qh1#.

73

123
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

73 30.Rxb7+! Savic-Senic, Serbia tt 2009; Black resigned because of 30...Kxb7 31.Qa8+ Kc7 32.Ra7+
Qxa7 33.Qxa7#.

74

124
 Black to play

Show/Hide Solution

74 51...Rxg3+! 0-1 Kovanova-Mkrtchian, Nalchik W 2010; 52.Kxg3 Qh3+ 53.Kf2 Qf3#.

75

125
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

75 36.Rd8! Qg7 36...Qxd8 37.Qxh6#. 37.Rxg8+ Kxg8 38.Rg3 1-0 Movsesian-Adams, Wijk aan Zee
2009; 38...Ng6 39.Qe4!.

76

126
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

76 21.Bxg6! 1-0 S.Gustavsson-Standal, Reykjavik sr 2011.

77

127
 Black to play

Show/Hide Solution

77 35...Rxg2! 36.Rxg2 Qb1+ 0-1 Gluszko-Bacallao Alonso, Barcelona 2011.

78

128
 Black to play

Show/Hide Solution

78 26...Nxg4! Vega Cordovilla-Nunez Asencio, Havana 2011; White resigned, without waiting for
27.fxg4 Rxh2+ 28.Rxh2 Qxf1#.

79

129
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

79 35.Qc7! 1-0 Vachier-Lagrave-Grigoryan, Al-Ain 2012; 35...Rb8 36.Rd8.

80

130
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

80 41.Rc8+! 1-0 Cebalo-Bozinovic, Zagreb 2013.

81

131
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

81 26.Bxg6! Moor-Lillevold, Oslo 2011; Black resigned, seeing mate after 26...fxg6 27.f7+ Nxc3
28.Qf6#.

82

132
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

82 31.Rxg7! Vaulin-Izmukhambetov, Tula 2002; Black resigned – he is mated in at most two moves:
31...Kxg7 32.Qxh6#; 31...Bxg7 32.Rxh6+ Bxh6 33.Qxh6#; 31...Rxg7 32.Qxh6+ Kg8 33.Qh8#.

83

133
 Black to play

Show/Hide Solution

83 17...Bxe5 18.dxe5 Bc6! Arizmendi Martinez-Burmakin, Benidorm 2009; White resigned because of
19.Qxc6 f3.

84

134
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

84 35.Nc3! 1-0 Beliavsky-Laznicka, Austria Bundesliga 2006/07; after the knight is captured (or the
queen retreats), there follows 36.Rxh7+ and mate on h5 next move.

85

135
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

85 14.Bg5! Qxg5 14...hxg5 15.Qh7+ Kf8 16.Qh8#. 15.Qxf7+ Kh8 16.Ng6+ Kh7 17.Nxe7+ Kh8
18.Ng6+ Kh7 19.Nf4+ Kh8 20.h4! Qf6 21.Ng6+ Kh7 22.Ne5+ Kh8 23.Qxf6 gxf6 24.Nf7+ 1-0;
Iordachescu-Slavin, London 2013.

86

136
 Black to play

Show/Hide Solution

86 The white player had just offered the queen exchange, forget-ting about the device of ‘deflection’,
which is as old as the hills. And she might have got away with it, were it not for the draughty light
squares around her king... 35...Rd1+! 36.Kg2 h3+! 37.Kxh3 g4+ Agaeva-Sachdev, Nakhchivan Wch
U20 W 2003; White resigned, because after the king retreats, there is the decisive 38...Qe4+. This
would not have worked on move 36, but now Black has full control of the f3-square.

87

137
 Black to play

Show/Hide Solution

87 39...Ng3+! 40.Kg1 Of course, he loses immediately after 40.hxg3 hxg3 41.Qf3 Qh6+ 42.Kg1
Qh2#. Now the king looks safe, but it is the turn of the second knight to offer itself in sacrifice:
40...Nh3+! 41.gxh3 Nxe4+ 42.Bg2 Nxf2, and Black soon won in Malakhatko-Gallagher, Leon Ech-tt
2001.

88

138
 Black to play

Show/Hide Solution

88 32...Ng3+! Yu Shaoteng-Wu Wenjin, Yongchuan zt 2003; White resigned because of 33.hxg3 hxg3
34.Bd4 (or 34.Bh2 Qc1+ 35.Bg1 Qh6+) 34...Qh6+ 35.Kg1 Qc1#.

89

139
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

89 One of those positions where it is easier to work out the combination than to guess that one exists.
35.Rd8+ Okhotnik-Marzolo, Nancy 2007; Black resigned because of 35...Kc6 36.Nd4+! cxd4
37.Qb5#.

90

140
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

90 37.Ng5! Threatening mate on h7 and deflecting the bishop from the h6-f8 diagonal. 37...Bxg5
38.Rc7 Be7 39.Rxe7! Goryachkina-Kovanova, Khanty-Mansiysk W 2012; Black resigned because of
39...Rxe7 40.Qf8#.

141
 Show in Text Mode

91

Black to play

Show/Hide Solution

91 32...Na3+! Of course, 32...Bd6 also leaves White little hope, but the text is quicker.
32...Na3+! 33.bxa3 Qc4 34.Bxe3 Qxa2+ 35.Kc1 dxe3 0-1 Adams-P.H.Nielsen, Khanty-Mansiysk
playoff rapid 2011.

92

142
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

92 White needs two successive exchange sacrifices to start the decisive attack: 29.Rxf6! Haba-
Lechtynsky, Karlov Vary ch-CZE 2005; Black resigned, without checking his opponent’s calculations:
29...Qxf6 30.Rxb6! Rxb6 (30...Qxb6 31.Qxg7#) 31.Qc8+.

93

143
 Black to play

Show/Hide Solution

93 40...Re8!! Conquering the h6-square! The queen has no retreat. 41.Rf1 41.Qxe8 Qh6+. 41...Qxf1+
42.Bxf1 Rxf8, and soon White resigned in Pourkashiyan-T.L.Petrosian, Dubai 2006.

94

144
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

94 19.Nb5+! cxb5 19...Kb6 20.Qa7#; 19...Kd7 20.Qxb7+. 20.Qxb7+ Kd6 21.Qc6+ Ke5 22.f4+
Ward-Matthiesen, Copenhagen 2003; Black resigned because of 22...Kd4 23.Rd1+ Bd3 24.Rxd3+ Kc4
25.Qxb5#.

95

145
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

95 39.Bd5! Qxd5 40.Qg7+ Ke8 41.Nxf6+ Nxf6 Or 41...Kd8 42.Qc7#. 42.Qe7# Gallego-Fedorchuk,
Warsaw Ech 2005.

96

146
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

96 The direct 39.g4+ Kh4 does not bring anything positive,

but there is 39.Rf5+! Qxf5 White mates quickly after 39...Kh4 40.Qf6+ Kg3 (40...g5 41.Qxh6+ Kg3
42.Qxg5#) 41.Qxg6+ Kh4 42.Qg4#. 40.g4+ Qxg4 41.hxg4+ Kxg4 42.Qxg6+, and soon Black
resigned in Vocaturo-V.Georgiev, Turin ol 2006.

97

147
 Black to play

Show/Hide Solution

97 47...Bh4+! 48.Kxh4 Or 48.Kg4 f5+. 48...Qf2+ 49.Kg4 f5+ 50.Kf4 Qh2# Drozdovskij-
Grishchenko, Russia tt 2010; fans of Tarrasch’s teachings may draw attention to the knight stuck on the
edge of the board...

98

148
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

98 29.Bf6+! Cvetkovic-Perunovic, Vrnjacka Banja ch-SRB 2013; Black resigned: mate next move is
inevitable.

99

149
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

99 43.Bg6+! 1-0 Gustafsson-Vedmediuc, Istanbul ol 2012; 43...Kxg6 44.Qf5+ Kh6 45.Qh5#.

100

150
 Black to play

Show/Hide Solution

100 At first sight, White’s position is solid, but suddenly... 30...Bb3+! Filippas-Kohlweyer, Kavala
2011; and White resigned. After taking the knight it is mate in one (31.Kxb3 Qa4#; 31.Nxb3 Qd1#),
but even after 31.Kd2 the king doesn’t get far: 31...Qxb2+ 32.Ke3 Qxc3+ 33.Kf4 g5+.

101

151
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

101 Black has played the opening too passively and suffers a well-deserved punishment: 15.Rxg7+!
Kxg7 16.Qg4+ Kh6 Or 16...Kh8 17.Bxf6+ Bxf6 18.Qh5. 17.Qg5# De Florio-Necesito, Cento 2011.

102

152
 Black to play

Show/Hide Solution

102 18...Ne4! 0-1 Mikheev-Polschikov, St Petersburg 2006; beautiful, don’t you agree? Black is an
exchange down, and has an undeveloped kingside, and yet he puts a second piece under attack. But it
cannot be taken, and White is lost anyway: 19.Bxg4 Qa1#; 19.Qxe4 Bh6+ 20.Bd2 Qa1#; 19.b4 Qa3+.

103

153
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

103 36.e5! Bc6+ 37.Kf2 dxe5 38.Rxh6+! Qxh6 39.f6+ 1-0 Gharamian-Adhiban, Paris 2010.

104

154
 Black to play

Show/Hide Solution

104 At first glance, White’s position is fairly solid, but after 32...Rxb3+! he resigned at once in
Kanarek-Swiercz, Chotowa ch-POL 2009; 33.axb3 Qc3 is bad, whilst after 33.cxb3 another sacrifice
settles things: 33...Bxe4+ 34.Rxe4 Qc1#.

105

155
 Black to play

Show/Hide Solution

105 28...Rxc2+! 29.Kxc2 Completely bad is 29.Rxc2 Re1+ 30.Rxe1 Qxe1#. 29...Rxe2+ 30.Kd3 More
tenacious was 30.Kb1 Qxf5+ 31.Ka1, but this does not change the assessment of the position.
30...Qd2+ 31.Kc4 Qc2+ 0-1 Potkin-Wang Yue, Ningbo tt rapid 2010.

106

156
 Black to play

Show/Hide Solution

106 38...R8d3! Creating the lethal threat of 39...Rxh3+. It looks as though White can meet this with
39.Kh2, but 39...Rxh3+! forces immediate surrender: 0-1 Valenti-Cocchi, Cento 2011; the disaster
comes from the other side: 40.Kxh3 Qg4+ 41.Kh2 Qh4#.

107

157
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

107 23.Qd8+! Bxd8 24.e7+ 1-0 Moskalenko-Massana Blanch, Barcelona 2005; do not forget this
useful device, deflection!

108

158
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

108 32.Rxf4! Yu Ruiyuan-Oleksienko, Chennai 2012; Black resigned because of 32...Rg8 33.Qh5 exf4
34.Qxh6# or 32...exf4 33.Bd4+ Qxd4 34.Rxb8+ Kh7 35.Qg8#.

109

159
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

109 73.Rh6+! Ghaem Maghami-Khader, Ha Long City rapid 2009;

Black resigned, since he cannot prevent the triumphal march of the g-pawn. A nice miniature (the term
used for a problem or endgame study with fewer than seven units on the board).

110

160
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

110 The unfortunate position of the rook on e7 suggests a motif for a combination: 21.Nf6+! gxf6
22.exf6 Nh7 Necessary – if the rook retreats, 23.Qh6 is decisive. 23.fxe7 and White won in Alsina
Leal-Franco Alonso, Elgoibar 2013.

111

161
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

111 21.Bf6! gxf6 21...Rg8 22.Bxg7+ Rxg7 23.Rd8+. 22.exf6 Grischuk-Genba, Khanty-Mansiysk 2011;
Black resigned because of 22...Rg8 23.Rd8!.

112

162
 Black to play

Show/Hide Solution

112 28...Bh3+! J.Grant-Hawkins, London 2012; beautiful, isn’t it? White resigned because of 29.Kxh3
Qf1+ 30.Kg4 (30.Kh4 g5+) 30...h5+! 31.Kxh5 Qh3#.

113

163
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

113 31.Rxd8 Rxd8 32.Qf6! As well as attacking the pawn, this also covers the long diagonal a1-h8,
insuring White against checks on g1 followed by d4, when the black rook would have to leave the back
rank. 32...Qf8 33.Rxg7 1-0 Nijboer-Naumkin, Hoogeveen 2008.

114

164
 Black to play

Show/Hide Solution

114 42...Re1! 43.Qd2 Not better are either 43.Qxe1 Qf4+ 44.Kh3 Qh4#, or 43.Qd4 Re4 44.Qd2 Qe5+
45.Kf3 g4#. 43...Re2! Insisting: 0-1 Lobzhanidze-Kacheishvili, Dresden Ech 2007.

115

165
 Black to play

Show/Hide Solution

115 34...Qg1+ 35.Rg2 Rxh3+! Ferguson-Williams, London 2012; White resigned because of 36.Kxh3
Qh1+ 37.Kg3 Qh4# or 37.Rh2 Qxf3#.

116

166
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

116 White is a piece down, but happily parts with another rook: 24.Bxg7! 24.Rxg7+! Bxg7 25.Bxg7
transposes.
24.Bxg7! Bxg7 25.Rxg7+ Kxg7 26.Qg5+! Ng6 Nothing changes after 26...Kh7 27.f6. 27.f6+
P.H.Nielsen-Van Wely, Wolvega 2010; Black resigned because of 27...Kh7 28.Qh5+ Kg8 29.Qh6.
The queen alone is stronger than the whole force (although not without the help of the powerful
footsoldier on f6).

117

167
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

117 30.Qc1!! 1-0 Marholev-Rotstein, Livigno 2011; this is hardly the move that leaps first to one’s eye,
but it immediately dots the i’s and crosses the t’s. The h6-square is defenceless.

118

168
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

118 24.Nf6+! gxf6 25.Qg4! There is no time to retreat the queen, because mate in two is threatened.
25...Kh8 26.Rxe5 fxe5 27.f6 Rg8 28.Kg2 1-0 Moiseenko-Külaots, Warsaw Ech rapid 2013.

119

169
 Black to play

Show/Hide Solution

119 Here the first move of the combination is definitely very attractive: 13...Ng3+! 14.hxg3 hxg3+
15.Kg1 Qf4! Padeiro-Galego, Canecas 2002 ch-POR playoff rapid; White resigned because of 16.Bxa7
Rh1+! 17.Kxh1 Qh4+.

120

170
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

120 White is a piece down and has a rook attacked, but he offers the sacrifice of a bishop. 43.Bf4! The
only way to win, in fact. 43...Nxf4 44.Re8+! Qxe8 45.Qg7# Jones-Hawkins, North Shields ch-GBR
2012.

121

171
 White to play

Show/Hide Solution

121 17.Nc6! bxc6 18.dxc6 1-0 Mulet-Korcz, Zabrze 2011; such an unpretentious quiet move. Black
has lots of pieces, but there is nothing to be done against the queen and pawn mate. Usually such a
catastrophe occurs on the kingside, but it seems that one must keep one’s eyes open on the other wing
too.

172
 Chapter 3
The minor pieces and pawns

The knight on its own can only give mate when the enemy king’s escape paths are blocked by his own
pieces. The most common form of this is the so-called ‘smothered mate’.

173
174
The bishop also needs the help of his own or enemy units to give mate. The most common
constructions are the following:

175
176
177
Two knights cannot mate a lone king on an empty board, but in a position full of life, they often
constitute a powerful weapon. The most popular mating set-ups are as follows:

178
179
180
Knight and bishop, as a rule, usually do most damage to a king when it is in the corner or adjacent to
it: b1 (b8) or g1 (g8). Consider the following diagrams:

181
182
183
184
Two bishops are especially strong in the hands of the attacking side. Often, after delaying castling, the
king is nailed to its initial position by their joint efforts, but he frequently has trouble in the corner as
well.

185
186
The pawn, in order to give mate, needs the active assistance of his own and often the enemy units as
well. This is because, in checking the king, it does not control a single escape square.

187
188
The main heroes of this chapter usually succeed when the enemy king is on or near the edge of the
board – either the rank or file. The exception is the pawn, as it can often catch the king in the centre of
the board, although here too, the main role is played by those forces which cut off the king’s retreat.

Piotr Bobras 2535

Tatiana Kononenko 2387
Port Erin 2013 (4)

189
 White to play

41.Rg8+ Kh7
41...Kh5 42.Rxg5+ Kxh4 43.Qf4+.
42.Rh8+ Kg6
What has White achieved? After all, the queen does not have a single square in the king’s field. But...
43.Qxg5+!
And Black resigned: 43...hxg5 44.h5# – an elegant mating position, in which White is a whole queen
down.

Igor Kurnosov 2577

Marat Dzhumaev 2527
Tashkent 2008 (8)

190
 White to play

A painfully familiar picture: Black is behind in development and his opponent finds an elegant
decision, where the main role is played by the smallest unit, the brave footsoldiers.
12.Qc6+! Bd7 13.Rxe6+! fxe6
13...Be7 14.Rxe7+ Qxe7 15.Qxa8+.
14.dxe6!!
White does not hesitate to sacrifice even the queen: he threatens mate in one (14...Bxc6 15.f7#).
14...Bg7 15.exd7+
Black resigned: huge material losses are inevitable.

Djurabek Khamrakulov 2548

Saidali Iuldachev 2501
Tashkent ch-UZB 2008 (4)

191
 White to play

White has a material advantage, and would seem to be winning after the prosaic 28.Qxe8+. However,
in this case, he would have to reckon with the passed pawn on b4 and analysis shows that White can
count only on perpetual check. But he has a combinative path to victory, which was demonstrated in
the game:
28.Rg6+! fxg6 29.Nf6+!
Enticing the bishop to the fatal square.
29...Bxf6 30.Bc4+
Black resigned, seeing the mate after 30...Kh8 31.Qxf6+ Kh7 32.fxg6. And if instead 30...Rxc4 White
wins both rooks and a bishop by force – 31.Qxe8+ Kg7 32.Qxg6+ Kf8 33.Qxf6+ Ke8 34.Qe6+ and
35.Qxc4, keeping an extra piece.

Ian Nepomniachtchi 2706

Krishnan Sasikiran 2681
Khanty-Mansiysk ol 2010 (4)

192
 White to play

The black king is not yet on the edge, but White is able to force it to make the fatal step.
52.Rc8! Ne2+
A so-called ‘spite check’.
53.Kh2 Rxc8
The Greek Gift must be accepted, else Black faces an endgame a rook down (53...Rb7 54.Rxg8).
54.Rxb6+

193
Black resigned: 54...Ka5 55.b4#.

Pia Cramling 2516

Irina Krush 2470
Khanty-Mansiysk Wch W playoff rapid 2012 (3)

White to play

In this seemingly quiet rook ending, White has an unexpected and beautiful combinative solution:
68.f4+!!
White gives up one of his two pawns to take control of the f4-square.
68...Kxf4 69.g3+ Kg5
69...Kf3 70.Rxf5#.
70.Rg8+ Kh5 71.Re5
Threatening 72.g4#.
71...Rg6 72.Rxf5+ Rg5

194
And now, after all:
73.g4#
However, Pia did not see this possibility and eventually even lost.

Javier Moreno Carnero 2509

Loek van Wely 2675
Villarrobledo rapid 2006 (5)

White to play

Despite a two-pawn deficit, White’s position looks threatening: almost all of his pieces are pointing at

195
the enemy king. It is not surprising that there is a decisive combination:
26.Nf4! Nf8
It may seem as though with a single move, Black has managed to defend everything: the squares g6 and
h7 and even the pawn on e6 (if it is taken, one of the white attacking pieces is exchanged off, always a
good thing for the defender). But the blow lands on the most fortified point...
27.Qxh7+!!

Black resigned. Either capture allows mate in one: 27...Kxh7 28.Rh3# or 27...Nxh7 28.Ng6#.

Viktor Kortchnoi 2543

Joseph Gallagher 2496
Switzerland tt 2011 (5)

196
 White to play

In this position of an unusual material balance, the great veteran managed to find the only winning
move.
58.Kg6!!
Only a draw results from 58.h6 Kh7! (58...dxe2 59.Kg6+–) 59.Nxd3 Nxd3 60.Re7+.
58.Kg6!! dxe2
After 58...Nd5 59.Nxd3, Black loses his main trump and can resign with a clear conscience.
59.h6 Bb3 60.h7+ Kh8

197
61.Kh6
Black resigned: mate on g6 or f7 is unavoidable.

Dagur Arngrimsson 2381

Petar Hristov 1965
Albena 2012 (1)

White to play

In the diagram position, White has all the preconditions for a successful attack: the enemy king is
trapped in the centre, and his pieces are slumbering on the back rank and cannot establish any

198
communication.
20.Rxe6! Qc8
Possibly Black had calculated the following variations:
A) 20...Nxf4 21.gxf4 fxe6 22.Nxe6+ Ke8 23.Re1 Rf7 24.Nxc5+ Kd8 25.Nb7+; and
B) 20...fxe6 21.Nxe6+ Ke8 22.Nxg7+ Kf7 (22...Kd8 23.Bg5+) 23.Qxd7+ Kg8 24.Nh5! Rf7 25.Qg4+
Kf8 26.Bh6+ Ke8 27.Qe6+ Kd8 28.Bg5+.
And, perhaps, he took his opponent at his word. However, the text also does not avoid an immediate
crush:
21.Re8+!
Black resigned: 21...Rxe8 22.Nxf7#.

Robin van Kampen 2592

Tome Arizanov 2099
Skopje 2013 (1)

White to play

The open h-file and undefended Ba6 left White wondering if there were not a combinative solution?
14.Ng3! Bxf1 15.Nf5+!
Black resigned in view of 15...gxf5 16.Qg5# or 15...Kf6 16.Nd5+ Ke6 17.Ng7#.

Julian Radulski 2502

Jan Bernasek 2428
Brno Skanska 2005 (6)

199
 White to play

In a position with easily recognizable Sicilian characteristics, White has already sacrificed a piece and
now offers an exchange and a bishop in succession. But do not be surprised: the black pieces so lack
harmony that they can only look on in desperation as the slaughter unfolds:
19.Rxf6! gxf6 20.Be8+! Kxe8 21.Qh5+
Black resigned because of 21...Kd7 22.Qf7+ Be7 23.Nxf6#.

Rogelio Jr Antonio 2513

Dao Thien Hai 2601
Kuala Lumpur 2005 (11)

200