The Bain Rating Tactics Quiz Purchases from our

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Quote of the Month: You don't want to be able to solve easy tactical
accessible:
patterns; you want to be able to recognize them!

One of the first tasks of an improving player is repetitive study of easy tactics
problems. The goal is to recognize both the pattern and solution in a fairly
short time. The ability to solve any easy tactic quickly is helpful, but
recognition is much better. Consider the following analogy. It is nice to have
the ability to add up six sevens quickly, but knowing that six times seven is
forty-two is not only faster but subject to less error.
Novice Nook
One of the best books for repetitive basic tactical study is John Bain's Chess
Tactics for Students (see Tactical Sets and Goals). In Bain's book almost all
Dan Heisman the problems are practical, without such fluff as too many rarely encountered
queen sacrifices. The level of the material is also fairly balanced. The Ruy Lopez: Move by Move
by Neil McDonald
I suggest doing these easy problems repetitively, as you would the
multiplication tables, à la Michael de la Maza's "The Seven Circles" (from his
Translate this page book Rapid Chess Improvement). However, setting the number of repetitions
to exactly seven as he recommends is not necessary. Instead, I recommend
doing the problems until you can achieve approximately a score of eighty-five
percent within fifteen seconds.

Many players who believe they are too good for these easy problems and
would not benefit from them are misleading themselves. See the key Novice
Nooks A Different Approach to Studying Tactics and The Most Common and
Important Use of Tactics.

In A Tactics Quiz, I presented twelve problems, along with a formula for Houdini 2 Standard
estimating your basic tactical "recognition" rating. This time I am also by Robert Houdart
presenting twelve problems, but all are from Chess Tactics for Students.

Use the same directions as in the earlier Novice Nook quiz:

1. This is a timed test – the faster you do the set, the higher your score. You
need to time the test and record the total time taken for all twelve problems.
For this reason don't record your answers during the test. That will add
time and greatly distort your result. Instead, do all twelve problems
consecutively. As soon as you are fairly sure you have the right answer,
proceed to the next problem. After the final problem return to each one and
recognize/remember the answer before checking to see if it is correct. Of
course, don't change your answer when you return to the problem even if you
spot an error. Stick with the solution you found when you initially finished the Play the Benko Gambit
problem. by Nicolai Pedersen

2. Don't take more than sixty seconds on any problem – that's the limit!
This was the most commonly misunderstood (or missed) direction in the
previous quiz. Many test takers tried to average less than sixty seconds, or had
other misconceptions. Have someone time you or use a one-minute timer.
However, if sixty seconds expire before you have an answer, count that
problem as wrong, and proceed to the next problem. If you follow this
direction, your total time taken for the entire test will be less than twelve
minutes – or exactly twelve if you time out on every problem.

3. You must get the full answer for the right reason(s) to count the problem as
correct. No sense counting an answer where you happen to guess the right
move, or miss a key line that is necessary to show that your answer is correct
in all variations. If the answer requires seeing five ply deep, you can't just
have the first move correct. If you grant a higher score than you deserve, you
are only hurting yourself. You may end up bypassing important basic tactical
study that will serve you well when you play actual games!

4. "X to play and win" may only require winning a pawn with a good position,
or it might be a mate. If you need more information to understand the above,
please read Understanding Chess Puzzles before you take this quiz. The point
of "Play and win" is to find a move sequence that will force a position where,
if a high rated computer were playing itself, it would essentially win every
game. Three of the problems are not play and win. These three are clearly
marked; two are "Play and draw" and one is to find the simplest win.

Once you are finished, with the amount of time taken for all twelve problems
and the number of correct answers, use the following formula as a rough
guide:

Bain Tactical Rating ≈ 600 + (150 * Number of Problems Correct) – 2 *

(Total Time – 90 seconds)

For example, if you get eight correct in 305 seconds:

Approximate Bain Tactical Rating ≈ 600 + (150*8) – 2*(305-90) = 600 +

1200 – 430 = 1370

If you have to "solve" most of the problems by calculation instead of using

recognition, then that will take time and your score will be rather low.
However, I suspect that good players will recognize the solutions to most
problems almost instantly (perhaps slightly less so this time than in the first
quiz, which was more generic). In the first quiz, I estimated that any player
rated over 2400 would be able to complete the entire quiz perfectly in ninety
seconds or less. This elicited the following humorous email from a highly
rated reader:

"I tried; ninety-three seconds for all twelve correct results, that means
2394; actually I'm 2389."

The answers are provided after the twelve problems. Get your timer ready and
good luck!

1. Black to play and win

[FEN "r1br2k1/ppb1qppp/1np2n2/8/P2NP3/
2N4P/1PQ2PP1/R1BR1BK1 b - - 0 1"]

2. White to play and win

 [FEN "r5k1/5ppp/5n2/6r1/p5q1/8/
P3RP2/1B2RK1Q w - - 0 1"]

3. White to play and draw

[FEN "1k1r4/pp3QRR/8/2n5/8/8/
PP1q1r1p/1K6 w - - 0 1"]

4. White to play and win

[FEN "3r3Q/pb1qkpp1/1p2pb1p/8/3N4/
P3B3/1P3PPP/1Br1R1K1 w - - 0 1]

5. White to play; find the easiest win

[FEN "5k2/6b1/2p4p/P1pr4/2Q5/
1P4P1/2P4P/7K w - - 0 1"]

6. White to play and win

 [FEN "r4bkr/pppq2pp/2n5/1B1pp3/8/
2NP4/PPP2PPP/R2Q1RK1 w - - 0 1"]

7. White to play and win

[FEN "1k3r2/1pp5/pb2Q2P/4R3/
1P6/P5BP/5P1K/5q2 w - - 0 1"]

8. Black to play and draw

[FEN "8/8/3p1K2/3P3k/5P2/
2P5/3Q4/5q2 b - - 0 1"]

9. Black to play and win

[FEN "r1b1k2r/ppp1bppp/2nq4/8/2B3n1/
2p2N1P/PP2QPP1/RNB2RK1 b kq - 0 1"]

10. White to play and win

 [FEN "r4n1r/pn4kp/4p1p1/3p4/3P4/
1N4P1/P3RPBP/R5K1 w - - 0 1"]

11. White to play and win

[FEN "3Q4/5knp/1nN3p1/2p5/5P2/
1q6/1P4PP/6K1 w - - 0 1"]

12. Black to play and win

[FEN "2r3k1/pp2ppbp/3pbnp1/q7/2rBPP2/
2N2B1P/PPP3PK/R2QR3 b - - 0 1"]

Answers to Problems (tactical motif in parentheses)

1. (Double threat) 1…Rxd4 2.Rxd4 Qe5 threatens 3…Qxd4 and 3…Qh2#, so

Black wins material. For example, 3.Bf4! Qxf4 (much better than 3…Qxd4 4.
Bxc7) wins two pieces for a rook. You don't need to foresee 3.Bf4 – a good
defensive move – for full credit. Not immediately 1…Qe5?, when White
defends with 2.Nf3 or 2.f4.

2. (Back-rank mate) 1.Qxa8+ This "simple" problem tests diagonal board

vision. For more on the three types of chess "vision," read the article on that
topic in my book A Guide to Chess Improvement.

3. (Draw by perpetual check) 1.Qxb7+ Nxb7 2.Rxb7+ Ka8 (2…Kc8?? 3.

Rhc7#) 3.Rxa7+ will draw by threefold repetition of position.

4. (Double check) 1.Nf5+ exf5 2.Bc5#.

5. (Pawn promotion) White is winning on any reasonable move, such as 1.a6.

Thus, this does not qualify as just a "Play and Win" problem. Clearly easiest
is Bain's answer 1.Qxd5 cxd5 2.a6 and the pawn cannot be stopped.
6. (Pin) White picks off a clean pawn and ruins Black's center with 1.Nxd5
since 1…Qxd5?? allows 2.Bc4.

7. (Discovered check) Bain's intended (and easiest) solution is 1.Qxb6 and if

1…cxb6 2.Re1+ king-any 3.Rxf1 winning a piece. A student found, verified
by the computer, another winning but more complex line: 1.Qxb6 cxb6 2.Re8
+ (similar is 2.Rf5+) 2…Ka7 3.Rxf8 (or 3.Bb8+ first) when White's dual
threats of Bb8+ (with possible mating threats on the dark squares) and
pushing the h-pawn give him a winning position. Give yourself full credit for
the more difficult solution. 1.Rf5 also wins, but is a longer, convoluted
forcing line, and not an "easy tactic."

8. (Stalemate) Down two pawns, Black is happy to force a draw with 1…Qxf4
+ when the double attack (check and queen) forces 2.Qxf4 with stalemate.

9. (Removal of the guard) 1…Nd4 is a combination double attack and

removal of the guard on h2. If White moves his queen anywhere aside from
the hopeless 2.Qxe7+, then 2…Nxf3+ and 3…Qh2#. Instead, 2.Nxd4 allows
the immediate 2…Qh2#. Finally, 2.hxg4 stops mate, but allows 2…Nxe2+, so
the White queen is lost. This well known pattern also appears in a trap in the
Morra Gambit and was featured as a basic pattern in my book Back to Basics:
Tactics.

10. (Double attack) 1.Bxd5 and White has Black in trouble, as 1…exd5 2.Re7
+ king-any 3.Rxb7 wins a pawn and invades with the rook. If Black does not
take, the e-pawn is hanging, as White has a double attack on b7 and e6; 1…
Nd8?? allows 2.Bxa8. White has a good game after 1.Rc1, but that's not the
tactic.

11. (Skewer) 1.Ne5+ Ke6 2.Qg8+ skewers the king and queen, allowing 3.
Qxb3. This is perhaps the least "obvious" pattern among the twelve, so it may
take a few extra seconds to find the forcing line that works.

12. (Discovered attack) 1…Rxd4 snares the bishop, since if 2.Qxd4 Ng4+
wins the queen.

If you scored yourself strictly and

● achieved a Bain rating over 2000, your recognition score is very good,
especially if your FIDE/USCF rating is distinctly below that.
● achieved a Bain rating well above your normal slow rating (USCF or
FIDE equivalent), that's a sign that your tactical study is paying benefit.
● scored much lower than your rating, then additional basic tactics study
is likely to yield good results.
● got more than ten of the twelve in fifteen seconds or less, you don't
need to study more Bain. Instead, continue with basic problems in
books, such as my Back to Basics: Tactics or others mentioned in
Tactical Sets and Goals. Once you have mastered them as well
(repetitious study not always required), promote to intermediate texts
like Jeff Coakley's terrific Winning Chess Exercises for Kids.

Online, a popular tactical server seems to be chesstempo.com. For similarly

easy problems at that site set the problem rating level to 950 (min) to 1250
(max).

Once you master easy tactics, you should notice a distinct improvement in
your play, especially if you consistently use this skill to determine whether
your own candidate moves are safe!

© 2011 ChessCafe.com. All Rights Reserved.

A PDF file of this month's column, along with all previous columns, is
available in the ChessCafe.com Archives.

Dan welcomes readers' questions; he is a full-time instructor on the ICC as

Phillytutor.

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