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Combinations Involving Diagonals

This chapter discusses combinations in chess that utilize open diagonals and tactics to open blocked diagonals, focusing on the roles of the queen and bishops. It includes various examples and diagrams illustrating tactical motifs such as discovered attacks and deflections. The chapter also emphasizes the importance of piece coordination in executing effective combinations.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
6 views8 pages

Combinations Involving Diagonals

This chapter discusses combinations in chess that utilize open diagonals and tactics to open blocked diagonals, focusing on the roles of the queen and bishops. It includes various examples and diagrams illustrating tactical motifs such as discovered attacks and deflections. The chapter also emphasizes the importance of piece coordination in executing effective combinations.

Uploaded by

Faisal Farooqi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CI:-IAPTER 15

Contents Combinations
./ The long diagonal involving diagonals
./ Opening a blocked diagonal
./ Combinations on other
In this chapter we shall examine combinations
diagonals
which exploit an open diagonal. At the same time
we shall learn how we can open a blocked diagonal
by tactical means. Of course the main pieces to
profit from an open diagonal are the queen and the
bishops. The bishops in particular are dependent on
open diagonals to develop their full potential. But
the other pieces must also support the attacking
efforts by the bishop.

In some combinations based on diagonals we shall


see tactical motifs we already know: the discovered
attack (a subject which was treated in Build Up Your
Chess 1, Chapter 7), deflection, etc.

The long diagonal

Diagram 15-1
8 V.Vukovic - N.N.
Simultaneous game
7
6 An open long diagonal and the weakness of the black
squares inspire White to a mating attack.
5
l.ctJf5!!
4 Threatening '2lh6# or '2lxe7#.
3 1...'Wxh4
1...gxf5 loses on the spot to 2.l"lg4t fxg4 3.Wxg4t.
2 If 1...Wg5, then 2.Wcl! l"ld1 (2 ... Wxcl 3.!:iJe7#;
1 2 ... Wxf5 3.Wh6!+-) 3.Wxd1 Wxf5 4.Wd4 f6
a b c d e f g h 5.i,c4h-.
2.'Wh5!!
The threat is once more !:iJh6#.
If2 ... Wxh5, then 3.!:iJe7#; while 2 ... gxf5 is followed
by 3.Wxh4 f6 4.i,c4t+-.
1-0

152
Combinations involving diagonals

Diagram 15-2
O.Panno - B.Malich
Munich Olympiad 1958

l.he5! ~xc2?
This intermediate move is refuted in an instructive
way. 1...il.xeS is met by 2.4Jc6 and White wins at
least the exchange, since 2 .. J''1b7? loses to 3.4Je7t.
2.hg7! ~xc1 3.i.f6
Threatening 1Wh6.
3 ... @f8 4JWxc1
White has two pieces for the rook and a strong
attack on the king.
4 ... @e8 5.Wfc7
Black is losing the d6-pawn as well, so he decided
to put an end to his torture.
1-0

Heidelberg 1949

1. .. ~xg2t!
Black opens the long diagonal with a combination.
2.@xg2 ~xf2t!
White resigned, in view of 2.il.xf2 e3t 3.EldS
1Wxf2t 4.~hl 1Wxel t S.~h2 1Wf2t 6.~hl e2-+.

Diagram 15-4
A.Denker - Gonzales
1945

White is well placed here and finds an elegant way to


finish the game.
l.ctJxf7t!
1.1Wh4! hS 2.g4+- or 1.4Jxh7! ~xh7 2.1Wh4t ~g8
3.1Wh6+- would also be good.
l. .. ctJxf7
1...Elxf7 is followed by 2.ii,xf7 4Jxf7 3.1Wh6!! 1Wg8
(3 ... 4Jxh6 4.f7t+-) 4.Elel!+- and then Ele8!.
2.Wfh6!
Black resigned, on account of 2 ... Elg8 (2 ... 4Jxh6
3.f7t 1Wf6 4.il.xf6#) 3.ii,xf7 1Wf8 4.ii,dS+- 1Wxh6
S.f7t Elg7 6.f8=1W#.

IS3
Tactics 7

Opening a blocked diagonal


As we have already seen, sometimes a blocked
diagonal can be opened. This very often happens
after a pawn sacrifice, but more costly sacrifices
are also possible in order, e.g. to activate a queen +
bishop battery.

Diagram 15-5
F.En lund - A.Perfiliev
Stockholm 1926

l.d5!
White breaks open Black's defences.
l...cxd5 2J'hf5! exf5
Black voluntarily allows the opening of the long
diagonal. 2 ... i.g6 3J~lxg5± would have been better.
3.e6! Wixd6 4.i.b2+- Eldd7 5.exd7 Wixf6 6.dxe8=Wit
1-0

Diagram 15-6 Diagram 15-6


H.Meckin - .Souza Mendes
Rio Hondo 1966

White prepares for the opening of the long diagonal.


l.h6 g6
1...gxh6 is also answered by 2.i.e6!+-.
2.i.e6 i.c8 3.d5!?
3.i.a2, intending c4 and d5, is also good.
3 .•.he64.Wid2!!
4.dxe6 allows Black to obtain counterplay by
4 ... gfd8.
4 ... Elf7?!
4 ... ~g8 would be a bit more stubborn: 5.'lWd4'IWe7
6.c4 ~f7 7.dxe6t 'lWxe6 S.'lWg7t ~e8 9.'lWxh7 gc8
10.gbl!+-.
5.Wid4t
5.dxe6 is also good.
5 ... 'it>g8 6.c4+-
The queen and bishop battery gives White a
powerful attack.
6 ... 'it>f8 7.dxe6 Elfa7 8.Wih8t 'it>e7 9.Wig7t?!
There is a simpler win by 9.'lWxh7t (Kotov).
9 ... 'it>xe6?
9... ~e8 is a better defensive try, although White
retains a strong attack with 1O.'lWe5.

154
Combinations involving diagonals

10.'Wf6t Wd7 11..!:!dIt We7


11...<;t>c8 loses immediately to 12.W'c6t. While
if 11...<;t>e8, then 12.W'c6t <;t>e7 (I2 ... <;t>f7 13.l"1d7t
l"1xd7 14.W'xd7t W'e7 IS.W'dSt+-) 13.id4+-.
12 ..te5t
1-0

Combinations on other diagonals


And here are two more beautiful and instructive
examples of combinations involving a diagonal.

Diagram 15-7
The end of a study by

S.Kaminer
1925

1..td6!
After this quiet move, Black is in zugzwang. He
must pin the g2-pawn and control both the el-
h4 diagonal and the d8-h4 diagonal. Even a piece
as strong as the queen is overloaded with these
numerous tasks.
1...'Wf4t
1...g4 2.ie7t+-; 1...W'e2 2.ig3#; 1...W'e1 2.g3t.
2.g3t!
A draw would be the outcome after 2.ixf4 gxf4
3.g3t fxg3t 4.<;t>g2 <;t>gS S.<;t>xg3=.
2 ... 'Wxg3t 3.,txg3#

Diagram 15-8
The end of a study by

L.Kubbel
1922

How can White stop the a-pawn?


1.d3!!
He prepares a beautiful mating attack!
1. .. a2 2.e4t! We5
2 ... dxc3 clearly loses to 3.hc3.
3.Wb7!! al='W
King moves are simply met by 4.hd4.
4 ..te7#

In the test which follows, please try to exploit the


power of the pieces which move diagonally, the queen
and the bishop.
ISS
Exercises

156
Exercises

Ex.15-94( *** D »Ex.15-124( **


8 ___ _

~ ~ ~;i~

1. ~:~

abc
w;;~
~
~..t~
d e f
~
~
g h abc d e f g h

157
Solutions
Ex. 15-1 Ex. 15-5

Moscow 1954 Serpukhov 2002

l.VNxh7t! ctJxh7 2.hh7t <±>f8 1. .. tt:hd4! 2.VNxd4


Or 2 ... ~h8 3.Cjjg6#. 2.Cjja4 Cjjxf3t-+ would have been more
3.ctJg6# stubborn.
(I point) 2 ...he3t
0-1
Ex. 15-2 (1 point)

1969
Ex. 15-6
Mann-Pa
1.E:xf7! VNxf7 2.VNxh7t! Budapest 1956
The point of the combination.
2 ... VNxh73.0# 1. .. E:xd6!
(1 point) But not the immediate l..Jl:f3t? 2.gxf3
~fl t, on account of 3.E1g2±.
Ex. 15-3 2.E:xd6 E:f3t! 3.gxf3 i.fl#
(1 point)
W. ohn - ESaemisch
Berlin 1932
Ex. 15-7
1... ttJflt!
Kellerman - Freidl
With this move Black wins a tempo for the Nuremberg 1955
redeployment of the queen.
2.hfl VNfl t 3.i.gl VNf3# 1...i.e3t 2. <±>fl
(1 point) Mter 2. <±>g3 the reply 2 ... E1g8t wins. Now
comes an elegant finish.
Ex. 15-4 2 ... VNxf3t! 3.gxf3 i.h3#
(1 point)
Wachtel- Musiol
Poland 1953
Ex. 15-8
1.E:e5!
M.Vanka - Skala
(2 points) Prague 1960
A surprising finish. White is threatening
2.E1xc5t bxc5 3.~c7#. The only way for Black l.b4!
to stop a quick mate is with silly moves like This prepares ~b2.
l...b5 or l...E1b5, but then he loses the rook. 1. ..VNd8
So he resigned. Or l...Wb6 2.Wxf6t+-.
If l...E1xe5, then 2.~xe5 b5 3.~c7# or 2.VNxf6t! <±>xf6
2. .. ~e2 3 .~c3#. 2 ... <±>g8 3.~b2 Cjjxd5 4.Wg7#
3.i.b2#
(2 points)

158
Solutions
Ex. 15-9 Ex. 15-11
E.Guttmann S.Malesic - L.Masic
1935 Yugoslavia 1965

White can force mate. White exploits the activity of his pieces.
1.i.d6! 1.hg6!!
(1 point) (1 point)
1.J.b4? loses to 1...l''k7!, while l.J.c5? loses 1...fxg6
to l..J''1d7!. Or 1...hxg6 2.'<Mrh8#.
1...~f5 2.i.b4! 2.Wfe6#
(another 1 point)
But not 2.J.a3? :gb5-+. Ex. 15-12
2 ... ~f3 3.i.c5! ~f4 4.i.a3!
(another 1 point) Mending 1987
4 ... ~b4 5.hb4 i.f3 6.i.c3#
1.tLlxe5!
Ex. 15-10 (1 point)
The threat is ti'Jf7#.
Muller - Vole
1...~xf2t
1940
1...dxe5 2.J.xe5t :gf6 3.J.xf6#
White carries out a typical mating 2.~hl h5
combination. If 2 ... :gh2t 3.1:t>xh2 '<Mre2t, then 4.~h1
1.Wfe6t!! fxe6 2.i.h5t g6 3.hg6# (also good is 4.:gg2) 4 ... '<Mrxe4t 5.ti'Jf3t ti'Jd4
(1 point) 6.J.xd4t+-.
3.tLlf'7t ~h7 4.~g7#
(1 bonus point for this variation)

Scoring
Maximum number of points is 17

15 points and above-···· . . ··. ···· . · ·.. Excellent


12 points and above..........·....................·.... Good
9 points..................·............................................ Pass mark

Ifyou scored less than 9 points, we recommend that you read the
chapter again and repeat the exercises which you got wrong.

159

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