Chess Tactics for Champions: A step-by-step guide to using tactics and combinations the Polgar way

360 Pages·2006·24.85 MB·English

by  Susan Polgar, Paul Truong

CHESS TACTICS
FOR CHAMPIONS

SUSAN POLGAR «dé PAUL TRUONG
Chess Tactics
for Champions

A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO
USING TACTICS AND COMBINATIONS

hy Susan Polgar and Paul Truong

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anes
New Yor Tarr Landon Syiney Acland

Copyright © 2006 by Zsuzsanna Polgar and Hoainhan Truong

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form
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First ition
Printed in the United States of America
WORTHS ASAT
ISBN-15:978-0.81299671-1

ISBN 10: 0 8199.3671.X
CONTENTS

Foreword by Anatoly Karpov vii
Preface: What Are Tactics in Chess? ix

TACTICAL ELEMENTS TO WIN MATERIAL OR CHECKMATE
1. Forks and Double Attacks 3
2Pins 27
3. Deflection/Remaving the Buard 51
4. Discoveries 75
5. Double Check 89
6.Skewers 103
Z.Trapoing Pieces 117
8.Decoys 1H
9. Intermediate Moves 145
TD. Pawa Promotion 163
The Back-Rank Problem 177
12, Destroying the Castled King’s Defenses 191
King Chase 206
1A. Mixed Checkmates in Two Moves 222
15, Mixed Checkmates in Three Moves 732
16. Mixed Checkmates in Four Moves 242
Contents

TACTICS TD SAVE THE GAME:
7, Game-Saving Combinations 255
18. Perpetual Check 268
19. Stalemate 283

OTHER IDEAS
20.Traps and Countercraps 299
7. Sibling Positions 318
22. Twenty-five Famous Combinations 329
FOREWORD

8 Gandnaster Analy arp
Maré Chamion 175-1985

Jt isa pleasure for me to make a contribution to this important work by
grandmaster and world champion Susan Polgar.

Thanks to the unique method of chess traning Susan and her sisters,
Judith and Sofia, received as children, Susan grew into one of the

world’s most formidable tacticians. Her daily practice on tactical prob
lems sharpened her skill to an extraordinary degree and helped her
reach the pinnacle of chess. Ilere in this book she shares with you what
she has learned.

The hundreds of tactical exercises here range from very simple one-
move checkraates to more difficult mates in foun: Susan also covers such
important topics as trapping pieces, decoys, stalemate combinations, in-
termediate moves, and others. These are not “problems” but practical
situations as are to be found in actnal games. The positions have been
chosen or created to have maximum instructive value. The author
stresses the importance of recognizing patterns, which is the best possi-
ble advice for the player who wishes to see combinations and threats
with greater accuracy.

Every player who aspires to improve bis or her play—and results!—
will benefir greatly from the study of Susen Polgar’s vital book.

vi

PREFACE

What Are Tactics in Chess?

When we talk ahout 4 tactic, we refer to a tool that helps us gain some
kind of advantage. It can lead to material gain oy even ta checkmate. In
this book I will show you many examp
both of those groups: combinations tha:
that lead to checkmate.

Tn some combinations, ¢ player sacrifices a valuable piece oF two
achieve checkmate. In others, player makes a temporary sacrifice to
win material. We will often sec a player create multiple simultaneous
threats, which the oppenent cannot meet all at once. But all the exam-
ples in this boo have one thing in common: one side (usually White)
makesa forcing move, and regardless of Black’s reply, White either wins
matenal or checkmates.

s of the tactical elements in
jvm to win material, and others

I: is usually not a good idea to gamble and set up unsound traps in

the hope that your opponent will fall into them. You should always as

sume that your opponent will find the best possible move, Only then can

you objectively find the sod and correct combinatio»
For example, say you have a choice between:

a) winning a pawn and transposing to a clearly better endgame shat
is kel

y, however, to stretch out to a long game; or
b) making a tricky move where the opponent loses immediately in
all variations, unless he finds the only good move, in which case

you lose