Chess Tactics - Vol 2: Daily Chess Training, #2

By Carsten Hansen

The follow-up to the internationally bestselling volume 1.
Are you ready to seriously improve your game?
It has been said that chess is 99% tactics but whether that is an accurate reflection is hard to tell. Nevertheless, it is important. 
But if you are like most players, you only discover the tactics after you come home and run through your game with a chess engine. So what to do? In the present book, you will be challenged 404 times but unlike most tactics puzzle books you don't know what your objective is: do I need to find a mate, find an opportunity skewer or pin a piece, use a tactical turn to gain a positional advantage and how far do I need to calculate?
These questions are you are faced with when you play your own games and therefore this book tries to replicate this position. Your one advantage over the players in the respective positions is that you know that there is supposed to be something in there for you to find.

The puzzles vary a lot in difficulty, some are relatively easy, some are incredibly difficult, but most are somewhere in between. However, most of the puzzles are layered so that even when you think the answer is obvious, it is worth looking further because your idea may be the decoy left there for you to get distracted from the actual solution.
Working through the puzzles and then carefully play through the thoroughly annotated solutions will help you to up your tactical radar as well as your calculation skills. 
So if you are up for the challenge, here is the opportunity to take the leap forward. Good luck!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Carsten Hansen
• Release date: Jan 16, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393419938

Carsten Hansen

Carsten Hansen is an experienced coach as well as both a FIDE Master and a certified FIDE Trainer. He has authored 15 books all phases of the game but is recognized as an expert on the opening phase of the game.

Book preview

Contents

Foreword.......................................................................................13

How to work with this book........................................................17

Chapter 1.......................................................................................20

Set 1............................................................................................21

Exercises to Set 1..................................................................21

Solutions to Set 1..................................................................25

Set 2............................................................................................30

Exercises to Set 2..................................................................30

Solutions to Set 2..................................................................34

Set 3............................................................................................39

Exercises to Set 3..................................................................39

Solutions to Set 3..................................................................43

Set 4............................................................................................50

Exercises to Set 4..................................................................50

Solutions to Set 4..................................................................54

Set 5............................................................................................58

Exercises to Set 5..................................................................58

Solutions to Set 5..................................................................62

Set 6............................................................................................67

Exercises to Set 6..................................................................67

Solutions to Set 6..................................................................71

Set 7............................................................................................76

Exercises to Set 7..................................................................76

Solutions to Set 7..................................................................80

Set 8............................................................................................85

Exercises to Set 8..................................................................85

Solutions to Set 8..................................................................89

Set 9............................................................................................93

Exercises to Set 9..................................................................93

Solutions to Set 9..................................................................97

Set 10........................................................................................101

Exercises to Set 10..............................................................101

Solutions to Set 10..............................................................105

Set 11........................................................................................109

Exercises to Set 11..............................................................109

Solutions to Set 11..............................................................113

Set 12........................................................................................117

Exercises to Set 12..............................................................117

Solutions to Set 12..............................................................121

Set 13........................................................................................126

Exercises to Set 13..............................................................126

Solutions to Set 13..............................................................130

Set 14........................................................................................135

Exercises to Set 14..............................................................135

Solutions to Set 14..............................................................139

Set 15........................................................................................144

Exercises to Set 15..............................................................144

Solutions to Set 15..............................................................148

Set 16........................................................................................152

Exercises to Set 16..............................................................152

Solutions to Set 16..............................................................156

Chapter 2.....................................................................................160

Set 17........................................................................................161

Exercises to Set 17..............................................................161

Solutions to Set 17..............................................................165

Set 18........................................................................................170

Exercises to Set 18..............................................................170

Solutions to Set 18..............................................................174

Set 19........................................................................................178

Exercises to Set 19..............................................................178

Solutions to Set 19..............................................................182

Set 20........................................................................................186

Exercises to Set 20..............................................................186

Solutions to Set 20..............................................................190

Set 21........................................................................................194

Exercises to Set 21..............................................................194

Solutions to Set 21..............................................................198

Set 22........................................................................................202

Exercises to Set 22..............................................................202

Solutions to Set 22..............................................................206

Set 23........................................................................................210

Exercises to Set 23..............................................................210

Solutions to Set 23..............................................................214

Set 24........................................................................................218

Exercises to Set 24..............................................................218

Solutions to Set 24..............................................................222

Set 25........................................................................................226

Exercises to Set 25..............................................................226

Solutions to Set 25..............................................................230

Set 26........................................................................................234

Exercises to Set 26..............................................................234

Solutions to Set 26..............................................................238

Set 27........................................................................................243

Exercises to Set 27..............................................................243

Solutions to Set 27..............................................................247

Set 28........................................................................................252

Exercises to Set 28..............................................................252

Solutions to Set 28..............................................................256

Set 29........................................................................................261

Exercises to Set 29..............................................................261

Solutions to Set 29..............................................................265

Set 30........................................................................................269

Exercises to Set 30..............................................................269

Solutions to Set 30..............................................................273

Set 31........................................................................................277

Exercises to Set 31..............................................................277

Solutions to Set 31..............................................................281

Set 32........................................................................................286

Exercises to Set 32..............................................................286

Solutions to Set 32..............................................................290

Chapter 3.....................................................................................294

Set 33........................................................................................295

Exercises to Set 33..............................................................295

Solutions to Set 33..............................................................299

Set 34........................................................................................303

Exercises to Set 34..............................................................303

Solutions to Set 34..............................................................307

Set 35........................................................................................312

Exercises to Set 35..............................................................312

Solutions to Set 35..............................................................316

Set 36........................................................................................322

Exercises to Set 36..............................................................322

Solutions to Set 36..............................................................326

Set 37........................................................................................330

Exercises to Set 37..............................................................330

Solutions to Set 37..............................................................334

Set 38........................................................................................338

Exercises to Set 38..............................................................338

Solutions to Set 38..............................................................342

Set 39........................................................................................346

Exercises to Set 39..............................................................346

Solutions to Set 39..............................................................350

Set 40........................................................................................354

Exercises to Set 40..............................................................354

Solutions to Set 40..............................................................358

Set 41........................................................................................362

Exercises to Set 41..............................................................362

Solutions to Set 41..............................................................366

Set 42........................................................................................370

Exercises to Set 42..............................................................370

Solutions to Set 42..............................................................374

Set 43........................................................................................378

Exercises to Set 43..............................................................378

Solutions to Set 43..............................................................382

Set 44........................................................................................386

Exercises to Set 44..............................................................386

Solutions to Set 44..............................................................390

Set 45........................................................................................394

Exercises to Set 45..............................................................394

Solutions to Set 45..............................................................398

Set 46........................................................................................403

Exercises to Set 46..............................................................403

Solutions to Set 46..............................................................407

Set 47........................................................................................412

Exercises to Set 47..............................................................412

Solutions to Set 47..............................................................416

Chapter 4.....................................................................................420

Set 48........................................................................................421

Exercises to Set 48..............................................................421

Solutions to Set 48..............................................................425

Set 49........................................................................................429

Exercises to Set 49..............................................................429

Solutions to Set 49..............................................................433

Set 50........................................................................................437

Exercises to Set 50..............................................................437

Solutions to Set 50..............................................................441

Set 51........................................................................................445

Exercises to Set 51..............................................................445

Solutions to Set 51..............................................................449

Set 52........................................................................................453

Exercises to Set 52..............................................................453

Solutions to Set 52..............................................................457

Set 53........................................................................................461

Exercises to Set 53..............................................................461

Solutions to Set 53..............................................................465

Set 54........................................................................................470

Exercises to Set 54..............................................................470

Solutions to Set 54..............................................................474

Set 55........................................................................................478

Exercises to Set 55..............................................................478

Solutions to Set 55..............................................................482

Set 56........................................................................................486

Exercises to Set 56..............................................................486

Solutions to Set 56..............................................................490

Set 57........................................................................................494

Exercises to Set 57..............................................................494

Solutions to Set 57..............................................................498

Set 58........................................................................................502

Exercises to Set 58..............................................................502

Solutions to Set 58..............................................................506

Set 59........................................................................................510

Exercises to Set 59..............................................................510

Solutions to Set 59..............................................................514

Set 60........................................................................................518

Exercises to Set 60..............................................................518

Solutions to Set 60..............................................................522

Set 61........................................................................................526

Exercises to Set 61..............................................................526

Solutions to Set 61..............................................................530

Set 62........................................................................................534

Exercises to Set 62..............................................................534

Solutions to Set 62..............................................................538

Set 63........................................................................................542

Exercises to Set 63..............................................................542

Solutions to Set 63..............................................................546

Chapter 5.....................................................................................551

Set 64........................................................................................552

Exercises to Set 64..............................................................552

Solutions to Set 64..............................................................556

Set 65........................................................................................560

Exercises to Set 65..............................................................560

Solutions to Set 65..............................................................564

Set 66........................................................................................568

Exercises to Set 66..............................................................568

Solutions to Set 66..............................................................572

Set 67........................................................................................576

Exercises to Set 67..............................................................576

Solutions to Set 67..............................................................580

Set 68........................................................................................584

Exercises to Set 68..............................................................584

Solutions to Set 68..............................................................588

Set 69........................................................................................592

Exercises to Set 69..............................................................592

Solutions to Set 69..............................................................596

Set 70........................................................................................601

Exercises to Set 70..............................................................601

Solutions to Set 70..............................................................605

Set 71........................................................................................609

Exercises to Set 71..............................................................609

Solutions to Set 71..............................................................613

Set 72........................................................................................617

Exercises to Set 72..............................................................617

Solutions to Set 72..............................................................621

Set 73........................................................................................625

Exercises to Set 73..............................................................625

Solutions to Set 73..............................................................629

Set 74........................................................................................633

Exercises to Set 74..............................................................633

Solutions to Set 74..............................................................637

Set 75........................................................................................641

Exercises to Set 75..............................................................641

Solutions to Set 75..............................................................645

Set 76........................................................................................649

Exercises to Set 76..............................................................649

Solutions to Set 76..............................................................653

Set 77........................................................................................657

Exercises to Set 77..............................................................657

Solutions to Set 77..............................................................661

Set 78........................................................................................665

Exercises to Set 78..............................................................665

Solutions to Set 78..............................................................669

Chapter 6.....................................................................................673

Set 79........................................................................................674

Exercises to Set 79..............................................................674

Solutions to Set 79..............................................................678

Set 80........................................................................................682

Exercises to Set 80..............................................................682

Solutions to Set 80..............................................................686

Set 81........................................................................................691

Exercises to Set 81..............................................................691

Solutions to Set 81..............................................................695

Set 82........................................................................................699

Exercises to Set 82..............................................................699

Solutions to Set 82..............................................................703

Set 83........................................................................................708

Exercises to Set 83..............................................................708

Solutions to Set 83..............................................................712

Set 84........................................................................................716

Exercises to Set 84..............................................................716

Solutions to Set 84..............................................................721

Set 85........................................................................................725

Exercises to Set 85..............................................................725

Solutions to Set 85..............................................................729

Set 86........................................................................................734

Exercises to Set 86..............................................................734

Solutions to Set 86..............................................................738

Set 87........................................................................................742

Exercises to Set 87..............................................................742

Solutions to Set 87..............................................................746

Set 88........................................................................................750

Exercises to Set 88..............................................................750

Solutions to Set 88..............................................................754

Set 89........................................................................................758

Exercises to Set 89..............................................................758

Solutions to Set 89..............................................................762

Set 90........................................................................................766

Exercises to Set 90..............................................................766

Solutions to Set 90..............................................................770

Set 91........................................................................................774

Exercises to Set 91..............................................................774

Solutions to Set 91..............................................................778

Set 92........................................................................................783

Exercises to Set 92..............................................................783

Solutions to Set 92..............................................................787

Set 93........................................................................................791

Exercises to Set 93..............................................................791

Solutions to Set 93..............................................................795

Set 94........................................................................................799

Exercises to Set 94..............................................................799

Solutions to Set 94..............................................................803

Chapter 7.....................................................................................808

Set 95........................................................................................809

Exercises to Set 95..............................................................809

Solutions to Set 95..............................................................813

Set 96........................................................................................817

Exercises to Set 96..............................................................817

Solutions to Set 96..............................................................821

Set 97........................................................................................825

Exercises to Set 97..............................................................825

Solutions to Set 97..............................................................829

Set 98........................................................................................833

Exercises to Set 98..............................................................833

Solutions to Set 98..............................................................837

Set 99........................................................................................842

Exercises to Set 99..............................................................842

Solutions to Set 99..............................................................846

Set 100......................................................................................850

Exercises to Set 100............................................................850

Solutions to Set 100............................................................854

Set 101......................................................................................858

Exercises to Set 101............................................................858

Solutions to Set 101............................................................862

If you enjoyed this book............................................................866

Before You Go.............................................................................866

Index of Players..........................................................................868

Books by Carsten Hansen.........................................................883

Winning Quickly Series:........................................................883

Chess Miniatures Series:.......................................................883

Specialized Chess Tactics Series:.........................................883

Other books by Carsten Hansen:..........................................884

Foreword by IM Cyrus Lakdawala

It is a mistake to think that combination is solely a matter of talent, and that it cannot be acquired

- Richard Reti

Is it possible to have a dear friend who you only once met face-to-face in your life? The answer is yes. We played once in a game in Los Angeles, nearly twenty years ago, but like the wave that hits the shore and then fades away, so was that encounter. Then a few years back on Facebook, I met Carsten Hansen again and ever since then, he has been one of my favorite online buddies. He is one of the most likable people you will ever meet. Carsten is one of the most prolific chess writers in the world and this is his 29th (!) chess book, written over the last 21 years. We in the chess world owe Carsten a debt of gratitude, since he is a man driven by a compulsion to contribute to the collective knowledge of the chess world. This book is Volume II of a tactics series he began in 2018. Carsten is an obsessed writer who searches through tens of thousands of current games, virtually in real time and when he finds examples which contain combinational gems, he posts them on Facebook -two chess puzzles per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year. I can’t tell you how many times I have shared his engaging puzzles on my own Facebook feed. This book is the compilation of the jewels—the most precious finds of his labor. Now this book is not like the chess puzzle books you are accustomed to, where you find the mundane mate in two or three moves and then move on to the next one. Carsten’s format:

1.  A position’s hidden inner truth tends to be deeper than the superficial representation of our first – and almost always mistaken – impression. These are multi-pronged problems, often with subtly difficult twists and turns. So, you can’t just get the first move correct without looking further and then declare: Hooray, I solved it! They require full solutions.

2. Just as in a real game, these problems are not sorted by theme, and are instead, randomly applied. Carsten does have some mercy on the reader by starting each problem with a hint.

3. They are sorted by stars of difficulty with one star being relatively easy to solve and five stars nightmarishly difficult, some requiring up to around 10 or 15 minutes to solve correctly.

Why Study Chess Puzzles?

Besides aesthetic reasons like the fact that it allows us to marvel at the wonders of what the human mind is capable of creating, the daily solving of chess puzzles contains immense practical value for our over-the-board results. Our lucky break is no longer a lucky break, if we allow opportunity to pass by unnoticed. No matter how brilliantly we perform strategically in our games, at one point – annoyingly almost always during a time scramble, where our mind is normally an ocean of stupid! – a combination arises in our game, either for our side, or for the opponent’s. We navigate our opening expertly; then we slowly build up a winning position and our opponent’s seethes with grievances, but now comes crunch time: the tactification of the position arrives and we must find the solution, or all our previous effort is cast to the wind. We sense a combination, that our position is richly furnished with tactical opportunity. Yet our clock is low and if we fail, we become the coal miner, for whom daylight doesn’t exist. If instant pattern recognition is imprinted within our brain, the combination isn’t actually solved, as much as recognized, from practicing thousands of similar geometries in chess puzzles. It’s actually similar to learning another language which others are unable to comprehend. For example, when I’m at my dentist’s office I ask: Mfxquri olxaqurm? and my dental cleaner Jean immediately replies with complete understanding of the language: No, no cavities. You are in the clear, lucky guy. We need to reach Jean’s level of pattern recognition and the only way to accomplish this level of mastery is to solve thousands – maybe hundreds of thousands – of mates, tactical themes and combinations over our lifetime. Peace of mind can only be won via exertion, so let’s not give our opponents a stay of execution. The only way to assure this is to solve puzzles from books like this one. Good luck and may we dispatch our wounded opponents without mercy, thanks to Carsten’s kind assistance.

Cyrus Lakdawala

San Diego (CA)

August 2019

Author’s Preface

An essential part of improving at chess is tactics. Tactics occur at every level of chess but once the players become stronger the elements involved in spotting the puzzles tend to become more complex and deeper, whereas among weaker players elementary skewers, forks and deadly pins are more frequent visitors.

This book is no instruction manual in chess tactics, but rather a representation of some of the best tactical shots from master games played almost exclusively in the first half of 2019.

On Twitter, Instagram, as well as my Facebook page, Winning Quickly at Chess, the puzzles are presented at a rate of two puzzles per day (one in the morning and one is the afternoon, both US East coast time) and thousands of chess enthusiasts, from almost beginners to strong grandmasters, are joining in to solve the puzzles.

Some of the puzzles are relatively straightforward, but there are also some rather tricky ones where even very strong players have gotten it wrong or failed to solve them, so do not despair if you are struggling with some of them. Remember that any improvement, whether in chess or other things in life, starts right outside your comfort zone.

I want to thank everybody who have taken part in solving the puzzles online, without them, the solutions presented would have looked very differently. When writing the solutions, I have tried to take into account most of the relevant, but wrong suggestions that have been made online.

If you find errors or other things that should be corrected, kindly submit these to me on email: [e-mail]

Should you have enjoyed this book kindly leave a review, no more than 10-20 words are needed. Reviews mean a lot for an author as it tells other potential readers why a book did or did not make a difference for them.

Thanks for picking up this book, I hope you will enjoy solving the puzzles as much as I have selecting them and putting this book together.

Carsten Hansen

Bayonne (NJ)

August 2019 

How to work with this book

This is not your usual tactical puzzle book. It is very different for a number of reasons:

1) You’re not being told what the demand is! That you will have to figure out on your own. This is to give you more of a game feel simulation and therefore, the first tactical idea you get may not be the best, so keep looking until you are satisfied. Nor do I tell you who the players are – you will get that in the solution part. Names may spark your memory if you have seen the game before. The demand can be mate, but sometimes all you can get is a positional advantage or in a few cases a draw. You don’t know, so think before moving.

2) The first move is almost never enough. When I have posted these puzzles online, they always come with the byline more than the first move is required for a full solution. This is because in many cases the finer details of the puzzle are only revealed on move 2, 3, 4, 5 and sometimes even later. Therefore, even if you think you have the right move, keep calculating to see if you have caught everything. Trust me when I tell you, even players at an international master level have missed crucial details when presenting the solution in the Facebook group or on Twitter, so for you to assume that you got it right without thoroughly calculating things through... you know how the saying goes!

Let me give you an example from volume 1:

When I presented this puzzle in the Facebook group, several said "too easy - 1...Qf3 and mate on the next move!" Well, not so fast. White plays 2.Qc4+ Kh8 3.Qf1 and the mate on g2 is prevented. Then, the determined puzzle solvers said but then after 3...h7-h5 followed by ...h4, Black wins. Again, not so fast! After 3...h5?, White plays 4.Rd3 Qf7 5.Rc3 h4 6.Rxc6 hxg3 7.Qh3+ Kg8 8.Qxg3 and White is actually doing okay. What Black had to find was 3...Bb5!, and after 4.Qe1 Re8! 5.Qd2, Black returns the bishop to c6, 5...Bc6! and White can’t prevent the mate on g2. So, without the precise 3rd and 4th moves, this puzzle wasn’t solved, in fact, far from it. So, take your time and get the answer right. It is better to be right and slow than fast and wrong.

3) Don’t use a computer to solve the puzzles for you! You don’t learn anything from that, and you don’t have a computer handy when you’re playing your own games. When you’re certain that you have found the right continuation (not move!) or you have given up hope that you can solve it, then check the solution. If you got it wrong or couldn’t solve it, then mark the page or highlight it in your e-book and then revisit the puzzle next week.

4) Difficulty level and hints. These are for less experienced players. The puzzles are graded from 1 star (*) to 5 stars (*****). The 1-star puzzles are relatively mundane and should be solved by most, whereas the 5-star puzzles are positively industrial strength, they may have been missed by the players during the game, simply because they were too deep or complex to reasonably spot at the board. If you find the solution anyway – you are seriously good and can consider challenging your chess engine to a no-holds-barred blitz match!

The hints are there to go some guidance if you have no idea what to look for. However, the hints do not give the answer away, sometimes they can be a little obscure, tease more than they help.

5) Most puzzles are more difficult than those you will find in the average puzzle book or app. I tend to select puzzles that require thought and finesse, where move order is important and frequently where you need to play a couple of precise moves before striking. This will help you improve your understanding of how to maximize the effect of your pieces and get the most bang for their buck. One solver told me, it helped him get rid of his self-coined but very appropriate term puzzle rush bias where you know there is something tactical in the position and it is right there, ready to be found.

Because the puzzles are so hard, don’t do too many in a day. I post tactical puzzles in the Facebook group, on Twitter, and on Instagram at a rate of two per day. That could be sufficient for you for that day. Some regular solvers save the puzzles for when they are not tired because they know they will otherwise miss something.

6) Solving these puzzles will make you a lot better – guaranteed! If you follow the instructions and tips above, your tactical vision will expand, your calculation skills will improve, even dramatically so. Several solvers have told me that they have started winning tournaments for the first time in their lives. Obviously, there is no guarantee that this will happen for you, but it could (and should, I would certainly like that).

If you find the puzzles impossibly difficult, work your way through the solutions at a rate of a couple per day. And then revisit the puzzles two weeks later. If you can solve them at that point, your pattern recognition has improved, and you are on the way to getting better! If you go at that rate, it will take you six months to complete this book and then you can pick up the next book in the series.

Or come join us on social media:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/WinningQuicklyatChess/ or www.facebook.com/groups/WinningQuicklyatChess/

Twitter: twitter.com/CazHansen

Instagram: www.instagram.com/chansen64/

Or on my website: www.winningquicklyatchess.com

Welcome on board, prepare yourself to get seriously better at chess.

Chapter 1

Sets 1-16

Set 1

Exercises to Set 1

1.1)

****

White to move

Hint: The positional attack

1.2)

*

Black to move

Hint: Time to count

1.3)

***

White to move

Hint: Overburdened defenders make the best targets

1.4)

****

Black to move

Hint: Inject force to the attack

Solutions to Set 1

1.1)

Solution

26.Qxf5! gxf5 27.d6!

A positional pawn sacrifice that opens the scope for the light-squared bishop. This radically changes the nature of the position, putting Black very much on the defensive. This is a theme worth paying attention to.

27...exd6 28.Ra7!?

White can also consider 28.Bd5!?.

28...Rbc8?

Inaccurate, but also 28...Bh6 29.f4! (or 29.Rcc7 Bd2 30.Bd5 Kh8 with a clear advantage for White) 29...Rbe8 30.Rb7 Re3 31.Rd1 with a clear advantage for White - note the difference between the two bishops.

29.Rxc8 Rxc8 30.Bd5 f4 31.gxf4 Bh6 32.Rxf7 Rc3?

Another error. The best chance was 32...Kh8 33.Rb7 when White has a very clear and obvious advantage but Black is by no means lost yet.

33.f5 Black resigned on account of 33.f5 Rxd3 34.f6 and Black cannot prevent mate in the long run, e.g., 34...Kh8 35.Rb7 Bf4+ 36.Kg2 h5 37.Rb8+ Kh7 38.Be4+ Kh6 39.h4!

1–0

M.Carlsen (2835) – I.Salgado Lopez (2629) World Rapid (St Petersburg) 2018

1.2)

Solution

25...Qxh2+!

The white king gets extracted to get mated.

26.Kxh2

Or 26.Kf1 Bf3 is similarly game over.

26...Rxh4+ 27.Kg3 Rh3+ 28.Kf4 Rf3+ 29.Ke5 Rg6 and with mate looming on the next move, White resigned.

0–1

P.Svidler (2737) – D.Andreikin (2719) World Rapid (St Petersburg) 2018

1.3)