Essential Tactics

WGM Sopiko
Guramishvili
Question 1.
Black to play.
What is Blacks best move?

Question 2.
White to play.
How can White win material?

Question 3.
White to play.
How can White take advantage
of the position of Blacks
pieces?

Question 4.
White to play.
The c4 Knight is hanging but so
is Whites on e1.
How can White win?

Question 5.
Black to play.
How can Black save the game?

Question 6.
White to play.
Should White capture on c5 or
does he have better?

Question 7.
Black to play.
White's Queen needs
distracting - but from where
and how?

Question 8.
White to move.
It may not look like it, but
Black's queen is overloaded.
How does White take
advantage?

Question 9.
White to play.
GM Peter Leko missed this
tactic, but perhaps you can do
better.

Question 10.
Black to play.
Black is down on material but
can capture either Bishop.
What is Blacks best move?

Essential
Tactics
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

The Solutions.
1...Qb6+ forking King and Rook.
1.g4 wins a pawn as ...hxg4? 2.Rh8+ skewers the King and Rook on a8.
1.Nd6+ Ke7 (...Bxd6? 2.Rxc8+ and the Queen cannot recapture) 2.Nxc8+ wins
material.
1.b4! Bxb4 2.Nc2 and White wins a piece.
1... Rb1+ 2.Kh2 Rh1+! 3.Kxh1 Ng3+! 4.fxg3 Qxg2+! 5.Kxg2 and draw by
stalemate.
1.Rd8+! wins as Rxd8 2.Bxc5 and 1...Kxd8 2.Nb7+ forks King and Queen.
1...Re8! and the Queen cannot take as 2.Qxe8 Qh3+ mates, for example 3.Kd2
Qe3#
1.Nc5!! dxc5 2.Qxf5! Qa4 (the Queen must keep protecting the e8 Rook) 3.b3
Rxe2 4.bxa4
1.Rg6+! hxg6 2.Qxf7+ Kh8 3.Qh7#
1...f3+! 2.Kxf3 Rxb3+ 3.Kg2 exd6 and Black emerges a piece up.