Together With The Candidates - Kuzmin PDF

Table of Contents
Title page
Key To Symbols
Introduction
Chapter 1 - Through the Pages of History (Part 1)

Chapter 2 - Tests for Grandmasters (Part 1)

Chapter 2 - Tests for Grandmasters (Part 2)
Chapter 3 - When the Opponent Attacks (Part 1)

Chapter 3 - When the Opponent Attacks (Part 2)
Chapter 4 - Strategy in Action (Part 1)

Chapter 4 - Strategy in Action (Part 2)
Chapter 5 - Kaleidoscope of Tasks (Part 1)

Chapter 5 - Kaleidoscope of Tasks (Part 2)
Chapter 6 - The Primary School(Part 1)

Chapter 6 - The Primary School(Part 2)
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Table of Contents
Title page 3
Key To Symbols 5
Introduction 6
Chapter 1 - Through the Pages of History (Part 1) 8
Chapter 2 - Tests for Grandmasters (Part 1) 120
Chapter 2 - Tests for Grandmasters (Part 2) 157
Chapter 3 - When the Opponent Attacks (Part 1) 200
Chapter 3 - When the Opponent Attacks (Part 2) 234
Chapter 4 - Strategy in Action (Part 1) 270
Chapter 4 - Strategy in Action (Part 2) 285
Chapter 5 - Kaleidoscope of Tasks (Part 1) 297
Chapter 5 - Kaleidoscope of Tasks (Part 2) 323
Chapter 6 - The Primary School(Part 1) 343
Chapter 6 - The Primary School(Part 2) 364
385
Together with the Candidates
Budapest 1950 to Berlin 2018
By
Alexey Kuzmin
Thinkers Publishing 2018
www.thinkerspublishing.com
First edition 2018 by Thinkers Publishing

Copyright © 2018 Alexey Kuzmin
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise,
without the prior written permission from the publisher.
All sales or enquiries should be directed to Thinkers Publishing, 9850 Landegem, Belgium.
Email: info@thinkerspublishing.com
Website: www.thinkerspublishing.com
Managing Editor: Romain Edouard

Assistant Editor: Daniël Vanheirzeele
Software: Hub van de Laar
Proofreading: Bernard Carpinter
Graphic Artist: Philippe Tonnard
Cover Design: Mieke Mertens
Typesetting: Mathilde Choisy
Photos: 64 – Chess Review
3
Production: BESTinGraphics
ISBN: 9789492510358
D/2018/13730/17
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Key to Symbols used
! a good move
? a weak move
!! an excellent move
?? a blunder
!? an interesting move
?! a dubious move
™ only move
= equality
∞ unclear position
² White stands slightly better
³ Black stands slightly better
± White has a serious advantage
µ Black has a serious advantage
+– White has a decisive advantage
–+ Black has a decisive advantage
‚ with an attack
ƒ with an initiative
„ with counterplay
… with the idea of
¹ better is
≤ worse is
N novelty
+ check
# mate
© with compensation for the sacrificed material
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Introduction
First of all I have to say some words about two remarkable books...
A very long time ago, when I was studying at primary school, I found on my dad’s shelf the book by
David Bronstein, The International Grandmasters Tournament. My grandfather had bought it for my
father. I already knew how to play chess so I started to look at the games and read the comments. I liked
the book a lot. It talked about the Candidates tournament in Zurich 1953. Generally there were several
tournament books in my dad’s library: books of championships of the USSR, Interzonals and simply
great tournaments. But Bronstein’s book contained unusual comments. The chess pieces seemed to be
alive there with their own problems, hopes and plans. This original and talented book made the
tournament itself wonderful for me. From that time on I have been convinced that the Candidates
tournaments are the special ones!
The second book that I would like to mention here was bought for me by my dad a bit later. Written by
two famous Czech grandmasters, Hort and Jansa, it immediately became one of my favourite books. The
book contained 230 tests from the authors’ games and their bright, sometimes ironic comments. In one or
two sentences the grandmasters talked about their thoughts and emotions before, during and after the
games and even in the moment of decision-making there. It created the feeling of being in a dialogue
with them. When I started to solve the tests I imagined myself being a grandmaster too and it was in my
own game that the position happened so I had to play like Hort or Jansa or even better! This book
impressed me very much! In the Russian version its title was Together with the Grandmasters...
The book Together with the Candidates that you are holding is firstly a book of tests with their solutions,
given in the format of game fragments with detailed comments. All the tasks in this book have been
taken from games of the Candidates competitions. They differ very much in their degree of complexity. I
hope this will allow a wide circle of readers to find the tests corresponding to their own chess level here.
The first chapter is a presentation of the history of all the Candidates tournaments and matches. The
chapters “Tests for Grandmasters” and “When the Opponent Attacks” have collected the most difficult
tests, each one being a hard nut to crack. The tests of the fourth and the fifth chapters are considerably
simpler, and the tests from the sixth and final chapter, “The Primary School”, could be a walk in the park
for experienced players.
The third and the fourth chapters, “When the Opponent Attacks” and “Strategy in Action”, are
characterized by a thematic selection of the tests. In the third chapter you have to try to discover the
opponent’s threats and plans, to refute them or at least to disarm them. This is one of the most difficult
practical tasks that a chess player faces in a game. The title of the fourth one speaks for itself. Relatively
easy tests where you should make correct strategic decisions have been gathered here.
I suggest that when solving the tests you imagine yourselves between the participants in the Candidates
competitions, to see the chessboard through their eyes. Together with the Candidates you should think
over the crucial positions, feel the fighting tension and, the most important thing, try to make the right
decisions.
However if the first component of this book is definitely training, the second one is likely to be called
aesthetic or even nostalgic. I remind readers of the great tournaments and matches of yesteryear,
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dramatic turns of fighting and key moments from the brightest games played there.
Of course not all the famous combinations have been included in the book. Some of them, realized
already in the initial stage of a game, became a part of opening theory, and some of them were simply
not convenient for the tests’ format. That is why the book Together with the Candidates is not a book of
the best games of the Candidates tournaments.
Personally, I love examining cross-tables of the old tournaments. I had been following some of these
tournaments in my school and student years, and some of them my dad told me about... That is why I
have included the cross-tables of the Candidates tournaments for their entire history of almost 70 years.
I hope that this book will be useful for improving chess players and their coaches. Perhaps it will also
stimulate the interest of chess lovers wishing to relive the history of the Candidates battles.
I think the individual test solutions will be useful for your improvement, and looking through the detailed
comments of these solutions will give you aesthetic pleasure. And if the episodes of the old battles,
remarkable tournaments of the past as well as the names of slightly forgotten great chess players rekindle
warm memories of those years, the author of this book will consider his task fulfilled...
Alexey Kuzmin, Moscow, June 2018
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Show in Text Mode
Chapter 1
Through the Pages of History
This first chapter is the chapter of presentation.

All the official Candidates competitions to select challengers for the world chess crown are introduced
here. We leaf through the pages of their almost 70-years of history.
Our story starts with the Candidates tournament in Budapest in 1950. Of course, tournaments connected
with determining the challenger for a reigning world champion had been already held before. The
famous tournament in New York in 1927 contained in its initial regulations a special paragraph stating
that the winner would earn the right to a match against the champion. Another one, the AVRO
tournament in Holland in 1938, had been considered an unofficial Candidates tournament by the
organizers and the majority of the chess world. However in those years the right of a challenger had a
moral rather than legal character. Furthermore, the challenger faced the extremely difficult task of
ensuring a prize fund for the title match.
The role of FIDE (the world chess governing body) increased very much after the end of the Second
World War. FIDE assumed the entire organization of the world championships.
From 1948 the well-defined cycle system of organizing a world championship, including the system of
determining a challenger, started to work. A challenger, having earned the right to play a title match, had
to worry no more about organizational and financial questions. The Candidates competitions became the
highest step of the stairway leading to the world championship match.
The presentation of the Candidates tournament in Berlin 2018 opens our historical tour. Then we shall
come back to the first such competition, held in Budapest in 1950, and start moving from Mikhail
Botvinnik’s reign on the chess throne up to the present day.
For the presentation I have chosen one bright game from each Candidates competition – except for
Berlin 2018, with three games presented – and have given them in test format.
About a half century ago, Robert Fischer wrote a book. It had an unusual title for a book of selected
games: My 60 Memorable Games. Up to now, it has been one of my favourite books. The tests given in
the first chapter have been taken just from the most memorable games of the Candidates tournaments and
matches. Therefore, a tournament winner has not always been presented as an author of a chosen game.
Of course the tests from these memorable games have different levels of difficulty as well as various
characters of tasks. In this chapter I have not aimed to classify the tests by any definite feature. I guess
the majority of these tests correspond to the level 2100-2300.
However, I am sure that many readers will be very interested to see – and perhaps be reminded of –
sparkling combinations and unexpected finales of spectacular games.
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The Tournaments’ Presentation and the Test Positions
Candidates Tournament - Berlin 2018
The tournament was held in Berlin 10-28 March 2018.
The main intrigue developed during the last three rounds.

Sergey Karjakin, who had won the previous Candidates tournament but narrowly failed to unseat world
champion Magnus Carlsen in their title match, had started the tournament awfully with one point from
the first four rounds, but then he started to improve his standing step-by-step. In the 12th round he
defeated Fabiano Caruana and seized joint leadership: Karjakin and Caruana had seven points (with
Karjakin leading on tie-break), and half a point behind were Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Alexander
Grischuk and Ding Liren.
In the penultimate round, Mamedyarov and Caruana defeated Grischuk and Aronian respectively, while
Ding Liren and Karjakin drew their games. That gave Caruana a half-point lead over Karjakin and
Mamedyarov before the final round but he had worse tie breaks than both of them.
In the last round, Karjakin and Mamedyarov tried hard but could not get enough winning chances – their
games ended in draws. At that time Caruana obtained a strong position with Black against Grischuk and
converted it to a win!
TEST №1
Caruana, Fabiano (2784)

So, Wesley (2799)
Berlin 2018
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Position after: 18...Be7xc5
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
The solution to test №1
Those who understood at once that the key for this test was a strategic decision were absolutely right!
It is not so difficult to understand that undermining Black’s centre with e2-e4 must lead to a structural
change in White’s favour. More difficult is to see the opponent’s counter-play and to realize the plan
precisely while avoiding the underwater reefs.
19.Ng5!
Only this manoeuvre allows White to seize the initiative.

A) The immediate 19.e4? is wrong because of 19...Qb6! The attack of the f2-square together with the
threat ...b3! allows Black to seize the initiative completely and get an advantage: 20.exd5 (20.Bf4 b3
21.axb3 axb3 22.Qd2 Ra2! 23.Rxa2 bxa2µ; 20.Be3 d4 21.Bf4 Be7!µ) 20...b3 21.axb3 (21.Qe2 Ba6µ)
21...axb3 22.Qxc5 Nxc5 23.Rxa8 Nd3µ;
B) The preparatory 19.Bf4 is stronger but also in this case 19...Qb6! destroys all White’s plans:
B1) 20.e3 Re8 leads to an approx.imately equal position;
B2) ...and 20.Ng5!? Bxf2+ 21.Kh1 g6 to an unclear one.
19.Ng5! g6 20.Bf4 Qb6!
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Black has to rush with organizing his counter-play.
A) Pushing away the white knight with 20...h6? does not work for many reasons, the most convincing
one being 21.Ne6!;
B) And after 20...Qe7:
B1) The quiet 21.Nf3 gives White a clear positional advantage: 21...Bb7 (or 21...f5 22.Rac1) 22.e4!.
B2) However the aggressive 21.h4!? with a dangerous initiative looks rather attractive too.
21.e4! b3 22.axb3 axb3 23.Qe2
The position that has arisen can be a good and complicated enough test for making defensive decision.
A possible additional test:
Can Black hold the position?
Position after: 23.Qe2
23...Ba6?!
This leads to a clear advantage for White. In addition to the move in the game, two more continuations
deserve serious attention.
А) 23...Rxa1 24.Rxa1 Nxe5!? (24...h6?! is not good because of 25.Nxf7!) Now both 25.Bxe5 f6 26.exd5
fxe5 27.Kh1! Be7 and 25.exd5 Ng4 26.Ne4 lead to positions with advantage for White. However his
chances should not be overestimated; White has only a small advantage.
B) 23...Ra2! Stockfish considers this continuation definitely best, and this move would have been the
answer to the additional test. Then White has two possibilities.
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B1) 24.Rab1 h6! 25.Nxf7 Rxf7 26.exd5 White has two pawns for the sacrificed piece, full
compensation and easier play. Black has to make a few only moves to hold the position: 26...Nf8!
27.e6 Re7! 28.Bxh6 cxd5 29.Bxd5 Bb7! 30.Bxb7 Rxb7 31.Rbc1 Nxe6 32.Qg4! Re7!! with a probable
draw.
B2) However from a practical point of view, 24.e6! fxe6! 25.exd5 exd5 26.Qe6+ Kg7 27.Be3! is
perhaps more dangerous for Black.
Position after: 27.Be3!
Stockfish has also managed to defend this position but only by using a variation that is very difficult for
a human to find: 27...h6! 28.Rac1 hxg5 29.Rxc5 Qb4!! and now on 30.Rec1 – 30...Nxc5, and on
30.Rcc1 – 30...Rxb2! allows Black to hold the position but nothing more.
24.Qf3
Here is the thing! With a manoeuvre of the knight on the 19th move Caruana has not only weakened the
opponent’s king cover, but also freed the f3-square for his queen. White has a clear advantage!
If when solving the test you noticed this nuance and carried out the undermining e2-e4 as Caruana did,
you have completely coped with the task!
If you preferred the immediate 19.e4 – that signifies that your positional understanding clearly surpasses
your tactical vision and you should work seriously on improving this component of chess skill.
24...Bc4
After 24...f6? Black does not manage to undertake anything on the kingside: 25.exf6 Nxf6 26.exd5
Nxd5 27.Ne6 Rf7 28.Rac1 with a decisive advantage.
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25.Rxa8 Rxa8
Position after: 25...Rxa8
26.e6!
The decisive breakthrough. However 26.Bh3!? could also be possible.
26...dxe4
After 26...fxe6? 27.Bc7! decides.
27.exf7+ Bxf7 28.Nxe4 Bd4?!
28...Re8 29.Rd1± was steadier.
29.Nd6! Bd5?!
Accelerates the end.
30.Qe2 Nf8 31.Bxd5+ cxd5 32.Qf3 Qa5 33.Re7
1–0
Caruana’s game against So was played in the first round. Having won in fine style, he immediately
entered the leading group – so the first step on the way to the match against Magnus Carlsen had been
made!
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TEST №2
Aronian, Levon (2794)

Kramnik, Vladimir (2800)
Berlin 2018
Black to move
Show/Hide Solution
Fantastic for a tournament of such status, this miniature deserves to be completely shown.
One needs to mention that Kramnik’s games in a sharp and creative style were a real centrepiece of the
Berlin Candidates tournament!
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.0-0 Qe7 7.h3
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Position after: 7.h3
7...Rg8!
From this moment events become almost surrealistic, and rather troubling for White.
8.Kh1 Nh5 9.c3 g5! 10.Nxe5
Already by the 10th move Aronian has fallen into serious difficulties.
In case of 10.d4 exd4 11.cxd4 Bb6 the pawn centre doesn’t promise anything for White in terms of
creating counter-play or solving the problems of kingside defence.
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Position after: 10.Nxe5
10...g4! 11.d4 Bd6 12.g3
An attempt of building at least some barrier on the road of increasing threats.

Opening the g- and h-files with 12.hxg4 was not a good idea: 12...Qh4+ 13.Kg1 Bxe5 14.dxe5 Bxg4
15.f3 Bh3 16.Rf2 Ng3 with an immediate rout.
12...Bxe5 13.dxe5 Qxe5 14.Qd4
Position after: 14.Qd4
14...Qe7!
An interesting point: Stockfish gives preference to the exchange 14...Qxd4 15.cxd4 gxh3 16.Kh2,
guessing the advantage of Black to be more considerable in this case. However, in a real game defending
a worse ending is of course much easier than resisting the tactical threats of an opponent attacking your
king.
15.h4?!
Blocking the kingside is impossible anyway, so 15.Be3 was comparatively best.
15...c5! 16.Qc4 Be6 17.Qb5+ c6 18.Qa4?
We reach the position of our test.

When an opponent attacks your king the risk grows many times over – one imprecise move can become
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a fatal mistake. And that’s what happened!
Placing the queen on a4, Aronian prevented the opponent’s castling but it was necessary to defend his
own king from threats. The retreat 18.Qd3µ was the least damaging.
Position after: 18.Qa4??
18...f5!
A decisive breakthrough!
Its main idea becomes evident in the combination following in reply to the capture 19.exf5 – 19...Nxg3!!
20.fxg3 Bd5+ 21.Kg1 Qe2 22.Rf2 Qe1+ 23.Rf1 Qxg3 mate!
However if White continues his development with 19.Nd2 or 19.Na3, without reacting to the actions in
the centre, the black pawn will carry on its march: 19...f4, destroying the cover of the king.
Sometimes an uncastled king feels much safer than its castled rival.
I have to disappoint those who tried to organize a piece attack – after 18...Qf6?! 19.Nd2 Black is most
likely to spend a tempo on the ugly move ...а7-а6, and this is no way to conduct a decisive attack!
Those who recommended the move 18...f5 “just out of feeling” are also not fully right – if Black doesn’t
find the sacrifice ...Nxg3+, he has some advantage, but nothing dramatic. It is important to see both
moves!
However those who found the hidden idea of the combination and offered the undermining of the e4-
pawn with the aim realizing this combination, understood the position like Kramnik and better than
Aronian did!
19.Bg5
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Now such a little thing as a necessity to sacrifice the exchange cannot stop an attacking impulse!
Position after: 19.Bg5
19...Rxg5! 20.hxg5 f4!
White’s army has no time to come to help his king. His position is completely hopeless.
21.Qd1 Rd8 22.Qc1 fxg3 23.Na3 Rd3 24.Rd1
Position after: 24.Rd1
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Black has a choice and Kramnik chooses the shortest way!
24...Bd5! 25.f3
25.Re1 could not prolong resistance: 25...gxf2 26.exd5 f1=Q+ 27.Rxf1 Qe4+ with mate.
25...gxf3! 26.exd5 Qe2 27.Re1
Position after: 27.Re1
27...g2+!
Black gives checkmate in five moves!
0–1
Starting from this game, the tournament went badly for Aronian in Berlin. Kramnik seized the sole
leadership with 2.5 out of 3 – however, only up to the end of next round...
TEST №3
Karjakin, Sergey (2763)

Ding, Liren (2769)
Berlin 2018
19
Black to move
Show/Hide Solution
27...h3+!
The check of this small black pawn deprived Sergey Karjakin of his last hopes of repeating his success of
2016 and securing a new match against Carlsen. The game was played in the last round; Karjakin had
half a point less than Caruana...
28.Kg1
28.Kxh3?? led to a loss: 28...g4+! 29.Kxg4 Qe6+ and a quick mate is unavoidable.
28...Rxf3 29.g4!
The only move saving White from big troubles.
29...Kg7 30.Rxf3 Qxf3 31.Qxf3 Rxf3 32.Rf1 Rxf1+ 33.Kxf1 Bxa5
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Position after: 33...Bxa5
In spite of Black’s two extra pawns, the position is a draw.
34.Ne7 Kf6 35.Nf5 Ke6 36.Ng3 Bd8 37.Nh1 a5 38.Ke2 d5 39.Nf2 Kd6 40.exd5 Kxd5 41.Ne4 Kc6
42.Kd2 Be7 43.Kc1 Kb5 44.Kb2 a4 45.Ka2 a3 ½-½
In fact, Ding’s small combination has not changed the assessment of the position. However, it had a very
nice elegance and huge sporting importance.
Now let’s go back to almost 70 years ago and begin from the first Candidates Tournament...
Candidates Tournament - Budapest 1950
The first Candidates tournament was held in Budapest 9 April-20 May 1950.
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Going into the final round, Isaak Boleslavsky had a half-point lead over David Bronstein. He made a
short draw and gave Bronstein the opportunity to catch him, which he did, with a bright win against
Keres (you can see the end of this game in Chapter 6 – “The Primary School”).
The winners played a tie-break match two months later in Moscow.
Bronstein earned the right to challenge the reigning champion, Mikhail Botvinnik. Their match took
place the following year in Moscow. The dramatic fight ended in a draw, 12-12, and Botvinnik kept his
title.
TEST №4
Bronstein, David
Boleslavsky, Isaak
Moscow 1950
22
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
The game was played not at the Candidates tournament itself, which took place earlier the same year in
Budapest, but during the match between its two winners to select the first opponent for world champion
Mikhail Botvinnik.
It was the starting game of the match and at the same time a continuation of an opening duel that had
begun in the tournament.
In Budapest Bronstein in the main line of the Grunfeld Defence had used a specially prepared novelty -
an unexpected exchange sacrifice – and the assessment of its consequences remains a subject of
discussion up to now!
In Budapest Boleslavsky solved his problems, but Bronstein had prepared an improvement for the match
and used it. Boleslavsky committed an inaccuracy and White seized the initiative.
19.Bd2!!
“An unexpected retreat, found at the board and overlooked by the opponent. As if developing Alekhine’s
ideas, White plays over the whole board! Bronstein thought in positional categories that were still
unknown to most players of that time,” Garry Kasparov wrote in his famous series of books My Great
Predecessors.
19...b6
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19...Bd7 doesn’t help: 20.Bb4 Qe3 21.Rd1 Ba4 22.Bxa5 Bxd1 23.Qxd1 winning -- Kasparov.
20.Bb4 Qc7
20...Qe3 21.Qd4 Qxd4 22.Nxd4 Bxd5 23.exd5 Rxd5 24.Be4 also loses.
21.Rc1 Qb7
21...Qd7 22.Nd4 Bf7 23.Bb5 Qb7 24.Bxa5 bxa5 25.Bc6 with a technically won position -- Kasparov.
Position after: 21...Qb7
22.Qb1! Rab8?
This simplifies White’s realization of his advantage.

“However, after 22...Bc8 23.Nf4 (with the threat of e4-e5) 23...Rf8 (23...Qb8?! 24.Bxe7+-) 24.Qb2 Qb8
25.d6 Black also has a difficult, objectively lost position,” Kasparov wrote.
If you found the manoeuvre 19.Bd2!! you have already coped with the test and now you are to judge how
much your variations coincided with Garry Kasparov’s analysis!
23.dxe6 Nc6 24.Bc3 Ne5 25.Bb5 Rbc8 26.Bxe5 Rxc1+ 27.Qxc1 fxe5 28.Bd7 Qa6 29.Ng3 Qxa2 30.h4
Rf8 31.Qg5 Rf6 32.Qxf6 1–0
Candidates Tournament - Zurich 1953

This remarkable tournament was held in Zurich 28 August-24 October 1953. It remains famous because
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of the great players, the number of brilliant games, and the tournament book (!) by David Bronstein that
is considered one of the best tournament books ever written.
Smyslov qualified for his first world championship match, which was drawn, allowing Botvinnik to
retain his title.
TEST №5
Averbakh, Yuri
Kotov, Alexander
Zurich 1953
25
Black to move
Show/Hide Solution
30...Qxh3+!!
Many bright, complicated and memorable games were played in Zurich. However the duel Averbakh-
Kotov with the sacrifice of the queen and the forced march of the white king became a kind of a visiting
card of the Candidates Tournament-1953. And the fact that this combination itself is not too difficult and
“the tree of variations calculation” reminds one of “a naked trunk” (in the terminology of Alexander
Kotov himself) is not so important!
31.Kxh3 Rh6+ 32.Kg4 Nf6+ 33.Kf5 Nd7 34.Rg5
This is the only way of defending from rook mates by the f-, g- and h-files.
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Position after: 34.Rg5
Today the game Averbakh-Kotov is as far removed from us as this game itself was from the masterpieces
of Adolf Anderssen and Paul Morphy.
However it was played in the middle of the pragmatic 20th century when all the laws of chess strategy
had been established, and “immortal” and “evergreen” combinations were left in the chess coffee-shops
of the far past.
Certainly, the presence of a King’s Indian structure doesn’t let us forget about the realities of the time.
However, events on the board bring us into the world of a romantic epoch...
34...Rf8+
34...Bxg5?? was a mistake: 35.Kxg5 Rg6+ 36.Kh4 and Black has not enough power to mate the white
king.
35.Kg4 Nf6+ 36.Kf5 Ng8+ 37.Kg4 Nf6+ 38.Kf5 Nxd5+ 39.Kg4 Nf6+ 40.Kf5 Ng8+ 41.Kg4 Nf6+
42.Kf5 Ng8+ 43.Kg4 Bxg5 44.Kxg5
Multiple repetitions were aimed to pass the time control.
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Position after: 44.Kxg5
44...Rf7!
The decisive introduction of the rook. A quick mate is unavoidable.
45.Bh4 Rg6+ 46.Kh5 Rfg7 47.Bg5 Rxg5+ 48.Kh4 Nf6 49.Ng3 Rxg3 50.Qxd6 R3g6 51.Qb8+ Rg8 0–1
Candidates Tournament - Amsterdam 1956

The third Candidates tournament was held in Amsterdam 27 March-1 May 1956.
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Smyslov won the Amsterdam tournament, repeating his success three years earlier in Zurich. In 1957
Smyslov won the title match against Botvinnik and became the sixth world champion, only to lose the
crown a year later as Botvinnik won the return match.
TEST №6
Smyslov, Vassily
Bronstein, David
Amsterdam/Leeuwarden 1956
29
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
Three rounds before the finish of this tournament Smyslov and Keres had nine points out of 15,
Bronstein and Geller half a point less. This game played a decisive role in the final placement.
Black has just played 31...Bg5-d2 with the idea of transferring the bishop to а5. White cannot capture the
а7-pawn because of check on the first rank.
32.e6!
White begins a vigorous attack. Soon his entire small army will participate in it!
In fact after 32.f4?! Ba5! the threat of 33...Rc5, attacking the weak b5-pawn, forces one to prefer Black’s
position.
In his games Smyslov usually tried to avoid unpredictable complications, giving preference to logical
and precise realization of strategic plans.
However, these strategic plans were sometimes crowned with “small combinations”, as Capablanca
called them.
32.e6! Bg5
32...fxe6? 33.Rf3+ Bf7 34.Rxa7 leads to a losing position, which is why the bishop has to come back.
However, Black’s position still looks reliable.
33.h4! fxe6
The lesser evil was 33...Bf6 34.Nxf6 gxf6. Although in this case, White had an attractive choice:
A) 35.Rxa7 fxe6 36.Bc6 (36.Rxh7? Bf7 with counter-play) 36...Bxc6 37.bxc6 Rxc6 38.Rxh7 and despite
a four-rook endgame with material balance it will be difficult for Black to gain a draw.
B) Perhaps Black’s task becomes even more difficult after 35.exf7! Bxf7 36.Rf3 Rd6 37.Rxa7±.
34.Rf3+ Kg8
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Position after: 34...Kg8
35.Bh3!!
An elegant and unexpected manoeuvre!

Only this move makes White’s big advantage clear. It sounds as a final chord in solving the given test!
The captures on a7 or on g5 are wrong and lead only to approximately equal positions.
35...Bd7
35...Bf7? loses at once: 36.hxg5 Rxd5 37.Rxa7+–.
36.Rxa7 exd5
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Position after: 36...exd5
37.Rxd7
Now the capture by bishop was a precise solution: 37.Bxd7! Rc1+ 38.Kg2 Bf6 39.Be6+ Kh8 (After
39...Kf8? 40.Re3! wins at once.) 40.Rb7 d4 41.Bf5! White wins the b6-pawn and due to the outside
passed pawn and the more active bishop he must realize his advantage.
37...Bf6 38.Be6+
Now by retreating his king into the corner with 38...Kh8! Bronstein could get good chances of saving the
game: 39.Rb7 Rb8. But he played...
38...Kf8?
...and after some small adventures Smyslov won the game. However, it does not concern the test solution
at all...
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Smyslov – Flohr, Moscow 1939
The training tournament held in January 1939 in Leningrad and Moscow is not very well known.
However it was one of the last really strong competitions staged before the Second World War. In
addition to all the best Soviet chessplayers (except Mikhail Botvinnik), Salo Flohr, Andre Lilienthal and
Paul Keres (these three were not yet USSR citizens then) as well as the American Samuel Reshevsky took
part in it. Flohr convincingly won the tournament 1.5 points ahead of Reshevsky, who took the second
prize.
Flohr’s game against the young Moscow master Vassily Smyslov ended in a draw. This tournament saw
Smyslov’s debut in the international arena. In May 1938 Smyslov was still in his final year at school and
was rated in the first category in chess. In the following months he managed to become the champion of
Moscow and now he played against the world’s best.
Candidates Tournament - Bled, Zagreb, Belgrad 1959

The tournament was held in three cities, Bled, Zagreb and Belgrade, 6 September-31 October 1959.
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In the history of chess this tournament had been marked by the magical character of Mikhail Tal’s play
and by the first appearance of Robert Fischer on the stage of a Candidates battle.
One year earlier Tal had won in a bright combinational style the Interzonal tournament in Portoroz, and
after this brilliant victory Tal became the idol of the Yugoslav chess fans. In 1960 Tal beat Botvinnik to
win the world title, but he lost the rematch a year later.
TEST №7
Tal, Mihail
Smyslov, Vassily
Bled/Zagreb/Belgrade 1959
White to move
34
Show/Hide Solution
This famous game surely deserves to be shown completely.

Dramatic episodes of this conflict have been examined and analyzed through all the decades since the
game.
We would not plunge here into fantastic labyrinths of its variations but only stop on the main crucial
moments and mention those variations where the strict Stockfish has added its significant corrections...
1.e4 c6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 e5 4.Ngf3 Nd7 5.d4 dxe4 6.Nxe4 exd4 7.Qxd4 Ngf6 8.Bg5 Be7 9.0-0-0 0-0
10.Nd6 Qa5 11.Bc4 b5 12.Bd2 Qa6 13.Nf5 Bd8
Position after: 13...Bd8
The drama of this game developed fast after the first 13 moves.
14.Qh4!
A piece sacrifice, based on intuitive assessment!

There is no big danger at the first sight. Black can prevent direct threats without serious problems.
However, he is hardly able to cope with the increasing pressure and steadily strengthening attack.
Since then such sacrifices have been called “a sacrifice in Tal’s style”.
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14...bxc4 15.Qg5 Nh5
After 15...g6 16.Bc3 Qxa2 17.Nh6+ Kg7:

A) In case of 18.Ng4, as mentioned by Kasparov, Black can try either the simple 18...Kg8 or the fancy
18...Ne5!?, in both cases maintaining the balance.
B) 18.Nh4 looks more interesting. I would mention three original directions here: 18...Qa1+ 19.Kd2
Qa5!!; 18...Nc5!? 19.Qxc5 Qa1+! 20.Kd2 Qa6 21.Qg5 Qa5!!=; and 18...Ne5!? 19.Bxe5 Re8!=.
16.Nh6+ Kh8 17.Qxh5 Qxa2!
17...Bf6 gave White some useful choices:

A) In addition to a slightly more pleasant ending arising after 18.Nxf7+ Kg8 19.N7g5 h6 20.Ne4 Qxa2
21.Nxf6+ Nxf6 22.Qa5...
B) ...one can choose 18.Ng5!? Bxg5 19.Qxg5 f6 20.Qf4 with good chances of moving into profitable
variations examined in the comments to the next move.
18.Bc3!
Position after: 18.Bc3!
18...Nf6?
A) After 18...Bf6 19.Ng5! Bxg5+ 20.Qxg5 f6, 21.Qf4! was the best move. 21...Nc5 22.Rhe1 Be6
23.Rd6! This manoeuvre keeps the best chances for White. 23...Rae8 (23...Rad8?! 24.Kd2 Qa6 25.Qd4±)
24.Kd2! Qa4 25.Qd4 Qb5 26.Kc1!⩲.
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B) The best reply, 18...Bc7!, was revealed in Kasparov’s book My Great Predecessors. Black
successfully defends after either 19.Qh4 f6, or the more forcing 19.g3!? Nf6 20.Qh4 Bg4! 21.Qxf6
Qa1+ 22.Kd2 Rad8+ 23.Ke3 Rde8+ 24.Kd2 with a draw.
After the fatal mistake of Smyslov – 18...Nf6 – the position given as a test arose.
Position after: 18...Nf6?
19.Qxf7!!
This queen sacrifice was a final chord of this most famous and memorable game of the Candidates
Tournament 1959.
19...Qa1+
The most steady continuation.

It could not save the game but allowed Smyslov to avoid a classic “smothered” checkmate.
Two ways led immediately to this mate: 19...Rxf7 20.Rxd8+ Ng8 21.Nxf7#; or 19...Re8 20.Qg8+ Rxg8
21.Nf7#.
One can also add that after 19...Be7 the second knight could enter the mating attack with decisive effect:
20.Ne5!!.
20.Kd2 Rxf7 21.Nxf7+ Kg8 22.Rxa1 Kxf7 23.Ne5+ Ke6 24.Nxc6
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Position after: 24.Nxc6
White’s huge material advantage leaves no doubts as to the outcome of this fascinating game.
24...Ne4+ 25.Ke3 Bb6+ 26.Bd4
1–0
I hope you managed to find the spectacular sacrifice of the queen!

You can easily imagine what a lift of emotion as well as a burst of energy Mikhail Tal felt, having made
on the board the move 19.Qxf7!!.
I would add that at that time he was only 22...
Candidates Tournament - Curacao 1962

The tournament was held in Curacao 2 May-26 June 1962.
38
Tal was in bad health, withdrew after the third of four cycles, and was hospitalized.
Two rounds before the finish Tigran Petrosian and Paul Keres shared the lead. But Keres unexpectedly
lost to Pal Benko in the penultimate round and Petrosian, who drew his last five games of the
tournament, emerged as the winner. One year later he beat Botvinnik and became the ninth World
champion. By now return matches had been abolished.
Soon after the tournament, Fischer publicly alleged that the Soviets had colluded to prevent any non-
Soviet player – specifically him – from winning. FIDE responded to the allegations by changing the
format of future Candidates competitions. Starting from the next cycle, the Candidates tournament was
replaced by a knock-out series of matches.
Later Keres and Efim Geller played a match to determine second place. Keres won, earning an automatic
place in the next cycle’s Candidates competition.
TEST №8
Keres, Paul
Geller, Efim
Moscow 1962
39
Position after: 18...f6
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
19.Qh5!
The sacrifice 19.Bxh7+? would be premature. After 19...Kxh7 20.Qh5+ Kg8 21.Ng6 Qd6 the position is
unclear.
19.Qh5! g6 20.Nxg6! hxg6 21.Bxg6
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Position after: 21.Bxg6
You are right if, having reached this position in your calculations, you assessed it as won for White.
Black has no defence.
21...Qg7
A) 21...Ba6 loses after 22.d6! Bxd6 (or 22...Qg7 23.d7 Rcd8 24.Rd4! Bxf1 25.Rg4 Be2 26.Bh7+ Kh8
27.Bf5+ with mate) 23.Rfe1 Qg7 (23...Be5 24.Bxe5 fxe5 25.Rxe5 is hopeless) 24.Rxd6 Nc4 25.Rd3
Nxb2 26.Rg3 with a fast win.
B) In case of 21...Rc7 White can continue as in the game 22.Rd3 Bd6 23.f4 and the attack is irresistible.
22.Rd3 Bd6
“In case of 22...Ba6 White wins immediately with 23.Rg3 Bxf1 24.Bh7+ Kh8 25.Bf5+.” (Keres)
23.f4!
Renewing the threat of Rg3.
23...Qh8 24.Qg4 Bc5+ 25.Kh1 Rc7
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Position after: 25...Rc7
26.Bh7+ Kf7 27.Qe6+ Kg7 28.Rg3+
1–0
That was how the Candidates play-off match Keres-Geller finished.

Keres won 4.5-3.5 and again took second place in the Candidates tournament. He had already been
second in Bled in 1959 and Amsterdam in 1956, and second equal in Zurich in 1953...
Journalists named him “the eternal second”. Paul Keres never played a match for the title of world
champion.
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The actors on the chess stage
Efim Geller is downstage, Paul Keres and Eduard Gufeld are talking a little to the side. Viktor
Kortschnoj is watching from afar with arms crossed, while Rafael Vaganian is thinking about the
position.
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Show in Text Mode
Candidates Matches 1965

The Candidates competition 1965 was the first to be played as a knock-out series of matches.
Later in March 1966 Larsen and Geller played a third place playoff in Copenhagen. Larsen won 5-4 and
provided an automatic berth into the next cycle’s Interzonal tournament.
Boris Spassky convincingly won all three of his matches and earned the right to challenge Petrosian for
the title. Petrosian retained his crown by winning the match in 1966.
TEST №9
Geller, Efim
Smyslov, Vassily
Moscow 1965
44
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
This was the first cycle of the world championship when the challenger was determined in matches under
the knock-out system. And it was one of the most creative and spectacular Candidates competitions.
Mikhail Tal still kept his ambitions to regain the championship and Boris Spassky was already in his
golden years. They met in the final.
By the way, both the former and future world champions were less than 30 years old, which was
considered young in those days.
However I have chosen a presentation-test not from their artwork but from a game of Efim Geller.
Although even in those years Geller was among the representatives of the older generation, he led his
attacks with artistry, fantasy and youthful energy!
22.Ne4!
This is definitely the most vigorous attack continuation! Black cannot take on e4 twice because of the
mate on b8.
22...c4
Geller wrote: “22...Qc7 was more tenacious, although even then White has an undisputed advantage after
23.Re1 Bxe4 (23...Qxf4 24.Nf6+) 24.Rxe4 Rxe4 25.Qxe4.” Here Geller was too modest in his
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assessment of the position – actually, White has a decisive advantage! For example: 25...Rd8 26.h4! cxd4
27.h5 and Black’s position is unlikely to be saved.
After the same 22...Qc7 23.Re1, Kasparov in My Great Predecessors mentions 23...Ree7. Now White
should avoid the queen exchange, the more effective way being 24.Qg4 with the idea of a rook sacrifice
on f7:
A) 24...cxd4 25.fxg6 hxg6 26.Rxf7!! Rxf7 27.Qxg6+ Bg7 28.Nf6+;
B) Or 24...Bxe4 25.Bxe4 cxd4 26.fxg6 hxg6 27.Rxf7!! Rxf7 28.Qxg6+ Bg7 29.Bxg7 in both cases White
gives mate in several moves.
One should mention that the move 22...c4 has been judged with different degrees of strictness by many
commentators in the last half-century.
In fact, the move doesn’t merit criticism – Black’s position was already hopeless!
So finding such a powerful attacking manoeuvre as 22.Ne4! combined with a correct assessment of the
situation on the board has represented the right and complete solution of the test.
And the further development of the play in this small masterpiece can be admired as a spectacular and
gripping entertainment – just seat yourself comfortably and enjoy the show!
23.Bc2 Rde7 24.Rcf1 Rxe4
“White had prepared a cascade of four queen sacrifices against this,” Kasparov wrote.
Position after: 24...Re4

Efim Geller brilliantly improvised at the chessboard.
However he always paid extremely serious attention
to the preparation for a game.
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25.fxg6! f6
Black has no time for capturing the queen because of the

mate 25...Rxf4 26.gxh7#.
26.Qg5!!
“A brilliant conclusion to the game: this move is not only the

prettiest, but also the strongest.” -- Kasparov.
However the somewhat more prosaic 26.Qg3 also secures
the win.
26...Qd7
Position after: 26...Qd7
27.Kg1!
A) The immediate 27.Rxf6?! would cause extra problems after 27...Bxf6 28.Qxf6 hxg6 29.Qxg6+ Kh8
30.Bg5 R4e6.
B) Winning the game could be possible with 27.gxh7+ Kxh7 28.Qh5!, but... “Geller made a less forcing
move, but again the most aesthetic: White simply defends against the mate and Black has no way to save
the game.” – Kasparov.
27...Bg7 28.Rxf6 Rg4
Now in the event of the capture 28...Bxf6 White will continue 29.Qxf6 hxg6 30.Qxg6+ Kh8 31.Bg5
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R4e6 32.Bf6+ Rxf6 33.Rxf6 and win.
29.gxh7+ Kh8 30.Bxg7+ Qxg7 31.Qxg4! 1–0
“Again the prettiest!” – Kasparov.

Geller confidently won this match 5.5-2.5. However, the next match – the semifinal – he lost to Spassky
with the same score. But what can you do? In those years stopping Boris Spassky on his way to the
match for the chess crown was almost impossible!
Larsen and Tal played a third place playoff in the Dutch town of Eersel in March 1969. As three years
before Larsen won, this time with score 5,5-2.5.
Boris Spassky won all his Candidates matches in dominating style, as he had three years earlier, and
again challenged Petrosian for the world championship. The next year Spassky won the title match and
became the 10th world champion.
TEST №10
Spassky, Boris
Geller, Efim
Sukhumi 1968
48
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
23.Rxf6!
If you chose another but not less spectacular plan of a combinational attack – 23.Nf4! Rxc2 24.Nxg6!
fxg6 25.Rxf6! exf6 26.Qh7+ Kf8 27.Ne6+ Kf7 28.Qxg7+ Kxe6 29.Rf1! winning – you have evidently
solved the test correctly. Sometimes even classic examples of an attack allow some creative dualism....
23.Rxf6! exf6 24.Qh7+ Kf8
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Position after: 24...Kf8
25.Nxf7!
Another way – 25.Nf4! Rxc2 (25...fxg5 26.Nxg6+) 26.Nxf7! Rxc1+ 27.Bxc1 Kxf7 28.Qxg6 Kg8
29.Nh5 with mate – is also convincing enough!
But what order of sacrifices have you chosen?
25...Rxc2
In case of accepting the sacrifice with 25...Kxf7, after 26.Bh6 Rg8 27.Nf4 Black is fully unprotected.
26.Bh6 Rxc1+ 27.Nxc1 Kxf7 28.Qxg7+ Ke8 29.g5 f5 30.Qxg6+ Kd7 31.Qf7+ Kc6 32.exf5+ 1–0
For the Candidates matches of this cycle Boris Spassky had prepared the Closed variation against the
Sicilian Defence (2.Nc3). In the quarter-final match against Geller Spassky won three games with it, and
in the semifinal against Larsen – two more games.
Never before nor after those matches has the Closed variation appeared with such success and regularity
on the front stage of great competitions.
However most likely the explanation was not in the opening system – simply Spassky and his attacks
were unstoppable in those times.
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Havana 1962
The legendary Che Guevara watches Boris Spas-sky’s game. The first Capablanca Memorial at-tracted
an outstanding field. Miguel Najdorf won while Spassky and Lev Polugaevsky shared second and third
places.
From the interview with Boris Spassky for Sport-Express in 2016:
– Did you communicate with Fidel Castro at the tournaments in Havana?
– I avoided that. When the USSR team had won the world championship there, the leadership of our
delegation ordered me to meet Castro. But I did it my way.
– How?
– Escaped. I did the same when he had been speaking to the crowd. Listening for some five hours to
slogans in the style of "Patria о muerte! Venceremos!" was beyond me.
I liked Che Guevara. He loved chess. He came into the playing hall surrounded by bodyguards, and
watched attentively what happened on the board. He was obviously interested. But he did not speak with
us.
This cycle of Candidates matches has forever entered in the history of chess as the cycle of Robert
Fischer’s fantastic victories He defeated Mark Taimanov and Larsen in the quarter-final and semifinal
respectively with the perfect score 6-0.
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“Iron Tigran” Petrosian managed to hold equality in the first five games of their final match, but then
Fischer’s four wins in a row crushed the former champion’s resistance. The American then beat Spassky
in Reykjavik in 1972 to become the 11th world champion.
TEST №11
Fischer, Robert
Taimanov, Mark
Vancouver 1971
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
53
We will start examining this famous ending several moves before the time the position of the test
appeared on the board.
Black still holds the position, not allowing the opponent’s king to penetrate into his camp.
His knight defends the g6-pawn and keeps under control the squares d5 and c6, and the king moving on
the b7/c7 squares also controls the point c6 and protects the b6-pawn.
Clearly, to break the opponent’s defence White has to put him in zugzwang. Fischer irresistibly goes to
this goal.
56.Bf3+ Kc7
After 56...Ka7 57.c4 Black immediately falls into zugzwang and is forced to let the opponent’s king
pass: 57...Ng8 58.Kc6 Nf6 59.Kd6 Ne4+ 60.Ke6 Nxg3 61.Kf6 with an easy win.
57.Ka6! Nc8 58.Bd5
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Position after: 58.Bd5
58...Ne7
Another possible defensive strategy is to place the knight on d6, where it would control all the light-
squared routes by which the opponent’s king might break through into his camp.
However, by the manoeuvre Bg8-h7 White forces the exchange of the pawns on g6 and g3, and then he
puts Black again in zugzwang:
58...Nd6 59.Bg8 Ne4 60.Bf7 Nxg3 61.Bxg6
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Now White aims to force the exchange of the h5-pawn for the f4-pawn.
After achieving this, the passed pawn on the h-file will easily decide the issue. 61...Kc6 62.Be8+ Kc7
63.Ka7 (63.Kb5 also leads to a win) zugzwang! The knight has to retreat. 63...Ne2 (Neither 63...Kd8
64.Bc6 Kc7 65.Bf3, nor 63...c4 64.Ka6 can help – in both cases White wins easily.) 64.Bxh5 Nxf4
65.Bf3 and White wins.
59.Bc4! Nc6
59...Kc6 60.Bf7 Kc7 61.Be8 is just a change in the order of the moves.
60.Bf7 Ne7
Reaching the position of our test.
Position after: 60...Ne7
61.Be8!
This move pushed Black into zugzwang.

Fischer has achieved the position that he has been aspiring to during the last 17 moves, since the rooks
were exchanged.
Black’s knight and king are chained to protecting their weak pawns.
The position of the main zugzwang is on the board!
If solving the test you could find this decisive zugzwang and mapped out the sacrifice of the bishop
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arising in the game later – you have perfectly coped with such a complicated ending!
61...Kd8
Position after: 61...Kd8
The only move. However now “a small combination”, prepared beforehand, follows!
62.Bxg6!
Another version of the sacrifice with 62.Kxb6? Kxe8 63.Kxa5 would be a blunder! 63...Kd7 64.Kb5
Kd6 65.a5 Nd5 66.a6 Nc7+ 67.Kb6 c4! 68.a7 Na8+! 69.Kb7 Kd7 with a draw.
Now the white pawns easily cope with the black knight.
62...Nxg6 63.Kxb6 Kd7 64.Kxc5 Ne7 65.b4! axb4 66.cxb4 Nc8 67.a5 Nd6 68.b5 Ne4+ 69.Kb6 Kc8
70.Kc6 Kb8 71.b6 1–0
Why as a test for presentation of the Candidates cycle 1971 have I chosen especially this ending from
Fischer’s numerous victories?
The answer is not difficult.
Firstly, today the level of ending technique is very important, especially because of the lack of time now
allowed for this part of the game.
And secondly, in this game the white pieces acted like Fischer himself in that cycle. He also crushed all
the opponents in his path systematically and inevitably!
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The semifinal stage of this cycle was marked by the presence of two ex-champions, Petrosian and
Spassky, playing in different matches. They had faced each other in the 1966 and 1969 title matches.
Both were eliminated in the semifinals. Spassky lost to Anatoly Karpov, in the main sensation of this
cycle, while Petrosian resigned his match with Viktor Kortschnoj ahead of schedule.
In the final match Karpov beat Kortschnoj 3–2 with 19 draws, earning the right to challenge Fischer. He
became the 12th world champion when Fischer declined to defend his title.
TEST №12
Karpov, Anatoly
Kortschnoj, Viktor
Moscow 1974
58
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
Although Kortschnoj sometimes used the Dragon variation – for instance against Geller in the quarter-
final of the last cycle – the appearance of this risky opening in the final Candidates match was a surprise.
A surprise for the audience, for the commentators, for fellow grandmasters, but not for Karpov.
Karpov kept in mind the game he lost to Kortschnoj in the same variation in their training match three
years earlier. However this time Karpov was perfectly prepared.
White seized the initiative and developped an attack that became a classic example. To destroy the
opponent’s defence, White must reach the main defender – the knight f6 – and push it back, exchange it
or deflect it.
20.g5! Rxg5
White wins quickly after 20...Nh5? 21.Nf4 Rxg5 22.Rd5!.
21.Rd5!
White forces a rook exchange on d5 and places his knight there. Now the exchange of the main defender
of the black king’s position becomes unavoidable.
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21...Rxd5 22.Nxd5 Re8
The arising position can be a separate test with the task “Find the decisive continuation”.
White to move.
23.Nef4!
Another path of the knight seemed to be possible – 23.Nec3?, but it was not true. In this case after
23...Bc6! Black successfully defends, as the idea 24.e5 does not work...
23...Bc6
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Position after: 23...Bc6
24.e5!!
This combinational stroke ends the fighting. Finding the tactical ideas 20.g5! and 21.Rd5! is not easy at
all.
And if you managed to find the best counter-argument – 23...Re8 – and then in addition to refute it you
have solved two tests on 100 percent at once!
24...Bxd5
The problem is that on 24...dxe5 White plays 25.Nxf6+ exf6 26.Nh5! and mate is unavoidable!
25.exf6 exf6 26.Qxh7+ Kf8 27.Qh8+
1–0
“This is not my cycle,” Karpov said in one interview before the Candidates battle. Then he confidently
defeated Lev Polugaevsky 5.5-2.5 and Spassky 7-4 and in a tough fight Kortschnoj 12.5-11.5.
Perhaps the future 12th world champion underestimated his own power, perhaps he was being a bit
cunning, or maybe he considered himself not completely ready to do battle against Fischer?
We are unlikely to find the precise answer to this question: the match Fischer-Karpov never took place.

Ex-champion Fischer declined to exercise his right to take part in the Candidates series.
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It was the first Candidates cycle where Viktor Kortschnoj took part after his emigration from the USSR.
He was stateless and played under the FIDE flag in this cycle of the world championship.
Kortschnoj convincingly proved to be the best non-Soviet player in the world, but narrowly failed to beat
Karpov in their title match in 1978 in the Philippines city of Baguio.
TEST №13
Kortschnoj, Viktor (2645)

Spassky, Boris (2610)
Belgrade 1977
62
Position after: 29...Qxa2
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
“Well in fact this was a really interesting and puzzling test!” those of you who easily solved all the
previous tasks will say with satisfaction!
Actually, you should discover in long variations deeply hidden nuances, sometimes changing a position’s
assessment to an opposite one. Only by working like that will you avoid mistakes!
30.h3!!
In reply to the eye-catching 30.Qb7 Black should continue 30...Qa4! (Too cunning is 30...Kh7? as 31.h3
Qg8 32.Rc2 leads to a white victory.) 31.Qxc8+ Kh7
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Position after: 31...Kh7
A) Now 32.Qg8+ Kxg8 33.c8=Q+ Kh7 34.Rc2 loses because of the fantastic move 34...Qa1!!.
B) White must find again the fine move 32.h3!!, but in this case only for saving the game: 32...Qxc6!
works: 33.Rxd2 Qc1+ 34.Kh2 Qxd2 35.Qb8 Rxc7 36.Qxc7=.
30.h3!! Qa4!?
Passive defence is unlikely to help.

A) After 30...Qf7?! the simple variation 31.Qxa5 Rdxc7 32.Rxc7 Rxc7 33.Rxd2 provides White an
advantage that should be enough to win.
B) And 30...Re7? is even worse: 31.Qb7 Ree8 32.Rc5! a4 33.Qb4 or 32...e4 33.Qc6 Re7 34.Qd6 and
White wins.
31.Rxd2!! Rxd2
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Position after: 31...Rxd2
32.Qb7!
One more precise move. 32.Qb8 Rxb8 33.cxb8=Q+ Kh7 34.Rc8 Qd1+ 35.Kh2 Rxf2 kept the initiative
for White but nothing more
32...Rdd8 33.cxd8=Q+ Rxd8 34.Rc7!
The prosaic but convincing finale! After all the sacrifices, when the position has been already been
simplified and Black with material equality seems to be managing a great escape, the simple attack on
the g7-pawn decides the outcome of the battle!
Suddenly it becomes clear that Black cannot defend it without loss. He is forced to give the e-pawn, and
then his position turns to hopeless.
If in your calculations you managed to find the very well hidden path leading to this position – no doubt
any grandmaster could envy your calculation skills as well as your tactical vision!
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Position after: 34.Rc7
However if you accidentally went somewhere off the right path – do not be upset! Really the path
leading to the goal was much too thorny and complicated...
34...Qa1+ 35.Kh2 e4 36.Qxe4 Qf6 37.f4 Qf8 38.Ra7 Qc5 39.Qb7 Qc3 40.Qe7 Rf8
Position after: 40...Rf8
41.e4!
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The final touch!
41...Qd4
After 41...Rxf4? 42.e5! the point g7 becomes unsafe.
42.f5 h5 43.Rxa5 Qd2 44.Qe5 Qg5 45.Ra6 Rf7 46.Rg6 Qd8 47.f6 h4 48.fxg7
1–0
The Belgrade match Spassky-Kortschnoj was one of the most dramatic, thanks to the number of
unpredictable turns during the fighting.
From the first 10 games Kortschnoj won five and drew the other five. Then Spassky won four (!) games
in a row. The difference in the score was minimized – 7.5-6.5. The next two games ended in draws and
finally Kortschnoj won his two last games to take the match 10.5-7.5.
Kortschnoj had qualified for his historic match against Karpov...
USSR Republics Team championship, Moscow 1972

The game Kortschnoj-Tal was a short draw. Chief arbiter Alexander Kotov - the first grandmaster to
offer a clear system of training for calculating variations -- says something to the players. Perhaps, a
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friendly comment...
Lajos Portisch was declared the winner of his tied quarter-final against Spassky because he had won
more games with Black.
The final match between Kortschnoj and Robert Huebner was for the best of 16, but Huebner resigned
after 10 games (eight concluded, two adjournned). He was leading by one point after six games, but
made a shocking one-move blunder in the seventh game, and then also lost the following game.
So Kortschnoj again became the official challenger to Karpov, but again the younger player successfully
defended his title by winning their 1981 match in the Italian town of Merano.
TEST №14
Huebner, Robert (2600)

Portisch, Lajos (2655)
Abano Therme 1980
68
Position after: 30...Qh3
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
31.Nxe5+! dxe5 32.Rd4+! Bd5
The only attempt to continue the game. After 32...Kc6 33.Rd6+! or 32...Kc8 33.Rd8+! Rxd8 34.Qc5+
White mates in a few moves.
33.Rxd5+ Ke6
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Position after: 33...Ke6
34.Rc5
A) 34.Rb3! probably was the simplest of them. Now neither 34...Qxb3 35.Rxe5+ Kxe5 36.axb3 nor
34...Qh6+ 35.Rd2 Bxf6 36.Qf3 (or 36.Qc5) left Black any hope of escape.
B) 34.Rd3 also led to the win. 34...Qg4? 35.Bc7! loses at once and after 34...Qh6+ 35.Be3 Qxf6
36.Rxb8 Rxb8 37.Qg2! White has a decisive attack.
34...Qh6+ 35.Kb1 Qf4 36.Rc6+ Kf5 37.Qe2 h6?
37...Rec8±
38.Rb3 Kg6 39.Rf3 Qd4 40.Rb3 Qd5 41.Qg4+ 1–0
It was the ninth game of the match; the first eight had ended in draws.
After the blunder that allowed this combination Portisch got upset, lost confidence and next day lost with
White. The result of the match became evident.
Did you manage to discover the stroke on e5?
Candidates Matches 1983-84
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The Smyslov-Huebner quarter-final match was originally tied at 5–5. After playing four extra games
without breaking the tie, the match was resolved by a spin of the roulette wheel, which gave the veteran
Smyslov the win.
This Candidates cycle was remarkable for a political scandal that caused the postponement of the
semifinal matches. Various political manoeuvres by the USSR Chess Federation prevented Garry
Kasparov from playing against Kortschnoj in the United States as had been scheduled, and Kasparov had
to forfeit the match. This was resolved when Kortschnoi agreed for the match to be replayed in London,
along with the match Smyslov-Ribli.
However this Candidates cycle is mainly famous as the beginning of Garry Kasparov’s accession to the
chess throne. He wrested the title from Karpov in 1985.
TEST №15
Kasparov, Garry (2690)

Beliavsky, Alexander (2570)
Moscow 1983
71
Position after: 20...g6
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
21.Ne4!! Bxf4
The position after 21...Be7 could be used as a separate test with the task “Find the best attacking
continuation”.
White to move.
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Position after: 21...Be7
Garry Kasparov and Alexander Beliavsky
White’s advantage is clear but the position is rather

complicated and finding the best continuation is not easy.
A) The consequences of 22.Nd6 Bxd6 23.exd6 Ne8 are not
so clear.
B) The same can be said about the variation 22.Bg4 Kg7
23.Nf6 Bxf6 24.exf6 Qxf6! 25.Bxc7 Qe7. Of course, after
26.Bd7! f5 27.f4 Qxd7 28.Be5+ the chances are obviously
on White’s side, but the outcome of the battle still remains
very unclear.
C) The best way was shown by Kasparov in his book Garry
Kasparov on Garry Kasparov: 22.Qg4! Bc8 23.Bg5! Bxg5
(23...Bxf5 24.Qxh4 is hopeless for Black) 24.Nxg5 wins
immediately, for example:
C1) 24...f6 25.Ne6 Qe8 26.Nxc7 Bxf5 27.Qxh4+–;
C2) Or 24...Kg7 25.e4! d4 26.f4 Ba6 27.Rf2 Rh8 28.Bxg6 fxg6 29.f5+–.
22.exf4
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Position after: 22.exf4
22...gxf5?
“Equivalent to capitulation: Black was overwhelmed by the threat of Nd6 or Nf6+ and Qxh4” was
Kasparov’s assessment of Black’s last move.
Truly, the consequences of declining the sacrifice are also sad for Black:
A) 22...d4 23.Qg4! (23.Nf6+ Kg7 24.Qxh4±) 23...Kg7 24.Nd6 Bd5 25.Bc2 and f4-f5 – Kasparov.
B) 22...Kg7 23.Nd6 Ba6 24.Rfe1 Qe7 25.Qg4 Rad8 26.Bb1 Rxd6 27.exd6 Qxd6 28.Qxh4 and White
would most probably have been able to convert his exchange advantage, according to Kasparov.
Note that Stockfish improves the B) line above with 25.Bc2! (instead of 25.Qg4) 25...Rad8 26.f5
winning for White.
However, even today the computer does not doubt Kasparov’s assessments.
23.Qxf5!
23.Nf6+? is a crude mistake: 23...Kg7 24.Qxh4 Rh8µ.
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Position after: 23.Qxf5!+–
23...dxe4
Black would have lost immediately after 23...Ne8? 24.Nf6+!; as well as 23...f6? 24.Qg4+ Kh7
25.Qxh4+ Kg7 26.Qg4+ Kh7 27.Rd3 with mate -- Kasparov.
24.Qg4+! Kh7 25.Rxd8 Rfxd8 26.Qxh4+ Kg8
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27.Qe7
27.f5! was more precise. Then Kasparov shows the variation 27...Rd7 28.Qg5+ Kh7 29.Qg4! Rad8
30.e6, and the curtain comes down.
However, the continuation in the game does not miss the win; it only makes the path to victory a bit
more difficult.
27...e3 28.Re1 exf2+?!
28...e2 29.f3 Rd1 30.Kf2 or 28...Rd2 29.f3 Rad8 30.f5! were steadier but still not enough to save Black.
29.Kxf2 Rd2+ 30.Re2 Rxe2+ 31.Kxe2 Ba6+ 32.Kf2 Ne6 33.f5+– Nd4 34.e6 Rf8 35.Qg5+ Kh7 36.e7
Re8 37.f6 Ne6 38.Qh5+ Kg8 1–0
If you found 21.Ne4!! and assessed the position after the 23rd move as almost won – you have definitely
solved the test!
And if in addition you managed to discover the majority of Kasparov’s variations it signifies that your
potential is extremely high!
Candidates Tournament and Matches 1985-87

This time, candidates competed in a combined system. Firstly, the 16 participants played a round-robin
Candidates tournament in Montpellier 12 October-3 November 1985.
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A playoff match for the fourth place was held after the main event between Mikhail Tal and Jan Timman.
It ended 3-3, and Timman advanced because he had scored more wins during the tournament.
The top four played semifinal and final matches. It is remarkable that all the four winners of the
Montpellier tournament took part in Candidates matches for the first time.
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And the winner of this phase, Andrei Sokolov, then played the Superfinal Candidates match against
Karpov in Linares to determine the championship challenger.
Karpov won and earned the right to face Kasparov in their fourth championship match.
TEST №16
Jussupow, Artur (2645)

Timman, Jan (2645)
Tilburg 1986
Position after: 20...fxg6

White to move
Show/Hide Solution
Among other things the match Jussupow-Timman was remarkable for two miniatures in the Grunfeld
Defence.Both those games featured a march of the white rook’s pawn, opening the h-file and a flashing
78
attack on the king.
Jussupow (his name is spelt in English as Yusupov) won the seventh game in 19 moves. The ninth and
final game lasted not much longer...
21.Rxh7!!
This spectacular combination had been conceived several moves ago.

Capturing the rook with 21.Bxd8 Qxb5 22.Bf6 would keep a big advantage but after 22...Ba6! 23.Bxh8
Rf8 Black could still continue his steady resistance.
21.Rxh7!! Kxh7 22.Qf7+ Bg7 23.Bf6 Rg8 24.Be8!
The cherry on the top! Mate is unavoidable...
1–0
I hope you had no problems with finding the idea of combination with the rook sacrifice. But have you
managed to discover the elegant finale quickly?

This time the Candidates competition began with preliminary matches. Then their seven winners and
Karpov, as the challenger of the previous cycle, composed the pairs for the quarter-final matches.
The preliminary matches were played in Saint John, Canada, in January-February 1988. The quarter-
finals were played in Antwerp, London, Quebec and Seattle August 1988-February 1989, both semifinals
in London in October 1989, and the final in Kuala Lumpur March 1990.
79
Karpov won the Candidates matches once again and faced Kasparov for their fifth and final world
championship match. Kasparov again retained his title.
TEST №17
Karpov, Anatoly (2750)

Hjartarson, Johann (2615)
Seattle 1989
80
Position after: 15...Nd4
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
In this Candidates cycle Anatoly Karpov was on his way to his fifth match against Kasparov.He joined
the fighting from the quarter-final where he faced the young Icelandic grandmaster Johann Hjartarson.
16.Bxd4 exd4 17.Qc6!
A fine positional solution. An alternative is 17.Nxd4 Nxb4 18.axb4 Qxd4 19.b5! also keeping an
advantage for White. But Karpov’s way is more technical as it almost fully deprives the opponent of any
hope on active counter-play.
17...Qxc6 18.Rxc6 Bd7 19.Nxd4! Bxc6 20.Nxc6 Rce8
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21.Rc1!
This fine move makes Karpov’s plan clear. After 21.Nxa7 f5 22.Nd2 Nc3 Black would get counter-play
providing him with perfect chances of saving the game.
21...f5
In the event of 21...a6? 22.Nd2! suddenly it becomes clear that the black knight placed in the centre of
the board has been trapped!
22.Nd2 Nf6 23.Nxa7 Bd6 24.e3 c5 25.Nc4 Bb8 26.Nc6 b5 27.N4a5 cxb4 28.axb4 Nd7 29.d4
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Position after: 29.d4
29...g5 30.Nxb8 Rxb8 31.Rc7
White had a decisive advantage that he soon converted.
1–0
I shall not argue with those who preferred to take twice on d4. They seem to prefer positions with
queens. But those who chose 17.Qc6!, having in mind the exchange sacrifice, and found the fine move
21.Rc1! could display here Karpov’s level of strategic intuition!
83
Show in Text Mode

The system of the previous Candidates matches was kept. Only the number of games in them was
changed.
The preliminary matches were played in Saraevo, Wijk aan Zee, Riga, London and Madras in January
and February 1991. All four quarter-finals were played in Brussels in August 1991, both semifinals in
Linares in April 1992, and the final in San Lorenzo del Escorial in January 1993.
Nigel Short won the Candidates competition and earned the right to face Kasparov.
TEST №18
Ivanchuk, Vassily (2735)

84
Brussels 1991
Position after: 28.Qb7?

Black to move
Show/Hide Solution
28...Rg6!!
Bravo! Great!! Ingenious!!!

Already two pieces down, Jussupow also brings to the altar of the attack an entire rook, giving his
opponent the possibility of taking it with check!
Everyone who managed to discover this fantastic idea can definitely share the romantic spirit of the 19th
century masters!
Jussupow realized the idea in its optimal version. However even those who when calculating firstly
reflexively moved the attacked rook away with 28...Rg8 29.Nce7, and only after saw the majestic
resource 29...Bxd4 (or 29...Bf8) 30.Nxg8 Rg6!! have not made a fatal mistake but just have delayed for a
couple of moves an aesthetic coup!
28...Rg6!! 29.Qxa8+ Kh7
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30.Qg8+
Certainly, Ivanchuk understood everything and tried to buy off his attacker with a range of forced
sacrifices. The main variation was: 30.Nce7 Qh1+!! 31.Bxh1 Nh2+ 32.Ke1 Rg1#
Position after: 32...Rg1#
It reminds you of the final scene from the “Immortal Game”, does it not?
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Anderssen, Adolf
Kieseritzky, Lionel
London 1851
Position after: 23.Be7#
At least, by material ratio... We should add that by playing 30.Nxe3 White could not break the
checkmate net: 30...Nxe3+ 31.Ke1 Nxc4! and the mating end is unavoidable.
30...Kxg8 31.Nce7+ Kh7 32.Nxg6 fxg6 33.Nxg7
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Position after: 33.Nxg7
33...Nf2!!
The knight heads to h3 (!) to renew mating threats.
34.Bxf4
At the price of one more piece Ivanchuk distracts the opponent’s queen, but for one move only.
34...Qxf4 35.Ne6 Qh2 36.Rdb1
Position after: 36.Rb1
36...Nh3!
The mating net has been completed!
37.Rb7+ Kh8 38.Rb8+
One more sacrifice, also with the idea of distracting the queen - and also for one move only!
38...Qxb8 39.Bxh3 Qg3! 0–1
Beginning from the initial position and up to the end of the game Artur Jussupow played like today’s
Stockfish!
And what about you? What moment did you reach in your calculations?
Afterword
88
Before the title match took place, Kasparov and Short left FIDE to set up the Professional Chess
Association (PCA), under whose auspices they held their match. Kasparov won this match and remained
champion.
In its turn, FIDE arranged an “official” match between Timman and Karpov, both of whom had been
defeated by Short in earlier qualification rounds. Karpov won the match and became the FIDE world
champion.
So for the first time in a chess history two World champions appeared at once. There was the “classical”
world champion, holding the title that only passed on to a player when he defeated the previous world
champion in a match. There was also the official FIDE world champion, determined by various
tournament formats. FIDE and the PCA each held a championship cycle in 1993-96.
Qualifying competitions were also staged for the two titles: the PCA world chess championship and the
FIDE world chess championship. Many of the players competed in both qualifying events. However,
Kasparov and Short did not compete in the FIDE event.
PCA Candidates Matches 1994-95

The quarter-final matches of the PCA World Chess Championship were held at the Trump Tower in New
York City in June 1994 and opened by the future US President Donald Trump. The semifinals were
played in Linares in September 1994, and the final in Las Palmas in March 1995.
Viswanathan (“Vishy”) Anand won the series and contested a classical world title match with Kasparov
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in New York in 1995. Kasparov won.
TEST №19
Anand, Viswanathan (2715)

Kamsky, Gata (2710)
Las Palmas 1995

White to move
Show/Hide Solution
16.Bg4!!
A brilliant, unexpected and timely manoeuvre!

A) As will become clear from the note to the next move, the similar manoeuvre after the preliminary
pawn exchange 16.fxe6 fxe6 17.Bg4 is weaker. In this case Black could play 17...Bc8 with the idea of
...g6 and ...Ng7 (or 17...Bd8) and White’s advantage is not so big.
B) Quiet continuations like 16.Rhf1 Rc8 17.a4 Bc5 keep only a slight advantage for White.
Only those who, like Anand, managed to find the extraordinary manoeuvre of the bishop and realized it
in time have solved the test.
If you chose another “simply improving the position” continuation you should work on the skill of
90
finding unusual solutions!
16.Bg4!! Bc8?!
A) 16...exf5? 17.Bf3 Be6 18.Nxd5 and 16...Rc8? 17.f6! gxf6 18.Nxd5 both led to almost hopeless
positions.
B) White gets a clear advantage after 16...Bg5+ 17.Kb1 Rc8 18.fxe6 Bxe6 19.Bf3±.
C) Perhaps 16...Bb4 was steadier. However in this case White had a pleasant choice:
C1) 17.fxe6 Bxe6 18.Nxd5 Bxg4 19.Rd4 Be6 20.Nxb4±;
C2) Or 17.Rd3 Rc8 18.fxe6 Bxe6 19.Nxd5± with an extra pawn in both cases.
C3) Also possible is 17.Ne2 exf5 18.Bf3±.
17.Rhf1 a5 18.Na4 f6
After 18...exf5 19.Bxf5 Bxf5 20.Rxf5 g6 21.Rf3 White has an obvious advantage.
19.fxe6 fxe5
Position after: 19...fxe5
20.Nc3!?
20.Rxf8! Kxf8 21.Rf1+ Kg8 22.Nc3 perhaps was even easier: 22...Bg5+ 23.Kb1 Nf6 24.Rxf6! winning.
20...Bg5+?! 21.Kb1 Nf6 22.Nxd5! Nxg4 23.Rxf8+ Kxf8 24.Nc7 Ra6 25.Bc5+ Kg8 26.Nxa6 Bxe6
27.Nc7
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White has a decisive material advantage that he very soon converted.
1–0
During the years 1994-1995 the two championships of PCA and FIDE took place almost simultaneously.
Some grandmasters played in both of them.
It’s interesting that in the FIDE championship Kamsky managed to knock out Anand and as a result
reached the final match against Karpov, but in the PCA championship it was vice versa: Anand beat
Kamsky in the final and earned the right to challenge Kasparov...
FIDE Candidates Matches 1994-95

In fact this competition could be named the FIDE world championship, as FIDE champion Karpov
joined it at the semifinal stage. But we shall separate the final stage as being the title match and the
previous stages as being Candidates matches.
The first-round matches were held in Wijk aan Zee in January 1994, and the second-round matches and
semifinals in Sanghi Nagar in July-August 1994 and February 1995, respectively.
The final match Karpov-Kamsky was held in Elista in June-July 1996.

TEST №20
92
Kamsky, Gata (2710)
Salov, Valery (2715)
Sanghi Nagar 1995

White to move
Show/Hide Solution
28.Qe4+!
Combined with the next move this is an important check. If White allows the exchange of bishops Black
will equalize.
But 28.f4 with the queen on g4 is non-sense: Black can answer 28...f5 or 28...Qb5.
28.Qe4+! Kg7 29.f4!
Kamsky voluntarily shuts his bishop in, to prevent its exchange.
29...Bc7
Accepting the pawn sacrifice with 29...Bxb2 leads to a difficult-to-defend position, despite the little
material left: 30.f5! Be5 31.Qg4+ Kh7 32.fxe6 Bxg3 33.hxg3 fxe6 34.Rxe6 and now...
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A) 34...Rg7? loses because of 35.Qe4+ Kg8 36.Rexf6 Rxf6 37.Rxf6+ and Black is unsafe;
B) 34...Qd8 is stronger but 35.Qe4+ Kg8 36.Rxa6 gives White the advantage.
C) In case of 29...Bd6 besides 30.Be1 the move 30.Bh4 is also possible with a strong initiative.
30.Be1!
Transferring the bishop to c3 is a crucial manoeuvre.

If it did not hide from your attention you have brilliantly understood the position.
Sometimes an important piece should be temporarily closed in with the idea of keeping it safe from
exchange.
30...Qb5?
30...Rd8 31.Bc3 Qb5± was the lesser evil.
Position after: 30...Qb5?
31.Rf3! Rd8 32.Rg3+ Kh8
On 32...Kf8, 33.Bb4+ decides the game.
33.h3?!
33.Qf3 Qf5 34.h3 was more precise: 34...Rg8 35.Rxg8 Kxg8 36.Bc3+-.
33...Qd5?
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After 33...Rg8± Black could still continue resistance.
34.Qc2! Bd6 35.e4
1–0
During the next few years FIDE organized “FIDE world championships” by various tournament formats.
But it did not organize competitions that were officially named Candidates tournaments or matches...
Classical World Chess Championship

Candidates Match Kramnik – Shirov Cazorla 1998
The main sponsor Intel having withdrawn, PCA folded after 1996. Kasparov looked for other ways to
select his next challenger. In 1998, he announced that, based on their ratings and results, Anand and
Vladimir Kramnik were obviously the next two best players in the world, and that they would play a
match to determine the challenger for Kasparov’s title.
However Anand was participating in the FIDE world championship cycle. So the match between
Kramnik and the next person in the ratings list, Alexei Shirov, was held 24 May-5 June 1998 in Cazorla,
Spain.
Shirov won this Candidates match and earned the right to challenge Kasparov. However, Kasparov,
Shirov and sponsors were unable to come to an agreement on terms for the title match so this match did
not take place.
TEST №21

Shirov, Alexei (2710)
Cazorla 1998
95
Black to move
Show/Hide Solution
21...Qb6!!
A brilliant decision!
Shirov leaves the rook under attack but cuts off the paths of retreat for the opponent’s king.
A) Kramnik most likely counted only on 21...Re6 22.Bxf6! e3 (22...exf3+? 23.Kf2 Re2+ 24.Qxe2 fxe2
25.Rd6! and Black loses) 23.Qd5 Rxf6 24.Ng5 with a clear advantage for White.
B) One can only add that another version of sacrificing the rook, with 21...e3 22.dxe8=Q+ Qxe8, was
evidently weaker: in this case either 23.Qa5 Qc6 24.Bxf6 Qxf6 25.Ng5∞ or 23.Qc1 Qb5 24.Qxe3 Re8
25.Qxe8+ Qxe8+ 26.Kf2 Qe2+ 27.Kg3∞ led to unclear positions.
21...Qb6!! 22.dxe8=Q+ Rxe8
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Position after: 22...Rxe8
White’s position is unprotected.

I guess that solving this test is not hard work for the majority. However, Shirov’s sacrifice remains
impressive anyway!
23.Qe3
Kramnik decides to give back material but it cannot save him.

23.f4? e3! with 24...Qa5+ to follow; and 23.Be3? Bxh4+ 24.Nf2 exf3! both lose at once.
23...Bxg5 24.Qxb6 Bxh4+ 25.Kd2
After 25.Qf2? exf3+ 26.Kd2 Bxf2 27.gxf3 Be3+ 28.Kc2 Rc8+ 29.Kb2 Be2 Black wins the third pawn
and then the game.
25...axb6 26.fxe4 Rxe4
97
Position after: 26...Rxe4–+
Two bishops together with two pawns are considerably stronger than rook and knight.
27.Kc2 Rg4 28.Rd2 Be7
White’s position is hopeless, but Shirov needed 20 moves more to realize the advantage... 0–1
It was the ninth as well as the last game of the match. In spite of forecasts by the majority of experts,
predicting the win for Kramnik, Alexey Shirov won the match 5.5-3.5 and earned the right to challenge
Kasparov. However, due to many organizational and financial problems the match Kasparov-Shirov
never took place...
In the next title match Kramnik played against Kasparov.
Candidates Tournament 2002

Kasparov was defeated by Kramnik in the classical world chess championship in 2000. The 2002
Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting acted as the Candidates tournament to determine the first
challenger to Kramnik’s title.
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Shirov won a two-game playoff 1½-½ to be placed first ahead of Topalov.
The top two from each group advanced to the knock-out stage where mini-matches (best of 4) were
played.
99
Topalov - �Bareev was tied 2�-2; Topalov won the rapid playoff 1½�½.
Peter Leko beat Veselin Topalov in the final match at Dortmund, gaining the right to challenge Kramnik
for the world crown.
TEST №22
Topalov, Veselin (2745)

Bareev, Evgeny (2726)
Dortmund 2002
100
Position after: 22...Ka7
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
23.Nxb5+!
This spectacular combination quickly decides the issue.
23...axb5 24.Rxb5 Qc6
101
Position after: 24...Qc6
25.Rdxd5!
This is not the only path to victory, but it is a very impressive one.
25...exd5 26.Qe7+ Ka6 27.Rb3
1–0
“It was an easy test,” you would say and would be right!
However even this not so complicated combination brings an aesthetic as well as emotional impulse.
And if due to its help one can manage to reach the final of the Candidates matches, well this is really
something special.
Afterwards
The classical world championship match Leko-Kramnik took place in the northern autumn of 2004 and
ended in a tie, 7-7. Kramnik retained his title under the rules of the match.
In 2006 the two titleholders Kramnik (classical) and Veselin Topalov (FIDE) faced off in a match in
Elista. This was the first unified world chess championship since 1993. Kramnik won the match and
became the 14th undisputed world chess champion.
He joined the next world chess championship in, held in Mexico City in 2007. Anand won this double
round-robin tournament.
The world chess championship in 2008 was a match between the reigning champion Anand and the
previous one, Kramnik. Anand successfully defended his title.
The World Chess Challenge Match for determining the next challenger for Anand can be considered the
102
renewal of a FIDE Candidates competition. It was held in 2009.
World Chess Challenge Match

Topalov – Kamsky, Sofia 2009
The match took place in Sofia, Bulgaria, 16-28 February 2009.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Chess_Championship_2010 - cite_note-6Topalov defeated
Kamsky, earning the right to challenge Anand for the world chess championship.
Afterwards, Anand successfully defended his title.

TEST №23
Kamsky, Gata (2725)

Sofia 2009
Position after: 21.Nd6

Black to move
103
Show/Hide Solution
At first sight, Black seems to face a range of troubles.But Topalov finds an unexpected resource!
21...Rc7!
A) After the “natural” 21...Re7 in spite of his missing pawn White has a pleasant choice: he could select
either 22.Bb4 Bd7 23.Nxb7 Ree8 24.Nd6 Reb8 25.Ba3 Rb6 26.f5 with a slight advantage or 22.Rf2 Bd7
23.g4 f5! 24.gxf5 gxf5 25.Bb4 with a quite dangerous initiative.
Attempts with an exchange sacrifice were even worse:
B) 21...Nc5?! 22.Nxf7 Kxf7 23.Bb4 b6 24.Rd1 a5 25.Ba3 Ne6 26.Rf2±.
C) Or 21...Nd8?! 22.Bb4 Nc6 23.Nxf7 Kxf7 24.Ba3 Bf5 25.Rf2±. In both cases Black has only a pawn
for the exchange and no real compensation.
21...Rc7! 22.c4?
Such a decision by Kamsky could be explained only by the shock of an unexpected turn of events. In fact
after White accepts the piece sacrifice, the black rooks become very active and the passed d-pawn is
dangerous. White has to look for a way to draw.
Nevertheless, Kamsky had to accept the variation 22.Nxc8! Raxc8 23.Rxe6 Rxc2 24.Bb4:
A) Now after 24...Rxb2 25.a3 d3 26.Ree1 Rcc2 27.Rd1 Rxg2 28.Rf3 Rxh2+ 29.Kg1, Black cannot get
anything more than a draw despite having five (!) pawns against a bishop.
B) 24...b6! causes more problems: 25.h3! Rxb2 (after 25...a5 26.Rxb6 axb4 27.Rxb4 White has to hold a
difficult four-rooks ending) 26.Bd6 Rxa2 (or 26...d3 27.Rd1 Re2 28.Re7) 27.Rd1 and White holds the
position.
22...dxc3 23.Bxc3 d4 24.Bb4
To defend the rook ending arising after 24.Nxc8 dxc3 25.bxc3 Raxc8 26.Rxe6 Rxc3 a pawn down is
rather unpleasant.
24...Bd7
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Black’s position is winning.Topalov realized his advantage impeccably.
25.Rf2 a5 26.Ba3 b5 27.b3 b4 28.Bb2 Ra6 29.Ne4 Rac6 30.Kg1 Rc2 31.g3 d3 32.Rd1 f5 0–1
If the position is given to you as a test but has not happened in a real game of yours, finding the resource
21...Rc7 seems not to be difficult.
However, sitting at the board in a nervous atmosphere of combat, to convince yourself that it is neither a
trick of the eyes nor a miscalculation and that the sacrifice is correct – is not so easy at all!
Starting from the next world championship cycle, Candidates competitions were organized under their
classic formats: the knock-out series of matches in 2011, and then Candidates tournaments in later
years...
Candidates Matches
Kazan, Russia 2011
All matches were played in Kazan, Russia, 5-25 May 2011.
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The success of Boris Gelfand – the oldest participant – was unexpected for many people, but the
character and the style of his wins were undisputed!
TEST №24
Gelfand, Boris (2733)

Grischuk, Alexander (2747)
Kazan 2011
106
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
Almost no tactics! This was a test on making strategic decisions.

In a previous part of the game Alexander Grischuk played rather provocatively. A major part of his army
was settled in front of his pawn chain, and the queen’s rook even occupied the exposed position on h5.
But with his last move, 18...Bf6, Grischuk created a real threat...
19.f4!
This pawn sacrifice completely refutes Black’s strategy.

A) 19.d5 led to exchanges and equalizing only: 19...Bxc3 20.dxc6 bxc6 21.Bxc6 Rd8=.
B) The attempt to push back the rook with 19.Bf3 is considerably justified in case of 19...Ra5 20.b4 Ra8
21.Bg2², but one could expect from Grischuk the exchange sacrifice 19...Rxh4! 20.gxh4 Bxh3 21.Bb2
Bxh4 and the position becomes rather unclear.
C) The prophylactic move 19.Qf1!? deserves examination. It neutralizes the threat of a double capture
on h4 as that would be met by d4-d5.
C1) In this case after 19...Rd8 20.Nf3 Bg7 White has the right to count on a slight advantage.
C2) However 19...g5! with extremely complicated play is more interesting: 20.Bf3 Rh6 21.Bxc6 bxc6
22.e4 c5∞, or 20.Nf3 Bf5 21.Rb2 e5∞, or even 20.d5!? gxh4 21.g4 Rg5. In all these variations both
sides have chances.
19.f4! Rd8
Of course one should examine acceptance of the sacrifice: 19...Bxh4 20.gxh4 Rxh4 21.Qf1! (The
original move 21.Kg3?! can be justified if Black retreats the rook, but after 21...Rxh3 22.Bxh3 Bxh3
Black has rich counter-play.) After this cool retreat of the queen Black’s fragmented forces find it
difficult to achieve cooperation. For instance 21...Bg4 (or 21...Nb4 22.e4 Rh5 23.f5±) 22.Rd2 Bd7 23.d5
Nd8 24.e4 and White’s pawn structure in the centre provides him a clear advantage.
If when deciding on the move 19.f4! you were guided by the similar or almost similar ideas – it means
that as a chess strategist you are sometimes as strong as Boris Gelfand himself is!
However if in this case you have not managed to find the vigorous pawn sacrifice – do not be upset!
In 2011 Gelfand found at the chessboard a lot of things that other Candidates did not!
20.Qf2
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20.f5 was a sharper alternative:
A) Then Black should continue not 20...Bxf5 21.Nxf5 Rxf5 22.b4! with a clear advantage for White.
B) But 20...Bd7 21.b4 Rxh4! 22.gxh4 Bxf5. In this case 23.b5! would keep the advantage for White,
although the open position of his king would give counter-chances to the opponent.
So Gelfand made the optimal practical decision again.
20...Bxh4?!
Objectively the best way for Black was to accept the failure of his strategy and retreat the rook with
20...Ra5. But is that the way of a real man? Besides, even in this event after 21.Nf3 or 21.b4 Ra8 22.b5
White keeps a stable advantage.
21.gxh4 Nd5 22.Nxd5 Rhxd5
Position after: 22...Rxd5
23.Bb2!
Acceptance of the sacrifice with 23.Bxd5? Bxd5 gave the opponent control of the light squares as well as
serious counter-play.
23...Rb5 24.Qe2 Rh5 25.e4 Bxb3 26.Rdc1
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Position after: 26.Rdc1
Despite his pawn deficit White has an overwhelming advantage.
26...Na5 27.d5 b6 28.Be5 c5 29.dxc6 f6 30.Ba1 Rc5 31.Rxc5 bxc5 32.Qb5 Qc7 33.Rxb3 Nxc6 34.e5
Nd4 35.Qc4+ 1–0
Boris Gelfand had first taken part in the Candidates competition twenty years earlier, in 1991. At that
time he lost to Short in a quarter-final match.
In the Candidates cycle of 2011 Boris Gelfand (42) defeated all his younger opponents in the matches
and emerged as the official challenger to Anand.
Candidates Tournament
London 2013
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Two years earlier Magnus Carlsen had had the right to participate in the Candidates tournament, but
declined this opportunity.
In London 2013 he played for the first time in the Candidates and for this tournament he was considered
the favourite. Mostly, the competition proved this prediction although he obtained the victory in a
dramatic finale.
By the final round Carlsen and Kramnik were equal on 8.5 points, 1.5 points ahead of the rest. Kramnik,
who had Black against Ivanchuk, needed to outperform Carlsen, who had White against Svidler, as
Carlsen had the better tie-break. Both Carlsen and Kramnik tried to play for the win in the last round and
both lost! Carlsen won this Candidates tournament on tie-break.
The next year Magnus Carlsen convincingly won his match against Anand and became world champion.
TEST №25
Carlsen, Magnus (2872)

London 2013

White to move
Show/Hide Solution
A typical pawn structure.White has a slight advantage.The next steps will show whether it will remain,
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increase, or disappear...
21.Bd4!
A) Black was hoping to disturb the white queen by the manoeuvre ...Nf6-h5, for example, 21.Rd2 Nh5
22.Qh3 Nf6.
B) Preventing that by 21.Be2? is not good because of the capture on b2.
C) Penetrating with the knight does not promise dividends either: 21.Nb5 Qc5 22.Be2 (or 22.Nd6 Nh5
with equality) 22...g6 23.Nd6 Ne8 equalizing.
21.Bd4! Qb3 22.Rd3!
A very concrete approach to the position!

White not only leaves the attacked b2-pawn without protection (in fact its capture is still impossible) but
also closes off the bishop’s defence of the pawn on c4. Moreover, he continues to make concrete threats
at the same time!
22.Rd2 kept some advantage for White but did not pretend to develop an initiative.
22...Qc2 23.b4! axb4 24.axb4 Nh5!
Gelfand finds the best defensive resource.

Defending against the threats b5 and Ne4 is very difficult. For example 24...g6? 25.b5 Be8 26.Qe5 loses
immediately.
25.Qe5 Bf6
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Position after: 25...Bf6
26.Qxh5!
White had the alternative 26.Qc7!? Bd8 27.Qd6 Bg5 28.Be5! (28.b5? is bad because of 28...Bxg2!)
28...h6 29.b5 with advantage. But Carlsen chose the easier and clearer way.
26...Bxd4 27.Rxd4 Qxc3
Position after: 27...Qxc3
28.Qa5!
One more elegant nuance, prepared several moves earlier.
28...Rf8 29.Qb6 1–0
The positional threat b5 forces Black to advance the e-pawn, and in turn that pawn becomes a target of
attack. White has a clear advantage that he successfully converted...
However, as far as the test is concerned...
The move 21.Bd4! is not difficult to be found at all.
Discovering the manoeuvre 22.Rd3! already corresponds to the level of an international master.
I guess finding the counter-play 24...Nh5! to be of grandmaster capacity only.
Well if you have reached in your calculations 28.Qa5! it means your ambitions to challenge for the chess
crown seem to be rather justified!
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Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia 2014
This tournament was held in Khanty-Mansiysk, 13-31 March 2014. Anand won the Candidates
Tournament to challenge Carlsen for the World Championship. Their match took place at the end of
2014. However Carlsen won again...
Anand won the Candidates Tournament to challenge Carlsen for the World Championship.
One can mention that Anand was only the second ex-champion (after Karpov in 1987 and 1990) to win a
Candidates tournament, and at his age of 44 Anand was the second oldest person to win one (behind
Kortschnoj in 1977 and 1981).
TEST №26

Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar (2757)
Khanty-Mansiysk 2014
113
Black to move
Show/Hide Solution
This fantastic position demanded deep and precise calculation.
45...Rc2+ 46.Kg3 Rg2+
The two first checks are not questionable.

One can only add here that 46.Kh1 is losing because of the simple variation 46...Nf3! 47.Rf8+ Ke6
48.Rxf3 Bg2+ and 49...Kxd7.
47.Kh4
Black’s task becomes easier after 47.Kf4 Ne6+ 48.Kf3 Nxc7 49.Rf8+ Kxf8 50.d8=Q+ Ne8 and now if
51.Qh4 then ...Rc2! winning.
47...Be6!
Creating a mating threat: 48.c8=Q? Nf3+ 49.Kh5 Rh2#.
48.Rf8+
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Position after: 48.Rf8+
48...Kxf8??
Phantasmagoria! Goya! “The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters!”

What happened to Mamedyarov? What forced him to pass by a spectacular and not so complicated
finale? I cannot explain...
48...Kg6!! led to a win: 49.Rf6+ (49.Rg8+ is answered by 49...Kh6!! 50.Rxg5 Rh2+ 51.Kg3 Rh3+ and
52...Bxd7–+) 49...Kxf6 50.d8=Q+ Kf7!
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Position after: 50...Kf7!–+
Once again the threat of the well-known mate Nf3+ and Rh3#.No more checks.
White can try to take under control the square h2 or the square f3, but it cannot help.
A) In case of 51.Qd6 he gets mated by force: 51...Nf3+ 52.Kh5 Rg5+ 53.Kh6 Rg6+ 54.Kxh7 Ng5+
55.Kh8 Rg8#.
A) And after 51.Qd1 the fine move 51...Kg6!! wins the game: 52.Qb1+ Kh6 53.Qd1 Nf3+ 54.Qxf3
Rh2+ 55.Kg3 Rh3+ etc.
If after the initial moves you found 48...Kg6!! and concluded that involving the king in the attack led to
victory in all the variations, one can only envy your calculation abilities!
However, could you keep a cool head and sober mind in the fire of combat?
49.c8=Q+ Kg7?
Mamedyarov obviously lost internal balance.

If he played 49...Kf7! White’s task would be much more difficult. You can check if you are able to solve
it....
Can White win the game?
Position after: 49...Kf7!
A) The pawn promotion to the knight provides nothing: 50.d8=N+ Kf6 51.Nxe6 Nxe6 52.Qxc4 Rg7=.
B) The checks 50.Qe8+ Kg7 51.Qe7+ Kg6 52.Qe8+ Kg7 do not give any possibility to improve the
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position.
Somebody said about Kasparov that he often made the “second move” in at
tack, meaning that instead of immediately playing a forcing/obvious move , he first prepared the ground
with a clever preliminary move. But the “second move” can be made in defence too...
C) 50.Kh5!! Not waiting for a check! Now hopelessly:
C1) 50...Bg4+ 51.Kh6! Ne6 52.Qe8+ Kf6 53.d8=Q+ Nxd8 54.Qxd8+ Ke6 55.Qd4+–.
C2) 50...Bxd7 51.Qxd7+ Kf6 52.Qd4+ Kf7 53.Qxa7+ and White also wins the c4-pawn.
C3) The best chance is to reply also with a manoeuvre of the king: 50...Kg7!. After 51.Qb7 Bg4+!
52.Kxg5! Bf3+ 53.Kh4 Bxb7 54.d8=Q Rh2+ 55.Kg3 Rg2+ 56.Kh3 Rf2 57.Qd4+ Rf6 58.Qxa7 Rf7
59.Qc5 the position is hard to assess. The computer indicates that Black is unlikely to build a fortress.
From the “human chess” point of view, I would not be so sure...
After the king retreat to g7, everything ended in five moves:
50.Qb7 Nf3+ 51.Qxf3 Rh2+ 52.Kg5 h6+ 53.Kf4 Rh4+ 54.Ke5
1–0
Moscow 2016
The tournament was held in Moscow 11-30 March 2016. Everything was decided on the last day.
Going into the final round, Fabiano Caruana and Sergey Karjakin were the leaders, half a point ahead of
Anand. Due to the tie break situation, the only possible winners of the tournament were Caruana and
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Karjakin.
In the last round the leaders faced each other in a decisive battle. Karjakin got some advantage in the
opening, but Caruana also tried to play to win. At the crucial moment, Karjakin was stronger.
He won and earned the right to challenge reigning champion Carlsen for the title. The 12-game match
was tied but Carlsen won the rapid tie-break series of four games.
TEST №27

Moscow 2016
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
Karjakin and Caruana were leaders before the last round. Both of them had 7.5 out of 13. In the final day,
they met in battle.
All through the game Caruana took risks trying to seize the initiative – the tie-break rule favoured the
Russian – but Karjakin played accurately and reliably. In time trouble Caruana played the last move 36...
Re5-e4...
37.Rxd5!
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This quite simple combination decides the issue of the battle. I hope it did not escape your attention.
37...exd5 38.Qxd5
A nightmare for Black. His pieces and pawns are thrown in a mess over the chessboard like toys in a
baby’s room. They are upside-down, forgotten, some of them broken – nobody wants to play with them...
38...Qc7
After 38...Rd4 39.Qxd4 Qxd4 40.Rxd4 Caruana could still dream about a draw. But what’s the use of
dreaming about it now when a draw is equivalent to a loss!
39.Qf5 Rf7 40.Bxf7 Qe5 41.Rd7+ Kf8 42.Rd8+ 1–0
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Show in Text Mode
Chapter 2
Tests for Grandmasters
The well-known Soviet grandmaster Alexander Kotov, author of the famous study books, was the first to
propose a system of training for calculating variations. He invented the terms “candidate move” and “the
tree of variation calculation”, that everybody knows now.
He wrote about his experience more than half a century ago: “Having chosen the sharpest games with
combinational complications from tournament books, I worked on them in a special way. Having
reached the culmination point of the fighting, where very diverse variations were possible, I stopped
reading the comments. My task was to analyze all possible arising variations. I covered the book page
with a sheet of paper and then deep thoughts began...”
It might look a bit strange but the working method hasn’t changed too much since then. Of course, a
book can be partly replaced by a computer, and checking variations using analysis programs is easier and
more precise. But one can’t manage without “deep thoughts” anyway.
In his times, Kotov had to find complicated games with annotations for choosing test-positions for
analyzing. There were many books of combinations, tasks and endgame studies, but it was almost
impossible to find test books for training of calculation and making practical decisions.
In the last 15 years, the situation has changed. A number of books have appeared containing tests
systematized by subjects and by degrees of complexity. Nevertheless when working with chess players
of the level 2500+, quite often I find a shortage of difficult tests for my pupils.
This chapter presents the most difficult tests.
I do not think that even a very strong grandmaster could solve all of them completely. Very rarely, after a
complicated game, does a grandmaster have the right to say, “I have seen everything”. And even if he
says that, in the majority of cases it signifies that he has generally controlled the situation on the board
and the position assessment hasn’t made any jumps unexpected for him.
Almost all the tests offered in this chapter demand very deep calculation of variations, and finding
original ideas happens sometimes far from the first move of a variation. Do not be upset if some of them
are much too difficult for you to solve.
“A review of large-scale study solutions may give you the same pleasure as an individual solution of
short ones,” wrote Genrikh Moiseyevich Kasparyan in the afterword to the book of his best studies. This
sentence has remained in my memory. The great chess composer rightly guessed that many of his
creations were so complicated that even a reader with strong competence would be hardly able to solve
them.
I guess that the most difficult tests from this chapter could be compared in their complexity with
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Kasparyan’s studies. So if when solving them you manage to calculate only a part of the right way – it
will be already a success!. In any case I hope that examining their solutions “may give you pleasure”, as
Kasparyan wrote.
The Test Positions
The first five tests offered for individual solution are all positions from the game Kramnik-Caruana.
See the solutions for tests 1-5 in the comments to the game.

Berlin 2018
TEST №1
Black to move
Kramnik played dubiously in the opening. Caruana took advantage and seized the initiative. But would
he manage to develop it?
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Qe2 Qe7 6.Nc3 Nxc3 7.dxc3 Qxe2+ 8.Bxe2 Nc6 9.Be3
Be7 10.0-0-0 0-0 11.Rhe1 Bf6 12.Nd2 Re8 13.Bf3 Ne5 14.Bf4 Kf8 15.Bd5 c6 16.Bb3 Bf5 17.h3 g5
18.Bh2 Kg7 19.c4 g4 20.Ne4
This game was played in the fourth round. Former world champion Kramnik had 2.5 out of 3 and was
leading. Caruana had half a point less.
Show/Hide Solution
121
Position after: 20.Ne4
Kramnik had played dubiously in the opening and his last move 20.Ne4?! made the situation even worse.
Caruana took advantage immediately.
20...Bxe4 21.Rxe4 Bg5+!
This is the precise order of moves.

21...gxh3 22.gxh3 Bg5+ 23.f4 Bh6 led only to equality.
22.Kb1 gxh3!
One more precise and very timely move.

After 22...f5 23.Ree1 gxh3 24.Rg1 White needs to reduce the opponent’s initiative. There is one sharper
variation at his disposal, 23.Red4 gxh3 24.f4 hxg2 25.fxe5 dxe5 26.Rd7+ Kf6 27.c5! f4 28.R1d2 with
complicated play.
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Position after: 22...gxh3!µ
23.c5!?
A remarkable moment: Kramnik has chosen the move that is weak (!) by computer logic but nevertheless
causes maximum problems for human chess!
A) After the natural move 23.gxh3 there follows 23...f5!. Then either 24.Ree1 Nf3! 25.Rxe8 Rxe8
26.Bxd6 Nd2+ 27.Ka1 Ne4µ, or 24.Bxe5+ dxe5 25.Rd7+ Kf6 26.Re1 e4µ lead to positions with a clear
advantage for Black.
B) 23.f4? was bad because of 23...Ng4 24.Rxe8 Rxe8 25.gxh3 Nxh2 26.fxg5 Nf3, and the black knight
looks like a furious monster compared with the white bishop sadly sitting in captivity.
If when examining Black’s 20th move you could reach and correctly assess the position arising after
23.gxh3 f5!, found the reliable way arrive at that position and moreover in passing you refuted 23.f4?, it
means that you have played this part of the game not worse than the winner of the Candidates
tournament has!
23...f5! 24.Rb4
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24...hxg2
24...b5! was stronger: 25.cxb6 hxg2 26.b7 Rab8 27.Ba4 f4 and the path to victory is considerably easier!
25.Rxb7+ Kh8 26.cxd6 Nf3 27.Ba4 Nxh2 28.Bxc6 Rad8 29.d7 Re2 30.Bxg2 Rxf2 31.Bc6 Ng4
32.Rxa7 Ne3 33.Rg1
TEST №2
124
Position after: 33.Rg1
Black to move
During the last few moves the assessment “Black has a decisive advantage” has been fluctuating but
despite Kramnik’s inventive play the assessment has not changed substantially.
Show/Hide Solution
During the last 10 moves the assessment “Black has a decisive advantage” has been fluctuating a bit but
despite Kramnik’s creative play did not greatly change.
Now Caruana makes a mistake.
33...h6?
A) White should hold the position after 33...Bf6? 34.c3 Nc4 35.Bd5! For example, 35...Ne5 36.Rc7 h5
37.Rc8„.
B) The consequences of 33...h5? 34.Rc7 h4 35.a4 are unclear.
C) 33...f4 was better. But after 34.a3 Rxc2 an inferior version of the main variation of the solution arises,
as 35.Rxg5 Rxc6 36.Re5 Rg6 37.Ra4 Rg1+ 38.Ka2 Rxd7 39.Rxf4 leads to a position where Black has
considerable difficulty in realizing his advantage.
D) 33...Rxc2!! is the only precise way to win!
D1) Now 34.Rxg5? Rxc6 35.a4 Rd6 is hopeless and in the event of 34.Rc7? Bf6 the attack on White’s
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weak point b2 is decisive.
D2) It is likely that Caruana got confused because of 34.Ba4!? (as complicated variations arise in case
of 34...Rg2?). But he surely missed an extremely important nuance: after 34...Rf2! White cannot capture
the bishop due to the mate and Black has an easy win.
33...h6? 34.Rc7! Kg7
In the event of 34...Kh7!? White goes 35.Bb5! (and not 35.a4? Rxc2 36.Rc8 Bf6 making Black’s dream
come true) 35...f4 36.a4„.
35.a4
Chances are now equal.
35...Kf7 36.Bb5 Ke7?! 37.a5
So now Black has to think hard.
Position after: 37.a5
37...Rf4!
A) 37...Kd6 loses after the spectacular 38.Rc6+ Ke7 39.a6! Rxd7 40.Re6+ Kxe6 41.Bxd7+ Kxd7
42.a7+–.
B) 37...Rg2 38.Rxg2 Nxg2 could not save Black either: 39.Rc8 Bf4 40.a6 Bb8 41.c4 Nf4 42.c5 Nd5
43.c6 f4 44.Be2+–.
38.c3 Kd6?
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Caruana made the right first step but went wrong with the second one. His previous move was strong, if
coupled with the manoeuvre 38...Rg4!. After the text move, we reach the position of test number 3.
TEST №3
Position after: 38...Kd6?+–

White to move
The position’s assessment has turned around! Now Kramnik plays for the win.
Show/Hide Solution
Here you had to find the best continuation for Kramnik.
39.Rb7?!
Both Caruana and Kramnik considered this retreat of the rook so natural that they did not plunge into
deep analysis of alternatives... And the move was wrong!
A) White had a neat forcing path to victory: 39.Rc6+! Ke7 40.a6!! Rxd7 41.Rc8! Ra7 42.Re8+ and
capturing the unprotected knight.
Have you managed to find this unexpected, complicated and – most important – winning variation?
B) If not and your choice was 39.Rb7, it means that in this case you have played like Vladimir Kramnik,
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which is not bad at all!
C) But if you preferred 39.Rc8?, you made a serious mistake: the d7-pawn was worth considerably more
than any exchange! After 39...Rxd7 40.Bxd7 Kxd7 Black has no problems.
39.Rb7?! Rg4 40.Re1 f4 41.a6 h5?!
Position after: 41...h5?!
After 41...f3! the long and almost forcing variation 42.a7 f2 43.Rxe3 Bxe3 44.Rb8 Rg1+ 45.Kc2 Rg2
46.Bf1 Bxa7 47.Rxd8 Rg7 48.Bh3 f1=Q 49.Bxf1 Rxd7 50.Rh8 would lead Black to an ending a pawn
down but with chances to draw due to the opposite-colour bishops.
Now the position assessment comes back to “White has a decisive advantage”. However such an
assessment can be proved correct only with precise, almost computer-like play.
42.a7 Ra8 43.b4
The sharp variation 43.c4 f3 44.d8=Q+ Bxd8 45.Rxe3 f2 46.Rf3 Rg1+ 47.Kc2 f1=Q 48.Rxf1 Rxf1
49.c5+ Kxc5 50.Bxf1 Bb6 51.b4+ Kc6 52.Bg2+ Kb5 53.Rxb6+ led to a win. However, it was almost
impossible to calculate it with 100 percent conviction up to the end.
That is why Kramnik chose the continuation preventing the immediate march of the f-pawn.
43...h4
43...f3?? 44.d8=Q Bxd8 45.Rxe3 with mate threatening.
44.c4?
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44.d8=Q+ Bxd8 45.Rd7+ Ke5 46.Bc6! was correct. After 46...Rxa7 47.Rxa7 h3 48.Rh7 White will try to
convert the extra exchange, although this task is not so easy. Now the position assessments become
unclear again.
44...h3 45.c5+ Ke5
We have reached the position of test number 4.
TEST №4

White to move
Kramnik still holds the advantage. What would you prefer: 46.Rb8 Rxa7 47.Rg8
or 46.Bc6 h2 47.Rh1?
Show/Hide Solution
46.Rb8?!
Another plan was stronger: 46.Bc6!? h2! 47.Rh1 Rg1+ 48.Kb2! After this move Black must find the only
way to save the game. (If White retreats 48.Ka2 his king will come under check in the variation 48...Nd5
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49.Rxh2 Rxa7+! 50.Rxa7 Nxb4+ 51.Kb3 Nxc6 with sufficient counter-play to maintain the balance.)
48...f3! 49.Bxf3 Rg3!! Having sacrificed his passed pawns, Black begins to make a net around the white
king.
Position after: 49...Rg3!!„
50.c6! Rxf3 (After the capture 51.Rxh2 the white king cannot escape the checks: 51...Nc4+ 52.Kc2
Na3+ 53.Kd1 Raf8!! 54.Rb8 Rd3+ 55.Ke1 Re3+ 56.Re2 Bh4+ 57.Kd2 Nc4+ 58.Kc2 Na3+ with a
draw.) 51.c7
Position after: 51.c7
130
A fantastic position demands a paradoxical solution! 51...Nc4+! 52.Kb1 Kd4!! 53.c8=Q Rb3+ 54.Ka2
Ra3+ with perpetual check – draw!
Certainly, when thinking about the consequences of 46.Bc6!? h2! 47.Rh1, calculating all these variations
is impossible. But having stated Black’s difficulties in obtaining draw after 48.Kb2!, one can reach a
verdict: “46.Bc6 creates serious problems for Black”.
46.Rb8?! Rxa7 47.Rg8 Bf6!
Position after: 47...Bf6!
Perhaps Kramnik had underestimated the power of this move when making his choice on the 46th move.
Now White already has to find a series of only moves.
48.d8=Q!
48.Rxg4? Kf5 49.Rxe3 fxe3 is hopeless.
48...Bxd8 49.Rxg4
49.Rxd8? h2 50.Bc6 Rg1 is also just lost for White.
49...Bf6!
After 49...Kf5 50.Rg8 Bf6 White has an important check: 51.Bd3+ Ke6 52.Kc1=.
131
Position after: 49...Bf6!
50.Rg6!!
This only move has to bring the game to a draw.
50...Rb7 51.Be2 Rxb4+ 52.Ka2 Nc2!?
Using his opponent’s time shortage, Caruana starts playing to win. Instead of simple continuations like
52...Be7 or 52...Rb8, leading to a draw, he chooses a risky variation in the hope of confusing his
opponent.
53.Rc1 Nd4 54.Bd3?!
Caruana’s crafty strategy begins to bear fruit.

54.Bg4! was stronger. Although after 54...h2! (54...Ra4+ 55.Kb2 Bh8²) 55.Re1+ Kd5 56.Rxf6 Ra4+
57.Kb2 Rb4+ 58.Kc1 Rc4+ 59.Kd1 Ra4, the black pieces’ activity saves them from defeat in spite of the
lack of a whole rook (!): 60.Rh6 Kc4! 61.c6 Kd3! 62.Rh3+ f3! with a draw.
54...Ra4+ 55.Kb1 Nb3 56.Re1+ Kd5
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Position after: 56...Kd5
Black still does not have direct threats but the situation around White’s king becomes more and more
dangerous.
57.Kc2
57.Rxf6 would lead to a draw, by a slightly crooked path: 57...Ra1+ 58.Kb2 Rxe1 59.Kxb3 h2 60.Bc4+!
Kxc5 61.Rf5+ Kd4 62.Rxf4+ (62.Bd5?? loses because of 62...f3!) 62...Ke3 63.Rh4=.
57...Nd4+ 58.Kb1? Nf3!
We have reached the position of test number 5.
TEST №5
133
Position after: 58...Nf3!
White to move
The assessment of the position has changed to the opposite of the last one. The final question is: could
Kramnik save the game?
Show/Hide Solution
59.Rd1??
Stress. Nerves. Time trouble.

Of course in solving this test your task was incomparably easier than it was for Kramnik.
A) Even 59.Re2? Ra1+ 60.Kc2 Nd4+ 61.Kd2 Nxe2 62.Bxe2 Ke4!µ was better than the continuation in
the game.
B) And after the correct 59.Rxf6! Nxe1 60.Bf1! Kramnik would save the game: 60...h2 61.Rh6 Kxc5
62.Rxh2 with a draw.
59.Rd1?? Ra1+ 60.Kc2
If on the 58th move Kramnik had retreated his king to c1, now he could block the check with the bishop.
60...Rxd1 61.Ba6
134
After 61.Kxd1 the h-pawn promotes to queen: 61...h2 62.Rh6 Bh4.
61...Rd2+ 62.Kc1 Bb2+ 63.Kb1 Kxc5 64.Bb7 Ne5 65.Rf6 f3 66.Rf5 f2 0–1
The tests numbered 6-8 are positions from the game Aronian-Ding.
See the solutions for tests 6-8 in the comments to the game.

Ding, Liren (2769)
Berlin 2018
TEST №6
Position after: 18...Rd6

White to move
In this position the opponents repeated moves with 19.Rb1 Qa5 20.Rb5 Qa6 21.Rb1 Qa5 22.Rb5 and
took a draw.
But could Aronian fight for an advantage by playing 19.Rb2?
Show/Hide Solution
135
A) In this position the opponents repeated the moves 19.Rb1 Qa5 20.Rb5 Qa6 21.Rb1 Qa5 22.Rb5 and
the game was drawn.
B) Of course immediately capturing the piece is not good: 19.cxd4 Nxd4 20.Rc3 Rhd8µ.
However, back to your test: could Aronian fight for the advantage by playing 19. Rb2? Yes! Let’s see
why.
19.Rb2! Qa5 20.cxd4 Qd5
21.dxe5!
The key move that is possible only with the rook placed on b2.
Those who, after having assessed the position correctly, guessed that the move 19.Rb2 was right, and
concluded that Levon Aronian should play to win – you have solved the test perfectly.
21.Rb5 was evidently possible (also with the rook on b1 instead of b2): 21...Qa2 22.Rc3 leading to
absolutely unclear consequences: 22...exd4 23.Rc1 d3 24.Bg4+ Kb8∞.
21...Nd4
White has an obvious advantage after 21...fxe5 22.Qb3±; or 21...Nxe5 22.Nf3 Nd3 23.Rc2 Nb4
24.Rc3±.
22.Nf3! fxe5 23.Bc3
All the white pieces are active and Black’s strong centralized knight does not provide enough counter-
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play for him.
The position is complicated but White’s chances are considerably better: 23...c5 24.Rg3±; or 23...Nxe2
24.Qxd5 Rxd5 25.Kxe2 Re8 26.Nd2±.
TEST №7

Black to move
Was Ding Liren right in refusing to continue the game by 20...Bxc3?
Show/Hide Solution
As has been already mentioned, after 20...Qa6 21.Rb1 Qa5 22.Rb5 the draw was recorded.
The question of this test was: was Ding Liren right in refusing to try 20...Bxc3?
20...Bxc3 21.Rd3!
The only move! The variations 21.Rxa5 Rxd2 22.Qb1 Bxa5 and 21.Rxc3 Qxc3 22.Bxc3 Rxd1+ 23.Bxd1
Ba6 give a clear advantage for Black.
21...Rxd3 22.Bxd3 Ba6!!
137
After 22...Bxd2? 23.Rxa5 Bxa5 24.Qg4+ the white queen starts to murder Black’s kingside: 24...Kb8
25.Qxg7 Rd8 26.Qxh7±.
23.Bxc3!
After 23.Rxa5?! Bxd3+ 24.Ke1 (24.Ne2? loses after 24...Nd4!) 24...Bxd2+ 25.Qxd2 Rd8! 26.Rxa7
Nxa7 Black’s chances are slightly preferable.
23...Qxc3 24.Ne2
Suddenly it becomes clear that the black queen has only the one square for retreating – and that square
has been already mined.
24...Qa3 25.Rb3! Qxa4 26.Bf5+ Kb8 27.Rxb6+ cxb6 28.Qxa4 Bxe2+ 29.Kxe2 Nd4+ 30.Kf1 Nxf5„
138
Position after: 30...Nxf5
The complicated and long forcing variation begun with the move 20...Bxc3 has now finished.
Those who could travel in their calculations from the initial position at least half-way to the end of our
variation, can bravely get into fighting against any of the Candidates for the chess crown and even with
Magnus Carlsen himself!
One should only add that after 31.Qd7 or 31.Qe4 White’s position is preferable because of his queen’s
activity.
We do not know if Ding’s decision to repeat the moves was built on intuition or on deep calculation but
the analysis shows that objectively Ding had no chances of fighting for advantage after 20...Bxc3, so he
should be satisfied with the draw.
TEST №8
139
Position after: 18.Be2
Black to move
Here Black played 18...Rd6.

Examine the position in three minutes and in addition to the move from the game offer THREE more
possible candidate-moves. If the best one is within the three, you passed the test!
Show/Hide Solution
18...Ba8!!
This was a mini-test for creativity of thinking.

If this fantastic bishop manoeuvre was in your three candidate-moves – you have reached top again!
The plan of building this deeply cloaked battery ...Ba8-...Qb7 not only inspires my admiration but also is
really the strongest!
After 18...Ba8!! 19.Nf3 Qb7 20.cxd4 Nxd4 Black has good play.
TEST №9

140
Berlin 2018

Black to move
Fire on board!
Two moves ago Grishuk exchanged his passive rook for a knight. In reply, Aronian has offered a piece
sacrifice in playing the last move, 24.Rd1.
Find the best continuation, calculate its consequences and assess the resulting position.
Show/Hide Solution
24...Ng5!!
The only move!

This move is not that difficult to find as it is attractive at least by giving hope to mate after 25.Bxf4??
Nf3!#. Such a smart knight’s jump could be chosen even by intuition!
But I would prefer you to prove your choice by calculation, as Grishuk did. It is not so difficult to do if
you just find White’s main threat.
A) In case of acceptance of the piece sacrifice with 24...fxe3? Aronian has prepared a killing blow:
25.Qxd7+! Qxd7 26.Bb5!!
And that’s not all.
141
Position after: 26.Bb5!!
After 26...Qxb5 27.c8=Q+ Kf7 28.Qxf5+ Ngf6 29.Qg6+ Ke6 only 30.Rg4!! leads to the win: 30...Qc6
31.Rd3+–.
B) It is clear that a similar stroke decides the issue of the game also in case of 24...Be5 25.Qxd7+! Qxd7
26.Bb5! winning.
24...Ng5!! 25.c8=Q+
Another order of tactical strokes is possible: after 25.Rxg4 fxg4 26.c8=Q+ Bxc8 27.Qd8+ Kf7 28.Qxg5
fxe3 the position arises that is examined below in the note for White’s 27th move. There it occurs after
27.Qxg5! fxe3 28.Rxg4! etc.
25...Bxc8 26.Qd8+ Kf7
142
If the first part of the test – “find the best continuation” – was rather simple, the second one – “calculate
its consequences and assess the arising position” – could not be completely solved even by Aronian and
Grishuk!
27.Qc7+?
This miscalculation is difficult to explain.

The right way was to capture the knight: 27.Qxg5! fxe3 28.Rxg4! (28.Bxg4 fxg4 29.Nxe3 is weaker as
after 29...Re8 30.Rf1+! Kg8 31.Rd8 Rxd8 32.Qxd8+ Kh7 Black’s powerful pair of bishops generate an
initiative for him.) 28...fxg4
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Position after: 28...fxg4
The earlier mentioned 25.Rxg4 led to this position too.

A) Now White should force the draw: 29.Qf4+ Qf6 30.Bc4+ Ke8 31.Bb5+ Kf7 32.Bc4+ or 29...Ke7
30.Qg5+ Kf7 31.Qf4+.
B) 29.Qxc5?! is weaker because of 29...Bf8! 30.Qc7+ Kf6 31.Qc3+ Qe5 and Black has an advantage.
Having refuted the acceptance of the sacrifice 24...fxe3 and having chosen 24...Ng5!, you have certainly
coped with the test!
If you succeeded in defining precisely that 24...Ng5 must lead to a draw, your analysis level is not lower
than 2700!
Why did Aronian not find 27.Qxg5 and why did Grischuk not foresee it, you might ask. After all, both of
them are rated about 2800.
The answer is simple: Firstly, because of psychological tension, secondly, because of tiredness from the
previous fighting, and thirdly, because of the permanent state of stress. And finally, maybe you simply
play chess stronger than them under special circumstances!
After the check on c7, played by Aronian in the game, Grishuk could seize the initiative.
144
Position after: 27.Qc7+?
27...Kg8??
After the simple 27...Qe7 White has problems: 28.Qxe7+ Kxe7 29.Bxf4 Nh3ƒ or 28.Bc4+ Kf6 29.Qxf4
Nh3 30.Rd6+ Be6µ.
28.Rd6 Qf7 29.Qd8+??
29.Qxc8+ Kh7 30.Qxc5 fxe3 31.Rxg4 led to victory for White.
29...Qf8 30.Bxf4 Ne6!
The chances are approximately equal.
31.Bc4 Qxd8 32.Rxd8+ Kh7 33.Rxh8+ Bxh8 34.Bd6 Ng5 35.Rg2 Ne4 36.Bb8 Bd4 37.h3 Ne5 38.Bd5
Nd3+ 39.Ke2 Nc1+ 40.Kd1 Nd3 41.Nd2 Nf6 42.Bf3 ½-½
TEST №10
Ding, Liren (2769)

Berlin 2018
145
White to move
Ding has just sacrificed two pawns. How did he plan to develop the attack?
Show/Hide Solution
25.Bg6!!
Choosing the strongest move out of four or five candidate-moves was not easy at all!
A) 25.Qxh5?! is dubious. 25...Bxg5 26.Bxg5?! (or 26.Qxg5 d4) 26...Nf7 27.Qf3 d4³ and White’s
position causes concern.
В) After 25.Nh7+ Kg8:
B1) The variation 26.Bb6 Rb8 27.Qxe6+ Qxe6 28.Rxe6 Bc5 results in approximately equal play.
B2) But 26.Bxh6 Rxh7!? (26...gxh6 27.Qc2 Bh4! 28.Qg6+ Qg7∞) 27.Bxh7+ Kxh7 28.Bf4 d4 leads to
a position with good compensation for Black.
C) 25.Qf3+!? Kg8 26.Nxe6 looks more dangerous. However Black continues 26...Qxe6 27.Bb6! Qxb6
28.Rxe7 Qf6 29.Qxf6 gxf6 30.Rxb7 d4 and the position has a double-edged character.
D) 25.h4!? with the idea of Bb6 is evidently more interesting. But after 25...Nf5 26.Bb6 Bxg5 27.hxg5
Re8 28.Qe5 Qd6 White can count on only a slight advantage.
Ding’s move is clearly the best!
146
I would definitely congratulate those who found this move, assessed it correctly and chose it just like
Ding Liren did.
25.Bg6!!
Position after: 25.Bg6!!
25...Bf6
Black cannot ignore the threat of 26.Qf3+. And to prevent it with a differrent move is extremely
difficult:
A) 25...Rc8 26.Qf3+ Bf6 27.Nxe6+ Qxe6 28.Bxh6+–.
B) 25...Nf5 26.Nf7!+–.
C) 25...d4 26.Bxd4 Bxg5 27.Be3!+–.
D) or 25...Kg8 26.Bb6! Bxg5 27.Bxd8 Bxd8 28.Qxe6+ Qxe6 29.Rxe6 with inescapable mate.
26.Bb6!
26.Nce4!? Kg8 27.Nxf6+ gxf6 28.Bb6+– is also strong.
26...Rc8 27.Nxe6+ Kg8 28.Nxd5 Bxd5
147
Position after: 28...Bxd5
“Well, White’s position is winning anyway,” Ding Liren apparently decided, as he relaxed a bit and
played...
29.Nf4?!
That such a strong chess player as Ding Liren missed a win here can only be explained by a loss of
concentration. He did not see the spectacular and shortest way to end the battle: 29.Rxd5! Qxd5
30.Nd8!!, or in the other move order 29.Nd8!! Rxd8 30.Rxd5!.
Finally the game ended in a draw.
TEST №11

Nakamura, Hikaru (2790)
Moscow 2016
148
Position after: 17.g5
Black to move
A typical position with attacks on opposite sides has appeared on the board right after the opening.
How should Nakamura continue his attack: 17...b3 or 17...a3? Or should he prefer the prophylactic move
17...Kh8?
Make your own choice from these three candidate-moves.
Show/Hide Solution
A) I guess that to assess correctly the move 17...Kh8?! out of three possibilities was easy enough for
you. In such a sharp position, a prophylactic move is not the best solution at all!
A1) White can continue 18.Rhg1 a3 19.N3h4!. Now after 19...axb2? 20.Qh5 White wins and in case of
19...fxg5 20.Rxg5 he has a strong attack.
A2) Or White can play immediately 18.g6 Bxf5 (18...hxg6 was weaker: 19.N3h4! gxf5 20.Qh5+ Kg8
21.Rhg1 Qd7 22.Ng6 with an attack) 19.exf5 h6 20.h4 Bf8 21.Ng5 with a dangerous initiative.
To make a right choice from two other continuations is more difficult.
As 17...b3 was played in the game, let’s start examining the move by the rook’s pawn.
B) 17...a3 18.b3 Bxf5 19.exf5 e4! Only with this breakthrough can the move 17...a3 can be strategically
justified. (In case of 19...Qd7? 20.Rhg1! Qxf5 21.Nh4 Qh3 22.Qh5‚ a one-sided game begins.)
149
Position after: 19...e4!
Now White has several possibilities:

B1) 20.d4 is not dangerous: 20...exf3 21.Qc4+ Ne6 22.fxe6 Qe7 23.h4 Qxe6 24.Qxc6 Rf8= or
20...Nd7!? 21.Qc4+ Kh8 22.Nd2 fxg5! 23.Qxc6 h6!∞.
B2) 20.Nd4 also allows Black real counter-play: 20...fxg5 21.h4 g4 22.Qxg4 Qf6„.
B3) 20.dxe4 This most natural continuation causes more problems for Black. 20...Nxe4! (Capturing
with 20...Rxe4?! is weaker: 21.c3².) 21.Qc4+ Kh8 22.Bd4 Ra5! Only this unexpected rook manoeuvre
provides sufficient counter-play for Black: 23.gxf6 gxf6∞.
Therefore 17...a3 gave enough counter-play for Black but only when combined with the breakthrough
19...e4! and the manoeuvre 22...Ra5!.
Now let’s pass to the events that actually happened in the game and analyze the second serious move,
that’s to say, the second candidate-move.
17...b3
This seems to be the more logical move. It guarantees that Black can open at least one line that can be
used for attacking.
A) The pawn structure arising in case of 18.cxb3?! axb3 19.a3, gives Black after 19...Bxf5 20.exf5 Na4!
ƒ or after the immediate 19...Na4!ƒ excellent tactical chances related to a possible knight sacrifice on b2
or c3.
B) The exchange sacrifice 18.a3 bxc2 19.Qxc2 Bb3 20.Qc3 Bxd1 21.Rxd1 Ne6 leads to an unclear
position.
150
18.Rhg1!
To leave White’s breakthrough on the queenside without any reaction is obviously the strongest
decision!
Now a position that can be used as a separate test arises.
How should Black continue?
Position after: 18.Rhg1!
18...bxa2+?
Nakamura evidently did not cope with the task!

A) In reply to the waiting line 18...Bxf5?! 19.exf5 Kh8, White can play 20.d4! Nd7 21.g6! or 20...exd4
21.Rxd4! and in both cases White’s attack is stronger than Black’s.
B) However, Black had in its disposal a paradoxical, apparently illogical resource! 18...g6!!
151
Position after: 18...g6!!
Black voluntarily moves a pawn in front of his king on the side attacked by the opponent, creating a
target for possible sacrifices. It is against all the rules and it is the best move! It looks suspicious but
attempts to destroy Black’s defence fail.
A) 19.Nh6+ Kh8
A1) 20.d4 Nxe4 21.gxf6 (or 21.dxe5 fxe5 22.Qd3 bxc2+ 23.Qxc2 a3 24.b3 Qb8∞) 21...Qxf6
(21...Bb4!?) 22.dxe5 Qg7! with sharp play, as 23.exd6?? is a blunder because of 23...Nc3+! winning.
A2) 20.a3 bxc2+ 21.Qxc2 Qe7! 22.Qc3 Rab8! Black successfully defends though only with a series of
only moves! 23.Bxc5 Rb3! 24.Bxd6 Qxd6 25.Qc1 Reb8! and the compensation for the sacrificed piece
is sufficient to maintain equality for Black.
B) Another possibility is 19.cxb3 axb3 20.a3 Na4.
B1) Now after 21.gxf6 Qxf6 22.Bg5 Qf8 23.Bh6 Qf6 24.Bg7 Nc3+! 25.bxc3 Qd8 Black has full
compensation.
B2) 21.Nxd6!? cxd6 22.Rc1 and 22.Ng5 lead to positions where White could fight for the initiative in
very complicated play.
Therefore the plan with 17...b3 was possible although only combined with the extremely unexpected
resource 18...g6!!
Those who chose 17...a3 or 17...b3 only from “general considerations” are wrong. In this case, intuition
is obviously not enough.
The players who after 17...a3 18.b3 Bxf5 19.exf5 found the breakthrough 19...e4! have rather deeply
understood the position.
Any grandmaster would envy the sang-froid and creative originality of those who found and chose the
152
variation 17...b3 18.Rhg1 g6!!.
Those who found that 17...b3 must be combined with 18...g6!! and 17...a3 must be combined with
19...e4! plus 22...Ra5!, deserve not only genuine admiration, but also an immediate bonus of 50 rating
points!
19.Ka1 Bxf5 20.exf5
It’s difficult to say what Nakamura counted on when he played 17...b3. Perhaps in his calculations he
missed the rather simple reply 18.Rhg1, became disappointed and lost his normal capacity for finding
original decisions.
Strategically Black has already lost the battle.
20...a3?! 21.b3 Na6 22.c3 Bf8 23.Nd2 fxg5 24.Rxg5 Nc5
153
Position after: 24...Nc5
25.Rg3! e4
25...Qxd3 26.Qxd3 Nxd3 loses because of 27.Ne4 Nb2 28.Rdg1 Kf7 29.Bc5!.
26.Bxc5 Bxc5 27.Nxe4 Bd6 28.Rh3 Be5 29.d4 Bf6 30.Rg1 Rb8 31.Kxa2 Bh4 32.Rg4 Qd5 33.c4 1–0
TEST №12
Svidler, Peter (2747)

London 2013
154
Position after: 25.Bxd4
Black to move
In the game Carlsen played 25...exd3 and after 26.Bxd3 Bxd3 27.Rxd3 c5 28.Be5 Rxd3 29.Bxb8 c4! he
got some advantage.
What would the strike 25...Bxh3!? have achieved?
Calculate variations and assess the arising positions.
Show/Hide Solution
25...Bxh3!!
The (at the time) future world champion chose a practical move, but not the best one. He continued
25...exd3 26.Bxd3 Bxd3 27.Rxd3 c5 28.Be5 Rxd3 29.Bxb8 c4! and gained the advantage. One should
note that Svidler was in time trouble.
The game ended quickly: 30.Be5 Bc5 31.Rb1 Qd5 32.Rb8+? Kh7 33.Qh5? Qe4 34.Rb2 Rd5 35.Re2
Qb1+ 36.Kh2 f6 0–1.
25...Bxh3!! 26.dxe4
Accepting the sacrifice with 26.gxh3 loses after the simple 26...Qxh3 27.Be3 Bd6 with unavoidable
mate.
155
26...Rg5 27.g3 Bg4 28.f3
Position after: 28.f3
28...Rb2!!
This rook sacrifice wins immediately!

After 28...Bh5 29.Kf2 Qh3 30.Rg1 Be7 or 29.Kg2 Bd6 30.Bf2 Qe6 Black has an advantage but the win
is still far away.
29.Qxb2 Bxf3 30.Rd2 Qh3
White has to resign!

I think that Carlsen saw the stroke on h3, but did not find the winning rook sacrifice 28...Rxb2. Have you
managed to find it?
156
Show in Text Mode
TEST №13

London 2013
Position after: 20.Qd3

Black to move
Here Ivanchuk played 20...c5 21.dxc5 Rxc5. But what did he plan on 22.e4, and was his calculation
correct?
Show/Hide Solution
20...c5 21.dxc5 Rxc5 22.e4
If Gelfand had correctly assessed his planned attempt to open the centre, he would have chosen 22.Rc1
Rhc8 23.Rxc5 Rxc5 24.Rc1 (here 24.e4? is also a mistake because of 24...Nc4! 25.exd5 Nd2+ 26.Ka1
Qc8!!–+) 24...Rxc1+ 25.Kxc1 with approximate equality.
157
Note that after 22.Rc1, in addition to the line given above, Black had an unexpected resource in
22...Bc3!? 23.bxc3 Rhc8.
However Black’s activity after this sacrifice is sufficient only for maintaining equality.
Position after: 22.e4
22...Rhc8!
This is what Ivanchuk has prepared! I do not think Gelfand had missed this move as obviously 22...fxe4?
23.Qxe4 led to a hopeless position for Black.
In the game Gelfand declined the sacrifice.
23.Rc1
Most likely he had been counting on 23.exd5 Rxd5 24.Qf3 and missed the beautiful 24...Bd2!!. (If
24...Rxd1+?! 25.Rxd1 Qxd1+ 26.Bxd1 Nc4 27.Kc2 Nd2+ 28.Qc3 Bxc3 29.bxc3 Nc4 30.Be2± Black
does not have sufficient compensation.
But after 22...Rhc8 Gelfand checked his calculations one more time and found the strong resource he had
initially overlooked, the above-mentioned move ... Bd2!!.)
158
Position after: 24...Bd2!!↑
Although Black has not still created direct threats White cannot prevent the development of his attack.
A) 25.Qa3? Qc6 26.Ka1 Bb4!–+.
B) 25.Ka1 Rc2 26.Ne4 (26.Qa3 Bb4!–+) 26...Qc7µ.
C) 25.Rhf1 Qa4 26.Bd3 Bc3 27.bxc3 Rd6 28.Rd2 Rxc3 29.Qe2 Nb3! 30.Rb2 Rcxd3–+. White could
hold the position if his rook was placed on g1 and there was not the threat of check by 31...Nd2+.
D) 25.Rhg1 Qd6! 26.Qa3 Qxa3 27.bxa3 Nc4!µ.
The correct answer to the test’s question was “On 22.e4 Ivanchuk prepared 22...Rhc8 23.exd5 Rxd5
24.Qf3 Bd2!! with more than sufficient compensation! So he was correct.”
Only finding 24...Bd2 can fully prove the idea of the piece sacrifice.
159
Position after: 23.Rc1
23...Nc4! 24.Rxc4
This is forced as 24.exd5? Nd2+ loses.
24...Rxc4
Now White has to capture the knight.
25.exd5
The position of the next test arises...
TEST №14
160
Position after: 25.exd5
Black to move
Later in the game. Find the best continuation and assess the ensuing position.
Show/Hide Solution
Here I hope your view has differed from Ivanchuk’s one as on the next move he made a serious mistake.
25...exd5?
After 25...Rc2! Black should win.

A) 26.dxe6? Qc6.
B) ...or 26.Nxe6? Rd2 winning at once.
C) After 26.a3 Black continues 26...Bxa3 also winning.
D) And in the event of 26.Qxc2 Rxc2 27.Kxc2 Qxd5 28.Rd1 Qc5+ 29.Kb1 Qxf2 White’s position is
hopeless.
The continuation in the game gave White equalizing chances.
25...exd5? 26.Qb3! Qc6! 27.Bxc4 dxc4 28.Qf3 Qb5 29.Qe2 Re8 30.Qc2 c3 31.bxc3 Bxc3+ 32.Qb3
Qd3+ 33.Qc2 Qb5+ 34.Qb3 Qd3+ 35.Qc2 Qb5+ ½-½
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TEST №15
Kamsky, Gata (2695)

Short, Nigel (2665)
Linares 1994

White to move
Kamsky has placed his pieces very actively. How can he develop an initiative?
Show/Hide Solution
White needs to play vigorously since if Black realizes the planned manoeuvre ...Nb8-d7-f6, he will have
no problems.
20.Nh5!
This initial move of a combinational attack is not difficult to find.

A) An attempt to increase positional pressure with 20.Ne2 Nd7 21.Nf4 does not bring profits: 21...N7f6
22.Nxf6+ Nxf6 and now 23.d5 (23.Qg3 Ne4 24.Qe3 Bg5 also allows Black to solve his problems)
23...Bxd5 24.Nxd5 Nxd5 25.Bxd5 exd5 26.Rxd5 Bf8! and Black achieves full equality.
162
B) 20.Qd3 Nd7 21.Bxd5 is not dangerous: 21...exd5 22.Ng5 Nf6=.
C) 20.Rd3 Nd7 21.h4 N7f6 22.h5 Rd7 leads to complicated play with chances for both sides.
Now White threatens to capture on d5 and check on f6.
20.Nh5! Nd7
Position after: 20...Nd7
21.h4!
The key move! Hard to believe, but after that Black’s position becomes defenceless.
A) 21.Ng7 Rf8 22.Qg3 Rc8 does not bring White anything real.
B) The variation 21.Qh3!? N7f6 22.Nexf6 Nxf6? 23.Qxe6!! winning is rather attractive. However, after
22...Bxf6 (instead of 22...Nxf6?) 23.Nxf6 Qxf6 White’s advantage is clear, but not decisive.
21...N7f6
Short makes the most logical move.

A) 21...Bxh4? 22.Nd6 loses.
B) In case of 21...b5 22.Ng7! (after 22.Ng5 Bxg5 23.Bxg5 f6 White has only a slight advantage)
22...Rf8 23.h5 White’s attack is irresistible. For example, 23...Bf6 24.Nxe6! fxe6 25.Bxf8 Qxf8 26.hxg6
hxg6 27.Qg3 winning!
22.Nhxf6+ Nxf6
163
Position after: 22...Nxf6
23.d5!!
The decisive breakthrough, planned in advance. Without it, all White’s preceding play would make no
sense.
Those who, together with Kamsky, could plan and then fully implement this crushing attack with the star
moves 20.Nh5!, 21.h4! and 23.d5!! have completely solved the test.
It was not easy. You have calculated variations on the level not less than 2700!
23...Nxe4
After 23...Nxd5 24.Bxd5 Bxd5 25.Rxd5! the checkmate is inescapable following either 25...Qxd5
26.Nf6+ Bxf6 27.Qxf6 or 25...exd5 26.Nf6+!.
24.dxe6 f5 25.Rxd8 Rxd8 26.Rd1 1–0
TEST №16
Speelman, Jonathan (2615)

Timman, Jan (2635)
London 1989
164
Position after: 14.e3
Black to move
Determine the candidate-moves, calculate their consequences and make your choice. Assess the resulting
position.
Show/Hide Solution
14...Bd7!
Speelman has chosen the best move! This was not so easy to do.
A) 14...Rb8 15.Nd4 Bxc3 16.Nxc6 bxc6 17.bxc3 Qxc3 18.Rc1 led to an approximately equal position.
B) The exchange sacrifice 14...axb5!? 15.Qxa8 Qc5! is worth a look too:
B1) 16.a3?! would have provided Black with some good play: 16...Bxc3 17.bxc3 Qb6 18.Rb1 Bd7
19.Qa4 Ne5!.
B2) However after 16.Ne4 Qe5 17.a4...
B3) ...or after the immediate 16.a4!? Bxc3 17.bxc3 b4 18.cxb4 Nxb4 19.Qb8, Black could not easily
prove the correctness of his idea.
C) It is difficult to assess correctly the consolidating move 14...Qc5. There could follow 15.Nd6 (After
15.Bxc6? the exchange sacrifice 15...axb5 16.Qxa8 Qxc6 gives Black the advantage.) 15...Rb8! 16.Bxc6
Bxc3 17.Bxb7 (White does not get full compensation in case of 17.Qxc4 Qxc4 18.Nxc4 Bf6 19.Bf3 b5
165
20.Na5 Bxb2³.) 17...Bxb7 18.Nxb7 Qb5! 19.Qxb5 axb5 20.bxc3 Rxb7 21.Rd2 Ra8 22.Rb1 and White
will gain a draw in the rook ending without any problems.
14...Bd7! 15.Rxd7 axb5
Position after: 15...axb5
16.Qxb5?
The lesser of two evils was 16.Qc2, although in this case Black keeps the advantage with any of three
moves: 16...Bxc3 17.bxc3 Rab8 18.Rfd1 Qc5, or 16...Rab8 17.Ne4 Rfd8, or even 16...Rfb8.
16...Bxc3 17.Rxb7 Qxb5 18.Rxb5 Na7! 19.Rc5 Bb4 20.Rxc4 Rab8 21.Rd1 Nc8
166
Position after: 21...Nc8µ
The long forcing variation has led to this position with a big advantage for Black, which he soon
converted.
If you chose together with Jonathan Speelman 14...Bd7! and could reach this position in your
calculations, it means that this time you have not been weaker than the best chess player of the United
Kingdom in that Candidates cycle!
TEST №17

Saint John 1988
167
Position after: 25...Qxb2
White to move
Determine the candidate moves, calculate their consequences and make your choice. Assess the position
that arises.
Show/Hide Solution
The pressure on the d-file and the possibility of destroying the black king’s cover by an exchange
sacrifice on f6 create reasons to search for tactical opportunities.
However, seven (!) candidate-moves deserve examination and making the right choice from them is very
difficult.
26.Bxf6
Kortschnoj chose the variation with the exchange sacrifice.

A) Another move order was a more precise realization of Kortschnoj’s idea: 26.Rxf6 Nxf6 27.Bxf6 gxf6
28.Ne4. However Black finds a defence in this case too: 28...Qc2! 29.Nxf6+ Kg7 30.Nh5+ Kh6!. Now
White has full compensation and playing White is obviously a bit easier. But objectively the chances are
approximately equal.
В) The capture 26.Rxa6?! is met by 26...e4! 27.Qe3 Rc8 28.Bxf6 Nxf6 29.Nxe4 Nxe4 30.Qxe4 Rce8
31.Qf3 Rxe2 equalizing.
168
C) 26.Nd5?! e4! 27.Qf5 Qxe2 is not dangerous for Black.
D) 26.Nd1 Qa2 27.Ne3 is an interesting manoeuvre. But Black continues 27...e4! 28.Qf5 Qxe2 29.Rfd1
Qf3+ and holds the position again.
E) After 26.Rfd1!? Black should immediately get free from the pin on the d-file. After 26...Rc8! 27.Nd5
Nxd5 28.R1xd5 White’s pieces are very active but with 28...Nc5 29.Be3 Ne6 30.Rxa6І b4 Black
exchanges the last pawn on the queenside: 31.axb4 Nc7 32.Rd2 Qxb4 and White keeps a minimal
advantage only.
F) 26.Rxd7!
The best way!
Position after: 26.Rxd7!±
F1) 26...Nxd7 27.Bxd8 Rxd8 28.Rd1 e4 (28...Qxa3? 29.Qc6 h6 30.Qc7 is hopeless) 29.Nxe4 Qe5
30.Rd6 h6 31.Rxa6 with an extra pawn for White.
F2) If Black captures with the rook 26...Rxd7 27.Bxf6 gxf6 28.Ne4 there arises a position similar to the
variation F1 but with the rook on d7 – and it changes the assessment! 28...Rd4 (Or 28...Rfd8 29.Nxf6+
Kf8 30.Nxd7+ Rxd7 31.Qf5±.) 29.Nxf6+ Kg7 30.Qf5 h6 31.Nh5+ Kg8 32.e3 Rd6 33.Rd1! Re6
34.Nf6+ Kg7 35.Qh7+ Kxf6 36.Rd7+–
F3) Including the intermediate moves 26...e4 27.Nxe4 Nxd7 28.Bxd8 Ne5? (28...Rxd8 29.Qd3 gives
White a big advantage) does not work because of 29.Bf6! winning.
Those who succeeded in finding the correct path starting from the exchange sacrifice 26.Rxd7! in a dark
labyrinth of variations deserve the highest compliments. No doubts, that is a real grandmaster’s level!
The task of choosing the very best continuation out of a range of promising ones is very complicated.
Techniques of realizing an advantage are a real problem even for the top-level chess players.
169
26.Bxf6 Nxf6 27.Rxf6
Position after: 27.Rxf6
27...e4!
This is easier than 27...gxf6 28.Ne4 Qc2! 29.Nxf6+ Kg7 30.Nh5+ Kh6!.
28.Nxe4 gxf6 29.Nxf6+ Kg7
Chances are approximately equal. However, because of a Kortschnoj blunder Hjartarson finally won the
game.
0–1
TEST №18
Karpov, Anatoly (2710)

Sokolov, Andrei (2645)
Linares 1987
170
Position after: 31.Bh3
Black to move
Sokolov managed to place his forces harmoniously and seize the initiative.However Karpov was not
going to just hide in defence.He played 31.Bh3, threatening 32.Nf6+ winning the queen.
Now the passive 31...Qd6 allows White to improve his position with 32.Ne5 f6 33.Nd3². Black needs to
act vigorously.
So what should he do: (a) move the queen to safety with 31...Qg6; (b) close the dangerous diagonal with
gain of tempo by 31...f5; or (c) strike back immediately with 31...Ba3.
Show/Hide Solution
This is the position from the sixth game of the Superfinal Candidates match to produce a challenger for
Garry Kasparov.
As usual in a real game, there is neither a clearly decisive nor a definitely mistaken move in this test.
ALL these three continuations are quite possible, however.
31...Ba3?!
Sokolov probably chose the least successful of them.

A) First of all, let’s examine the queen retreat. 31...Qg6 32.Ne5 (32.Kg2?! Bc5 leads to a dangerous
position for White: after 33.Nh2 Black plays 33...Bd6!µ threatening to sacrifice on g3, and on 33.Ne3 he
171
can play the small combination 33...Nxg3 34.fxg3 Bxd4 35.Qxd4 Rxe3 36.Qxe3 Qxc2 with an extra
pawn.) 32...Nxg3+ 33.fxg3 Qxg3
Position after: 33...Qxg3

Andrei Sokolov and Anatoly Karpov: still before the
match.
This position is very difficult to assess. The following
variations show that chances are roughly equal.
A1) 34.Qc3 The most reliable. 34...Qh2 (In case of
34...Qxh4? 35.Qf3! White gets a big advantage.) 35.Bg2
Rc8 36.Qf3 Now the exchange combination 36...Rxe5
37.Bxe5 Qxe5 38.Rxc8 Bxc8 39.Rxd5 Qa1+ 40.Kf2 Bb7
41.Qf4 Bxd5 42.Bxd5 leads to a draw.
A2) Considerable complications remain on the board after
34.Bg2 Qxh4 35.b4!∞, or 34...Rd6 and now either 35.Qc3
Qxh4 36.Qh3∞ or 35.Kg1 Rde6 36.Rc3! Qxh4 37.Rh3 Qg5
38.Qb1 h6 39.Nf3∞.
B) The second possibility and candidate-move is... 31...f5!
172
Position after: 31...f5!↑
Now White has two possible retreats for the knight:

B1) 32.Ne5 Bd6! 33.Nd3 (After 33.Nf3 Black pushes f5-f4 and gets a serious advantage.) 33...Qg6 It
is very hard for White to neutralize the opponent’s initiative. 34.Bg2 (34.Ne5? Nxg3+! 35.fxg3 Qxg3
leads to a losing position; and after 34.Rc6 Qf7 35.Kg1 Bb5 Black has an advantage.) Our main move
is comparatively better, but even in this case after 34...f4! 35.Nxf4 Qg4 the chances are on Black’s
side.
B2) 32.Ne3 Qf7! 33.Rdc1 (In case of 33.Bxf5 the exchange sacrifice 33...Nxg3+! 34.fxg3 Rxe3
35.Bxe3 Qxf5+ 36.Kg1 Bd6 is very dangerous: Black has more than enough compensation.) And now,
besides 33...f4 Black has, 33...Bc5! with better chances.
The following conclusion can be made: 31...f5! would have kept the initiative for Black.
31...Ba3?! 32.Qxa3 Bxe2+ 33.Rxe2 Nxg3+ 34.Kg2! Qxe2
173
Position after: 34...Qxe2
The forcing operation begun with 31...Ba3 has brought about a position that is not easy to assess.Perhaps
Sokolov thought that the exposed position of the opponent’s knight gave him the better
chances.However, the continuation of the game showed that such an assessment was incorrect.The strong
white bishops guard White from trouble and now Black has to worry about maintaining equality.
Therefore those who by synthesis of intuition and calculation have assessed the arising complications
correctly and have chosen the move 31...f5! are absolutely right.
35.Qc1!
After 35.Ne3 Rxe3 (on 35...Nh5?, 36.Bg4! gives White the advantage) 36.Bxe3 Qxd1 37.Qe7 Rf8
38.Kxg3 d4 White plays without risk although Black has sufficient counter-play.
35...Nh5 36.Kh2 Rd6! 37.Qd2 Qf3! 38.Ne5
174
38...Qf4+?!
Black has been playing optimally over the last few moves and now he needs to avoid the queen exchange
with 38...Qe4!. After that White has quite a wide choice of moves:
A) 39.Re1!? Qxh4 40.Nf3 Qd8 41.Be5 and although Black has a rook and three pawns for the two
bishops, White’s initiative is dangerous.
B) 39.Qg5 Nf4 Now both 40.Nd3 Qxd4 41.Qxf4 Qf6 42.Qxf6 Rxf6 43.Kg3 and 40.Bf5! f6! 41.Bxe4
fxg5 42.Bf3 gxh4 43.Nd3 produce positions where I would prefer to play White.
However, after Sokolov exchanged the queens, White’s advantage became obvious.
39.Qxf4 Nxf4 40.Bd7! Rd8 41.Bb5
Black resigned on the 89th move... (1-0)
The years 1984-87 saw a unique peak in Andrei Sokolov’s career. He won the USSR Championship,
then successfully played in the Interzonal tournament, shared first to third places in the Candidates
tournament in Montpellier, crushed Vaganian in their match 6-2 and in dramatic fighting overcame Artur
Jussupow 7.5-6.5. Only Karpov and Kasparov now stood in his way.
In the first game of the superfinal match against Karpov, right after the opening Sokolov had got a very
promising position, but the ex-champion defended creatively and managed to hold his bastions. In the
second game Sokolov blundered in a slightly worse ending and lost. The next three next duels ended in
draws. This was the dramatic sixth game.
After this defeat, Sokolov lost confidence and his capacity to resist. He suffered two more defeats before
175
the match ended.
Therefore, the position that you analyzed was the turning point of the game and the match as well as
Sokolov’s entire career – he has never really taken part in challenging for the world champion title since
then.
TEST №19

Timman, Jan (2640)
Montpellier 1985
Position after: 17...Bh3

White to move
Spassky could play 18.a5 or 18.Ne4, keeping a calm and equal position on the board. But he preferred to
change the character of the fight with 18.Bxh6.
Calculate the possible variations and assess Spassky’s idea.
Show/Hide Solution
18.Bxh6!?
176
Calculating variations after this aggressive strike is not so difficult. However, to assess the arising
position and to reach the final verdict is not easy at all.
18...Bxg2
Accepting the sacrifice with 18...gxh6? loses: 19.Qxh6 Bxg2 20.Qxf6 Qh3 21.Re3!+–.
19.Bxg7 Nh7! 20.Bxf8
After 20.Qh6 Rfe8 Black has an advantage.
20...Qh3! 21.Qh6! Bxf8 22.Qxh3 Bxh3
Position after: 22...Bxh3
The exchange of tactical blows has come to an end. White has a rook and two pawns against a pair of
bishops and now he can capture one more pawn.
But which one?
23.Rxb7
After 23.Rxe5 b6 24.Ne4 Bg7 Black’s bishops develop serious activity and in the event of 25.Re7 Nf8
the knight enters play with gain of tempo.
23...Ng5 24.Kh1 Bc8! 25.Rb2?!
25.Rbb1! was more precise as in this case Black had to protect the e5-pawn. After 25...Bg7 26.Rb3! or
25...f6 26.Ne4 Nxe4 27.dxe4! White has a slight advantage. However, he needs to be very careful in
177
controlling the opponent’s counter-play.
25...Bg4!
The black pieces’ activity fully compensates for the material deficit. Spassky’s tactical operation that
began with the move 18.Bxh6 is correct, but it should not be overestimated.
If you calculated the variations correctly and your assessment of the resulting positions ranged from
“with chances for both sides” to “White has a slight advantage”, it means that even in difficult situations
you can keep a clear head, composure and objectivity!
By the way, finally Timman won the game.
Jan Timman and Boris Spassky: a discussion on the football field. Yasser Seirawan and Larry
Christiansen are watching.
178
TEST №20

Montpellier 1985
Black to move
Spassky has sacrificed a piece and destroyed the pawn cover of White’s king. However, Sokolov has
built a new cover from two connected knights.
How can Black continue the attack?
Show/Hide Solution
We begin examining this test with a short pre-history.
179
Position after: 20.Bf2
The most dramatic events of the game started developing after Spassky made an intuitive knight
sacrifice.
20...Nxh3+!? 21.gxh3 Ng5 22.Kh1 Nxh3 23.dxe5 Bxe5
If someone else had made such a sacrifice, this could be called “a typical Tal sacrifice”. But Boris
Spassky himself sacrificed pieces through his own intuitive assessment of hidden dynamic possibilities
so many times that applying the Tal label would be unfair!
24.Bd4 Rg8 25.Ng4 Qh4 26.Nfh2 Bxd4 27.Qxd4+ Rg7 28.Re2
180
Position after: 28.Re2
28...Re8!
An unusual decision, and the only right one!

Black does not increase his attacking potential, but he decreases his opponent’s defensive potential.
A) The immediate 28...h5? loses because of 29.Qf6.
B) The slow move 28...Rf8?! does not help: 29.Rg2 h5 30.Nf2±.
C) Using the pressure on the long diagonal with 28...Bc6?! brings nothing useful: 29.Rf1 Ng5 30.Re7!
Rag8 31.Rxg7 Rxg7 32.Bd1! h5 33.Ne3! Ne6 34.Ng2±.
D) 28...Rag8!? with the idea of ...c7-c5 is an interesting resource. It leads to unclear play. 29.Rg2 c5!
30.Qxd6 Re8 31.Rf1 Bb5 or 29.Rf1 c5! 30.bxc5 dxc5 31.Qxc5 h5 32.Ne5 Be8. In both cases Black has
sufficient compensation.
181
Position after: 28...Re8!
Those who found together with the 10th world champion the move 28...Re8! and assessed the position as
favouring Black – even if mainly by intuition – have earned the right to take a cup of coffee, sit in a cosy
armchair and watch the following variations unfold without in-depth analysis.
29.Rxe8+?!
Defending decisions had to be made mainly by intuition too, since calculating all the variations was
simply impossible.
A) 29.Be4 Rxe4! This exchange sacrifice provides a powerful initiative for Black.
182
Position after: 29...Rxe4!
30.Rxe4! This is the best decision. (30.fxe4? f3! 31.Nxf3 Qxg4 loses; 30.Qxe4 is stronger but after
30...h5 31.Ne3! Nf2+ 32.Rxf2 Qxf2 33.Qxf4 Bh3! White is unlikely to escape.) 30...h5 31.Rae1! Kh7!
Black has more than sufficient compensation but the result of the conflict is rather unclear.
B) 29.Rae1! is the best defensive move: 29...Re3! 30.Rxe3 fxe3 31.Rxe3! h5. And now that position
could be an additional test for those who did not find 28...Re8.
Can White hold the position?
183
Position after: 31...h5
Yes! 32.Kg2!! White needs to keep the possibility of capturing with the knight on g4. (32.Be4 b6 33.Re2
hxg4 34.fxg4 Qh6µ) 32...hxg4 33.Nxg4! Nf2! 34.Bf5! Bxf5 35.Re8+ Kh7 36.Qxf2 and White escapes.
29...Bxe8 30.Rf1 h5 31.Nh6
Another possible additional test:

Black’s position is winning.
But could you calculate the variations until White is forced to give up?
Position after: 31.Nh6
31...Qg5 32.N2g4 hxg4
The initial moves are obvious enough.
33.Nf5!
184
Position after: 33.Nf5!
33...Bb5!
The consequences of 33...gxf3 34.Qxg7+ Qxg7 35.Nxg7 Bb5 36.Rxf3 Bc6 37.Kh2 Bxf3 38.Ne6³ are
not so clear.
34.Nxg7
34.c4 gxf3 35.Qxg7+ Qxg7 36.Nxg7 Bxc4 37.Rc1 f2 is also hopeless.
34...Qxg7 35.Qxg7+ Kxg7 36.Rc1 Bc6 37.Bd1 Ng5
At this moment the flag on Sokolov’s clock fell, but anyway his position was completely hopeless.
0–1
A sparkling win!
Boris Spassky took part in the Candidates tournament the first time in Amsterdam, 1956. At that time he
was only 19 years old -- a real record for those days!
Montpellier 1985 was the last competition at such a level in the career of the 10th world champion.
TEST №21
Ribli, Zoltan (2605)

Tal, Mikhail (2565)
185
Montpellier 1985
Position after: 19.Bf3

Black to move
Ribli played passively in the opening and got into trouble. Now he decided to push back the dangerous
knight with 19.Bf3.
What would you advise to Tal to do?
Show/Hide Solution
Advising Mikhail Tal to retreat in such a position would be complete nonsense. And in this case it would
obviously be a mistaken recommendation.
After 19...Nh6?! 20.Qxe6 fxe6 21.Kg2 Rd3 22.Rc1!²;
or 19...Nf6?! 20.Qxe6 fxe6 21.Rc1 Rd3 22.Kg2 Nbd7 23.Rc2² White regroups his army and gets the
more comfortable play.
There is a choice between two possibilities only: 19...Rd3 20.Kg2 Nxf2 or immediately 19...Nxf2.
If you chose the first one, you can be in the same team together with Mikhail Tal, as you have made the
same mistake.
19...Rd3?!
The right idea and the wrong realization! First capturing on f2 was correct. 19...Nxf2! 20.Rxf2 Rd3!
186
Position after: 20...Rd3!
After 21.Be2 (Now in case of 21.Kg2 the position from the game arises, but White missed his chance on
move 21.) 21...Rxg3+ 22.Kf1 Qxf5 23.exf5 Nd5 or 22.Kh1 Bxf2 23.Qxf2 Qh3+ 24.Qh2 Qxh2+
25.Kxh2 Re3 Black gets a clear advantage.
Precision in realizing ideas is not less important than creativity in searching for them.
Only those who firstly captured on f2 and then penetrated with the rook were on the top in solving this
test!
19...Rd3?! 20.Kg2! Nxf2 21.Rxf2?
Here Ribli missed his chance. After 21.Qxe6! fxe6 22.Rf1! Nd1! 23.Rxd1 Rfxf3 24.Nxf3 Rxd1 25.Nxe5
a4 26.Rc2 the position is equal.
21...Bxf2 22.Kxf2 Qd6!
Black has a decisive advantage.
23.Bc1
187
Position after: 23.Bc1
23...g6?
Now 23...Qc5+! would have decided the outcome. Black wins after either 24.Kg2 Rxc3 25.Bb2 g6
26.Qg5 f6 27.Qh6 Rc2–+, or 24.Kf1 g6 25.Qg5 Rxc3 26.Bb2 f6 27.Qh6 Rc2–+.
Finally, after mistakes by both sides the game ended in Tal’s favour.
24.Qg5 f6?! 25.Qh6 f5?! 26.Kg2?? Rxf3! 27.Nxf3 Qxd1 28.Ng5
0–1
TEST №22

Polugaevsky, Lev (2620)
Evian 1977
188
White to move
Is White winning if he goes for material gain with 58.Nh5?
Show/Hide Solution
This was the most awful match in the career of Lev Polugaevsky.
He started with two losses. In the ending of the third game Polugaevsky faced difficulties but resisted
stubbornly.
He had already reached the drawing position and passed the second time control on the 56th move, but
instead of 57...Kd2-e3 or even the waiting move 57...Kd2-d3 he played 57...Kd2-e1.
This back-track by the king was the fatal mistake.
58.Nh5! e3
58...Ra5 59.Nxf6 e3 leads only to a change in the order of moves.
59.Nxf6 Ra5
189
Position after: 59...Ra5
60.Ne4! e2 61.Bf3!!
Brilliant!! Thanks to this key move, White wins the game.

Polugaevsky only counted on 61.Ng3 Kf2 62.Nxe2 Kxg2 and White reaches the draw: 63.Ke6 Kf2
64.Kf6 Rc5 65.h4 Rc6+ 66.Kg5 Rc5+ etc.
Position after: 61.Bf3!!
A spectacular position! Black cannot save his last pawn.
190
61...Ra6+ 62.Kc5 Ra5+ 63.Kb4 1–0
I am sure: those who love solving studies have coped with this test convincingly. But if the solution took
more than 30 minutes of your time or you did not manage to destroy all the black pawns, you should pay
additional attention to training by going through the solutions of studies. Sometimes study positions
happen in real games.
Kortschnoj has found something...
TEST №23
Larsen, Bent
Tal, Mikhail
Bled 1965
191
White to move
Tal has just played 24...g5, planning to reply to 25.Bxg5 with 25...Be5.
Was he right in his calculation of the ensuing variations?
Show/Hide Solution
24...g6-g5?!!
Only Mikhail Tal could make such a crazy move as 24...g5?!! in the penultimate game of the semifinal
Candidates match with the score 4:4!
25.Bxg5 Be5!
192
Position after: 25...Be5!
26.Be3!
Larsen found the only way to refute Tal’s risky trick. The coming analysis will show that Tal’s 24th
move was NOT correct.
Other continuations reach a draw by different paths:
A) 26.Rf1 Bxd6 27.Bf6+ Kg8 28.Nxe6 Rxa2 29.Nxf8 (29.Qxh6 Bh2+! leads to perpetual check)
29...Qf4 equalizing.
B) 26.Qxh6+ Kg8 27.Be3 Bh2+ 28.Kxh2 Rxf2+ 29.Bxf2 Qxf2+ with a draw by perpetual check.
26...Bxd6 27.Nxe6! fxe6 28.Qxh6+ Kg8 29.Qg6+
29.Qxe6+ was a mistake: 29...Qf7 30.Qxd6 Rxf2 with a draw.
29...Kh8 30.Bd4+ e5 31.Qh5+ Kg7 32.Qg5+
That was what Tal missed: the queen comes back with checks to protect the f2-pawn.
32...Kf7
32...Kh7 loses 33.Qh4+ Kg8 34.Bxb2.
33.Bxb2 Qxh3 34.Qh5+ Qxh5 35.gxh5
193
Position after: 35.gxh5
A 10-move forcing line has gained White a technically won position.

Well, how far have you managed to pass together with Bent Larsen?
35...Rh8 36.Rc1
36.Rd1! Ke7 37.Rd5 was easier. However, the move in the game keeps a decisive advantage for White
too.
36...Rxh5 37.Rc6
The game lasted about 40 moves more and ended in a draw!

24...g5?!! – what was it? A trick on the chessboard or a joke of genius? In any case, such moves decorate
chess and life itself!
TEST №24
Fischer, Robert
Petrosian, Tigran
194
White to move
How should Bobby Fischer continue this four-queens battle?
Show/Hide Solution
We begin examining this test with a short pre-history...
195
Position after: 37.h8=Q
From this position, the war of four queens began.
37...Qa7?
Petrosian decided first to protect his king. But the right way was to start the counter-attack: 37...Qe1!
38.Qb8+ Qxb8 39.Qxb8+ Ka6 40.Qxe5 Qe3+ with a draw.
37...Qa7? 38.g4 Kc5 39.Qf8
39.g5! was stronger.
39...Qae7 40.Qa8 Kb4 41.Qh2! Kb3
Position after: 41...Kb3
Now the position of the test № 24 arises. Here Fischer played 42.Qa1?. Soon the game ended in a draw,
though not without some adventures: 42...Qa3! 43.Qxa3+ Kxa3 44.Qh6 Qf7 45.Kg2 Kb3 46.Qd2 Qh7
47.Kg3 Qxe4 48.Qf2? Qh1 ½-½.
But Fischer missed a route to victory!
42.c5! Qde6
Accepting the pawn sacrifice brings a quick end: 42...Qxc5 43.Qg8+! Ka3 44.Qc2!
196
Position after: 44.Qc2!
The Three Champions
Here the long manoeuvres of the white queens are

spectacular and effective!
Black’s position is unprotected.
If you managed to reach this point in your calculations, it
means that even Bobby Fischer could envy your skill of
attacking with two queens at once! I mean the young Fischer,
as at that time he was only 16.
44...Qb7 45.g5 (the unexpected check 45.Qga2+!? is also
strong) 45...Qce7 46.Qc1+ Qb2 47.Qa8+ winning.
43.Be2!
Including first 43.Qb8+ Nb5 was possible but without the

check it was more spectacular!
43...Kb4 44.Bd1!
A brilliant manoeuvre! The bishop helps the queens.
197
Position after: 44.Bd1!
44...Kxc5
After 44...Nxd1? 45.Qd2+ Black gets checkmated! 45...Kxc5 46.Qda5+ Kd6 47.Qb8+ Kd7 48.Qac7#
or 45...Nc3 46.Qb2+ Qb3 47.Qaa3+! Kb5 48.Qbxb3#.
45.Qb2 Nb5
Position after: 45...Nb5
198
46.Qa6!!+–
Having overcome technical difficulties, White is ready to win after 46...Q6d7 47.Qc1+ Kd6 48.Qb6
Nc3 49.Qb8+ with a mating attack, or 46...Qe8 47.Kg2 Q6g6 48.Qc1+ Kd6 49.g5 Ke7 50.Qb7+ Qd7
51.Qb8 with a decisive advantage.
199
Show in Text Mode
Chapter 3
When the Opponent Attacks
Unlike the previous chapter, the title of the present one does not contain the world “grandmaster”, but the
tests offered here are no less complicated. Perhaps even quite the opposite! Your opponent is mounting
or preparing an attack against you, and you need to stop him.
But to do that you first have to find out what the opponent’s attacking resources actually are, then
calculate attacking variations that your opponent could consider, find counter-arguments and finally
reach a verdict having assessed the positions that could arise.
It is no secret that during a game the chess player more often misses unexpected possibilities of his
opponent than his own ones. This phenomenon is easily explained: searching for original resources “for
private use” is much more interesting than doing so for the opponent.
When you have the initiative or are attacking, you naturally search firstly for resources for your own
campaign and only secondly for the opponent’s defensive manoeuvres. Even in an approximately equal
position, with relative calm on the board, such an “order of moves” is quite acceptable. You trace a
strategic plan and then you check the opponent’s capacities for facing it.
In this creative process you are the senior architect of the developing combat – you lead the project, your
opponent just reacts. But what should you do if your opponent seizes the initiative and begins attacking,
so that you become the defending side?
In this case, the procedure radically changes.
Even when you have extra material as compensation or strong strategic points and your position
objectively is not worse, you have to try to solve the opponent’s plans first and then to look for ways to
counter them.
This kind of work cannot be seen as creative, so undertaking it is considerably more difficult.
Psychologically, forcing your brain to work with maximum efficiency in searching for ways of
destroying your own position is very difficult, even when you are only aiming to ward off possible
attacks in the future.
Many tests of this chapter will give you the task of improving candidates’ play in games where the
defending side could not beat back the opponent’s attack.
I have divided the most difficult tests into several simpler ones. Readers should solve each of them as a
separate test and then summarize the conclusions. With this simplification, I guess the tests of this
chapter correspond to chess players of the level 2350+.
Four positions from famous games of Mikhail Tal round off the chapter. They are likely to be familiar to
200
you. But this time I ask you to look at them from “the other side”. Solving these tests, you will oppose
Tal: you will try to understand his plans, to find defences and even to refute his attacks.
The Test Positions

TEST №1

Brussels 1991
Black to move
In the game Ivanchuk played 21...Kg7.

Here the variation 21...Kh8 22.Qxh5 Nf6 23.Qh4 Bb4! was a possible alternative. Calculate the
variations and assess the consequences.
As the position is very complicated, I recommend playing these three moves on the board and solving the
test starting from the next position.
Show/Hide Solution
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 b6 5.Bd3 Bb7 6.Nf3 0-0 7.0-0 c5 8.Bd2 cxd4 9.exd4 d5 10.cxd5
Nxd5 11.Rc1 Nc6 12.Re1 Rc8 13.Re4 Nce7 14.Nxd5 Nxd5 15.Rh4 g6 16.Rxc8 Qxc8 17.Ng5 Be7
18.Qg4 Ba6 19.Qh3 h5
201
Position after: 19...h5
20.Rxh5!
This is a nice example of an intuitive sacrifice.

In this position it is evidently the best solution. All other continuations allowed Black to seize the
initiative and get an advantage.
Here it should be added that this was the eighth and final game in the match. Ivanchuk had been leading
4-3 and Jussupow needed to win.
20...gxh5 21.Bh7+
Reaching the positon of our test.
202
Position after: 21.Bh7+
21...Kg7!
Ivanchuk was right. Retreating the king to h8 lost.

21...Kh8? 22.Qxh5 Nf6 23.Qh4 Bb4! The best chance but it still does not save Black. (After 23...Bd6
24.Bf5+ Kg7 25.Nh7 Black gets mated fast.)
TEST №1 Simplified version
203
Position after: 23...Bb4!?
White to move
Show/Hide Solution

(Simplified version)
24.Bc2+! White needs to block the black queen’s access to the square c1. 24...Kg7 25.Nxe6+! fxe6
26.Qh6+ Kg8 27.Qg6+ Kh8 28.Bxb4
204
Position after: 28.Bxb4
28...Qe8 (In case of 28...Qd8 the shortest way to win is 29.g4! Re8 30.d5!! and 31.g5.) 29.Qh6+ Kg8
30.Qg5+ Kh8 31.Bg6! Qd8 The black pieces have been paralyzed. 32.h4! White wins after either
32...Be2 33.d5! exd5 34.Qe5 or 32...Bc4 33.b3 Ba6 34.Qh6+ Kg8 35.h5+–.
Now we can congratulate those who could refute the move 21...Kh8 by the precise analysis of variations,
and come back to the game.
22.Qxh5
TEST №2
After 21...Kg7 22.Qxh5
205
Position after: 22.Qxh5
Black to move
Can Black fight off the opponent’s attack?

To answer this question one should calculate the consequences of the four candidate-moves: 22...Nf6,
22...Bxg5, 22...Bb4 and 22...Bd6, assess them and choose the best continuation.
I recommend dividing this complicated test into four easier ones and solving them step by step.
(check the Solution for a detailed version of this test)
Show/Hide Solution
The candidate moves of this extremely complicated position have already been defined. The task was to
choose the strongest. We shall examine all four possible continuations as solutions for separate tests. The
first candidate-move will be the move made by Ivanchuk in the game.
TEST №2a
After 22...Nf6
206
Position after: 22...Nf6?
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
The solution to test №2a
22...Nf6?
If this move forced the retreat of the white queen, as it did after 21...Kh8, it would be the refutation of
the rook sacrifice. But it is a bad move.
23.Nxe6+! fxe6 24.Qh6+ Kh8 25.Bf5+ Kg8
Perhaps Ivanchuk thought White had nothing better than forcing a draw by perpetual check. However,
Jussupow found the path to victory!
26.Qg5+ Kh8
The black king cannot retreat to f7 because of mate. Using this fact, the white queen goes with checks to
the square h3 as if going down the stairs.
27.Qh4+ Kg8 28.Qg5+ Kh8 29.Qh4+ Kg8 30.Qg3+! Kh8 31.Qh3+! Kg7 32.Qg3+ Kh8 33.Qh3+
Kg7 34.Bxe6 Qxe6 35.Qxe6
207
Position after: 35.Qxe6+–
The queen and four (!) pawns are obviously stronger than three black pieces. The game is over!
35...Bd8 36.g4 Re8 37.Qf5 Bc4 38.g5 1–0
After his sparkling success at the super-tournament in Linares at the beginning of 1991, Ivanchuk was
considered the obvious favorite in the quarter-final match, but...
With this win in the eighth game, Jussupow equalized the score of the match and then he won the playoff
1.5-0.5. The fantastic ninth game that decided the match is given in the chapter “Through the pages of
history”.
TEST №2b
The position after 22...Bxg5 23.Bxg5 f6
208
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
The solution to test №2b
The second candidate-move 22...Bxg5? is weak too. 23.Bxg5 f6

Here White needs to find the winning move 24.Be4!, creating a mating threat. 24...Rh8 25.Qg6+ Kf8
26.Bxd5! It is important to remove the main defender. 26...exd5 27.Qxf6+ Kg8 28.Qg6+ Kf8
209
29.Bd2!! White renews the mating threat. 29...Qc4 30.h3! Black’s position is hopeless.
TEST №2c
The position after 22...Bb4
Position after: 22...Bb4!
210
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
The solution to test №2c
The third candidate-move, 22...Bb4, differs from the two previous ones in that it contains ideas of
attacking the white king!
23.Nxf7! One more sacrifice, the only way for White to continue his attack. 23...Rxf7 (Of course,
23...Bxd2?? 24.Qg6# is only a dream...) 24.Qh6+ Kh8 25.Bf5+ Kg8 26.Qg6+ Kf8!? (26...Kh8 leads to
a draw, as 27.Bxe6 promises nothing for White: 27...Qg8 28.Qxf7 Qxf7 29.Bxf7 Bxd2 30.Bxd5 Bc1
31.b3 Bb2=.) 27.Bxe6 Qb7 28.Bh6+ Ke8 29.h4
Position after: 29.h4©
This is a paradoxical position. White has four pawns for a rook and a knight, but he can get back an
exchange while keeping the initiative. The chances are approximately equal.
TEST №2d
The position after 22...Bd6
211
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
The solution to test №2d
After the fourth candidate-move, 22...Bd6, at first it seems that Black can manage to defend.
A) In fact on 23.Ne4 Black continues 23...Bf4 and White has nothing better than to give perpetual check
after 24.Qg4+ Kxh7 25.Qh5.
B) 23.Nh3! This unexpected retreat not only creates the threat of mate on h6 but also takes the square f4
under control. White has a clear advantage. 23...Bf4 (Or 23...f5 24.Qh6+ Kf7 25.Bg6+ Ke7 26.Qg7+
Kd8 27.Bg5+ and White is two pawns up.) 24.Nxf4 Nf6
212
Position after: 24...Nf6
25.Nxe6+! fxe6 26.Qh6+ Kf7 27.Bg6+ Kg8 28.Qg5 Qc7 (28...Nh7? loses because of 29.Qe7.) 29.Bd3+
Qg7 30.Bxa6 Qxg5 31.Bxg5 Two bishops and three pawns are obviously stronger than a rook and a
knight.
Now is the right time to summarize the mega-test №2.
Black could defend only by 22...Bb4! This candidate-move deserves the exclamation mark!
If you chose another continuation or concluded that Black did not have sufficient defence – you should
surely be more optimistic when in difficult situations on the board and perhaps in your life!
If you liked two or more possible candidate moves, you evidently underestimate attacking resources and
you should work on increasing your tactical skills.
If you chose 22...Bb4! and could refute other continuations -- all the applause of the audience is only for
you! To find the best defending moves you need to find the opponent’s best attacking moves.
TEST №3

Berlin 2018
213
Position after: 23...bxc6
White to move
Find the best continuation and assess the arising position.
Show/Hide Solution
24.Be1!
This is a precise defensive manoeuvre.

Those who discovered it evidently have an architectural sort of imagination: they managed to build a
new residence for the king with Bf3, Bg3 and Kg2!
I would only add that Karjakin had prepared this smart manoeuvre several moves ago.
A) Including the intermediate check 24.Qb3+ Kh7 and then playing 25.Be1 would have been an error:
25...Bf5 26.Rd1 Be4 27.Rh3 Rf8 28.Rd3 Qf5 and Black gets an advantage.
B) 24.Rb2 Be6! 25.Be1 Rf8 also leads to Black’s advantage.
C) The idea of building a defence on the third rank with 24.Rb3 does not bring success: 24...Ba6+!
25.Kg2 Qg5+ 26.Bg4 Rd8 27.Qf3 Bc4 28.Rb7 Bd5 29.Rxg7+ Qxg7 30.Bxg7 Kxg7 31.Rc1 equalizing.
24.Be1! Be6
The idea of cutting the white king off from the g-file does not work: 24...Qg5 25.Qd3 a5 26.Bd2 or
214
25...Bf5 26.Qc4+ Kh8 27.Rb3+–.
Black’s position is lost. White needs only to solve the technical problems of realizing his advantage. But
sometimes that is not so easy to do.
25.Bh4
25.Kg2! was perhaps more precise: 25...Qg5+ (25...Bd6 26.Qd2+–; 25...Rf8 26.Bg3 Qg5 27.Qe2+–)
26.Bg3 Rd8 27.Qxd8+ Qxd8 28.Rb8+–. White wins in all variations.
However, the move in the game does not squander the winning advantage.
25...Rf8 26.Kg2 Kh8
After White has brought the dark-squared bishop into the king’s defence, it becomes clear that Black
does not have sufficient compensation.
27.Rc1
27.Bg3 Qg5 28.Re1 Bd5 29.Re5! looks excellent for White.
27...Rf5 28.Rc3 Rd5 29.Bxd5 Bxd5+ 30.Rf3 Qg4+ 31.Bg3 Bd6 32.Rh3
215
Position after: 32.Rh3+–
The picture could be one of Kasparian’s studies, but this is a real game.
Karjakin regroups his army and his material advantage decides the issue of the game.
32...Be7 33.Qe2 Be4 34.Qf2 a5 35.a4 c5 36.Rh1 Bf6 37.Re1 Bc6 38.Ree3 c4 39.Qe2 Qxh5 40.Qxc4
Bd7 41.Rd3
1–0
TEST №4
Kasparov, Garry (2690)

Moscow 1983
216
Black to move
Find the best continuation and assess the positions that ensue.
Show/Hide Solution
18...cxd4!
Beliavsky finds the only path that retains equality.

White’s last move was 18.exf6. The recapture on f6 looks most natural, but...
A) After 18...Nxf6 19.Rf5 Qg6 20.Nxd5 Bxd5 21.Rxd5 Qe8 22.Rxd8 Qxd8 23.dxc5 White has two
extra pawns.
B) In case of 18...Rxf6 Kasparov had prepared 19.h4!! Qg6 (or 19...Qg4 20.Bxe4 dxe4 21.Rxf6 gxf6
22.dxc5±) 20.dxc5 Rxf3 21.Bxe4 dxe4 22.Rxd8+ Kh7 23.cxb6 Qxb6 24.Rd4± with a clear advantage.
C) And after 18...Nxc3 he planned to continue 19.h4!! Qg4 20.bxc3 Rxf6 21.Rxf6 gxf6 22.Be2 Qg7
23.Qf2± and once more White’s chances are obviously better.
18...cxd4! 19.exd4 Rde8!
The exchange on d4 is strong only in combination with this fine move.

If 19...Nxf6 then after 20.Rg3 (but not 20.Qe7? Ne4!) 20...Rde8 21.Rxg5 Rxe1+ 22.Rxe1 hxg5 23.Re5
217
g4 24.Bg6± the ending is better for White.
20.Bb5!
This is the best chance to fight for the advantage.

A) The quiet 20.Nxe4 dxe4 21.f7+ Rxf7 22.Bc4 Bd5 leads to equality.
B) The sharp variation 20.h4 Qg6! 21.Nxe4 dxe4 22.f7+ Rxf7 23.Bc4 exf3 24.Qxe8+ Kh7 25.Rd2
(25.Bd3?? loses because of 25...Qxd3) 25...fxg2 26.Qxf7 Qb1+ 27.Bf1 gxf1=Q+ 28.Qxf1 Qg6+ brings
equality too.
C) 20.Bxe4 dxe4 21.Re3 Qxf6 22.d5 is not dangerous, as 22...b5!? 23.a3 a5 or 22...Re5 23.Nxe4 Qe7
24.d6 Qe6 both give Black good counter-play.
Position after: 20.Bb5!

Alexander Beliavsky could have been an actor in
romantic hero roles. But chess got in the way...
20...Rd8!!
Psychologically, making “back-tracking” moves is always difficult. Here this is the best move!
As Kasparov mentioned, “the active” 20...Re6? causes serious troubles for Black: 21.Nxe4! Rxe4
(21...dxe4?! is worse: 22.Rg3 Qxb5 23.Rxg7+ Kh8 24.Rxb7 Rexf6 25.h3 with a big advantage) 22.Qf2!
Rxf6 23.Rxf6 Qxf6 24.Qxf6 gxf6 25.Rc1 Re7 (25...Rxd4? loses because of 26.Rc7 Rd1+ 27.Kf2 Rd2+
28.Kg3 Rxb2 29.a4! a6 30.Bd7+–) 26.Kf2±.
21.Bd3 Rde8 ½-½
218
If together with Beliavsky you managed to find and correctly
assess the exchange on d4 combined with 19...Rde8, you
have already played on the level of 2600!
And if you discovered 20.Bb5 and could neutralize this
resource, it means that sometimes you can successfully play
against Kasparov himself!
TEST №5

Kamsky, Gata (2695)
Sanghi Nagar 1994
Position after: 25...R8e3

White to move
With his last move, 25...R8e3, Kamsky offered a rook sacrifice.

The task of this test could be easily formulated as: “Find the best continuation”.
However, I propose to divide it into two parts as the position is very complicated.
TEST №5a
Calculate and assess the consequences of two candidate moves: 26.Be3 and 26.Ne5.
Show/Hide Solution
219
The solution to test №5a
A) I am sure that you have refuted the continuation 26.Bxe3? without problems: after 26...Qxf3 27.Re1
Rxf2 or 27.Rd2 Nxe3 White loses.
B) In order to assess correctly the consequences of 26.Ne5, considerably more complicated calculation is
needed: 26...Bxe5 27.Bxe3 Bxg3! 28.hxg3 Nxe3.
Position after: 28...Nxe3
B1) Now in case of 29.Qxe3? Rxe3 30.fxe3 Qf3 White has serious problems.
B2) But 29.Qxe2! Qxe2 30.Re1 Qxb2 31.Ra8+ Kf7 32.Rxe3 brings about an equal position.
No doubt Anand saw this variation but in the game he chose another path.
TEST №5b
Calculate variations and assess the position after 26.Ra8+ Kf7 27.Ng5+, preferred by Anand (see
position below).
220
Position after: 27.Ng5+
Black to move
Show/Hide Solution
The solution to test №5b
26.Ra8+ Kf7 27.Ng5+
221
Position after: 27.Ng5+
27...Kg6
Of course 27...Qxg5?? is a blunder: 28.Qxe2–+.
28.Bxe3 Nxe3 29.Rf1
29.Re8 loses because of 29...Ng4!!, and 29.Rda1 because of 29...Kxg5 30.Re8 Qf3 or 29...h6.
Position after: 29.Rf1
29...Kxg5 30.Re8!
This is Anand’s plan, and the reason why he rejected the move 26.Ne5, which led to an equal position
(see the previous test).
Now Black needs to find the only reply that maintains the balance. Fortunately for him, it is not too
complicated.
30...f4! 31.Qe4
This leads to exchanges, simplification and finally a draw. After 31.h4+ Kh6 32.Qe4 g6! White had to
force the draw: 33.Qe7! Qf3 34.Qg5+ Kg7 35.Qe7+ with perpetual check.
31...fxg3 32.h4+ Qxh4 33.Qxh4+ Kxh4 34.Re4+ Kh3 35.Rxe3 Rxb2 36.Re7 Bf4 37.fxg3 Rg2+ 38.Kh1
Rh2+ 39.Kg1 Rg2+ 40.Kh1 Rh2+ 41.Kg1 Bg5 42.Re5 Rg2+ 43.Kh1 ½-½
But that is not still the end. Anand and Kamsky were both wrong -- Black had a path to victory in the
222
position of the last diagram!
29...Bf4!!–+
Position after: 29...Bf4!!
A) After 30.h4 Bxg5 31.hxg5 Ng4 White gets mated!

B) And in case of 30.Ne6 Bh6! White does not have any acceptable defence to ...Qf3!. For example,
31.Nf8+ Kf7 32.Qb1 Nxf1! 33.Qxf1 Be3! or 31.Ra7 Qf3 32.Rxg7! (a tricky move) 32...Kf6!, in both
cases leading to a quick checkmate.
So, in the initial position (test №5) White had the only move 26.Ne5!, and the continuations 26.Be3 and
even 26.Ra8+ lose.
Anand and Kamsky did not manage to find the star move 29...Bf4.But what about you?
TEST №6
Szabo, Laszlo
Pilnik, Hermann
Amsterdam/Leeuwarden 1956
223
Position after: 18.g4
Black to move
Find the best continuation and assess the resulting positions.
Show/Hide Solution
This test was easier than the previous one.Defining the best move in this position was not too difficult.
18...Nxg4!
Other continuations are clearly weaker:

A) 18...Rxg5?! 19.Qxg5 Qb4 20.Qf4! Nxd5 21.Nxd5 Qxa4 22.Qxd6±.
B) Or 18...Rfe5? 19.f4 Re4 (19...Re3 is bad because of 20.f5 with a winning position) 20.Bxd7 Nxd7
21.Nxe4 Rxe4 22.b3±.
However, to correctly assess the positions that can follow you had to calculate rather long variations.
18...Nxg4! 19.Qxg4
A) 19.Bxd7?! is a mistake. After 19...Ne5! 20.Bxe8 Nf3+ 21.Kg2 Nxh4+ 22.Bxh4 Rf4 23.Bg3 Rxc4
Black’s position is better.
B) 19.f4 gave Black a choice:
B1) 19...Ngf6 20.Bc2 Qb4 21.Bxf5 gxf5©.
224
B2) Or 19...Ne3!? 20.Bxd7 Nxf1 21.Kxf1 and now either 21...h6 22.Bxh6 Rh5 23.Qg3 Bxh6 24.Bxe8
Bxf4∞, or 21...Qb4 22.Bxf5 Qxc4+ 23.Kg2 Bxc3 24.bxc3 Qxd5+ 25.Kg1 Qxf5∞.
19...Ne5 20.Qd1 Rxg5+ 21.Kh1 Re7 22.f4 Rh5 23.fxe5 Bxe5
Position after: 23...Bxe5©
Of course choosing 18...Nxg4 could be done partly by intuition, partly by using the method of rejecting
clearly bad alternatives.
But only those who in their calculations reached this position and assessed it as “with good compensation
for a piece” have solved this test on 101 percent!
24.Rf2 Qb4
24...Rh4!? looks very attractive: 25.Qd3 Bd4 26.Rg2 Re3 and Black has more than sufficient
compensation.
25.Bb3
225
Position after: 25.Bb3
A) Now 25...Bxc3 26.bxc3 Qxc3 led to an approximate equality.

B) But 25...Bg3? 26.Qxh5! gxh5 27.hxg3 followed in the game and White gained an advantage that he
carried on to victory.
TEST №7

London 2013
226
Black to move
Can Black hold the position?
Show/Hide Solution
Svidler had played the previous part of the game powerfully. But with the last move 23.Rf1-e1 (instead
of the precise 23.bxc4!) he gave a tactical chance to his opponent. Ivanchuk missed it.
23...Qf5?
A) 23...Kd7? 24.bxc4 Bxc4 25.Rc1 Kc6 26.Bd4 was not better than the path chosen by Ivanchuk.
B) But Black could escape with 23...Nd6! 24.Qxd5 Kd7!! 25.Qxa8
227
Position after: 25.Qxa8
25...Bc6! 26.Qxb8 Qf3 and White has to accept the draw: 27.Kf1 Bb5+ 28.Kg1 Bc6.
After Ivanchuk’s move 23...Qf5 the game continued...
23...Qf5? 24.bxc4 Bxc4 25.Qd4
And White got a big advantage that Svidler confidently converted to a win. 1–0.
No doubt, your situation was much calmer than Ivanchuk’s one.

The psychological pressure of a real fight has not been affecting you when solving the test. Anyway,
only a chess player with a sharp combinational vision can find such resources.
TEST №8

Buenos Aires 1980
228
Black to move
Polugaevsky sacrificed two pawns and developed quite a dangerous initiative. Kortschnoj played
17...exf4 now – was that a good decision?
Show/Hide Solution
17...exf4!
This is the best move but proving that requires precise calculation. I can add only that other continuations
are weaker. Let’s have a short look at them, as they’re interesting too.
A) 17...Kf8? is an error: 18.fxe5 Nxe5 19.Qh3±.
B) 17...Kh8 is stronger but after 18.Rd1 Nd4 19.fxe5 Bxe5 20.Bf4 Qc8! 21.Bxe5 Nxf5 22.Ng5! White
keeps a strong initiative for the two sacrificed pawns.
C) The idea of involving the knight to the kingside defence by 17...Nd5 deserves attention only in
connection with the following pawn sacrifice: 18.Rd1 h5! 19.Qxh5 Nd4 20.Qg4. However even in this
case White’s initiative almost fully compensates for his minimal material shortage.
D) The attempt 17...h5!? with the idea of distracting the opponent’s queen is most interesting: 18.Qxh5
exf4 19.Nxf6+ Qxf6 20.Bxf4 Qg6 21.Qh3 Ne7 and Black has some advantage.
17...exf4! 18.Nh6+ Kf8 19.Nxf6 Qxf6 20.Rxf4 Re1+ 21.Kg2 Ne5!
229
This is a key move!
Position after: 21...Ne5!µ

Viktor Kortschnoj
If you could find this tactical counter-stroke it means that an
opponent’s attack cannot demoralize you in a real game. But
of course everything will be much more difficult there.
22.Rxf6 Nxg4 23.Rxf7+ Ke8 24.Rxg7 Nxh6 25.a3
After 25.Bxh6 Rxa1 26.Rg8+ Kf7 27.Rxa8 Rxa2 Black has

an extra pawn.
25...Rd8 26.axb4 Rd7 27.Rxd7 Kxd7 28.Kf2 Rh1
Black has an extra pawn. However, Kortschnoj needed

almost 70 (!) moves to bring home the victory. 0–1
After this game Kortschnoj led 4.5-3.5, but the main

dramatic events of the match were still ahead.
TEST №9

London 2013
230
Position after: 30...Qh3
White to move
White has two possibilities to escape the mate.

Which would you prefer: 31.f3 or 31.Bd5?
Show/Hide Solution
The last round.

Nervous tension is at the limit. To become the challenger Carlsen needs at least to keep on equal points
with Kramnik. His tiebreak is better.
Kramnik quickly got the worse position in his game against Ivanchuk, but Carlsen is also facing serious
problems.
31.f3?!
The future world champion makes a mistake.

The forcing variation 31.Bd5! Bxd5 32.Qxc5+ Kg7 33.Qxd5 guides White into a safe position.
231
Position after: 33.Qxd5
33...Kxh6 (After 33...Qe6 34.Qxe6 Rxe6 White does not have even a shadow of a problem: 35.Ng4 f6
36.Ne3= or 35.Bg5 f6 36.Bd2 Rb6 37.b4 f5=.) 34.Qxf7 Ba5 35.Qxe8 Bxe1 36.Qxe5 Bxf2+! (Black
must play precisely to secure the draw. After 36...Bd2 37.Qe2 Bc1 38.Be7 White’s position is better.)
37.Kxf2 Qxh2+ draw by perpetual check.
31.f3?! Nf4!
Position after: 31...Nf4!³
232
32.gxf4
32.Qf2! was stronger. But even in this case after 32...Ne6!? or 32...Qxh4 33.gxh4 Nh3+ 34.Kg2 Nxf2
35.Kxf2 f5 Black’s chances are preferable.
32...Qxh4 33.Nxf7
33.Ng4? Bxf3! loses.
33...Bxf3 34.Qf2 Qg4+
34...Qxf4 is more precise: 35.Re3 Bg4 36.Ng5 Qxf2+ 37.Kxf2 and Black has an extra pawn.
Position after: 34...Qg4+
Now the strongest was 35.Kf1 Qh3+ 36.Kg1 exf4 37.Rxe8+ Kxe8 38.Ng5 Qg4+ 39.Kf1 Qxg5 40.Qxf3
and Black has only a minimal advantage. Carlsen plays differently.
35.Qg3? exf4
Black is winning. 0–1
Carlsen lost this game but his rival Kramnik lost too. So Carlsen took first place on tiebreak.
If you did not manage to make the right choice on the 31st move – do not be upset. Sometimes a win
becomes a Pyrrhic victory but a loss leads to the top.
233
Show in Text Mode
TEST №10
Geller, Efim
Euwe, Max
Zurich 1953
White to move
Euwe has just sacrificed a whole rook on h8 in order to gain the possibility of penetrating with 23...Rc2!.
Calculate variations and give an answer to the following question. The rook sacrifice was:
a) Correct and provides an advantage for Black;
b) Mistaken and provides an advantage for White;
c) Leading to a sharp position with double-edged play.
Show/Hide Solution
Discussing this test demands a short prehistory.

In this game Max Euwe played one of his most famous combinations.
234
Position after: 22.Bh6
22...Rh8?!!
In his book My Great Predecessors Kasparov put these three marks to this sacrifice.
I would explain the question mark by the fact that objectively both 22...Rc3
and 22...Qd5 were stronger. However, David Bronstein was absolutely right in his conclusion, given in
his famous tournament book: “Although analysts have shown that 22...Rh8 was a premature idea, chess
fans will find it hard to agree with this: such moves are not forgotten!”
22...Rh8?!! 23.Qxh8 Rc2!
After this, the initial position of the test №10 arises.

Black has created the terrible mating threat 24...Rxg2+ 25.Kf1 Qc4+ etc. And to resist this threat is not
easy at all.
235
Geller was so shocked by the unexpected rook sacrifice that he lost the game in three moves.
24.Rc1?
However White had a strong defensive resource.

24.d5! This pawn sacrifice breaks the coordination of the black pieces.
Position after: 24.d5!
236
A) 24...Qxd5? loses immediately to 25.Re4!. Instead, 24...Qb6+ and 24...Bxd5 deserve detailed analysis.
B) In reply to 24...Qb6+?! 25.Kh1 Qf2 White continues 26.Rg1 Bxd5 27.Re4! If in your calculations
you found this move, you have every right to reach a verdict here about the move 24...Qb6 – “The queen
penetrating with the idea of attacking the square g2 does not provides sufficient counter-play for Black”.
But here we shall continue the variation: 27...Bxe4 28.Nxe4 Qh4! 29.Nd6+!
Position after: 29.Nd6+!
I suppose that while thinking about the 24th move it is almost impossible to find such a sacrifice on the
29th move in a side variation! 29...Nxd6 30.Qxg7 Ke6 31.Qg8+ Ke5 The black king is too exposed and
White wins neatly after... 32.Rd1 Qe4 33.Be3!!.
C) 24...Bxd5 25.Rd1! Rxg2+ 26.Kf1
237
Position after: 26.Kf1
Black’s queen is now denied access, at least temporarily, to the square c4. Now Black has to prove the
correctness of the sacrifice. Let’s briefly examine two main possibilities:
C1) 26...Ra2!? 27.Bd2 (An attempt to involve the queen loses: 27.Qh7? Bg2+ 28.Kg1 Bf3–+.)
27...Bc4+ 28.Rxc4 (Or 28.Kf2 Qb6+ 29.Kf3! Rxa3+ 30.Kg2 Bd5+ 31.Ne4∞) 28...Qxc4+ 29.Ke1
leads to unclear play with approximately equal chances.
C2) 26...gxh6 27.Qxh6 (27.Rxd5? is a mistake because of 27...Qxd5 28.Re4 Ng7 29.Kxg2 f5µ.)
27...Bf3! (After 27...Ng7 28.Rhd4 Bc6 29.Rxd7+ Bxd7 30.Kxg2 White has some advantage.) 28.Rd2
Rxd2 29.Qxd2 Ng7 and the position is approximately equal.
If you found 24.d5!, reached in your calculation the position after 26.Kf1 and concluded that Euwe’s fine
rook sacrifice “led to a sharp position with chances for both sides”, you certainly have completely solved
the test! And if you managed to continue calculating even further, you can fairly rate your solution as
2500-2800!
24...Rxg2+ 25.Kf1 Qb3! 26.Ke1 Qf3 0–1
TEST №11
Filip, Miroslav
Benko, Pal
Curacao 1962
238
Position after: 29...hxg6
White to move
Find the best continuation and assess the arising positions.
Show/Hide Solution
When Black has such a passed pawn the life of the white pieces promises to be joyless and brief.
30.Rf3!
A) After 30.Qf4 Ra7 31.Bf6 Bxf6 32.Qxf6 Rae7 the dangerous passed pawn provides a clear advantage
for Black.
B) 30.a4 Qxa4 31.Rf3 allows White to kill the dangerous passed pawn but after 31...Qd4+ 32.Kh1 Re2
33.Qxd3 Qxd3 34.Rxd3 Bxb2 Black has an extra pawn.
30.Rf3! Re2!
A) The continuations 30...Bd4+ 31.Kh1 Re2 32.Qxd3 Bxb2 33.Rcf1

B) and 30...Rab8 31.Rxd3 Qxb2 32.Qxb2 Rxb2 33.Rd2 both result in equality.
31.Qxd3 Qxb2
239
32.Rxf7!
The only move! Passive continuations cannot solve the problems: 32.Kf1?! Rae8µ; or 32.Rg3? Bd4+
33.Kh1 Be5–+.
32...Rxg2+
32...Qd4+ 33.Qxd4 Bxd4+ 34.Kf1 Rxa2 35.Rf3 leads to equality.
33.Kf1 Rxg5 34.Rxg7+ Kxg7
240
Position after: 34...Kxg7
35.Rc7+??
Up to this moment Benko had been playing perfectly but now he made a fatal error.
After 35.Qd7+! Kg8 36.Rc8+ Rxc8 37.Qxc8+ Kg7 38.hxg5 Qb1+ 39.Kf2 Qxa2+ 40.Kf3 the queen
ending is a draw.
If you could calculate the variation up to this ending, I think that corresponds the level 2700. If you
turned from the right path before reaching the third diagram, you have understood this position at the
level of an experienced international master.
Nevertheless, if you made a mistake even earlier do not be upset: you are on a fascinating path of
perfecting your chess.
The game ended quickly. 35...Kh8 36.hxg5 Rf8+ 37.Ke1 Qe5+ 38.Kd1 Qxc7 39.Qd4+ Qg7 40.Qh4+
Kg8 41.Qc4+ Qf7 0–1
TEST №12
Polugaevsky, Lev
Karpov, Anatoly
Moscow 1974
241
Black to move
Find the best continuation and assess the positions that arise.
Show/Hide Solution
Polugaevsky played finely in the opening, seized the initiative, carried out a breakthrough on the
queenside and won the exchange. He even managed to simplify the position by exchanges. Polugaevsky
made only one slight mistake: with his last move, he moved the attacked rook from d1 to d2, but he
needed to place it on d3.
But how can Black take advantage of that slip?
A) The idea of attacking the a3-pawn with 37...Qe7? does not work: 38.Nc3 Qxa3 39.Qe5!+–. If White
manages to activate his knight, his threats will quickly become decisive.
B) The attempt to get counter-play with 37...Bxa4 38.Qxa4 Qe5 does not succeed either. After 39.Qf4!
Qc3 White can continue 40.Ke2!? with the idea of 40...Qxa3? 41.Qe5!+– or 40.e4 Qc5+ 41.Kf1 Ne3+
42.Ke2 Nc4 43.Rd7 Ne5 44.Rd8+ Kg7 45.Qe3 with a technically winning position.
In this variation, one important nuance should be mentioned: the move 39.Qf4 was the only way for
White to defend the pawns e3 and h2 at the same time!
37...g5!
A brilliant defensive resource! If together with Karpov you found the above-mentioned nuance and like
242
him decided firstly to take under control the square f4 and only after that to undertake action, it means
you will be hard to beat.
38.Qb8+!
The main idea of the move 37...g5 is seen in the following variation: 38.Qg4 Bxa4! 39.Qxa4 Qe5
Position after: 39...Qe5

Lev Polugaevsky is ready for action.
Black holds the position as White does not have the move 40.Qf4.
A) 40.Kf1 Qxe3 41.Rd8+ Kg7 42.Qe4 Qc1+ 43.Ke2 Qxa3 with a draw.
B) 40.Rd8+ Kg7 41.Qe4 Qxh2 42.Ke1 Qg1+ 43.Kd2 Qh2+ 44.Kd3 Qb2! and Black’s piece activity
allows him to hold the position.
38...Kg7 39.Nb2
39.Nc5? Is a mistake because of 39...Qc3 40.Nxb3 Qxe3+ etc.
39...Bd5!?
An interesting moment. Stockfish considers 39...Qe7 40.Re2 f6 to be the strongest. Here even after the
best reply, 41.Qc8!, Black has real chances of holding the position. But in that case Polugaevsky, who
was in time-trouble, could much more easily make his last move before the time control.
Karpov plays a more risky move but forces the opponent to make a difficult choice on the 40th move.
This position can be used as a separate test.
243
Can White successfully beat back
the opponent’s attack?
Position after: 39...Bd5!?
40.Nd3
This loses the advantage completely, but retaining White’s advantage is extremely difficult.
A) If White makes any “neutral” move like 40.h3, Black will implement the tactical idea 40...Qc3
41.Re2 Bxf3! and White should now escape with a perpetual check after 42.Qd8!.
B) In reply to 40.Nd1 Karpov had prepared a “small combination”: 40...Nxe3! 41.Kxe3 Qxf3+ 42.Kd4
Qe4+ 43.Kc3 Qc4+ 44.Kb2 Qa2+ with a draw.
C) In case of 40.f4 Nd6! the black knight gets fabulous power, as in some of Kasparian’s studies:
41.Rxd5 Qxb2+ 42.Kg3 Ne4+ 43.Kf3 Nd2+ 44.Kg4 h5+! 45.Kxh5 Ne4!! with sufficient
compensation.
D) Still Polugaevsky could cause serious troubles for the opponent, though only with a series of difficult
moves: 40.Qc7! Bc6 41.f4! Qh6 42.Qe5+ Kg6 43.Ke1!! and only here do White’s winning chances
become a reality.
40...Nd6!?
Karpov could force the draw by the already familiar combination: 40...Nxe3 41.Kxe3 Qxf3+ 42.Kd4
Qe4+ 43.Kc3 Qc4+=.
But he reasonably supposed that Black’s chances now are not worse than White’s. However, the position
is a draw after all.
244
41.Nf4 gxf4 42.Rxd5 Qb2+ 43.Kf1 fxe3 44.Rg5+ Kh6 45.Qxd6+ Kxg5
½-½
Karpov won the next game, the sixth, and moved two points ahead. The match was ended by his win in
the eighth game: 3-0 with five draws.
Karpov’s climb of the chess Olympus started to gather pace.
TEST №13
Smyslov, Vassily (2595)

Velden 1983
Black to move
Find the best continuation.
Show/Hide Solution
We are starting with a short prehistory.
245
The decisive events of the game started to move fast after Smyslov carried out the prepared breakthrough
in the centre.
27.e5! fxe5 28.dxe5 Bxe5 29.Be4 g6! 30.Bxg6
Reaching the position of test №13.
246
Black cannot capture on g6 because of material loss. He needs to retreat his bishop to defend the h7-
pawn. But to achieve that, Black needs firstly to move his queen with check.
Therefore, Black has two candidate moves: 30...Qa8+ and 30...Qc6+.
30...Qa8+?
Huebner chose the wrong check and that was his fatal error.
After 30...Qc6+!! 31.Kg1 Bg8 32.Bc2 Huebner needed to find one more only move: 32...Rf6! and the
position would remain “complicated with chances for both sides”.
31.Kg1 Bg8
Position after: 31...Bg8
32.Bxh7!!
An original tactical stroke that the German grandmaster missed in his calculations.
32...Rxh7 33.Ng6+ Kg7 34.Qd7+ Rf7
34...Bf7 35.Nxe5 Kg8 after 36.Nxf7 Rfxf7 37.Rxf7 Rxf7 38.Qg4+ does not leave any hopes of escaping
for Black.
35.Rxf7+ Bxf7 36.Nxe5 Qd5 37.Qxa7
Huebner resigned after another 10 moves. 1–0
It was not a very difficult test. But it demanded concentration of attention and tactical vision. I hope that
247
when solving this test you have not blundered into the stroke on h7 and have chosen the correct check!
Four Tal victories
TEST №14
Tal, Mikhail
Portisch, Lajos
Bled 1965 (game 2)
Black to move
You can retreat the king to d8 or f8, or interpose with 17...Be7.

Calculate the consequences of all three continuations then assess the resulting positions and make your
choice.
Show/Hide Solution
248
I guess that if any grandmaster other than Tal played this game, at this moment he would be thinking
about a continuation like 15.Re2, 15.a3 or even 15.Qh5 with the ambition to increase step-by-step the
small pluses of his position.
But Tal is Tal!
15.c4 Nb4 16.Rxe6+ fxe6 17.Qxe6+
249
Position after: 17.Qxe6+
Black has three candidates-moves: 17...Kd8, 17...Kf8 and 17...Be7. Examine them in sequence.
Assessing the retreat 17...Kd8 is easiest of all. White has nothing better than to take a draw: 18.Qd6+
Ke8 19.Qe6+.
Portisch preferred another retreat.
17...Kf8
But firstly we shall examine the third possibility.

17...Be7 18.Bg6+! (18.Bxh7? is a mistake because of 18...c5!µ; 18.Bg5 is better but not strong enough to
maintain the balance: 18...Qc7 19.Bxh7 – not 19.Re1? as Black wins after 19...Nxd3 20.Bxe7 Qd7! –
19...Qd7 20.Qe4 Rxh7 21.Re1 0-0-0! 22.Bxe7 Re8 and Black is better.) 18...Kd8 (Not 18...hxg6? 19.Bg5
Qc7 20.Re1 Qd7 21.Qxg6+ and White wins.) 19.Bf5 Qxd4! This is the only move. (19...Qc7?? loses
because of 20.Bf4! Qc8 21.Qe4)
Position after: 19...Qxd4!
In practice, to assess the candidate move 17...Be7 one needs to calculate up to this position and then
assess it mostly by intuition. 20.Bf4! Tal pointed out this possibility. (After 20.Be3 Qd6 21.Qe4 White’s
attack compensates for his material deficit. The most probable outcome is a draw. For example, 21...Rf8
22.Bg4 Qg6! 23.Rd1+ Ke8 24.Bd7+ Kf7 25.Bf5 Qf6 26.Bg5! Qxg5 27.Qe6+ Ke8 28.Qd7+ Kf7
29.Qe6+=.) 20...Re8 21.Re1! (Here White can force the draw: 21.Be5 Qd2 22.Bf4.) Then Kasparov
pointed out the variation allowing Black to hold equality: 21...g6! 22.Bg4 Nd3 23.Re4 Qxf2+ 24.Kh2
Qg1+ 25.Kxg1 Bc5+ 26.Be3 Rxe6 27.Rxe6 a5=.
I think the position in the diagram can be assessed as being more dangerous for Black even without
250
finding and calculating all these variations.
18.Bf4 Rd8
A) 18...Re8? loses because of 19.Bd6+ Be7 20.Re1 Qd8 21.Re3!.

B) And 18...Qd8? is met by 19.Re1 Be7 20.Bb1! winning.
19.c5! Nxd3 20.cxb6 Nxf4 21.Qg4 Nd5 22.bxa7
Position after: 22.bxa7
Calculating the consequences of the candidate-move 17...Kf8 could be stopped at this position. Black
has to worry about equalizing.
22...Ke7?
A) After 22...Kf7? 23.Re1 gives a clear advantage to White.

B) 22...g6! was the right move. After 23.Re1 (23.b4 gains nothing: 23...Kg7 24.b5 h5!„) 23...Kg7
24.a8=Q Rxa8 25.Qd7+ Kh6 26.Qxb7 Rhc8! 27.Re4 the position is approximately equal but playing
White is a bit easier.
23.b4! Ra8 24.Re1+ Kd6 25.b5 Rxa7? 26.Re6+ Kc7 27.Rxf6 1–0
Therefore, none of the three candidate moves was a decisive error. Objectively, those who chose
17...Kd8, securing the draw at once, are right. But how to win the game if objectively the best moves
bring an immediate draw?
251
TEST №15
Tal, Mikhail
Portisch, Lajos
Bled 1965 (game 4)
Position after: 15.Bxh6!

Black to move
Tal has just struck with 15.Bxh6!

Which move would you choose in reply: 15...gxh6, 15....Ne4, 15...Nh5 or 15...Be4?
Calculate the consequences of these continuations and assess the arising positions.
Show/Hide Solution
15...Ne4!
The most obvious move is the best one!

A) Accepting the sacrifice with 15...gxh6? leads to a bad position: 16.Qxh6 Bxf3 17.Qg5+ Kh8 18.Rh4+
Nh7 19.Qxe7 and the threat of 20.Bd3 forces Black to accept an ending two pawns down with 19...Qd8.
B) 15...Be4?! is not natural: 16.Bd3! Rad8 17.Qg5 and 16.Qg5 Bg6 17.Bd3 both give White the
advantage.
252
C) 15...Nh5 is more interesting but also insufficient.
C1) The consequences of 16.Rg4 Bxf3 17.gxf3 Qxb2 18.Qe3 Rac8 19.Bd3 Rc6 are not so clear.
C2) But White can continue 16.Bg5 Nf6 and now either 17.b3 Bxf3 18.gxf3 Rad8 19.Rd3 with better
chances, or 17.Rh4 Bxf3 18.gxf3ƒ with the idea of meeting 18...Qxb2 with 19.f4! setting up an
attacking position.
15...Ne4! 16.Qf4 gxh6 17.Rxe4
Position after: 17.Rxe4
17...Bxe4
Black had also another quite possible path: 17...Qxb2 18.Qg3+ Kh8 (White does not manage to create
any significant threats: 19.Rg4 Qf6 or 19...Bf6 with counter-play.) 19.Rd4 Bf6 20.Qf4 Bg7 21.Ne5
Qxc2!?∞.
18.Qxe4 Rad8 19.b3
253
Position after: 19.b3©
Lajos Portisch: concentrating before the game.
You have solved the test independently of which variation

(17...Qxb2 or 17...Bxe4) seemed preferable to you, if you
assessed it in the range from “the play is almost equal” to
“playing White is a bit easier”.
19...Bc5?!
This is a slight inaccuracy.

19...Qb4 20.Qe5 Qc5 and 19...Kg7 were more reliable.
20.Qf4 Kg7 21.Qe5+
White succeeded in inducing a small weakening, 21...f6.

However it was not this weakening but a big error by
Portisch that decided the issue of this game.
21...f6 22.Qg3+ Kh7 23.Re1 Rg8 24.Qh4 Rd6 25.Kf1 f5

26.h3 Rg6 27.g4 Rd7??
254
Position after: 27...Rd7??
28.Rxe6! Rd1+ 29.Kg2 Rxe6 30.Bxe6 fxg4 31.Qxg4 Rd8 32.Ne5
1–0
This test has not been very serious.

One could choose 15...Ne4 on general considerations or the method of elimination, some might say, and
perhaps they would be right.
Tal played his next match of this cycle, the semifinal, against Bent Larsen.
TEST №16
Tal, Mikhail
Larsen, Bent
Bled 1965 (game 6)
255
Position after: 16.Nb5!?
Black to move
Tal has just suddenly played 16.Nb5!?

Calculate the variations and answer the question. The knight sacrifice was:
a) Correct and provides an advantage for White;
b) Mistaken and White does not get sufficient compensation;
c) Leading to a position with approximately equal chances.
Show/Hide Solution
16...cxb5
Accepting the sacrifice is forced as White has an obvious advantage if Black declines it.
17.Qxb5+ Kd8 18.c4
256
Position after: 18.c4
The first two moves were obvious but then making the right choice was not so easy. Larsen did not
manage to pick the best move.
18...Qxe5?
A) Pushing the white queen back failed: 18...a6?: 19.Qa5+ b6 20.Qd2 b5 21.Bc2 Qxe5 22.cxd5 exd5
23.Re1±. The sad placement of the black king provides a big advantage for White.
B) The retreat 18...Nf4? is a mistake: 19.Rd1+ Kc7 20.Rd7+ Bxd7 21.Qxd7+ Kb8 22.Qxe7 Qxe5
23.Be3± and the menacing white bishops are considerably stronger than the passive black rooks.
C) 18...Nb6! The only move! It allows Black to hold the position, though only in combination with a
precise next move. 19.Qa5! Kc7! (If in your calculations you relied on 19...Bd7?, I have to disappoint
you: after 20.Be3! White wins.) 20.c5 Kb8! 21.cxb6 axb6 22.Qb5
257
Position after: 22.Qb5∞
This is the final position of the forcing variation.

Those who reached it in their calculations and assessed it correctly should not be scared of sudden
complications – they will find the right way out of any labyrinth of variations!
The defects of Black’s queenside pawn structure are offset by the weakness of White’s e5-pawn. The
position is equal. Black has several possibilities: 22...Ra5 23.Qc4 Rc5 24.Qb3 Rd5 25.Qc3 Bc5„;
22...Qe4 23.Bd1 Bc5 24.Bf3 Qxe5 25.Qd3 Qd6∞; or 22...Rd8 23.Qc4 g5∞. In all these variations
chances are approximately equal.
19.cxd5 Bd6 20.g3 Qxd5 21.Qe2!
258
Position after: 21.Qe2!±
Mikhail Tal
Larsen had assumed that his king could find temporary

refuge on e7, and later hide on the kingside. If together with
Bent Larsen you had similar hopes I would only sigh sadly...
Black’s position is hopeless!
21...Ke7 22.Rd1 Qa5
This is the steadiest.

A) 22...Qe5?! 23.Qd3 g5 defending the square f4. But
trouble comes from the other side: 24.Bd2!+–.
B) 22...Qf5? 23.Rxd6! This is the key resource, determining
the assessment of the position. 23...Kxd6 24.Bc2 (One can
start from either 24.Bd2 or 24.Be3 – Black’s position is
totally hopeless!) 24...Qd5 25.Bd2 a5 26.Rd1. White’s attack
is irresistible.
23.Qg4
23.Rxd6! was even more precise. 23...Qxa4 (or 23...Kxd6

24.Qd1! Ke7 25.Bd2 winning) 24.b3! Qxb3 25.Rd3 and the opposite-colour bishops only strengthen
White’s winning attack.
23...Qf5 24.Qc4 Qc5 25.Qd3 Qd5?
259
After 25...Rd8 Larsen could still offer some resistance.
26.Qc3 Be5 27.Qe1 Qc5 28.Bd2
Position after: 28.Bd2+–
The black king’s fate is sealed – it cannot escape.
28...Kf6 29.Rac1 Qb6 30.Be3 Qa6 31.Qb4 b5 32.Bxb5 Qb7 33.f4 Bb8 34.Bc6 1–0
260
Mikhail Tal: Twenty years later...
TEST №17
Tal, Mikhail
Larsen, Bent
Bled 1965 (game 10)
261
Black to move
How would you start to build the defence: 18...Bd8 or 18...Rf7?

Calculate the consequences of these continuations and assess the resulting positions.
Show/Hide Solution
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Be3 Nf6 7.f4 Be7 8.Qf3 0-0 9.0-0-0 Qc7 10.Ndb5
Qb8 11.g4 a6 12.Nd4 Nxd4 13.Bxd4 b5 14.g5 Nd7 15.Bd3 b4
The events that made this game famous started to unfold after the initial 15 Scheveningen moves.
262
Position after: 15...b4
16.Nd5?!!
“The auditorium went still: what was this – ultra-boldness, recklessness?

No one found an answer to these questions, it was simply not possible. The sacrifice provoked numerous
arguments, with whole forests of variations... In any event, Tal’s boldness in such an important game is a
unique phenomenon in the praxis of leading grandmasters” – Koblents, Tal’s coach.
16...exd5 17.exd5 f5?!
17...g6! was stronger.
18.Rde1
263
Position after: 18.Rde1
From the two candidate moves 18...Rf7 and 18...Bd8 we should examine first the one met in the game.
18...Rf7?
This continuation, combined with the idea of ...Nf8, looks more logical than the retreat of the bishop to
the eighth rank. But Tal’s next move clearly points out the defects of the rook’s placement on f7.
Position after: 18...Rf7?
264
Larsen had hoped to construct a defence after 19.Rhg1?! Nf8. And he planned to face 19.Bxf5? with
19...Nf8! 20.Be6 Bxe6 21.dxe6 Rf5, gaining winning chances. But Tal had prepared another attacking
plan.
19.h4!
If this move in particular has forced you to avoid 18...Rf7? it means that, unlike Bent Larsen, you could
understand Tal’s ideas, which means a lot!
Position after: 19.h4!+–
Stockfish reckons that Black’s position is already hopeless. In translation to human language, that means
“Black has a very difficult position”.
19...Bb7
A) An avalanche of white pawns crushes Black’s defence after 19...Nf8 20.h5 Bd8 21.g6 hxg6 22.hxg6
Nxg6 23.Re8+ Rf8 24.Qh5 with mate.
B) The same thing happens after 19...Nc5 20.g6 (or 20.h5+–) 20...Nxd3+ 21.Qxd3 hxg6 22.h5 g5 23.h6
with a complete rout.
20.Bxf5
This capture makes the route to victory longer.

A) “This can be attributed to competitive considerations. Had this position not been reached in the last
game of the match, I would have played more sharply: 20.g6! hxg6 21.h5 g5 22.Bxf5! with very
dangerous threats...” – Tal.
265
We should not go deeper into Tal’s variations.
I shall mention only that he was a bit modest in his assessment. In fact White has a winning attack!
B) I should add that the pawn storm with 20.h5!? Qf8 21.g6 also possesses decisive power: 21...Rf6
22.gxh7+ Kxh7 (or 22...Kh8 23.h6 winning) 23.Rhg1! Nc5 24.Bxf5+! and White wins.
20...Rxf5 21.Rxe7 Ne5! 22.Qe4
Position after: 22.Qe4±
22...Qf8 23.fxe5 Rf4 24.Qe3 Rf3?!
24...Bxd5 was more solid but still not good enough: 25.exd6! Rxd4 26.Qxd4 Bxh1 27.b3 Bf3 28.Qc4+
(28.Qxb4 also wins) 28...Kh8 29.Rf7 Qxd6 30.Rxf3 and White should convert his extra pawn without
any problems.
25.Qe2 Qxe7 26.Qxf3 dxe5 27.Re1
White has a decisive advantage. The rest does not require comment.
27...Rd8 28.Rxe5 Qd6 29.Qf4 Rf8 30.Qe4 b3 31.axb3 Rf1+ 32.Kd2 Qb4+ 33.c3 Qd6 34.Bc5 Qxc5
35.Re8+ Rf8 36.Qe6+ Kh8 37.Qf7 1–0
And now let’s come back to the crucial moment of the game and to our second candidate-move.
18...Bd8!
266
Position after: 18...Bd8!
The final choice of the bishop retreat could be made by the method of elimination – rejecting the second
candidate-move, since it is refuted by 19.h4!
But how have you assessed the consequences of the bishop retreat?
A) Obviously in this case the pawn storm is not dangerous as the black rook is placed on f8: 19.h4 Qc7
20.h5 Nc5µ.
The immediate bishop sacrifice is the most important factor for assessing the move 18...Bd8.
B) 19.Bxg7 Kxg7 20.Qh5 This position is an excellent separate test on making defensive decisions.
Find the best defensive continuation and assess the resulting positions.
267
Position after: 20.Qh5
B1) Both 20...Kg8? 21.g6 Nf6 22.Qh6 and...

B2) 20...Kh8? 21.Re8! lose at once.
B3) 20...Ne5?! is stronger. But after 21.fxe5 Kh8 22.e6 White has more than sufficient compensation.
However, Black has available a brilliant defensive manoeuvre.
B4) 20...Rg8!! 21.Bxf5 Nf8! 22.Bd3 (After 22.Be6 Qc7 23.f5 Kh8 White keeps only some practical
chances of escaping.) 22...Kh8 23.Re8 Qc7 24.g6 (24.Qh6? Bf5! 25.Bxf5 Bxg5 and Black wins.)
24...Nxg6 25.Rxg8+ Kxg8 26.Bxg6 Qg7 27.Bxh7+ Kf8 28.Re1 Bd7 29.Bf5 Bb5 with advantage to
Black – Kasparov.
Therefore, the move 19.Bxg7 should receive a question mark. But Tal pointed out the best reply to
18...Bd8...
C) 19.Qh5! Nc5 (19...Qc7 20.Bxg7 Nc5 21.Bxf8 Nxd3+ 22.Kb1 is just a different order of moves.)
20.Bxg7! Nxd3+ 21.Kb1!
268
Position after: 21.Kb1!
21...Qc7! (21...Nxf4? 22.Qh6, 21...Nxe1? 22.g6!, and 21...Kxg7? 22.Qh6+ Kg8 23.g6 Qc7 24.Rhg1 all
lose at once or very soon; but 21...Qb7 or 21...Qa7 are possible, transposing to the main variation.)
22.Bxf8 Nxe1 23.Rxe1 Qf7 24.Qxf7+ Kxf7 25.Bxd6 a5 “and Black’s chances in the ending are at least
equal” is Kasparov’s assessment of the position that has appeared.
Even Stockfish cannot argue here with the 13th world champion! It only makes a slight correction of this
assessment: after 26.a3 chances are equal in this complicated play.
Having refuted 18...Rf7? and having chosen 18...Bd8!, you have already obtained the level 2500!
The further path, through a confusing labyrinth of variations, is the way from 2500 to 2850. You can
judge how far you travelled on this route.
The match Tal-Larsen of 1965 was fantastic for its spectacular and creative content. Besides the two
games given above, you can find the penultimate game of the match with the unreal move 24...g5?!! in
the chapter “Tests for Grandmasters”.
269
Show in Text Mode
Chapter 4
Strategy in Action
The title of this chapter contains a slight clue in itself. Solutions of the tests gathered in it do not demand
finding a hidden tactical stroke or deep calculation of variations. Generally, they do not lead to an
immediate denouement. The main accent has been put on a precise assessment of the positions that
occur. Nevertheless, making concrete decisions is demanded. That is why I have titled this chapter
“Strategy in action“.
The outstanding analyst Igor Zaitsev, who for many years was the second of world champions Tigran
Petrosian and then Anatoly Karpov, gave the following definition of chess strategy in his book Attack on
a strong point:
“Strategy is linked in the closest way with the pawn structure and is mainly guided by it. Strategy,
figuratively expressing it, is in fact play with the pawns. Each pawn movement, whether a capture or an
advance, is undoubtedly of a strategic nature. When the last pawns disappear from the board, then,
although calculation and planning still remain, there is no longer any strategy – only pure tactics.
It is only pawns, thanks to their limited mobility, inertness, weakness if you like, that are able to create
the basic carcass of a position – its strategic structure. It is on the flexibility of the pawn structure, like
the circulatory system of an organism, that the longevity of the entire position depends. It becomes
evident that in Philidor’s famous expression ‘Pawns are the soul of chess’ there is not even the slightest
exaggeration.”
Actually, in almost all the given tests you are to find a change in the pawn structure that allows you to
create weaknesses in the opponent’s camp or stop his counter-play, or, on the contrary, lets you begin to
improve your own position.
In this chapter, the tests have been placed in increasing order of complexity. I suppose chess players of
the level 2100-2300 will be quite capable of solving most of these tasks.
The Test Positions
TEST №1
Karpov, Anatoly
Spassky, Boris
Leningrad 1974 (game 9)
270
Position after: 23...Rfd8
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
In some positions just one precise manoeuvre can cause the opponent’s bastions fall into ruins. This is
one such example.
24.Nb1!
A spectacular as well as a strong multipurpose move!

Karpov retreats the knight to its initial square. However, this retreat is actually a decisive manoeuvre! It
resolves the problem of protecting the c2-pawn, and threatens to push back the black knight with the
move с3.
A) The “automatic” 24.Rfd1?! led to simplifications: 24...Rxd2 25.Rxd2 Rd8, giving Black good chances
of protecting his position.
B) 24.Re2 Bg3 would keep an advantage for White, but is too passive.
24.Nb1! Qb7
Black cannot protect his weaknesses. White has a decisive advantage.

A) After 24...Qe6 25.Qxe6 fxe6 26.Rxd8+ Rxd8 27.Na3 Kg7 28.c3 Nd3 29.Nc4 Black’s weak pawns
271
will inevitably become easy trophies for the White pieces.
B) 24...c5!? could give a practical chance for Black, if it was not a Candidates match but a tournament in
a local club.
B1) The immediate pawn capture is a mistake: 25.Qxc5? Qxc5 26.Bxc5 Rdc8 with equality or
25.Bxc5? Qc7 26.Kh1 Na6! with counter-play.
B2) However, the simple 25.c3! Rxd2 26.Nxd2 gives White a winning position.
25.Kh2 Kg7 26.c3 Na6
26...Rxd2 27.Nxd2 Nc2 28.Bc5 Ne1 29.Nb3 is hopeless for Black.
Position after: 26...Na6
27.Re2!
One more Karpov “retreat”.

This time it is the quickest way of converting his advantage.
27...Rf8 28.Nd2 Bd8 29.Nf3 f6 30.Rd2 Be7 31.Qe6 Rad8 32.Rxd8 Bxd8 33.Rd1 Nb8 34.Bc5 Rh8
35.Rxd8
1–0
Only those who understood the position deeply could discover 24.Nb1!.
Could you, like Karpov, win games through retreating manoeuvres?
272
Spartakiad, republics team championship of the USSR, Riga 1975
Karpov-Spassky: The game is adjourned. Spassky, whose position is joyless, is thinking about his sealed
move. He did not manage to save the game.
TEST №2
Boleslavsky, Isaak
Bronstein, David
Moscow 1950
273
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
White has a pair of bishops and a space advantage.How can he use the pluses of his position?
27.Bxd5!
A fine transformation of advantage.

A well-known, slightly joking, rule says: the advantage of a bishop pair is that one of them can be
profitably changed at the right moment!
Isaak Boleslavsky was one of the best strategists in the world in the middle of the last century. Here he
planned a change of the pawn structure designed to emphasize the h6-pawn’s weakness!
27...cxd5
After 27...exd5?! 28.h5! the h6-pawn becomes a clear target for White to attack. For example: 28...Bg7
29.b3!? (or 29.Rh3) 29...Rg8 30.hxg6 fxg6 31.Ba3±.
28.Rh3!
White’s plan is to play h5 and in reply to ... g5 to push f2-f4.
274
However the immediate 28.h5?! was inaccurate. After 28...g5 White will find it difficult to carry out the
undermining push f2-f4.
28...Bg7?!
A) Black cannot play 28...h5? because of 29.gxh5 gxh5 30.Re5 winning a pawn.
B) 28...Re8 29.h5 g5 30.f4 f6 was most probably the lesser evil but the assessment of the position is
certainly clear: Black’s defence will be difficult.
29.h5! g5 30.f4!
You have perfectly solved the test if together with Boleslavsky you chose the right plan and implemented
it precisely!
30...gxf4 31.Bxf4 Rg8
White has a serious advantage.
Position after: 31...Rg8±
32.Rg3
32.Kf3 with the idea of creating an outside passed pawn after g4-g5 was also possible.
32...Rh8 33.Rf3 Rdd8 34.Bg3 Rd7
Now 35.Ref1 Rf8 36.Bh4 provided White with excellent winning chances.
Instead Boleslavsky played 35.Bh4 and after 35...Rh7!
275
Position after: 35...Rh7!
It became harder to convert his advantage into victory. ½-½ (49)
TEST №3
Karpov, Anatoly
Spassky, Boris
Leningrad 1974 (game 3)
276
Position after: 19...Bh6
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
Spassky has played the opening in dubious fashion and White enjoys a big space advantage.
20.g5!
Exchanging the dark-squared bishops would have allowed Black to create counter-play:
A) 20.Bxh6 Nxh6 21.Qe1 Qe7, planning ...f7-f5 with unclear play.
B) Or 20.Bd3 Bxe3 21.Qxe3 f5!? (21...h5 22.Ne2 Ngf6 23.Rh1 Nh7 with approximate equality is also
possible.) 22.exf5 gxf5 23.Bxf5 Rxf5 24.gxf5 Nh6©. Here Black has sufficient compensation.
20.g5! Bg7
Spassky hoped that undermining the g5-pawn would give him counter-play.
21.Bf2 Qf4 22.Be3 Qh4 23.Qe1!
The decisive move! By exchanging queens, Karpov crushes his opponent’s hopes of creating counter-
play on the kingside. In case of the immediate 23.a5 h6 24.Rab1 hxg5 25.b4 f5 Black would have
chances on the kingside.
277
Position after: 23.Qe1!
The game is over! If, like Karpov, you prevented the exchange of bishops, stopped Black’s counter-play
by exchanging queens and meanwhile realized that the opponent could not prevent your attack on the
queenside – you have proved the high level of your strategic understanding once again!
23...Qxe1 24.Rfxe1 h6
Black cannot close up the queenside with 24...a5? due to 25.Nb5+–.
25.h4 hxg5 26.hxg5 Ne7 27.a5
Black cannot protect his queenside – his position is hopeless.
27...f6 28.Reb1 fxg5 29.b4!
Spassky resisted desperately but on the 55th move he had to resign. 1-0 (55)
After this third game of the match, the score equalized. Then Karpov won the sixth game and seized the
lead. The wins in the ninth (test №1) and 11th games allowed him to sensationally crush the former
world champion 4-1 with six draws.
TEST №4

Kamsky, Gata (2710)
278
Las Palmas 1995

White to move
Show/Hide Solution
25.axb5!
The black knight on b4 is not strong enough to induce White to exchange it.
25.Nc2 Nxc2 26.Bxc2 b4 27.Rad1 (27.e5 Rcd8 28.e6 Qf6!= is not dangerous) 27...Qf6 leads to only a
minimal advantage for White.
25.axb5! axb5 26.Nd1!
It looks a bit like Karpov’s manoeuvre in test №1.

A timely transfer of a knight within one’s own camp sometimes causes serious problems for an
opponent!
Anand saw clearly that the b5-pawn could be a target of attack and that defending it would cause major
inconvenience for Black.
26...Na6
279
This retreat solves the problem of defending the pawn, but now the black pieces are placed very
passively.
However, Black’s position was already clearly worse.
A) Regrouping his forces fails: 26...Rb8 27.Nc3 Bc8 28.e5+–.
B) But simplifications cannot him save him from his woes either: 26...Ra8 27.Rxa8 Rxa8 28.Nc3±.
27.Nc3
27.Ra5!? Nc7 28.Bd3 looked at least equally attractive.
27...b4
Position after: 27...b4
28.Nb5
28.Na4!? with the idea of transferring the knight to с4 would also keep a serious advantage for White:
28...Nc7 29.Nb6 Rb8 30.Bd3 Kg7 31.Ra7±.
28...Nc7 29.Bd3 Nxb5 30.Bxb5 Red8 31.Bc4 Nf6? 32.Qh6
32.e5! with a decisive advantage was even stronger.
32...Qf8 33.Qg5 Qg7? 34.Ra7
White’s advantage has become decisive.
280
1–0
TEST №5
Reshevsky, Samuel
Petrosian, Tigran
Zurich 1953
Position after: 25.Rfe1

Black to move
Show/Hide Solution
25...Re6!
Here Petrosian made perhaps the most famous exchange sacrifice of all time!
I guess most of you have seen this game before and for you this was not a test but a pleasant memory.
A) The attempt to transfer the knight to d5 without a sacrifice and change of pawn structure did not
work: 25...Ra7 26.e6! f6 27.a4!. Now in case of 27...Ne7 (27...b4? loses because of 28.d5!) already
White can offer a promising exchange sacrifice: 28.axb5 Qxb5 29.Ba3! Nd5 30.Qf3 Nxe3 31.Qxe3 with
the advantage.
281
B) Not 25...b4? because of 26.Bf3+–.
25...Re6! 26.a4?!
Do not trust the engine!

It prefers White, but after 26.Bxe6 fxe6 27.Rf1 Ne7 28.Rg3 Nd5 Black has sufficient counter-play!
26...Ne7!
Now even Stockfish agrees that White’s position is not better, despite the extra exchange he now
acquires.
27.Bxe6 fxe6 28.Qf1 Nd5 29.Rf3
Position after: 29.Rf3
29...Bd3 30.Rxd3 cxd3 31.Qxd3 b4
Black has no problems.
½-½ (41)
TEST №6

282
Moscow 2016

White to move
Show/Hide Solution
“Which to prefer, 24.Nd5 or 24.Bd5?” – this is the question.
24.Nd5!
At first sight, both possibilities look equivalent.

However in fact there is one important nuance here influencing the assessment of the position.
After 24.Bd5 Nxd5 25.Nxd5 Qd8 26.b5 Be6 27.c4 Rc8 the black rooks are connected and that gives
them more chances of fighting to hold their position. You are right if, like Anand, you discovered this
factor and preferred the knight move.
24.Nd5! Nxd5 25.Bxd5 Ra7
25...Rb8? is weak because of 26.bxa5 bxa5 27.Qa7±.
26.b5! Bb7 27.c4
283
Position after: 27.c4±
The difference between having the rook on a7 and on the eighth rank might appear insignificant, but the
precise assessment of a position can depend on such small nuances, especially at the top level.
There followed:
27...Qe5 28.Rac1 Qxd4+ 29.Rxd4 Kf8 30.Kf2 Ke7 31.f4 f6 32.Rc3
And Aronian did not manage to hold this inferior ending.
1–0 (66)
284
Show in Text Mode
TEST №7

Saint John 1988
Position after: 16...Nc5-e6?

White to move
Show/Hide Solution
On his last move Black retreated the knight from c5 to e6, and that was almost a fatal mistake.
17.Bxe6! fxe6 18.Na4!
The exchange on e6 is strong only when connected with this move! White forces the move ...b5 and gets
the point c5 at his full disposal.
18...b5 19.Nc5 Bc8 20.Ne5
285
White’s knights occupy dominant positions in the centre.
20...Bf8 21.Rc2
White could start an immediate attack with 21.g4!? but it seems Kortschnoj preferred to win this game
without moving pawns, only by using piece manoeuvres!
21...a5 22.Rdc1 Qb6?
22...Bd6 was more solid.
Position after: 22...Qb6?
23.Qf4!
A decisive manoeuvre – the queen has been transferred to the kingside.
23...Be7
23...Bd6 24.Qg5 Rf8 would not save Black: 25.Ncd7! Bxd7 26.Nxd7 Qxf2+ 27.Kxf2 Ne4+ 28.Kg2
Nxg5 29.Nxf8 Rxf8 30.Rc8 with an easy win.
24.Bd4 Qd6 25.Ncd3 Rf8 26.Bc5 1–0
An extremely rare case – this miniature in the Candidates match has been created solely by positional
manoeuvres!
286
TEST №8

Montpellier 1985

White to move
Show/Hide Solution
24.g4!
A powerful strategic decision.

Now the threat of 25.h5 becomes extremely dangerous. Spassky conducts a pawn attack in front of his
king. Such actions are usually risky and demand very precise assessment.
Attempts to improve the position by piece manoeuvres are not successful:
A) 24.Nd3 Qc7 25.Nf4 Ne7;
B) Or 24.Bc2 e5!? 25.Ba4 Rb6 26.Bxc6 Rxc6 27.Rxa5 e4.
In both cases Black has good play.
24.g4! e5
287
24...Ne8 is passive and does not help: 25.h5 Qg7 (25...g5?? 26.Nxe6! loses immediately) 26.Qxg7+
Nxg7 27.h6 Ne8 28.Nxe6 and White has a big advantage.
25.h5 Bxg4?!
Best was 25...Ne6!, when the almost forced line 26.hxg6 hxg6 27.Nxe6 Bxe6 28.Qxg6+ Qg7 29.Nxe5!
Nxe5 30.dxe5 Bxg4 31.Qxg7+ Kxg7 32.Re3 nevertheless leads to an ending with some advantage for
White.
26.hxg6 Nf5
After 26...hxg6? 27.Nh4! Ne6 28.f3!

White wins.
27.Bxf5
White should simplify the position: 27.Qxh7+! Qxh7 28.gxh7+ Kh8! 29.Nh2 Bh3 30.Nd7±.
27...Bxf5 28.Nh4 Bxg6
28...hxg6! 29.Nxg6 Qg7! was stronger. After 30.Qxg7+ Kxg7 31.Nxf8 Kxf8 32.Rd1 White has only a
small plus.
29.Nxg6 hxg6 30.Qxg6+ Kh8 31.Kg2
White has a big advantage, perhaps enough for a win. But in the end Black managed to hold on for a
288
draw.
½-½ (56)
Those who like, Boris Spassky, are not scared to move the pawns in front of their king in order to
promote their attack have perfectly coped with the test!
If you chose some other move you should be more resolute when you have the initiative in your hands!
Spassky is thinking about his move, Polugaevsky is watching.
TEST №9

So, Wesley (2799)
Berlin 2018
289
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
White cannot defend the h4-pawn.

Winning the a7-pawn with 16.Bxb8 Rxb8 17.Rxa7 could lead to an approximately equal position after
17...gxh4 18.Nh3, but after 17...f4! 18.e4 Nf6 Black’s advantage is clear in spite of his temporary lack of
a pawn.
That means that the h4-pawn should be sacrificed. However, what version of its sacrifice should White
prefer?
16.Nh3!
A) After 16.Bf2 Black has to continue 16...f4! with unclear play. For example, 17.e4 dxe4 18.Nxe4 Na6
19.Bxa6 bxa6 20.Rxa6 Rb8„.
B) 16.Nge2 f4 17.exf4 gxh4 18.Bf2 leads to an original and approximately equal position.
16.Nh3! f4
In order to assess correctly 16.Nh3, the consequences of this move must be precisely calculated. After
16...gxh4 17.Nf4 Rh6 White has a pleasant choice:
290
A) 18.Bf2 Nd7 19.Nce2 Bb4+ 20.Kf1 Ne7 21.Rxh4 Rxh4 22.Bxh4².
B) Or the more complicated 18.Nxe6 Kxe6 19.Bf4 Rh8 20.0-0-0 Na6 21.e4!?©.
17.exf4 Bxh3?!
In case of 17...gxh4 White holds the initiative: 18.Ng5+! Bxg5 19.fxg5 Ne7! (After 19...Rxg5? 20.Bxh4
Rh5 21.Ne2 Black’s position is in great danger.) 20.Rxh4 Rxg5 21.Kf2 Nd7 22.Bf4 Rgg8 23.Rh7+ Rg7
24.Rxg7+ Kxg7 25.Bg5ƒ.
18.fxg5!
After the obvious 18.Rxh3 gxh4 19.Kd2 Nd7 White needs to be careful to hold the balance.
Position after: 18.fxg5!±
This piece sacrifice must have been prepared in advance.Finding this move is not very difficult but even
Wesley So could not assess it correctly!
White has only two pawns for a piece and the first impression is that Black will manage to block the
passed pawns on the kingside. But analysis demonstrates that White has a serious advantage.
18...Bd7 19.Kf2 Na6
291
Position after: 19...Na6
20.Bxa6
This exchange does not lose the advantage, but 20.Rae1! was considerably stronger.
A) Now 20...Bb4? loses because of 21.Re5! Kg7 22.Ne2 or 21...Rh8 22.h5+–.
B) 20...Re8 is better but after 21.Ne2 Bb4 22.Rd1 Ne7 23.Be5 Black is unlikely to hold the position.
20...bxa6 21.Ne2 Bd8 22.Be5 Ne7 23.Nf4 Rh7І 24.h5
White has a serious advantage but in the game Black managed to escape. ½-½ (42)
If you chose 16.Nh3 just by intuition, that’s not bad! If in addition you could find the piece sacrifice, it
means your sharp intuition builds on precise calculation!
TEST №10
Ding, Liren (2769)

Berlin 2018
292
Black to move
Show/Hide Solution
In a typical Hedgehog structure White broke his pawn chain on the queenside, but created considerable
pressure on the d6-pawn.
19...f5!
Tactics serve strategy! Smart and definitely the best strategic decision, one based on precise calculation.
Attempts to organize counter-play by attacking the c4-pawn look natural.
A) 19...Rc8 leads to play with approximately equal chances: 20.Red1 Nxc4 21.Bb4© or 20.Nb1 Ba6
21.Nd2 Rxc4! 22.Rxc4 Bxb5 23.Rec1 Nxc4 24.Nxc4©. In both cases, White’s piece activity
compensates for his material deficit.
B) The manoeuvre 19...Qd7 20.Red1 Qc6 also uses the idea of attacking the weak c4-pawn. In this
event, Black does not seek anything more than equality:
B1) After 21.Qh5 Nf6 22.Qe2 Ne8 or 21.Nb1 Ra4 22.N1c3 Ra8 a draw by repetition of position could
follow.
B2) However, White can try to fight for advantage with 21.Qc2!. Now 21...Qxc4?! 22.Qb1!± is much
too dangerous for Black, but 21...Nxc4 22.Bb4 Qd7 23.a4 brings about a position where White has
excellent compensation for the sacrificed pawn.
293
19...f5! 20.exf5
If White allows the f-pawn to advance one more step, then his position will become clearly worse:
20.Bb4 f4 21.Nd4 Qf6ƒ.
20...Bxg2 21.Kxg2 Rxa3!
The strategic idea of advancing the f-pawn has been built on this tactical resource.
22.Nxa3 Qa8+ 23.Qe4!
23.f3? Qxa3 24.Nb5 Qa8 is hopeless for White.
23...Qxa3 24.fxe6
White cannot firstly push back the queen and then capture the pawn, since after 24.Nb5 Qc5 the black
queen attacks the f2 point.
An assessment of Kramnik’s operation begun by the move 19...f5 depends on the assessment of the
position arising after 24.fxe6.
This position can be a separate test.
Assess the position and
find the best continuation.
Position after: 24.fxe6
The first move is rather obvious.
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24...Nf6 25.Qe2
The idea of keeping the long diagonal under control at the price of an exchange sacrifice deserves
attention but cannot solve the problems: 25.Qb7!? Nd3 26.e7 Re8 27.Nb5 Qc5µ.
25...Qa8+! 26.f3
Position after: 26.f3
26...h5!
Having found this attacking resource one can conclude: Kramnik’s operation, begun with the move
19...f5, gains an advantage for Black.
White does not have sufficient defence against the undermining plan ... g5-g4.
A) The tactical forcing variation 26...Nxf3 27.Qxf3 Qxf3+ 28.Kxf3 Nd5+ 29.Kg4! Nxc3 30.Kxg5
leads to an approximately equal position.
B) However, the consequences of 26...Re8?! 27.Nb5 Qc6 cause more worries to Black. In addition to
28.Nd4!? or 28.Qe3 White can play 28.Nxd6 Nxf3 29.Qxf3 Qxd6∞.
27.e7
After 27.Ne4 g4 28.f4 Nxe4 29.Qxe4 Nd3! 30.e7 Nxe1+ 31.Rxe1 Qxe4+ 32.Rxe4 Re8 Black has good
chances of realizing his advantage.
27...Re8 28.Ne4 g4! 29.hxg4 hxg4 30.fxg4
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Position after: 30.fxg4
Black has an advantage big enough to win the game. However Kramnik, short of time, begins to make
mistakes.
30...Nfxg4
30...Rxe7! 31.g5 Nfd7 convincingly seals the win.
31.Qd1 Bh6 32.Rc3 Rxe7?
The queen exchange should be avoided: 32...Kh7! with good chances to win.
33.Qd5+ Qxd5 34.cxd5
Now Black has just a slight advantage, and later the game ended in a draw.
½-½ (47)
It was a really difficult test! Those who discovered 19...f5! and felt that the complications after 21...Rxa3
would be to Black’s profit, can be proud of their intuition! However, only those who in their preliminary
calculations reached 26...h5! played this part of the game on Vladimir Kramnik’s level! Others should be
reminded: tactics often help to realize strategic dreams!
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Show in Text Mode
Chapter 5
Kaleidoscope of Tasks
This chapter offers for your attention the tests that do not fit within the framework and the subject matter
of the other chapters. They are not too difficult but they are not easy at all. I suppose that chess players of
the level 2150-2350 can solve the majority of these tests. But some of them could be “a hard nut to
crack” even for more experienced players. In most of the tests, you should act for the side leading an
attack, when the strategic component of making the right decision would be not so significant. Anyway,
the solutions of almost all these tests will demand deep and precise calculation.
The tests of this chapter differ a lot in their subjects and in the focus of their tasks. In some of them, you
need to make the right choice from a range of attacking continuations. In some others you should
organize an attack, and in others again find a hidden path to salvation. However, as with most of the tests
in the preceding chapters, no precise aim of the tasks has been specified. You have to assess a position
yourself, formulate an “actual task” based on this assessment, and then make your decision.
Only one thing remains unchangeable: you are to find the best move!
The Test Positions
On the altar of the attack
TEST №1

Moscow 2016
297
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
We start with a short prehistory.
17.Nxe4! dxe4 18.Rxe4!
298
Peter Svidler has been recognized for a long time as one the very best world experts on the Ruy Lopez
(Spanish) opening. He plays this opening brilliantly with both White and Black.
But this time something went wrong...
18...Nb3?
After Black accepts the exchange sacrifice, White’s bishop turns into a real monster: 18...Bxe4 19.Bxe4
Ra6 20.Qd3 and Black’s position probably cannot be held.
Instead Black should accept a slightly worse position after 18...Nc4 19.Rxa8 Bxa8 20.Re1²; or 18...g6
19.Bg5².
19.Rxa8 Bxa8
Position after: 19...Bxa8
20.Ng5!!
A) 20.Rh4?! Bxf3 21.Bxh7+ Kh8 22.Rh3 Bxd1 23.Be4+ leads to a draw by perpetual check.
B) I guess Svidler had expected 20.Bg5 Be7 21.Bxe7 Rxe7 22.Re1, which allowed his opponent to fight
for an advantage but only a small one: 22...Bxf3 23.Qd3 g6 24.Qxb3² or 22...Nxd4 23.Nxd4 cxd4
24.Qd2².
20...Nxc1
Neither 20...g6 21.Bxb3 nor 20...Be7 21.Nxf7 Kxf7 22.Rf4+ offers any help. Black’s position is already
299
hopeless.
21.Qh5! h6
21...Qxg5 22.Qxg5 Bxe4 23.Qxc1 Bxc2 24.Qxc2 cxd4 25.f4 leaves no hopes for Black.
22.Qxf7+ Kh8
23.Rg4!
This is the shortest way to the goal!
23...Qa5 24.h4
1–0
TEST №2

Moscow 2016
300
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
15.Qc1!
This is a rare example of a fast attack from the reversed Dragon variation in the English opening!
A) 15.Qd2?! with a similar idea would be a miscalculation. After 15...fxe4 16.Bxg7 e3! destroys the
attacking plan: 17.Qxe3 Kxg7 18.Qh6+ Kf6∞.
B) 15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.Qc1(d2) 16...fxe4 17.Qh6+ would transpose. Note that 16...Rh8? is worse:
17.Rxh8 Qxh8 18.Nd6 Qb8 19.Qf4! and if 19...e5 then 20.Nxf5! wins.
15.Qc1! fxe4 16.Bxg7 Kxg7 17.Qh6+ Kf6
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18.dxe4!!
Brilliant!
This unexpected capture not only opens the d-file for an attack but also creates the dangerous threat e4-
e5!
18.Bxe4? Looks more natural but could be justified only in the event of 18...Qe8? 19.Qf4+ Kg7
20.Qg5±.
But after 18.Bxe4? Black has a strong defensive plan: 18...Ke7!! 19.Qxg6 Rf7 20.Rh6 Qd6 21.f4 Raf8
and three white pawns here are not a sufficient equivalent for a knight: Black’s position is better.
18...Rh8
On 18...Qe7 Svidler had prepared 19.e5+ Kf7 20.Be4 Nxe5 21.Qf4+ Qf6 22.Rh7+ Kg8 23.Qxf6 Rxf6
24.Rxb7 with advantage for White. But that is likely to be Back’s best course.
Black has no time to block the e4-pawn (and the white bishop): 18...e5 19.Qh4+ and the queen
penetrates to h7 with check.
19.e5+!
To make this check, White’s d3-pawn has transferred to e4 and become doubled.
19...Kf7 20.Qf4+ Kg7 21.Rxh8 Qxh8
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Position after: 21...Qxh8
22.0-0-0!
There have been so many dramatic events in this game that one could simply forget about the possibility
of castling!
22...Kg8
22...Rf8 23.Rd7+ Kg8 leads only to a change in the order of moves; and 22...Rd8?? 23.Qf6+ loses at
once.
23.Rd7 Rf8 24.Qg4 Qh6+! 25.f4 Re8 26.Rxb7 Nxe5 27.Qh3 Qxh3 28.Bxh3 Nc4 29.Rxa7
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Position after: 29.Rxa7±
The storm of complications has calmed down.

White has an extra pawn and excellent chances to win.
Svidler played this game after a crushing defeat by Anand in the previous round (test №1).
I was watching this game on-line and even today I am sorry that this small masterpiece by Peter Svidler
remained incomplete: Black managed to draw.
½-½ (45)
TEST №3
Yudasin, Leonid (2625)

Wijk aan Zee 1994
304
Position after: 22.Qxd6
Black to move
Show/Hide Solution
The attention is focused on the h2-square. However, White will probably be able to defend. The black
rook is pinned and it is very difficult to get rid of this pin.
22...Nf5!!
Kramnik finds a very different mating construction!

A) The tactical operation 22...Nf3 23.gxf3 Qxf3+ 24.Rg2 Rg5 leads only to a draw: 25.Reg1 Rxg2
26.Rxg2 Qd1+ 27.Rg1 Qf3+=.
B) Chances are approximately equal after 22...Rae8 23.Nd4 Nf5 24.Nxf5 Qxf5.
22...Nf5!! 23.Qc7
A) 23.Qc5? loses because of 23...e3!.

B) And after 23.Qb4 Qxf2! 24.Rxe4 Rae8! it becomes clear that there is no one to defend the white king!
For example, 25.Nd6 Nxd6 26.Rxe5 Rxe5 27.Qxd6 Re1 with mate.
23...e3! 24.Rxe3
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A) 24.fxe3? leads to checkmate: 24...Ng3+! 25.hxg3 Rh5#.
B) And the position after 24.h3 could be used as an additional test.
Black to play and win!
24...exf2! 25.Qxe5 Ng3+ 26.Kh2 Up till this everything has been easy, but how to continue now?
26...Nf1+ 27.Kh1 fxe1=Q 28.Qxf4 Ng3+ 29.Kh2 Qxg1+! 30.Kxg1 Ne2+ The decisive fork: White has
to resign.
Now let’s come back to the game.
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Position after: 24.Rxe3
24...Qxe3!!
Bravo!
Here is the essence of Kramnik’s plan and the test solution!
The queen sacrifice is always spectacular but at the level of Candidates competitions, it is also a very rare
guest!
25.Nd6
After 25.fxe3 White gets mated: 25...Ng3+! 26.hxg3 Rh5#.
25...Re7 26.Nxf5 gxf5 27.Qd6 Qe5 28.Qb4 Rae8 29.Qh4 f6 30.h3 Qxd5 0–1
All the manuals for beginners teach: “The aim of chess play is to checkmate the opponent’s king.”
Even grandmasters, even Candidates, should not forget that!
TEST №4
Timman, Jan (2640)

Vaganian, Rafael (2625)
Montpellier 1985
307
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
18.Rxf7! Kxf7 19.Qh5+?!
Timman miscalculates.
First exchanging on f5 is the right way: 19.Bxf5! exf5 (In case of 19...Rcf8 20.Qh5+ Ke7 the position
from the game arises.) 20.Qh5+ Ke7 21.Qh7+ Ke6 22.Qh6+ Ke7 23.Qf6+ Ke8 24.Qe6+. White wins
the sacrificed rook back and two extra pawns provide him with an advantage in a sharp position.
19...Ke7 20.Bxf5
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Position after: 20.Bxf5
20...Rcf8
Vaganian misses the chance to take advantage of Timman’s miscalculation.

The right way was 20...Rxg2! 21.Qh4+! (The consequences of 21.Qh7+ Kd8 22.Bh3 Rd2! are not clear
at all.) 21...Kd7 22.Bxe6+! Kxe6 23.Qh3+ Kf7 24.Qxg2 d4 and Black has counter-play.
21.Qh4+
Even stronger was 21.Bxe6! Rxg2 22.f5.
21...Ke8 22.Qh6 Qc7?!
After 22...exf5 Black had more chances of resistance.
23.Qxe6+ Kd8 24.Bh3
White has a decisive advantage. To convert it to a win Timman needed only 10 more moves. 1–0 (34)
Finding a combinational idea is only half the-task. Implementing it precisely is the second half. So many
good plans have been wrecked because of their inaccurate realization.
In this case Timman was lucky: Vaganian, a real artist in chess, has not spoiled the painting by another
artist.
TEST №5
309
Saint John 1988

White to move
Show/Hide Solution
22.axb5 axb5 23.Ra6! Nb8 24.Rxe6! fxe6 25.Nxe7 Bxe4
The capture by the queen is impossible because the bishop on g6 is hanging, and 25...Kxe7?! is bad
because of 26.Bg5+.
26.Rxe4 dxc3
26...Qxe7 27.Bg5 Qe8 28.Bxd8 Qxd8 29.Rxd4 makes Black’s position totally hopeless.
27.Ng6+!
27.Qc2 Kxe7 28.Bg5+ Kf7 would allow Black to organize considerably more determined resistance.
27...Kg8 28.Rd4 Rxd4 29.Qxd4 Rh3
310
29...Qxg6 30.Qd8+ Kh7 31.Ng5+ loses immediately.
30.Ng5 Rh6 31.Nf4 Nc6?!
This simplifies White’s task, but 31...Qd7 cannot save Black either after the precise reply 32.Ne2.
32.Qxc3
Soon White converted his material advantage.
1–0 (44)
An easy combination, you might say.

Right.
However, sometimes “an easy combination” can help to overcome even a chess Goliath!
From the chess treasury

TEST №6
Spassky, Boris
Geller, Efim
Sukhumi 1968

White to move
311
Show/Hide Solution
36.Bh6!
The whole point of this rather simple move will come out a little later.
36...Bxh6
36...f5? is met by 37.Qh8+!.
37.Qh8+ Ke7
38.Nxf6!!
Here’s the thing!

It turns out that Spassky was not really planning to exchange the black bishop – distracting the defender
of the f6-point was more important for him!
Now there is a mating threat on e8.
38...Bf4
38...Bf8 would not help: 39.Re1+ Kd8 40.Qxf8+ Kc7 41.Qxf7+ Kb6 42.Nd7+ and Black has to resign.
312
Geller has closed off the f-file, so the white knight is left without sufficient defence.
39.g5!!
Spassky renews the mating threat!

The g5-pawn can be captured by the bishop but then the white rook will immediately restart cooperating
with the knight, and this moment will be enough for a checkmate: 40.Qe8#!
Black’s king has to flee.
39...Ke6 40.Qe8+ Kf5 41.Qxf7
Position after: 41.Qxf7
41...Rc7
41...Kxg5 meets with 42.h4+! And after either 42...Kf5 43.Ne4+ or 42...Kxh4 43.Qxg6 a quick
checkmate is unavoidable!
42.Qxc7 Kxg5 43.Qe7!
Not necessary but an elegant nuance! The capture 43...Qxf6 allows mate: 44.Rg1+ Kf5 45.Qe4#.
43...Qe3 44.Ne4+ Kh5 45.Qh7+ Bh6 46.Qd7 Bf4 47.Nf6+ Kg5 48.Nd5 1–0
If openings were given proper names for impressive games played in them, the Closed variation of the
Sicilian Defence should have its name changed to “Spassky Variation”!
If you still don’t agree 100 percent, remember the final games of the same rivals from the same match in
313
the chapter “Through the pages of history” -- there was a Closed variation there too!
314
315
The 41st USSR Championship in Moscow in 1973 was one of the strongest national championships in all
their history. Four former world champions and one future champion competed in it, as well as several
who had taken part in Candidates competitions. Spassky won with 11.5 out of 17, a point ahead of the
field - one of his greatest tournament successes.
The third-round game Geller-Spassky was a short draw. But before that they had played two Candidates
matches against each other: the semi-final in 1965 and the quarter-final in 1968.
Spassky won both of them with the same score, 5.5-2.5. Geller became Spassky’s coach-second and
helped him to gain the title of world champion in 1969. Geller was also with Spassky at the next match
for the world chess crown, against Fischer three years later.
TEST №7
Smyslov, Vassily (2595)

Ribli, Zoltan (2595)
London 1983
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
This famous game is so rich in content that we should not be limited to examining only its final part.
316
An early stage of original positional manoeuvres ended when the ex-world champion struck on h6.
Position after: 21...Nde7
22.Bxh6! Nxe5
Clearly, the bishop cannot be captured because of the mate on f7.
23.Nh5!
Smyslov ramps up the threats.
23...Nf3+
The attempt to defend the g7-pawn immediately with 23...Nf5 meets a spectacular refutation: 24.dxe5
Bxe5 25.Bg5 (creating a mating threat) 25...Ne7 26.Rxe5! Qxe5 27.Bf6! winning.
24.gxf3 Nf5 25.Nxf6 Nxh6
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Position after: 25...Nxh6
Black managed to survice the first wave of attack.But now Smyslov launches the second wave.
26.d5! Qxb2
A) 26...Nf5 leads to a mating finale: 27.Qg8+ Ke7 28.Rxe6+ fxe6 29.Qxe6+ Kf8 30.Nh7#.
B) In case of 26...gxf6 White continues 27.dxe6! Qg5+ 28.Kh1 fxe6 29.Rg1! Qf4 30.Rg7! Now White’s
king escapes from the checks: 30...Qxf3+ 31.Kg1 Rd1+ 32.Rxd1 Qxd1+ 33.Kg2 Qd5+ 34.f3 Qd2+
35.Kh3.
But the black king does not escape the checkmate!
318
I hope that when solving the test you understood that there were no questions about positional pluses and
minuses here.
Smyslov demonstrates a forcing way to win.
27.Qh8+! Ke7 28.Rxe6+!!
It’s not just a next wave but a terrible tsunami sweeping everything out of its path!
319
Vassily Smyslov-Zoltan Ribli, the semi-final Candidates match, London 1983.
In this cycle, the 62-year-old Smyslov reached the final match and lost only to Kasparov. Smyslov played
in the first Candidates tournament in Budapest 1950, and had begun his campaign for the champion’s
title 35 years before his encounter with Kasparov, in the world chess championship match-tournament in
1948.
28...fxe6 29.Qxg7+ Nf7
After 29...Kd6 30.Ne4+ Black loses the queen.
320
30.d6+!
An elegant flourish, concluding the combinational stage of the game.
30...Rxd6 31.Nd5+ Rxd5 32.Qxb2
White’s material advantage is quite sufficient to win. Smyslov accurately converts his advantage.
32...b6 33.Qb4+ Kf6 34.Re1 Rh8 35.h4 Rhd8 36.Re4 Nd6 37.Qc3+ e5 38.Rxe5 Rxe5 39.f4 Nf7
40.fxe5+ Ke6 41.Qc4+ 1–0
Perhaps one should add that in those years Zoltan Ribli was at the height of his powers, in his early 30s.
Vassily Smyslov was exactly 30 years older.
321
Paul Keres, Vassily Smyslov, Samuel Reshevsky, Max Euwe, Mikhail Botvinnik at the world chess
championship match-tournament in 1948.
322
Show in Text Mode
Drama of the last act

TEST №8

Ding, Liren (2769)
Berlin 2018
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
This game could have been one of the best games Fabiano Caruana played as he won the Candidates
tournament in Berlin-2018.
It contained an original treatment of a popular opening, a fine exploitation of the opponent’s only
weakness, and a precise realization of the advantage he had obtained.
Only a fatal set of circumstances or a tragic alignment of the stars could explain why, having been in
excellent form, Caruana did not play:
323
66.Nf8+! Kg8 67.h6! Kxf8 68.h7!!
Position after: 68.h7!!
After 68...Nxe6+ 69.Kg3 Nxg5 70.h8=Q+ Ke7 71.Qh4 the curtain falls and the game comes to its
logical end.
However Caruana played:
66.Re5? Be8 67.e7
...and the opponents agreed a draw.
½-½
TEST №9

Berlin 2018
324
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
One could easily guess that such an original position had been preceded by a tense, sharp tactical battle.
Aronian had begun a very risky pawn attack in front of his king at an early stage of the game. The fight
was very complicated all the time but White’s position always looked considerably more perilous.
For some time Aronian has been balancing on the edge. He managed to hold on, and now he has a
tactical resource that would earn him a draw.
But this resource must be found...
32.Bc4+??
Aronian passed by the saving solution. Then followed:
32...Kh7 33.Qh4 e4 34.Rg3 Bxf4 35.g8=Q+ Rxg8 36.Bxg8+ Kh8 37.Rg7 Qf8 0–1
Instead of the check by the bishop, he had to play immediately: 32.Qh4! e4 (In case of 32...exf4 33.Bc4+
Kh7 34.Bd3+ the draw arrives at once.) 33.h7+! Thanks to this resource, Aronian should be saved.
The forced variation 33...Kxg7 34.Rg3+ Kh8 35.Rg8+! Rxg8 36.hxg8=Q+ Kxg8 37.Bc4+ Kg7 38.Qg5+
Kh7 39.Qg8+ clinches the draw by perpetual check.
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In study style
TEST №10
Giri, Anish (2793)

Moscow 2016
Black to move
Show/Hide Solution
57...Kd6
The tactical trick 57...e5+? 58.Kxe5 d4 does not work here.

White entices the opponent’s king to c3 and promotes his pawn to queen with check: 59.Ke4 Kc4 60.g5
d3 61.Ke3 Kc3 62.gxh6 etc.
57...Kd6 58.Ke3 e5!!
The only move! If White takes the e5-square under control, Black’s position will become hopeless.
For example, 58...Ke5? 59.f4+ Kf6 60.Kd4 Ke7 61.Ke5 Kf7
A) Now 62.g5? Ke7 63.g6 Kf8 brings about positions similar to the ones arising in the game.
326
B) But White can break his opponent’s pawn chain by 62.f5! exf5 63.gxf5 and the extra pawn on the f-
file provides the win.
59.g5 Ke7 60.g6 Kf6 61.Kd3 e4+!
Aronian decides to show at once that he knows the theoretical drawn position that should conclude the
game.
Black could also play 61...Kg7, when White could win two central black pawns in exchange for his f-
pawn: 62.Kc3 Kf6 63.Kb4 Kg7 64.Kc5 d4 65.Kc4 Kf6 66.f4. This variation also leads to a drawn
position, though by a longer path.
62.fxe4 dxe4+ 63.Kxe4 Kg7
64.Kf5 Kg8 65.Kf6 Kf8 ½-½
No doubt Giri and Aronian knew the end of the game long before this theoretical position appeared on
the board.
But who would not bother checking up on the opponent’s knowledge, even if that opponent is a
participant in the Candidates tournament!?
Well, what if he doesn’t know?
TEST №11
327
Abano Therme 1980
Position after: 43...a3

White to move
Show/Hide Solution
Before this game, the score was 6-4 in favour of Huebner, and to win the match the German grandmaster
needed to make just one draw in the last two games.
But in the penultimate game Portisch exploited a serious error by his opponent in the opening, seized the
initiative and soon secured an advantage. By the 25th move he already had a technically won position.
Huebner resisted hard but Black’s advantage continually increased.
Suddenly with his last move, 43...a3, Portisch gave his opponent a chance. Huebner seized his
opportunity and played:
44.Rxb3! a2
Portisch had counted on this move.

A) 44...Bh5+ 45.Kf2! a2 leads only to a change in the move order.
B) It should be added that 44...Bf7 45.Rc3 Bxc4+ 46.Rxc4+ Kd7 leads to a theoretical draw: 47.Rc2 a2
328
48.Rd2+ Ke6 49.Kd3 Kxf6 50.Kd4=.
45.Ra3 Bh5+ 46.Kf2!
The only correct retreat!

46.Ke3? Re1+ 47.Kf4 a1=Q 48.Rxa1 Rxa1 is hopeless.
46...Rh1 47.Ra7+!
White needs to push Black’s king back. The immediate pawn capture 47.Rxa2 loses: 47...Rh2+ 48.Kg3
Rxa2 49.Ne5 Kd6.
47...Kb8
If the king retreats to c6 White checks with the knight from e5, while a retreat to d8 runs into 48.Ra8+.
48.Rxa2 Rh2+ 49.Kg3 Rxa2 50.Ne5!
Position after: 50.Ne5!
Despites being a rook up Black cannot win!

The great study composer Genrikh Kasparian wrote a book which he titled Domination in 2545 Endgame
Studies. I’m sure he would like the final position of this game very much.
50...Kc7 51.f7 Ra8 52.Kh4 Rh8 53.Kg5 Kd6 54.Kf6 ½-½
In this way Huebner won his semifinal Candidates match against Portisch, Abano Therme, 1980.
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TEST №12

Berlin 2018
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
For a long time this game had been in the zone of almost a dead draw. But Grishuk, in time trouble, has
just played 34...Nd6xb5??.
Retreating the knight to f5 would have maintained the balance.
35.e6!
Mamedyarov demonstrates a precise refutation. Other continuations provide nothing for White:
A) 35.Bxb5 c2 36.e6 c1=Q 37.Qxc1 Qxb5 38.exf7 Qd5+ with equality.
B) 35.Qc4 e6 36.Bxb5 c2 and the bishop has to be given up for the passed pawn.
C) 35.Qxe7 Qc7! 36.Qxc7 Nxc7 37.Be4 Ne6 38.Kf1 Nd4 and again Black has no reasons to worry.
330
35.e6! Qa3
After the capture 35...fxe6? White wins by 36.Qxe7+ Kh6 37.Qf8+ Kh7 38.Qf7+ Kh8 39.Qf6+ Kh7
40.Be4+–.
36.Qxb5! c2 37.exf7 Kg7 38.Be4
38.Qe5+ Kxf7 39.Bd5+ Ke8 40.Be6! was also enough to win.
38...c1=Q 39.Qe8
Position after: 39.Qe8
Black’s two queens are not able to help their king!
1–0
Petrosian on Curacao
TEST №13
Petrosian, Tigran
Benko, Pal
Curacao 1962
331
Position after: 11...Qxc5
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
12.Ne4
The natural active move. But in this case it is actually a prelude to a small combination.
12...Qb6
The queen does not have any other squares.
13.Bxf7+! Kxf7 14.Rxc8! Rxc8 15.Nfg5+ Kg8 16.Qxg4 Qc6
In case of 16...Rf8 17.0-0 Bxe5 White has the tactical resource 18.Qh3! h5 19.Ba5! Qc6 20.Qb3+ and
Black’s position is unlikely to be saved.
332
17.Nd6?
Petrosian decides to end the battle immediately in combinational style, but this is an error.
The right decision would be 17.0-0!
A) Now 17...Bxe5? is countered by 18.Qf3!+–.
B) And in case of 17...Nd7 the combinational idea from the game becomes correct: 18.Nd6! Nf8
19.Nxc8 Rxc8 20.Bc3 and White has a healthy extra pawn.
17...Qd7!
This precise manoeuvre is like a cold shower for White! It becomes clear that by giving back the
exchange Black gains sufficient counter-play for a pawn.
18.Qxd7 Nxd7 19.Nxc8 Rxc8 20.f4 Rc2
White’s advantage has disappeared.
21.Ke2 Bh6 22.Nf3 Rxb2 23.g3 g5
½-½
333
334
Tigran Petrosian and Boris Spassky, the ninth and 10th world champions.
Petrosian won the Candidates tournament at Curacao in 1962, Spassky the next two Candidates cycles.
TEST №14
Petrosian, Tigran
Kortschnoj, Viktor
Curacao 1962
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
This game was played in the 23rd round, near the end of the Candidates marathon in Curacao.
The participants were definitely tired. Perhaps this could partly explain why Kortschnoj played the
opening so weakly. Black has spent several tempos on unreasonnable queen manoeuvres, he is seriously
behind in development and his bishop pair could not be even a moral compensation for him.
Now almost any natural move (14.Bb3, 14.Qe2, 14.Qd2 or even 14.Nd5) would keep a considerable
advantage for White, but Petrosian managed to find a way to win!
335
14.f4!
This is the initial move to the following combination.

It’s not hard to find – one needs only to overcome the inner barrier which normally prevents
automatically the loss of a central pawn with check!
14...Qb8
A) Actually, opening the e-file is fatal for Black: 14...Qxe3+ 15.Kh1 Nb6 16.Nd5 Nxd5 17.Bxd5 and
his situation is completely hopeless. For example, 17...Bg4 18.Qxg4 Qxd4 19.Rc8+ winning.
B) However retreats of the queen are not in any way better. On 14...Qd6 White plays a combination
similar to the one in the game: 15.Ne4 (possible also is the immediate 15.Bxf7+!?) 15...Qb6 16.Bxf7!
Kxf7 17.Qb3+ Ke8 18.Ne6 Rb8 19.Rc3! and Black is in grave danger.
15.Bxf7+!! Kxf7 16.Qb3+ Ke8 17.Nd5!
The invasion of the white knights quickly resolves the issue of the battle.
17...Bd6 18.Ne6!
336
Position after: 18.Ne6!
A spectacular position. Black cannot escape.
18...b5 19.Ndc7+ Ke7 20.Nd4 Kf8 21.Nxa8
1–0
Accuracy up to the end!

TEST №15
Kotov, Alexander
Smyslov, Vassily
Budapest 1950
337
Position after: 38...Rxb4
White to move
Assess the move 39.Rxh7.
Show/Hide Solution
Kotov got a big advantage after the opening.

Then he manoeuvred for a long time and suddenly two moves before the time control he decided to
resolve the battle by a combination.
39.Rxh7+??
A catastrophic miscalculation!
After the simple 39.Bd3! White keeps all the pluses of his position.
For example, 39...Rb3 40.Qc2 and the queen goes to c5 with quite aggressive intentions: 40...Ra3
41.Qc5 Rxd3? (After 41...Ra2+ 42.Kf3 Black’s position is simply hopeless.) 42.Qxf8+ Qxf8 43.Rxh7+
Kg8 44.Rh8#.
39.Rxh7+?? Nxh7 40.Qh5?
White could still resist by playing 40.Bd3.

However Kotov had planned to checkmate, not fight for a draw!
338
40...Qg8 41.Ne7 Rxg2+ 42.Kf3
Position after: 42.Kf3
Kotov’s calculation had ended at this position. But...
42...Rf2+!! 43.Kxf2 Rb2+
0–1
339
Vassily Smyslov sings, Mark Taimanov accompanies him on the piano.
TEST №16

Kamsky, Gata (2695)
New York 1994
340
Position after: 25.Qg5
Black to move
Assess the move 25...Re2.
Show/Hide Solution
25...Re2
A good move. This is not the only win, but it is a rather reliable one. In fact, though, it demands precise
calculation.
26.exf6
26.Rxe2 Qd1+ 27.Bf1 Bxe2 loses at once.
26...Rxe1+ 27.Bf1 Rxf1+ 28.Kg2
White has already built a mating construction and just needs to make sure his king can escape from the
checks. But is that possible?
28...Rg1+! 29.Kh3 Bd7+ 30.Kh4
341
Position after: 30.Kh4
30...g6
30...d3+ also leads to a win: 31.Rf4 g6! 32.Rxa4 Rh1! 33.g4 h6!–+.
However, the path chosen by Kamsky is simpler.
31.Qh6 d3+ 32.Rf4 Qxf4+ 33.Qxf4 Rh1!
This forcing variation has left White in a hopeless position.
34.g4 h6 35.Kh3 g5 36.Qd4 d2 37.Qxd2 Rg1 38.f3 Bb5 0–1
342
Show in Text Mode
Chapter 6
The Primary School
It would not be correct to think that the denouements of Candidates battles are always decided on some
lofty Olympic level. Not at all! The tension of long hours of fighting, nerves, tiredness, and we should
not forget about time trouble. Because of all these factors, sometimes the result of an extremely
important game is decided by a two-move combination, sometimes a grandmaster of 2700+ can be
caught in a simple school championship-level trap, and sometimes even a threat of mating in one move
works out!
This chapter contains simple tests. It is a kind a primary school of chess tactics training. They have been
placed in order of increasing complexity, from simple to more complicated.
I guess that the tests of this chapter correspond to the level of chess players with ratings of 1900-2200.
Well, it’s your move!
The Test Positions
TEST №1

Berlin 2018
343
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
37.Ne8+!! 1–0
“Is it a real test? It is nothing more than a beautiful picture!” If you think that, you are certainly right.
Well I can only add: “A beautiful and memorable picture!”
TEST №2
Bronstein, David
Keres, Paul
Budapest 1950
344
Position after: 31...Qxa4
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
32.Rf4!
32.Qh6? is an error because of 32...Rg8 33.Rf4 g5.
32.Rf4! Qc2
32...Rg8 33.Rh4! and there is no defence to the threat of Qh6.
33.Qh6!
Black can capture the rook with check but after 33...Qxb1+ 34.Kh2 Rg8 35.Qxh7+!! Kxh7 36.Rh4# he
gets mated! That’s why Black resigned.
1–0
TEST №3
345
Tal, Mikhail
Benko, Pal
Position after: 22...Bxb2

White to move
Show/Hide Solution
23.Bf8!! Rxf8
After 23...Kxf8 24.Qh6+ Bg7 25.Qxh7 26.Qxg6 follows and now checkmate cannot be prevented.
24.Qh6 Rf7
Black has to give up the rook – there is no other defence.
25.exf7+ Kxf7 26.Qxh7+ Bg7 27.Rh6 Qg8 28.Qxg6+ Kf8 29.Ng5 Qxd5
346
Position after: 29...Qxd5
30.Rh8+!
With checkmate (Nh7) on the next move.
1–0
At this Candidates tournament, the opponents played one another four times. We have just seen the
brilliant finish of the Tal-Benko game from the second cycle.
In the first cycle Benko had also been the co-author with Mikhail Tal in creating a spectacular game
(Test №15).
TEST №4
Geller, Efim
Smyslov, Vassily
Moscow 1965
347
Position after: 31...c2
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
32.Bf8!
It looks like a previous test, doesn’t it?
32...Kxf8 33.Qh8+ Bg8 34.Nh7+
34.Rh7 Nd4 35.Rf7+ Qxf7 36.Nxf7 Ke7 37.Nd6 wins too.
34...Kf7 35.e6+! Qxe6 36.Ng5+ Ke7 37.Nxe6 Bxe6 38.Qg7+ Kd6
The game ends even faster in case of 38...Kd8 39.Rh7 Rc8 40.Qxg6 etc.
39.Rd3+ Nd4 40.Rc1 Bd5 41.Rxd4 cxd4 42.Rxc2 1–0
White has an overwhelming advantage.
TEST №5
348
Spassky, Boris
Geller, Efim
Riga 1965
Position after: 19...Bf8

White to move
Show/Hide Solution
20.Bxh7+!
In this case a typical combination is slightly complicated with an additional nuance.
20...Kxh7 21.g6+!
This is the nuance. White frees the g5-square with gain of tempo.
21...Kg8 22.Ng5 fxg6 23.Qf3 Qxg5
Black is forced to give up the queen. There is no other defence here.

The variation 23...Ra7 24.e6! (with the threat 25.Qf7+!) 24...Be7 25.Qf7+ Kh8 26.Qxg6 Bxg5 27.Bxg5
Qc8 28.Rad1 does not give Black any chance of escape.
24.Bxg5 dxe5 25.Rac1 Ra7 26.Qd3 Re6 27.f4
349
Two knight and two pawns cannot compensate for the queen – Black’s position is hopeless. 1–0
TEST №6

Bad Kissingen 1983
Position after: 52.Qg2

Black to move
Show/Hide Solution
With his last move, Portisch retreated his queen from f3 to g2. He could have captured the rook with
52.Qf3xa3, and the game would have ended in a draw by perpetual check.
But he tried to continue playing to win...
52...Rxh3+!
After 53.Qxh3 Qxf2+ 54.Kh1 Ra6 the mate cannot be prevented.
53.Kg1 Rh6 54.Kf1 Ra6 55.Re1 Ra2 56.Be4
350
Without waiting for 56...Rh1+! 57.Qxh1 Qxf2# Portisch resigned.
0–1
TEST №7

Kamsky, Gata (2732)
Kazan 2011
White to move
What would you prefer to play: 16.Nd2 straight away or first push back Black’s knight with 16.a3?
Show/Hide Solution
After 16.Nd2 the game could have continued with approximately equal positional play.
But Gelfand decided firstly to push back the knight, and that was a fatal mistake.
16.a3?? c4!! 17.Qxc4
After 17.dxc4 Nc5 the white queen has been trapped.
351
17...Bxf3 18.Bxf3 Rxc4 19.dxc4 Nc6
Black’s huge material advantage gives his opponent no chance of survival.
0–1
TEST №8

Spraggett, Kevin (2575)
Quebec 1989
Position after: 40...exf4

White to move
Show/Hide Solution
41.Rd5! fxe3+ 42.Kg3!
White has constructed a mating net from which there is no escape. Now 42...Be1+ 43.Kh3 changes
nothing, so Black resigned.
352
1–0
TEST №9
Uhlmann, Wolfgang
Larsen, Bent
Las Palmas 1971 (game 2)
Position after: 23...e5

White to move
Show/Hide Solution
24.Nxd6!
This is a small combination on the theme of “decoying”.

24.Rxb7? gives White only a small advantage: 24...Qxb7 25.Nxd6 Ra8!².
24.Nxd6! Qxd6 25.Qxc5 Qxc5 26.Ne6+ Kh6 27.Nxc5 Ba8 28.Ne4
White has a decisive advantage. 1–0
353
This was the second game of the match. Uhlmann equalized the score. However Larsen managed to win
the fourth game, and in the sixth he increased his lead by also playing a “small combination”.
TEST №10
Uhlmann, Wolfgang
Larsen, Bent
Las Palmas 1971 (game 6)
Position after: 35.Qc2

Black to move
Show/Hide Solution
35...Bc3
Now if 36.Qe2 Bxe1 37.Qxe1 Bxg2+! 38.Kf2 Qxa2+ Black wins three pawns.
36.Qb1 Ba6!
0–1
Actually, the ending after 36...Qxb1 37.Bxb1 Bxe1 38.Kxe1 Bxg2 was also won for Black. However, I
354
guess you will agree that Larsen’s move was somewhat more elegant!
TEST №11
Bronstein, David
Szabo, Laszlo
Zurich 1953
Position after: 43...Qg8

White to move
Show/Hide Solution
44.Bf7!
Not all that difficult but spectacular enough!
44...Qxf7 45.Qxb8+ Ne8 46.Qb7 Qh5 47.h3!
The immediate 47.Qxa7?? would be a blunder. After 47...Qd5+ 48.f3 Qa2+ 49.Kh3 Qe2 Black escapes.
47...Kh7 48.Qxa7 e5 49.Be3 e4 50.Qe7
355
1–0
TEST №12

Riga 1986
Position after: 19.Qc2

Black to move
Show/Hide Solution
19...Nxe5! 20.Nxe5 Qc3!!
This is a brilliant combination about exploiting the weakness of the first rank.
21.Qe2 Qxe5 22.Be3 Nf5
Black has an extra pawn. Andrei Sokolov managed to keep standing only until the 40th move.
0–1 (40)
356
After this game the score in the match became 0.5-2.5. However, the main dramatic events lay ahead.
Andrei Sokolov and Artur Jussupow, the final Candidates match, Riga 1986. The match has not started
yet, both are in a really good mood...
TEST №13
Petrosian, Tigran
Benko, Pal
357
Position after: 25...Rbf8
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
26.Bxc5! b6
We would agree that the variation 26...dxc5 27.d6+ Qxd6 28.Rxb7+ Kc6 29.Qb3+– is rather attractive.
27.Be3 Ng2 28.Bxb6+ axb6 29.Qg1
Two extra pawns provide an advantage for White, despite his bad bishop.
1–0 (41)
TEST №14

Nakamura, Hikaru (2790)
Moscow 2016
358
Black to move
In the game Nakamura played 29...Nxg3. Assess this knight sacrifice.
Show/Hide Solution
At the first sight Karjakin seems to blunder by allowing the combinational stroke 29...Nxg3. In fact, he
has calculated one-step further than his opponent.
29...Nxg3??
Enticing but bad!
30.fxg3 Nxd4 31.Bxd4 Bxd4 32.exd4 Qe3+ 33.Qf2
Nakamura had not noticed that this queen move not only blocks the check, it also attack the f7-pawn.
33...Qxd3 34.Rc7!
Double attack – Black loses the bishop.
34...f5 35.Rxb7 h6 36.Bxd5+ Kh7 37.Bg2 Re2 38.Bf1 1–0
359
TEST №15
Benko, Pal
Tal, Mikhail
Black to move
Show/Hide Solution
25...f4!
The decisive breakthrough.
26.Rb8
A) White cannot capture the interloper with his e-pawn: 26.exf4 e3 loses immediately.
B) Nor is the other capture possible: after 26.gxf4 Qh4 27.Qxd6 Bh3 it is obvious that the white king
cannot escape: 28.f5 Rxf5 29.Qe6+ Rf7 30.Rb8+ Bf8 winning.
26...Bh3
26...fxe3 27.Bxe3 Bh3 28.Rxf8+ Qxf8 also won – the total weakness of the light squares around his king
is fatal for White.
360
27.Rxf8+ Qxf8 28.exf4 Qb8! 29.Ne2 Qb1+ 0–1
We have already seen the sparkling finish to the first-cycle game between the same opponents in test
№3.
TEST №16
Kamsky, Gata (2695)

Sanghi Nagar 1994
Black to move
Show/Hide Solution
16...g5!
An unexpected resource!
A) After 16...Nxe4 17.Nxe4 Bxc4 Black has an advantage but White keeps material equality.
B) And the immediate 16...Bxc4?! leads to unclear play: 17.Bf3 Qe7 18.e4∞.
16...g5! 17.Qxg5
361
17.Qf5 Bc8 allowed Black to involve the bishop with tempo.
17...Rg8 18.Qh6 Rxg3! 19.hxg3 Nxe4
Black has a decisive advantage. But even a decisive advantage needs to be converted: later the game
ended in a draw. ½-½ (59)
TEST №17

Khanty-Mansiysk 2014
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
This is a very rare example of “catastrophe in the opening” for the Candidates tournaments of our time.
On the last move Mamedyarov played the knight from g6 to e7, cutting off the only retreat for his queen.
14.Nde4! dxe4 15.Nxe4 Qh4 16.g3 Qh3 17.Nf2 Qxf1+ 18.Kxf1 Nxf5 19.Qf3 Nd6 20.e4
362
Mamedyarov resisted desperately but could not save the game. 1–0 (44)
363
Show in Text Mode
TEST №18
Timman, Jan (2635)

Short, Nigel (2655)
El Escorial 1993
Black to move
Show/Hide Solution
26...Rxf3! 27.gxf3 Qg6+ 28.Bg2
The king retreat 28.Kh1 allows the knight check: 28...Ng3+ 29.fxg3 Qxc2 with a winning position.
28...Ng5
Double attack.
29.Rc1 Nxf3+ 30.Kf1 Nh2+ 31.Kg1 Nf3+ 32.Kf1 Nxd4 33.Qxd4 Qf5
364
Black won a pawn through a tactical operation. Realizing this advantage was not easy but Short
convincingly solved the problem. 0–1
TEST №19

Lutz, Christopher (2650)
Dortmund 2002
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
27.Nf6+! gxf6 28.Rd8+ Rxd8 29.Rxd8+ Kh7 30.Qf8
Black was also developing an attack but in the race Topalov was the first to create a mating threat.
30...Kg6 31.Qg8+ Kh5
365
32.Qg7!
The most precise. Now the threat is 33.g4+ forcing mate.
32...f5 33.Rd4 Bc8 34.g3
And now there is no more defence! 1–0
TEST №20
Keres, Paul
Petrosian, Tigran
366
Black to move
Find the best continuation, calculate variations and assess the resulting position.
Show/Hide Solution
This was a more difficult test. Precise calculation of variations was necessary for its complete solution.
47...Rg3!
All the retreats by the knight leave Black in obviously sad positions:
A) 47...Nb7?! 48.Nc2 Be6 49.Qd4±;
B) 47...Na4?! 48.Rb3 Qf6 49.Nc2 Qh6 50.Qd2±;
C) 47...Na6?! 48.Nc2±.
47...Rg3! 48.hxg3
If White retreat the queen, Black gets powerful resources for playing in the centre.
A) 48.Qc1 Nd3 (or 48...Qf6!? 49.bxc5 Qxd4 50.cxb6 Bc6 51.hxg3 hxg3 52.c5!∞) 49.Bxd3 Rxd3=.
B) 48.Qe1 Nd3= (or 48...Qf6 49.bxc5 Qxd4∞).
48...hxg3 49.Rfd2?
367
Petrosian’s rook sacrifice was obviously the best decision in the initial position but it was not a winner --
accepting it leads to roughly equal play.
That is proved by the variations 49.Rf3! exf3 50.gxf3= and 49...Qh4!? 50.Be2 exf3 51.Nxf3∞.
49...Qh4 50.Be2 Rh7 51.Kf1??
Blunder! Blind spot! White could have kept fighting with 51.Bh5 – the only move! However after
51...Rxh5 52.Kf1 Qh1+ 53.Qg1 Nd3 Black’s advantage is clear.
Position after: 51.Kf1??
51...Qxf4+! Curtain down! 0–1
TEST №21

Geneva 1977
368
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
27.Nxh5!
“It’s time!” Spassky decides, and he is right!

A) Preparing the sacrifice with 27.Qd1 would allow Black to prevent it by 27...Bh6. Certainly, after
28.Nf3 White would still keep the advantage but now there is no combinational decision.
B) The preliminary 27.Rh4?! with the idea of the same sacrifice is dubious: 27...Kg8 and White loses
most of his advantage.
27.Nxh5! gxh5 28.Qe2 Qh8
28...Kg8 29.Qxh5 Ncd7 30.Ng4 is hopeless – almost all the white pieces are attacking the black king.
29.Rh4 Kg6
369
The black king is out in front of its army – brave but unprotected!
30.Bd1!
The last reserve joins the attack on the kingside!
30...f5
Or 30...f6 31.Qf2 Bc8 32.Be3 and White wins.
31.Rxf5 Rf8 32.Qxh5+ Qxh5 33.Bxh5+ Kh7 34.Bf7+ Bh6 35.Rxh6+ Kg7 36.Bf6+! Kxf7 37.Bxe5+
Ke8 38.Rxf8+ Kxf8 39.Bxd6+ Kg7 40.Ng4
1–0
TEST №22
Keres, Paul
Kotov, Alexander
Budapest 1950
370
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
10.Nxe6! Qxe6 11.Nd5
One could say, “This is a typical combination in a profitable version,” and that would be right.
But the combinations with sacrifice on e6 in the Sicilian Defence became “typical” later. And partly
thanks to this famous game!
11...Kd8
Black’s position is hopeless after 11...Nxd5 12.exd5 Qf5 13.Qe1+! Ne5 14.f4
12.Bg4 Qe5
In case of 12...Qe8, 13.Qd2! is the most precise continuation of the attack.

The threatened queen check from a5 forces Black to weaken his pawn structure on the queenside.
(After the immediate 13.Bxd7?! Bxd7 14.Qd4 Kc8 15.Nb6+ Kb8 White has only a slight advantage.)
13...a5 Now 14.Bxd7 Bxd7 15.Qd4 Kc8 16.Nb6+ Kb8 17.Nxa8 Kxa8 18.Be3 leads to the win:
18...Kb8 19.Qa7+ Kc8 20.Qa8+ Kc7 21.Qxa5+ etc. That was why White needed to force the move
...a6-a5.
371
13.f4 Qxe4
The black queen is like a caged tiger now.

13...Qxb2 loses after 14.Bxd7 Bxd7 15.Rb1 Qa3 16.Nxf6+–.
14.Bxd7 Bxd7 15.Nxf6 gxf6 16.Bxf6+ Kc7 17.Bxh8
Position after: 17.Bxh8+–
Keres’s fine combination has won him the exchange and a pawn. The issue of this game is clear.
17...Bc6 18.Qd2 Bh6 19.Rae1 Qg6 20.Re7+ Kd8 21.Rfe1 a5 22.Bd4 Ra6 23.Qf2 Bf8 24.Bb6+ Kc8
25.Re8+ Bxe8 26.Rxe8+ Kd7 27.Rxf8
1–0
The participants to the Candidates tournament in Budapest played two games against one another.
In the second cycle Alexander Kotov hit back in equally spectacular fashion !
TEST №23
Kotov, Alexander
Keres, Paul
Budapest 1950
372
Position after: 15...Ng6
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
16.Nf4!
A brilliant tactical stroke! Perhaps this is the best combination of the first Candidates tournament. Why
haven’t I put this game in chapter one as a presentation for Budapest-1950?
The answer is simple: first, I wanted to give a test from the winner’s game, and second, I did not want at
all to open the Candidates tournaments presentation with a lost game by Paul Keres.
The legendary Estonian grandmaster took (or shared) second place four (!) times in Candidates
tournaments – a record! But he never played a world championship match, the match of his dreams.
16...gxh4
The lesser evil was 16...Qd7. However, after 17.Nxg6 fxg6 18.Qxg6+ Qg7 19.Qxe6+ Qf7 20.Qxf7+
Rxf7 21.Bg3 Nxc4 22.h4 White should convert his extra pawn.
17.Nxg6 Re8 18.Nh8!
Elegant! The knight moves to the corner of the board and creates irresistible threats.
373
18...Re7 19.Qh7+ Kf8 20.f4!
The f-pawn’s march is the shortest path to victory. Black is unprotected.
20...Nxc4 21.f5
Position after: 21.f5+–
21...exf5 22.0-0 Bc8 23.Bxf5 Bxf5 24.Rxf5 Ke8 25.Rxf7 Kd7 26.Qf5+ Kc6 27.Qf6+ Kd7 28.e6+ Kc6
29.Rxe7 Qxh8 30.Rxc7+ Kb5 31.Qe7 a5 32.Qd7+ Ka6 33.Rb1 1–0
TEST №24
Averbakh, Yuri
Taimanov, Mark
Zurich 1953
374
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
16.Bxe6!
This test demanded precise calculation too. When choosing from typical – “typical” for our days –
combinational stro-kes in this position one could be easily confused.
The rook sacrifice 16.Rxf7 leads to positions with sufficient compensation for White but nothing more.
In this event, Black even had a choice:
A) 16...Kxf7 17.Bxe6+ Ke8 18.Bd7+ Kf8 19.Rf1+ Nf6 20.Bf5!©.
B) Or 16...Nxb3 17.Rxe7+ Kxe7 18.Nxb3 Rac8 19.Re1 Nf4∞. In both cases play becomes very
complicated.
16.Bxe6! fxe6
A) 16...0-0 17.Rf5 loses.

B) 16...Nf6!? is more solid.
B1) In this case 17.Rae1 0-0 18.Nf5 Bd6 19.Nxd6 Qxd6 20.Rxf6 fxe6 21.Rxe6 Qd7 gives White a
clear advantage but not enough to win the game outright.
B2) The combinational way 17.Nf5! is stronger but to find it and assess it correctly is not easy! The
375
following long line should be calculated: 17...fxe6 18.Nxg7+ Kf7 19.Bh6 Bd6 20.Rae1 Qxh2+
21.Qxh2 Bxh2+ 22.Kxh2 Kg6 23.Nxe6 and although Black has managed to exchange queens White’s
attack must bring him victory.
17.Nxe6 Bc8
18.Qxh5+!
This stroke needed to be prepared in advance!
18...Qxh5 19.Nxg7+ Kd7 20.Nxh5
Two extra pawns guarantee a win for White.
1–0 (36)
376
Taimanov, Averbakh, Spassky
At the 1956 USSR championship the triumvirate Mark Taimanov, Yuri Averbakh and Boris Spassky, who
celebrated his 19th birthday during this tournament, shared first place.
The tournament took place in Leningrad. The fans were really happy: two of the three winners – Taim-
anov and Spassky – came from that city! In the play-off Taimanov defeated Spassky twice and made two
draws with Averbakh to become the USSR Champion of 1956.
TEST №25
Fischer, Robert
Benko, Pal
377
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
This is the final part of a famous Fischer attack.

By the end of the 50s Pal Benko, who was Hungarian but had moved to the United States in 1957, was
one of the strongest “western” chess players. He qualified twice for the Candidates tournaments.
However, it happened that in this competition he unwittingly became the co-author of a range of famous
games.
17.Qh5!
White clearly needs to avoid the exchange of queens. But choosing the right continuation is not so easy.
The consequences of 17.Qg4+ Kh8 18.Qh4 exf4 19.c3 bxc3 20.Rad1 Qe5 21.Bc2 f5 are much less clear.
17.Qh5! Nxb3
A) Moves of the king lose: 17...Kg7?! (or 17...Kh8?! 18.Qh6+–) 17...Kg7?! 18.Rad1 Qxb2 19.Qh4 Bb7
20.Nxf6+–.
B) And after 17...exf4 18.Nf5! exf5 an interesting position arises.
378
Position after: 18...exf5
The formation of the black pawns is striking but does not help to save the game: 19.Rxf4 Qxe4 20.Rxe4
fxe4 21.Qxa5 winning.
18.Qh6! exf4
On 18...f5 Fischer had prepared 19.c3! bxc3 20.bxc3 Qb6 21.Nh5 with mate.
19.Nh5!
379
Position after: 19.Nh5!
The mating construction “queen plus two knights” is on the board!

This is what Fischer aspired to when he began his combinational attack.
The rest requires no comments.
19...f5 20.Rad1 Qe5 21.Nef6+ Bxf6 22.Nxf6+ Qxf6 23.Qxf6 Nc5 24.Qg5+ Kh8 25.Qe7 Ba6 26.Qxc5
Bxf1 27.Rxf1
1–0
TEST №26

Buenos Aires 1980
White to move
Show/Hide Solution
380
Some prehistory should be given here.
Position after: 11...Ne7
As he had in the previous cycle, Polugaevsky again faced Kortschnoj in the semifinal match of the cycle
1979-81.
This test is taken from the 12th and final game of the match. By winning it, Polugaevsky equalized the
score. Two additional games were needed and there Kortschnoj was stronger. The dramatic events of this
game started from an unexpected stroke as early as the 12th move!
12.Nxg7!
This is not a winning combination – this is a profitable exchange!
12...Kxg7 13.b4 Bxb4 14.Qd4+ f6 15.Qxb4
White’s combination has destroyed the pawn cover of his opponent’s king.
15...c5 16.Qd2 Nbc6 17.Bb2 Ba6 18.Rd1 Ne5 19.Na3 N7c6 20.Qe3 Qe7 21.f4 Nc4 22.Nxc4 Bxc4
23.e5 fxe5
Now the position from the test №26 arises.
381
Position after: 23...fxe5
Lev Polugaevsky
24.Bxc6!
A) 24.Rac1 Bxa2 25.Qe2 or 24...b5 25.Bxe5 kept a big

advantage for White but Polugaevsky’s combinational
decision is clearly stronger.
B) The capture 24.Bxe5+? would be an error. After 24...Kg8
25.Rac1 Bf7 Black has good chances to save the game.
24...dxc6 25.Rd7!!
The rook sacrifice allows White to begin his dark-square

attack.
25...Qxd7 26.Qxe5+ Kf7 27.Qf6+ Kg8 28.Qg5+ Kf7 29.Re1 Qe6 30.Qg7+ Ke8 31.Rxe6+ Bxe6
382
Position after: 31...Bxe6
So far Black has kept his material advantage, but this is only a temporary situation. His position is lost.
32.Bf6 Bf7 33.Bg5
33.Qxh7 Kd7 34.g4 is another winning path.
33...Kd7 34.Bh6 c4 35.Qxh7 c5 36.Bxf8 Rxf8 37.Qg7 Ke7
383
Now 38.g4! Rg8 39.Qe5+ was the most precise: 39...Kd7 40.g5 Re8 41.Qf5+ Be6 42.Qe4 with an easy
win.
But Polugaevsky has changed the order of moves...
38.Qe5+ Kd7 39.g4
...and made his path to victory more difficult.
39...Re8! 40.Qf6 Bd5 41.g5 Re2
Finally White won on the 73rd move.
1–0
384

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1 - Through the Pages of History (Part 1)

Chapter 2 - Tests for Grandmasters (Part 1)

Chapter 3 - When the Opponent Attacks (Part 1)

Chapter 4 - Strategy in Action (Part 1)

Chapter 5 - Kaleidoscope of Tasks (Part 1)

Chapter 6 - The Primary School(Part 1)

Budapest 1950 to Berlin 2018

Thinkers Publishing 2018

First edition 2018 by Thinkers Publishing

Managing Editor: Romain Edouard

Alexey Kuzmin, Moscow, June 2018

This first chapter is the chapter of presentation.

The main intrigue developed during the last three rounds.

Caruana, Fabiano (2784)

The solution to test №1

Only this manoeuvre allows White to seize the initiative.

19.Ng5! g6 20.Bf4 Qb6!

21.e4! b3 22.axb3 axb3 23.Qe2

Position after: 23.Qe2

Position after: 27.Be3!

Position after: 25...Rxa8

The decisive breakthrough. However 26.Bh3!? could also be possible.

After 26...fxe6? 27.Bc7! decides.

27.exf7+ Bxf7 28.Nxe4 Bd4?!

28...Re8 29.Rd1± was steadier.

Accelerates the end.

30.Qe2 Nf8 31.Bxd5+ cxd5 32.Qf3 Qa5 33.Re7

Aronian, Levon (2794)

The solution to test №2

8.Kh1 Nh5 9.c3 g5! 10.Nxe5

10...g4! 11.d4 Bd6 12.g3

An attempt of building at least some barrier on the road of increasing threats.

12...Bxe5 13.dxe5 Qxe5 14.Qd4

Position after: 14.Qd4

Blocking the kingside is impossible anyway, so 15.Be3 was comparatively best.

15...c5! 16.Qc4 Be6 17.Qb5+ c6 18.Qa4?

We reach the position of our test.

Position after: 18.Qa4??

Position after: 19.Bg5

19...Rxg5! 20.hxg5 f4!

21.Qd1 Rd8 22.Qc1 fxg3 23.Na3 Rd3 24.Rd1

Position after: 24.Rd1

25...gxf3! 26.exd5 Qe2 27.Re1

Position after: 27.Re1

Black gives checkmate in five moves!

Karjakin, Sergey (2763)

The solution to test №3

The only move saving White from big troubles.

29...Kg7 30.Rxf3 Qxf3 31.Qxf3 Rxf3 32.Rf1 Rxf1+ 33.Kxf1 Bxa5

In spite of Black’s two extra pawns, the position is a draw.

The solution to test №4

Position after: 21...Qb7

This simplifies White’s realization of his advantage.

Candidates Tournament - Zurich 1953

The solution to test №5

31.Kxh3 Rh6+ 32.Kg4 Nf6+ 33.Kf5 Nd7 34.Rg5

Multiple repetitions were aimed to pass the time control.

The decisive introduction of the rook. A quick mate is unavoidable.

Candidates Tournament - Amsterdam 1956

The solution to test №6

An elegant and unexpected manoeuvre!

35...Bf7? loses at once: 36.hxg5 Rxd5 37.Rxa7+–.