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Test Evaluate and Improve Your Chess PDF
Test Evaluate and Improve Your Chess PDF
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ChessPrints Test, Evaluate and Improve Your Chess:
A Knowledge-Based Approach search tips
In 1997, the first six tests and some research results were collected into a book, Test, Evaluate and Improve Your Chess, a
Knowledge-Based Approach. In 2003, the USCF published a new edition, containing revised and improved test solutions, a Paid
new seventh test and updated research from the years 1997-2002. Here now are some samples from these tests. In this Advertisement
Chess
article, we will show you some positions from the earliest tests and from the two designed specifically for novice and
Supplies intermediate players. In a subsequent article, we may look at the other tests, two of which focus on endgame concepts. OUTRAGEOUS
at the MISUSE OF
Chessville CHESS LIFE!
The BK and New Positions tests feature tactical ideas of varying difficulty. The student get two minutes to look at each
Booz-Dubeck
General position and list up to four moves in descending order of preference. Here are some samples: "financial
Store! report" in May
issue is political
Sets, Boards,
BK #15: Fischer - Mecking propaganda!
Clocks, Bags, Palma de Mallorca Interzonal, 1970
Books, For details and
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and Much
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Much More!
Bill Goichberg
for USCF
Executive
Board -
ballots in June
Chess Life
White to move
[CV: After reviewing the position, scroll down for the commentary.] Pablo's
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Reference 1.Qxg7+ Qxg7 2.Rxf6 After the further: 2...Qxg3 3.hxg3 later followed by g4-
Center g5-g6, Fischer managed to trade off his extra, doubled g-pawn to remain a pawn
ahead. A relatively simple tactical pattern.
Chess Wisdom
Book
Reviews
BK #19: Euwe - Keres
World Ch. Tnmt., The Hague, 1948
Annotated
Games
Black to move
[CV: After reviewing the position, scroll down for the commentary.]
This one is more difficult. 1...Rxe4! The fork trick in action. After: 2.Rxe4 d5
3.Qxa6 dxe4 4.Be3 Qg4! Keres quickly translates his central advantage into a
winning kingside attack. 5.Qc4 Rd3! 6.Bc1 6.Qxe4?? Qe2–+ 6...Nh4! 7.Qxe4+ 7.
g3 Rxg3+–+; 7.Rf2 Rd1+–+; 7.Qc2 f5! With the deadly threat of ...e3 (Kmoch).
7...f5 8.Qb7 c6 9.Qxc6 Rc3 10.Qd5 Rc5! To deflect the queen. The immediate
10...Rc2 would be met by 11.Bd2. 11.Qd2 To prevent ...Rc2 but now: Rxc1! The
point being 12.Rxc1 Nf3+. Black won. (Source: Pawn Power in Chess, Diagram
#154)
White to move
[CV: After reviewing the position, scroll down for the commentary.]
1.d5! cxd5 2.e5 R6d7 2...d4? 3.exd6 dxc3 4.dxe7+ wins a piece. 3.Nd4 This is
an example of a very characteristic lever, the "sweeper sealer twist" (Kmoch,
1959). It involves a long term pawn sacrifice where, at the end of the principal
variation (above):
White has: (1) gained full control of the open c-file, (2) sealed off Black's half
open d-file, (3) gained a tremendous central post for his N, (4) weakened Black's
pawns into three groups (three islands) and (5) gained a K-side majority of
pawns. (Source: Pawn Power in Chess, Diagram 144)
Positions like these first three were much too difficult for novice players, so the Novice test looks for knowledge of a
variety of simpler concepts. The test has eight positions each in the opening, middlegame and ending, at a variety of
difficultly levels appropriate for less experienced players. Once again, the student gets two minutes to look at each position
but this time writes down only one move choice.
White to move
[CV: After reviewing the position, scroll down for the commentary.]
1.Bxd6 When ahead material in the endgame, always head for the simplest
available position by exchanging the defending pieces. (Source: Hal Terrie
composition, 1995) If White tries 1.Kd4 instead, then 1...Nc4 gives him real
trouble.
White to move
[CV: After reviewing the position, scroll down for the commentary.]
This position tests for simple tactical alertness. After 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4
4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6. Bc4 Qb6 7.Nxc6 Black should play 7...bxc6 but not
7...Qxc6?? 8.Bb5, losing the queen to a pin.
White to move
[CV: After reviewing the position, scroll down for the commentary.]
1.Rd1 1.Re1? allows Black to prevent White's rook from reaching the seventh
rank by 1...Kf8
Black to move
[CV: After reviewing the position, scroll down for the commentary.]
1...Rb2 = Rooks belong behind passed pawns! (Source: Hal Terrie composition,
1995) If 1...Rb8? 2.Rb1 and White gets to keep his pawn.
The most recent test is the Intermediate test, designed for those with playing strength between 1500 and about 1900. It
looks for knowledge of more advanced concepts than those in the Novice test. Some samples:
Black to move
[CV: After reviewing the position, scroll down for the commentary.]
Black must sacrifice a pawn to activate his rook: 1...Rb8 (or ... Rd8) Not 1...
Re8? 2.Kf1. 2.Rxa5 Rb1+ 3.Kg2 Ra1.
With the rook behind the passed pawn, Black can draw. This is an example of
the kind of specific endgame knowledge (R+3+a-pawn vs. R+3, rook behind a-
pawn, (with ...h5) draws) which strong players must have.
White to move
[CV: After reviewing the position, scroll down for the commentary.]
This arises after the opening moves 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 d6 5 d4
b5 6 Bb3 exd4. Now 7.Bd5 is the right move. White cannot play 7.Nxd4? Nxd4
8.Qxd4 c5 9.Qd5 Be6 10.Qc6+ Bd7 11.Qd5 c4 is the Noah's Ark trap. White
could also play in gambit style, with 7.c3 dxc3 8.Nxc3 ( 8.Qd5 Qd7 is not
convincing.) This is an example of a position which can be solved either by
calculation or by simple knowledge – having seen it in a book. Either way is
equally valid for the purposes of the test.
White to win
[CV: After reviewing the position, scroll down for the commentary.]
This is a technique position, where the best way to avoid counterplay is not the
most obvious. 1.Rxc6 is the most precise, simplifying to an immediate win: 1...
bxc6 2.Rb8+ Kd7 3.Rb7+ Ke8 4.Rxf7 Kxf7 5.Bxc5
with the devastating threat of d7. This was the conclusion of Kopec - Bellin, 2nd
Edinburgh Congress, 1981. Instead, after 1.Rxb7 Rxb7 ( 1...Bxd6? 2.Rxf7 Kxf7
3.Kd5; 1...Rxd6 also holds on.) 2.Rxb7 Bxd6 3.Kd5 Rc7 4.Rb6 Be7 White is
winning but Black can still make some moves. In other words, White should
win, but he may have to play for a number of more moves and hours. Hence,
when a simplifying combination is available whereby you can convert to an
"easier" endgame, it is important to find it.
In any book like this one, there are always improvements discovered too late for the press deadline. One such example is
this one:
White to move
Black suffers from a classic weakness of the dark squares, hence: 1.f5 eventually forces access to the f4 square for White's
knight. The game now continued with 1...g5 2.h4 f6 3.hxg5 fxg5 4.Ng1 Bd7 4...h4 5.g4! Ba4 6.Ke2! c3 7.Nh3 c2 8.Kd2
Notice that Black's passed c-pawn is ineffective because of his inability to control the dark squares. 8...Bb5 9.Nxg5 Be2 10.
f6+ Ke8 11.e6 Bxg4 12.f7+ Ke7 13.Nh7 and wins. 5.f6+ Ke8 6.Nf3 g4 7.Nh4 Be6 8.Ng6 Bf7 9.Nf4
9...Kd7 10.Ke2 a5 11.Ke3 Black has no useful moves and will soon have to
move king or bishop.
Reuben Fine spent a whole page in Basic Chess Endings (#256, page 247)
discussing that after 1...gxf5 2.Nf4 Bc6 3.Nxh5 Kf8:
...he couldn't find a win for White. Shortly before the book went to press, Danny
Kopec thought he had found the win and so we published this: I (DK) believe
that we have found a straightforward winning plan for White as follows: 1) Play
Nf4 and then e6 combined with h4. 2) Get the N to c3 via f4, e2. 3) Get the
White king to f4. 4) After advancing the a-pawn as far as possible, use the h-
pawn as a decoy. 5) Win the a-pawn. White's a-pawn wins the game.
Alas, too late we discovered that there is a defense to this plan. We remain convinced that there is a win and invite readers
to join the search. E-mail your ideas to us and we will summarize the continuing discussion on our web site at www.
kopecchess.com. (Source: Pawn Power in Chess, Diagram 65).
NOW AVAILABLE!
The second edition of this invaluable book by IM Danny Kopec and Hal Terrie
(USCF Press) AVAILABLE NOW! Order your autographed copy today!
World Chess Title Contenders and their Styles has been released by
Dover Publications. Written with Scottish IM Craig Pritchett, this book was
originally published in 1980 as Best Games of the Young Grandmasters.