Monkey See Tactic, Monkey Play Tactic

 My Russian friends at ICC are among the most rational and concrete thinking guys I have ever known. However, Potoslonam must have been having trouble with family or girlfriend when he egregiously blundered with Knight captures d5 pawn in the following diagrammed position. 

His weak amateurish idea was to pray(I know most Russians are atheist) that Black captures the horse on d5 leaving his f5 Horse en prise. Black now wins easily with Qg1 threatening mates on g3 square and Qh1 mate. The White Queen cannot defend both threats so the Russian disconnected and lost.

Hockey fan Mark Scheig is also a talented chess player and a friend of the affable Russian expert of our beloved Royal Game.

Trading Queens a Losing Blunder in the blitz game

Swedish player Gianky59, a weak 1498 player, after playing better than his low USCF rating, offered a Queen exchange on the e3 square which leads to a LOST King and Pawn ending in the following diagrammed position.

After the exchange on that dark square, Black plays Kf5 to be in attacking range of White's over advanced and vulnerable 3-2 Queenside Majority. Black is easily winning because she can make an outside passed h pawn! 

 

Strong Knight WEAK King

 Some of my old Russian buddies often spoke of a weak opponent King location as a long term positional consideration. I had a hard time with this concept initially, but over the years have learned exactly what these wise Russian School of Chess dudes actually meant.

In the position below, which arose out of a Dutch Defense Staunton Gambit, the country of India player AabhasJindal resigned when he could  not see an adequate way to defend his d pawn.  Chigorin would have rolled twice in his grave mocking the passive and gutless style of a guy who just gives up when his unjustified attack did not work.

The Indian's King is certainly pathetic at g1 blocking in his own Rook at h1 while also being placed on the weak g1-a7 dark diagonal. However, resigning and not playing on suggests a lack of maturity and resolve. He forgot or never learned Andy Soltis' recommendation to make your  opponent win the game as a last line of defense. 

I do understand that experienced Android Developers working as Mobile Engineers do not have as much time for chess and respect that. Life in Udaipur, Rajasthan can be competitive and a man has to feed his family first and then give up time for leisurely pursuits. 

Unstoppable Mate in Four

 CTalin is a tactical beast at the ICC in the USA. I am usually on the receiving end of brutal attacks by this 1857 rated Mikhail Tal fanatic, but today was tactically alert, Larry Christiansen, and was lucky enough to to see a Mate in 4 after the careless Be6 move by Ctalin.

Can you find this mating pattern based on the potentially wide open a1- h8 diagonal and g file? Hint: Look for line opening piece sacrifice where the only way to delay mate involves hanging the Bishop.

Electrical Engineer Mike Peattie has posted some rather dry commentary about sacrificing material at Quora in a way quite common to unimaginative understanding of the concept of material.

f4 pawn move creates enduring tactical theme

 

Double King Pawn openings have a notorious tactical character. Gary Sacco, a talented tactician at the Internet Chess Club based in Pennsylvania United States of America, fell prey to a vicious tactical shot after he played pawn to e5 attacking the Black f6 Horse.

Can you find the move that ignores this pseudo threat? Hint: White irreversibly weakened the DARK g1-a7 diagonal early in this double King Pawn opening. Some book authors refer to the theme as diagonal clearance based on a game ending  absolute pin!!! 

Somewhat related is the short supply of competent Client Data Protection professionals.

Artificial Bank Rank Theme

 Was surprised to discover that Dan Heisman, who took the time to define the nebulous term Accidental Error, would omit the much more substantive definition Artificial Bank Rank. 

That segues us into the following blunder made by ego123, a good blitz player at the internet chess club in Pennsylvania, United States of America. The dude just played the gaffe Nd5 opening the f file for the decisive game ending tactic. 

The artificiality of the back rank mate is made possible by White's g6 Bishop guarding the escape f7 and h7 squares which would normally  be occupied by Black pawns creating a REAL BACK RANK THREAT!!!

IM Bartholomew did an exemplary job of elucidating the perils of not noting the safety of your flight squares. He indicated you can get good at the Royal game by just being air tight on being aware of loose pieces AND understanding the slippery notion of piece communication. D. Gurevich would really go off, especially after a few drinks in Chicago Taverns, about how Gata Kamsky(headcase for a father) understood piece coordination at Carlsonian levels!!!

The solo pianist's views on Zionism

 Jewish chess player Ashcenazy, playing out of Israel, allowed a Mate in six in the following diagrammed position.  My Jewish brother, who has been dealing with religious persecution over his Biblically guaranteed homeland in Palestine, blundered with Qf5 apparently forgetting Rook captures f2 pawn was NOT A CHECK on the White Monarch on the g1 square!!

So after, Qc7 threatening mate at f7 and g7, my acquisitive opponent resigned in this blitz game at the internet chess club based in Pennsylvania.

Don't get me wrong! I fully understand the commentary of John Punnett Peters regarding the details of practically accommodating God's will in the Middle East. Most sensible English speakers in US favor the Jews reoccupying Palestine because it is what our Lord and Savior promised in the Good Book! The country of England has quite a different opinion UNFORTUNATELY!!