- Decoy or Lure Tactic-- OTB Examples
|
This tactic is important, but not usually presented to beginners or even intermediate players. Several names can be used for it, even Deflection. I take issue with that one, however slight the difference. In my humble opinion, in simplest terms, the Deflection is a push, whereas the Decoy or Lure is a pull. Further, the Decoy or Lure is meant to bring a chess piece into a more dangerous square. The pending result is often trapping (or mate, if it were the King to be brought away) for that same piece, but Deflection is pushing a piece away so that *another* piece becomes a viable target. Deflection has more in common with Removing the Defender or Undermining, then. I may be putting too fine a point on matters, but at least for today, that's my understanding. My mind is open for clarification or correction and I will consider matters further. ChessCoachClark (CCC) originated this game collection and he updates it on occasion. This project is a work in progress, culling games from various sources, including several chess training books and personal research. The games are ordered by date (oldest first), not by importance. Be well.
Be safe.
|
|
12 games, 1900-2017 - Deflection/Undermining Tactics-- OTB Examples
|
ChessCoachClark (CCC) originated this game collection and he updates it on occasion. This project is a work in progress, culling games from various sources, including several chess training books and personal research. The games are ordered by date (oldest first), not by importance. Be well.
Be safe.
|
|
21 games, 1997-2003 - Discovered Attack Tactic-- OTB Examples
|
The Discovery Attack or Discovered Attack is one of the top five tactics that chess players should know. It occurs with great frequency and can be an amazing demonstration of one's skill. This technique applies to two chessmen on the same line to attack either one or two other chessmen, even where the two attackers are focused on just one target. The chessman in the front moves, which uncovers the line of power by the one in the back to attack on that line. So, there is one dynamic chessman and a passive one, both working to make things difficult for the defender. WGM Jennifer Shahade has a very expressive name for this tactic-- the Peek-a-Boo move! She will describe an appropriate ply as "the Boo! Moment" as well. It should make it easy for the younger chess students to remember this highly important tool for building a winning game. Another way to describe this tactic is that one line has two attackers along it. When the one in front moves out of the way, the other one, in the back, in automatically attacking. The first piece may attack the same piece as the other piece (in the back) or a different one. The Discovered Attack is therefore a Double Check when both attackers focus on the other King. The most beautiful example is Reti vs Tartakower, Vienna 1910, included below. The games where this tactic produced the most dynamically powerful result-- Discovered Mate-- have their own, separate game collection, Discovered Mate Game Examples. ChessCoachClark (CCC) originated this game collection before 2018 and he updates it on occasion. This project is a work in progress, culling games from various sources, including several chess training books and personal research. The games are ordered by date (oldest first), not by importance. Be well.
Be safe.
|
|
52 games, 1865-2017 - Discovered Mate Examples
|
Games are being included here that took the Discovery Attack to its highest level-- an actual checkmate (or very close to one). They are usually impressive contributions to chess lore, just plain entertaining as well as being instructive. To keep the header within its brief limit (63 characters) for each game, the dynamic chessman will be mentioned first, then the passive chessman. Further, these abbreviations will be used: =M= if the game ends with mate; =C= when the targeted King is mated in a corner; =W= where both players are women; =G= indicates both players are girls; =Un= is given for players 14 years old or younger. The notation <Qn> is for identifying quadrants of the chessboard, clockwise from upper right and governed by the position of the defending King. So, <Q2> is the second quadrant, which includes the h1 corner. ChessCoachClark (CCC) established this game collection in December 2024 and he updates it on occasion. This project is a work in progress, culling games from various sources, including several chess training books and personal research. The games are ordered by date (oldest first), not by importance. Be well.
Be safe.
|
|
5 games, 1871-2001 - Double Attacks but not Forks-- OTB Examples
|
The Double Attack and the Fork are not synonymous. Every Fork is a Double Attack, however. In the interests of clarity, the term Fork is being applied to any chessman that attacks two or more chessmen in the same ply. The Double Attack is the more general term, being applied to two chessmen attacking the same target or two chessmen attacking two targets or one chessman attacking two targets. IM Daniel Rensch is far more restrictive when defining the Fork and Double Attack-- the Fork is only that tactic made by a Knight or a Pawn and the Double Attack is the category for all of the other chessmen (at Chess.com and videos for children). So, I will respectfully disagree with him and express gratitude to the majority of chess masters and writers who make the more common definitions the norm. Any chessman has the power to make a Fork and a Double Attack as well. "The Fork is the simplest example in chess of the 'Double Attack' type of combination. Any piece can Fork; even a King often attacks two men simultaneously in the later stages of a game."
British chess champion Leonard Barden
AN INTRODUCTION TO CHESS MOVES AND TACTICS,
SIMPLY EXPLAINED
Page 76.
(A more rigorous definition of a Combination may be in order, but the Fork and Double Attack usages by Barden are fine.) So, the Fork is a special case of the Double Attack and most certainly among the top three most important tactics. As the Knight and Queen could theoretically make seven-way Forks, there are possibilities of 'Double Attacks' on more than two chessmen. Of course, any game having a Double Attack bringing checkmate is a treasured jewel for everyone. Some writers have also used Double Threat and Two-Pronged Attack for the Double Attack. There are probably other colorful references in the chess literature as well. Here then is a my partial list of games that demonstrate two or more attacks (even an attack on a square) on chessmen. ChessCoachClark (CCC) originated this game collection and he updates it on occasion. This project is a work in progress, culling games from various sources, including several chess training books and personal research. The games are ordered by date (oldest first), not by importance. Be well.
Be safe.
|
|
22 games, 1620-2018 - Double Check Mate Examples
|
The Double Check Mate has a myriad of forms, but all are beautiful. Not a common sight, so each is a treasure. There is a Double Check Mate game with Marco Caorlin vs Tore-Inge Bratteteig in London in 2010 that is available in other DBMSs online and standalone. It also makes a Corner Mate pattern.
click for larger viewA game by Hoffmann vs Petrov 1844 is given in this collection. Surprisingly, there is another game by those players in the same year that ends in a Double Check Mate, but it has only 13 moves. Cited in the Oxford Encyclopedia of Chess Games, vol. 1, game #1844-HP-1. The final position, where Black resigned is 
click for larger view One continuation leads to the Double Check Mate as shown here 
click for larger viewChessCoachClark (CCC) originated this game collection and he updates it on occasion. This project is a work in progress, culling games from various sources, including several chess training books and personal research. The games are ordered by date (oldest first), not by importance. May you enjoy them even more than I have. Be well.
Be safe.
|
|
20 games, 1844-2020 - Dovetail Mate Examples
|
Examples of the Dovetail Mate are being collected here. Only the Queen can effect this mate and the two "holes" from the Queen's lines of power must be covered by chessmen on the attacking team or occupied by chessmen friendly to the targeted King. The Queen is directly adjacent to that King on a diagonal, so it requires protection. For this game collection, that protector may be any chessman at all. The vanquished King is usually not in the corner or at the edge of the board. The Dovetail Mate may also be referred to as the Swallowtail Mate. The actual bird is much larger than any dove, having more than a four-foot wingspan and is more precisely named as the Swallow Tail Kite. The Audubon Society ranks it as "our most magnificent bird of prey." Normally, the Queen and King are in diagonal alignment, then two divergent squares (one to either side) for this pattern, which is a rather like an extended Y. So, the fanciful or apophenia factor relates it to birds with long and forked or seemingly split tails. My imagination leads me to see it as a supersonic aircraft, especially those with separated swept-back wings. The SR-71 Blackbird, the Naboo Royal Starship and the Concorde have a more or less continuous rear wing, whereas the B1-B Lancer and others fit the bill nicely. OK, OK, I admit that admire aircraft and sci-fi spacecraft. ;-) My avatar should give that away-- my thanks go to its designer! The name Cozios' Mate may apply to this pattern, also. Taking a look at A Saveliev vs P Potapov, 2018, the Dovetail Mate pattern is demonstrated by this skeleton of its final position: 
click for larger viewHowever, if the arrangement of the pattern is orthogonal (horizontal or vertical), then the name Gueridon Mate is more common. The Art of Checkmate, by Renauld and Kahn (2015), p. 54 gives this specific diagram for the Gueridon Mate model pattern:
click for larger viewNow the Queen is in direct contact with the other King within a file or rank. This name marks a picturesque comparison of the French table with only one supporting column to this mate pattern. As usual, I use the line containing the Queen and King as the reference, so this case is a vertical configuration of the Gueridon Mate. A horizontal Gueridon Mate is shown at the EOG of this game below A Batuev vs Simagin, 1954
click for larger viewThere are differences of opinion about the names assigned to the forms of this pattern. I am undecided about whether to pursue the research necessary to bring a definitive treatment for the nomenclature in this case. For now, this game collection will consolidate the examples for the various types of this mate pattern. The main reason is to make it easier to find these games. Here they are all assembled in one place, although at home I use separate folders for their files (even though the naming is still tentative). ChessCoachClark (CCC) originated this game collection on October 27, 2024 and he updates it on occasion. This project is a work in progress, culling games from various sources, including several chess training books and personal research. The games are ordered by date (oldest first), not by importance. Be well.
Be safe.
|
|
17 games, 1620-2024 - En Passant Tactic-- OTB Examples
|
It always surprises me how many players are either confused or 'blissfully unaware' of the En Passant rule of chess. Simply put, this game collection has been prepared to demonstrate to beginners just how to use En Passant. Of course, by perusing the each game in its entirety, they may learn other points as well. That adage, check it out, you may learn something along the way does apply most definitely to chess games. More than one fish is usually caught in a net, even in a small river. The privilege of pushing a Pawn up two squares on its first turn, ply or step was balanced by the En Passant rule. These changes were part of the process of making chess games go faster back in ancient times after the game came to Europe. Castling was also part of this process. So, that Pawn that does a double square advance is not safe from the Pawn that was already on the fifth rank on the other side's team. It must be emphasized that the Pawn must be on its fifth rank BEFORE the double-square advance. Pay attention to the Black Pawn on f4. 
click for larger viewThe one restriction is that the other side must take the leaping Pawn immediately. So, if White plays e4 and Black takes a step with its King, then after White makes a King step, Black is not allowed to capture the White Pawn on d4. 
click for larger viewHowever, since that Pawn is in the field (not in an edge file) there may be another adjoining Pawn that is eligible to take a double square leap. In this specific position, this possibility is for the g2 Pawn. Now, En Passant could be used by the same Pawn that declined to capture by En Passant earlier, namely the f4 Pawn. 
click for larger viewThus, Black can choose to either capture the g4 Pawn with f4 or with h5. The power of the h5 Pawn to capture remains as long as the g4 Pawn and h5 Pawn sit there, but f4 only has one shot, only for this turn itself. Some beginners get En Prise and En Passant mixed up, but usually that's more about French than the situations on the board. Chess notation helps matters a bit, because En Prise need not be written at all and En Passant is an optional recording. So, the beginner merely needs more practice to have a tactile and visual '3D' sense of their differences. An important point is that En Passant, like several other chess rules, may be inflicted upon the other side as a tactic. It is not just something that a young player should know and use in a simple way. The keen eye will look for opportunities to bring more than one task to a turn that effects a chess rule, even winning a piece or making checkmate. Our marvelous fellow subscriber <FSR> has even contributed an En Passant Mate to ChessGames.com, which is included below. Rare and beautiful to see, indeed! ChessCoachClark (CCC) originated this game collection in October of 2021 and he updates it on occasion. This project is a work in progress, culling games from various sources, including several chess training books and personal research. The games are ordered by date (oldest first), not by importance. Be well.
Be safe.
|
|
23 games, 1853-2021 - En Prise Tactic-- OTB Examples
|
EN PRISE is another core chess tactic that should be in the toolbox of every student. En Prise is indeed another tactic that can be simple or sublime. In addition, this result may be either accidental or deliberate. When an accidental move, then the chess player is welcome to make the unencumbered capture. However, that capture may subject the aggressor to severe consequences when En Prise was deliberate and well-calculated! Checkmate may even be imminent. En Prise is a French term that has been taken to mean available for capture (Michael Goeller, PAWN BATTLE RULES AND STRATEGIES, p. 2.) Other meanings include: available for taking, hanging or hung, loose, gratis, in take, for free, etc. My own explanation of En Prise is that it refers to a chessman who has been left behind in jeopardy while some other direction has been taken. (A violation of the military principle to never leave a soldier behind.) I explain it as "Ice Cream!" to my youngest students, though, having never met a child who doesn't love that dessert! Let it be pronounced "ohne preez" as if varying bone and ice, which is what lead me to use the phrase "Ice cream!" in the raised voice of an interjection around children when they do it. Fittingly for both cases-- as a treat for the other side when an accident and as a treat for the planner when a strategic ploy. From the Top 4 Basic Chess Tactics to Win Chess at ChessHints.com: An En Prise is the most common and simplistic tactic of chess. The piece that is En Prise is attacked but not defended, leading to the most simple tactic in chess-- the capture of an undefended piece. For example, if a player leaves a Bishop undefended in the same column as a Rook, the Rook can take the En Prise Bishop. The concept of the Poisoned Pawn is not limited to the footman, but may be applied readily to all of the other chessmen other than the King himself. Here is where the conscious ploy of an En Prise temptation lurks. Another practical application of the En Prise tactic is to target unprotected chessmen on the other side of the board and calculate a set of moves that will culminate in the capture of one of more of them. Nothing wrong with being sneaky that way! Thanks to NOTYETAGM for the games below where the Queen makes a Fork with Check to win an En Prise piece. Be sure to look at the preceding moves to see how the calculation proceeded in each case, though. The excellent chess writer Edward Winter has an article about En Prise that bears reading for background information and interesting details (http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/...). ChessCoachClark (CCC) originated this game collection and he updates it on occasion. This project is a work in progress, culling games from various sources, including several chess training books and personal research. The games are ordered by date (oldest first), not by importance. Be well.
Be safe.
|
|
14 games, 1895-2006 - Epaulette Mate Examples
|
Epaulette Mates are orthogonal, whereas the Dovetail Mate and other similar mates are diagonal. In other words, the lines made by the pieces are at right angles to each other and parallel to the sides of the board. It may also be called the Epaulet Mate, Shoulderboards Mate and Shoulder Pads Mate. Myself, I fancy it to be a Bodyguards Mate, as there are two (friendly) escorts that are powerless to prevent the final attack. Two Rooks are the usual helpless "supporters." The Queen is probably the most common decisive piece, but the Rook comes close. Other chessmen can enable this mate, but the arrangement is usually more complicated. There are some beautiful examples not within the CG database.
I will try to manage submissions for some of them, at least. ChessCoachClark (CCC) originated this game collection in March, 2025 and he updates it on occasion. This project is a work in progress, culling games from various sources, including several chess training books and personal research. The games are ordered by date (oldest first), not by importance. Be well.
Be safe.
|
|
5 games, 1900-2017 - Fascinating Chess Examples
|
These games are very interesting, but in so many categories that it seems better not to make separate game collections. ChessCoachClark (CCC) originated this game collection and he updates it on occasion. This project is a work in progress, culling games from various sources, including several chess training books and personal research. The games are ordered by date (oldest first), not by importance. Be well.
Be safe.
|
|
37 games, 1834-2019 - Fork Tactic-- OTB Examples
|
The Fork is my favorite tactic, especially when brought down on the opponent by the Knight against three pieces. Sweet and exhilarating, yes it is! The Fork is an attack by one unit against many other units. The usual situation is two pieces threatened by the one, but Knights and the Queens can make up to a seven-way Fork. Rare indeed, but possible. The Rooks and Bishops can make three-way Forks. The King can make multiple Forks, but it's tricky to say his maximum. The Pawns can even Fork, although only against two units at a time at most. So, all the chessmen can Fork! In the endgame, especially when only a few chessmen are left, the Queen shows her power by using Forks even to prevent Promotion. Better players usually foresee a direct attempt at a Fork, so a series of trades or other subtle maneuvers are needed. Once a Fork has been successful, the game is effectively finished. There are several types of Forks. The most powerful Forks can be those with Check. The Royal Fork is one name given to the Fork against the King and Queen. Similarly, A Royal Family Fork or Grand Fork threatens the King, Queen and Rook. Another very interesting Fork type is the one made against a unit and against a square, particularly when that square could be occupied by another attacker for checkmate. See the game between Nikolic and Huebner in 1994 below for an interesting example. The Fork is among the top three tactics and such a fundamental ploy that it occurs in nearly any game at least once. Be quick to add this tactic to your toolbox and use it as often as you can! ChessCoachClark (CCC) originated this game collection and he updates it on occasion. This project is a work in progress, culling games from various sources, including several chess training books and personal research. The games are ordered by date (oldest first), not by importance. Be well.
Be safe.
|
|
64 games, 1932-2019 - Golden Moves Examples
|
The highly-recommended sequence of opening moves for a beginner, according to several chess programs has been referred to as the Golden Moves. Of course, there are several variations on this theme and they are not limited to any particular ECO classification. Further, the order of the moves makes no difference-- the final result is what matters. This approach is certainly good for avoiding the Fool's Mate and other simple traps in the *positive mode* of good training for chess opening principles. These include development, proper piece placement, protection, preparation for offensive and defensive maneuvers, etc. Thus, this game collection will provide example games that are practical demonstrations of the Golden Moves. They are grist for the mill for those beginners, letting them see it put in motion. This game is not yet in CG, but shows a case of the Golden Moves for the Black chessmen: [Event "Memorial L.Polugaevsky (open)"]
[Site "Samara (Russia)"]
[Date "2015.07.07"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Timankin Fedor (RUS)"]
[Black "Bykov Oleg (RUS)"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2070"]
[BlackElo "2059"]
[ECO "A01"]
[Opening "Nimzovich-Larsen attack: modern variation"]
[Source "CA 17 HugeBase"]
1. b3 e5 2. Bb2 Nc6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Nf6 5. d3 Bc5 6. h3 O-O 7. Nd2 Bf5 8. e3
Qd7 9. a3 Rfe8
click for larger viewNote that "Ten Golden Moves" may also be seen in the literature. Here is a decent example, not in CG yet and without any fianchetto, by two U8 players: [Event "Ch Romania (juniors) (under 08)"]
[Site "Caciulata (Romania)"]
[Date "2011.4.11"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Stancu-Filipescu David"]
[Black "Gheorghiu Stefan-Daniel"]
[Result "0-1"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. e4 h6 4. Bc4 d6 5. Nf3 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. Bf4 b6 8. Re1
Bb7 9. Qd2 Nbd7 10. Rad1
click for larger viewHere's a case where U14 girls are the players and primarily show a variation of the Golden Moves for the Black chessmen: [Event "Ch Romania (juniors) (under 14) (g)"]
[Site "Caciulata (Romania)"]
[Date "2011.4.15"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Ichim, Ioana-Andreea"]
[Black "Banciu, Bianca-Gabriela"]
[Result "0-1"]
[BlackElo "1620"]
[ECO "A05"]
[Opening "Reti: Nimzovich-Larsen attack"]
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. b3 g6 3. Bb2 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 d5 6. O-O Nc6 7. d3 Bf5 8. Nbd2 Qd7 9. Re1 Rad8 10. e3 Rfe8 
click for larger viewTen Golden Moves is rather limiting, since 12 moves may result in a
Golden Moves configuration of value as well. Also, note that the first diagram was from a game where *nine* moves led to the Golden Moves configuration. ChessCoachClark (CCC) originated this game collection in October 2024 and he updates it on occasion. This project is a work in progress, culling games from various sources, including several chess training books and personal research. The games are ordered by date (oldest first), not by importance. Be well.
Be safe.
|
|
8 games, 1953-2015 - Greco's Mate Examples
These games are listed in chronological order, not by importance.
|
|
5 games, 1899-1995 - Hook Mate Examples
|
Vladimir Vukovic showed two versions of a particular kind of Rook and Knight checkmate pattern in his book, THE ART OF ATTACK IN CHESS, (c)1993 by Cardogan Press, Chapter 4: Mating Patterns, under "Typical Mates with Enemy Pieces," page 72, both from within one diagram. Here is that starting position (note that Vukovic had not placed the White King, however): 
click for larger viewThe two pending mates were not labelled with names there, but several chess writers have identified them as forms of the Hook Mate. IM Vukovic declares it to be "a typical mating pattern well worth remembering." I have managed to use it in OTB play and like to introduce it to my students as well. One version of the Hook Mate, which I think of as part of a slash/swoosh, proceeds from the diagram by 1. Rd8+ Kh7 2. Rh8#:
click for larger view
I use the code <SW> for this version of the Hook Mate.
The vital chessmen span three files.
Here is the other version, which seems to resemble a sickle or question mark (without the dot at the bottom), as provided by IM Vukovic as a result of 1. Rd8+ Kf7 2. Rf8#:
click for larger view
I use the code <QM> for this version of the Hook Mate.
The vital group of chessmen here span only two files. Note that the Pawn could be on either diagonal "behind" the Knight (away from the opposing King). This point is significant because the SW and QM versions differ only by the positioning of this Pawn. The code <IV> is for Interesting Variations, those games which do not fit either of those previous types. Most often, a chess piece (not a Pawn) protects the Rook, even from a distance. This Hook Mate game collection only has games with the defending King and the attacking Rook in the same file, i.e., a vertical orientation, or the same rank, i.e, a horizontal orientation. Of course, this mate most frequently occurs with King and Rook in the same file, but check out this game for the horizontal flavor: Rouse, Philip vs Henke, Simon
Corr. 2001 23 moves 1-0
CG doesn't have it in their database, so here is its score: [Date "2001"]
[White "Rouse, Philip (ENG)"]
[Black "Henke, Simon (GER)"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A45"]
[Opening "Trompovsky attack (Ruth, Opovcensky opening)"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 e6 3. e4 Be7 4. Bd3 h6 5. Bh4 Nc6 6. c3 b6 7. e5 Nd5 8. Bg3 Bg5
9. Nf3 Nf4 10. Bf1 Bb7 11. h4 Bxh4 12. Nxh4 Nd5 13. Nd2 Nce7 14. Bd3 Qc8 15. a3
c5 16. Ne4 O-O 17. c4 Nc7 18. Nf6+ Kh8 19. Qh5 Ne8 20. Ng6+ fxg6 21. Qxh6+ gxh6
22. Rxh6+ Kg7 23. Rh7# 1-0
Its mating position is: 
click for larger viewAlso, there is a game between two girls in the semi-finals of the Ukrainian championship for U14 that also ends with the Hook Mate in the horizontal orientation: Poshivaylo, K. vs Breslavskaya, Galina
Lvov, Ukraine 1999 32 moves 0-1 <SW> Again, CG doesn't have it in their database, so here is its score: [Event "Ch Ukraine"]
[Site "Lvov (Ukraine)"]
[Date "1999"]
[White "Poshivaylo, K."]
[Black "Breslavskaya, Galina (UKR)"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B01"]
1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. Bb5+ Bd7 4. Bc4 Bg4 5. f3 Bc8 6. Bb5+ Bd7 7. Bc4 b5 8.
Bb3 Bc8 9. Qe2 Ba6 10. d3 g6 11. c4 Bg7 12. Nc3 bxc4 13. dxc4 O-O 14. Be3 c6 15.
Qf2 cxd5 16. cxd5 Nbd7 17. Bxa7 Ne5 18. Qb6 Nd3+ 19. Kd2 Bh6+ 20. Kc2 Qd7 21.
Rd1 Qxa7 22. Qxa7 Nb4+ 23. Kb1 Rxa7 24. Nh3 Rfa8 25. g4 Nd7 26. a3 Bd3+ 27. Ka1
Nc5 28. Ba2 Nc2+ 29. Kb1 Nxa3+ 30. Ka1 Nb3+ 31. Bxb3 Nc2+ 32. Kb1 Ra1# 0-1 Its mating position is: 
click for larger viewIn any event, note that the defending King can never sit in a corner for this mating pattern. The attacking Rook can be in a corner, however, as seen above. ChessCoachClark (CCC) originated this game collection prior to 2015 and he updates it on occasion. This project is a work in progress, culling games from various sources, including several chess training books and personal research. The games are ordered by date (oldest first), not by importance. Be well.
Be safe.
|
|
25 games, 1898-2015 - In-Between Move Tactic-- OTB Examples
|
The name in German for this tactic is Zwischenzug. The Italian name is Intermezzo. Technically, it's an In-Between Half-Move, since only one ply, step, or turn is involved. The name has existed in the 'sloppy' way for a very long time, so for expedience in searching and referring to this tactic, I leave its name unchanged. (The 50-Move Rule does, indeed, properly mean 100 plies, however. So much for clarity, eh?) It could be taken as a surprise move, an unexpected ploy that sends the game in a different direction. In some cases, a player can win material and even checkmate by way of their In-Between Move. In fact, in this game-- NN vs E Canal, 1935, the In-Between Move gave checkmate. The maxim usually attributed to Emanuel Lasker-- If you see a good move, sit on your hands and look for a better one-- certainly applies to these situations. These games represent excellent examples of 'thinking outside the box' and being open to situations beyond what could be ascertained with medium effort. 'Always bring your best game' was declared by the chess coach in 'Knights of the South Bronx' as well and is relevant in the context of these games. ChessCoachClark (CCC) originated this game collection and he updates it on occasion. This project is a work in progress, culling games from various sources, including several chess training books and personal research. The games are ordered by date (oldest first), not by importance. Be well.
Be safe.
|
|
25 games, 1871-2013 - In-His-Face Mate Examples
|
This game collection is meant to help my students review a simple but interesting mate category, where a piece is placed directly against the other King for checkmate. They may also practice running the mate sequence from the lone King position without consulting the actual game. Afterwards, they could compare their results with Stockfish analysis to see if their solution was close to the move count SF gave. Several games with U14 players are available as well, just not at CG, yet.
In some cases, either or both players are masters now. ChessCoachClark (CCC) originated this game collection in September of 2024 and he updates it on occasion. This project is a work in progress, culling games from various sources, including several chess training books and personal research. The games are ordered by date (oldest first), not by importance. Be well.
Be safe.
|
|
16 games, 1862-2013 - Interesting Pawn Endings
|
A selection of games where Opposition, Outflanking, Passed Pawns, Key Squares, Triangulation, Square of the Pawn and other concepts are demonstrated OTB.
ChessCoachClark (CCC) originated this game collection and he updates it on occasion. This project is a work in progress, culling games from various sources, including several chess training books and personal research. The games are ordered by date (oldest first), not by importance. Be well.
Be safe.
|
|
6 games, 1834-1994 - King Hunt Examples
|
The King Hunt is an almost humorous process of pushing the enemy King far away from its position in the Array. Of course, the most dramatic cases are when the King has been chased to the opposite edge of the board. Mate usually follows quickly, if not concurrently with the final step of the King Hunt itself. So, the King Hunt could be a tactic, a mating process or just chess trivia.
I leave any classification decision up to you.
A game that demonstrates a King Hunt is an excellent way to show the fun and mystery in chess to a young, beginning player-- as a surprise that becomes a memorable experience. It becomes a motivation for learning longer sequences, also. Watching for that glint of a smile that flowers quickly is satisfying for the coach as well. Every time. Oh, yes. THE KING-HUNT (Holt, 1996) -- referenced as KHNC-- is an entire book by GM John Nunn and William Cozens with 55 games. See the game collection for this book by <riws76> at Game Collection: The King Hunt in Chess by Cozens, Nunn., which has 49 of those 55 games. Note that Gusev vs Zhuravliov Gusev vs V Zhuravliov, 1976 was not given in that game collection, but the game is included here. Also, <MorphyMatt> has an excellent game collection on the King Hunt at Game Collection: King hunts with 63 games. 1001 DEADLY CHECKMATES (Gambit, 2011)-- referenced as Nunn-- by GM John Nunn has has 19 relevant games-- a demonstrative game on page 217, then games #733 to #750. These games are in the last part of that book, namely Chapter 14: HUNTING THE KING and all of those games are included in this game collection. ChessCoachClark (CCC) originated this game collection and he updates it on occasion. This project is a work in progress, culling games from various sources, including several chess training books and personal research. The games are ordered by date (oldest first), not by importance. Be well.
Be safe.
|
|
61 games, 1620-2021 - Krabbé-- Ultimate Blunders List
|
Tim Krabbé has prepared a list he titled THE ULTIMATE BLUNDER which consists of 35 games that suffer from resignation while in a winning position. Here are the games found at ChessGames.com, so far, from that list. Note that they are in the order Krabbé gave them (nearly in chronological order for the original list). Obviously, I'm using UBK as a shortcut reference to his article. You may refer to it easily after a browser search for details, even updates, on each game. Hopefully, CG will provide the others Krabbé mentioned, soon. ChessCoachClark (CCC) originated this game collection and he updates it on occasion. This project is a work in progress, culling games from various sources, including several chess training books and personal research. The games are ordered by date (oldest first), not by importance. Be well.
Be safe.
|
|
18 games, 1902-1997
|
Kibitzing
