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TomTom's Tactics

TomTom's Tactics

Only Chess

Clock
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I was walking down the sidewalk this morning when I ran across this complete numpty. He had his gate open blocking the pathway with his dead care blocking the street.

I was going to give him a good tongue lashing when he said, "Oh good morning eh? He was sure going to get it then when I said, "Hey hows it going? you need some help?"

WHAT??? Did that really come out of my mouth? Yes and the more unbelievable aspect is that I actually helped him push his car.

I might as well cut off my scrotum and use it as a dunce cap.

Anyway today's patterns.



and




Thats a nifty little mate if I do say so myself.

Now the position in question.




If the first thing that you see is that your bishop on b3 is under attack then SHAME ON YOU! The first thing you should see is the fantasy pattern I just showed you!

Just imagine the black pawns on the h file suddenly disappearing and walla!



To make the pawns disappear with a rook sac on h7 should lead you to two candidate moves 1.Rxh5 and 1.0-0-0... isn't that amazing? Two moves that you might never have considered are now your candidates!

Now before we start calculating we we start counting. It takes two moves to play 0-0-0 and Rxh5. What can black do in two moves? Well he can take your bishop and a pawn threatening to queen but is that so dangerous? Lets see...



In the end when he had to interpose with his bishop... what if he had another piece defending h6? Then this sacrifice wouldn't work. This begs the question.. Can he get a piece to defend that square? If so which piece and which square? In this case the answer is yes he can get the knight to the f5 square via d6... well ok can he get a piece to the defense of the h7 square which would be even better? No! Awesome!



Is this black's best defense? What if you played 1.Rxh5 first is it any different? Well, my friend these are questions for you to answer for yourself. 😉

Clock
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Very slick.

Clock
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Originally posted by EinZweiDrei
Very slick.
Thanks. Im trying to make a blog on here.

Clock
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In your last example, why not 3. ... Nxe7 instead of Qg1?

if the refutation for this is not even worth discussing, I apologize in advance for my blindness.

-Jenn

Clock
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If 3...Nxe7 instead of 3...Qg1+

We would wanna check all checks.

And we would then discover 4.Rxh7+ Kh8 5.Rxg7+ Kxg7 6.Qh6+ Kg8 7.Qh7#

Clock
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And why not 1... Nf6? This protects h7 and the pawn capture is not a solution for the same reason. Probably the timing is wrong, but I don't have a chess set with me to verify this.

Clock
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Awesome post TT. This is how tactics should be taught. Would be great to see a
regular blog!

Tvo, if 1...Nf6 then the simple pawn capture is winning as the g7 bishop is en prise (so no time lost).

Clock
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Originally posted by Elmyr
Awesome post TT. This is how tactics should be taught. Would be great to see a
regular blog!

Tvo, if 1...Nf6 then the simple pawn capture is winning as the g7 bishop is en prise (so no time lost).
Thanks. Hopefully I can continue to improve my chess and blogging abilities at the same time.

Clock
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Originally posted by Elmyr
Awesome post TT. This is how tactics should be taught. Would be great to see a
regular blog!

Tvo, if 1...Nf6 then the simple pawn capture is winning as the g7 bishop is en prise (so no time lost).
On future threads I might also show a few positions with similar patterns show the tactics and then alert the reader to the positional similarities that lead to such tactics.

Clock
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Hi TT.

Just adding a footnote.

The Mating Patern:


Is called Anastasia's Mate. Anastasia was the heroine of a book
written in the early 1800's in which this pattern appeared.
(though according to Hooper and Whyld it was another position that
the author called Anastasia's Mate. Chess is full of such riddles.)

It is seen in all it's beauty in a trap lurking in the Open Ruy Lopez.
Here is an OTB example.

Berryman - Straat, Hastings 1919



Quite a few examples on RHP.
Here is one with White and one with Black.

zzyw - pontodeluz RHP 2008



foomip - Scobie RHP 2008

Clock
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Originally posted by Jenn1482
In your last example, why not 3. ... Nxe7 instead of Qg1?

if the refutation for this is not even worth discussing, I apologize in advance for my blindness.

-Jenn

Clock
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Originally posted by greenpawn34
Hi TT.

Just adding a footnote.

The Mating Patern:

[fen]5r2/4Nppk/8/7R/8/8/8/8 b - - 0 1[/fen]
Is called Anastasia's Mate. Anastasia was the heroine of a book
written in the early 1800's in which this pattern appeared.
(though according to Hooper and Whyld it was another position that
the author called Anastasia's Mate. Chess is full of suc ...[text shortened]... 0 1"]
1... Qf4 {Black has seen it. White has missed it.} 2. Nd3 Qxh2+ 3. Kxh2 Rh4[/pgn]
Thanks for the input GP. Do you think it would be a good idea if I tried to put a name to all the patterns I show? I thought about that but I didn't know how helpful it would actually be.

Clock
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Naming the mates actually helps you recall and discuss them.

"Last night I had that mate where you sac a Queen and mate
the smothered King with a Knight."

'Phildors Legacy'.

Legal's mate, the Dovetail, the Epaulette....

It's why openings have names.

"What opening do you play?"

"1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6."

Easier to say the Najdorf.

Also good to give a piece of chess history, remember the three 'I's.
Inform, Instruct...I cannot remember the last one. 😉

(Interesting, Infectious...Idiots.)

Clock
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Originally posted by greenpawn34
Naming the mates actually helps you recall and discuss them.

"Last night I had that mate where you sac a Queen and mate
the smothered King with a Knight."

'Phildors Legacy'.

Legal's mate, the Dovetail, the Epaulette....

It's why openings have names.

"What opening do you play?"

"1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6."

...[text shortened]... Instruct...I cannot remember the last one. 😉

(Interesting, Infectious...Idiots.)
I actually tested this out on myself and others. Remembering the name didn't help my performance at all(probably why I didn't think of doing this) but it helped other unamed specimen a ton more than I had reckon'd on. Thanks for this piece of advice even though this is only half post and half bump. 😛

Clock
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If I remember correctly, "How to Beat Your Dad at Chess" by Murray Chandler has a rather large collection of named mating patterns. Not a bad book to look into.

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