Go back to Tactics Part 1:Intro
Queen:
Qh5: 1.Nf3 f6 2.Nd4 Nh6 3.Nf5 Nxf5 4.Nc3 c6 5.d4 e6 6.h4 Bb4 7.e4 0-0:
 FEN: rnbq1rk1/pp1p2pp/2p1pp2/8/1b1PP2P/2N5/PPP2PP1/R1BQKB1R |
8.Qh5! White threatens to play 9.Qxh7. To stop this blacks play is
forced...8...h6 9.Qf7(+) White has a win next move.
Qh5-d5:
1.e3 Nh6 2.Qh5 g6:
 FEN: rnbqkb1r/pppppp1p/6pn/7Q/8/4P3/PPPP1PPP/RNB1KBNR |
3.Qd5 White is hitting both d7 and f7. Black
cant defend both threats and so is lost.
(similar to the last note the queen often moves to e5 or c5. Although this
doesnt usually win the game it can secure a handy lead in material):
1.e3 d5 2.Qh5 g6 3.Qe5 and 4.Qxc7 will come, unless black allows Qxe7!
Or to c5... 1.Nc3 Nf6 2.e4 Ng4 3.f4 c6 4.h3 Nf2 5.Qh5 g6 6.Nd5 cxd5 (6...Nxe4
7.Qe5 shows the Qh5-e5 trick again) 7.Qc5 d6 8.Qc7 Qxc7 and white has a
large advantage.
The Qh5-c5 trick is not often played as the Qh5-b5-b6
tactic, seen later, is often much stronger.
Qh5-h6: 1.Nf3 f6 2.Nd4 Nh6 3.Nf5 Nxf5 4.Nc3 c6 5.e4 e6 6.d4 Bb4:
 FEN: rnbqk2r/pp1p2pp/2p1pp2/8/1b1PP3/2N5/PPP2PPP/R1BQKB1R |
7.Qh5 g6
8.Qh6 and white will play 9.Qf8(+), or 8...Kd7 9.Qg7(+), and with the queen
invasion the black king will not live long.
Qh4 defence trick: 1.d4 Nh6 2.Bxh6 e6 3.e4 d5 4.Na3 Bxa3:
 FEN: rnbqk2r/ppp2ppp/4p3/3p4/3PP3/8/PPP2PPP/R2QKBNR |
Now it seems that
the path is clear for white to play the Qh5-h6 manoeuvre but black has a
nice defence:
5.Qh5 g6 6.Qh6 Qh4! Black now hits f2 and after white defends
this threat will swap the queens stopping whites attack.
Tactics along weak diagonals: (there are many examples but I think the
following two are the most common diagonals that come under attack)
::h3-c8, or c1-h6 for black: 1.e4 e5 2.Qh5 g6 3.Qh3! White pounces on blacks
early weakening of the h3-c8 diagonal 3...f5 4.exf5 and the queen will
invade with a win.
::a2-g8, or g1-a7 for black: 1.Nh3 h6 2.e4 d5 3.d4 e5 4.c3 dxe4 5.Bb5(+) c6
 FEN: rnbqkbnr/pp3pp1/2p4p/1B2p3/3P4/2P4N/PP3PPP/RNBQK2R |
6.Qb3 black has some pieces that can block but they are quickly blown away
6...Be6 7.dxe5 Qd5 8.Bxc6 Whites queen will invade with the victory.
Qh5-b5-b6: quite a recently discovered tactic and often very strong 1.e3
d6 2.Nc3 c6 3.Nd5 cxd5 4.Qh5 g6 5.Qb5 Nc6 6.Qb6!
 FEN: r1bqkbnr/pp2pp1p/1Qnp2p1/8/8/4P3/PPPP1PPP/R1B1KBNR |
now both 6...axb6 and
6...Qxb6 lose to 7.Bb5(+) and so 6...Qc7 is forced when 7.Qxb7 leaves white
comfortably ahead.
An important point to remember in relation to this trick is that it does not
work if the d8-h4 diagonal has been opened. E.g. 1.Nf3 f6 2.Nc3 c6 3.e3 e6 now white may think he sees a way to play the above tactic.... 4.Ne5 fxe5 5.Nb5 cxb5 6.Qh5 g6 7.Qb5 Nc6 8.Qb6
 FEN: r1bqkbnr/pp1p3p/1Qn1p1p1/8/8/4P3/PPPP1PPP/R1B1KB1R |
but now....
8...Qh4! (8...Qf6 9.f4 axb6
10.Bb5 Kf7 11.f5 is not so good for black)
9.g3 Qb4 10.c3 axb6 and black is better.
Rook:
Combinations involving the rooks are often very different than the other
pieces. While the other pieces often use tactical shots aiming to win
material the rook is most often used for direct attacks on the opposing
king.
Stealing The Draw/Win:
By recognising that by connecting the rook with the opponents king that
you cannot lose, and quite possibly will have a win, is very important with
some combinations: 1.Nf3 f6 2.Nd4 Nh6 3.Nf5 Nxf5 4.Nc3 c6 5.e4 g6 6.d4 d6
7.h4 Bh6 8.Bg5 0-0 9.h5 Na6 10.hxg6 h5:
 FEN: r1bq1rk1/pp2p3/n1pp1p2/7p/3PP3/2N5/PPP2PP1/R2QKB1R |
here if white can open the h-file his
rook will be able to invade and as the black king is short of squares he is
likely to win 11.Qxh5! Re8 (if the rook is left of f8 then 12.Rh8 will win
even faster) 12.Rh8 Kg7 13.Rh7 Kg8 now white can see that he has a draw if
there is nothing better but... 14.Rxe7 leaves white material up.
Another example of this important theme is as follows 1.Nc3 d5 2.Nb5 Na6 3.Nxc7 to
play this with confidence white should be able to see the following
combination...3...Nb4 4.e3! Nxc2 black is up on the material count but the
more important aspect of this position is the open C-file which white aims
to use as quickly as possible.
 FEN: r3kbnr/pp2pppp/8/3p4/8/4P3/PP1P1PPP/R3KBNR |
5.Bb5(+) Kd8 6.Rc1 and followed by a rook
invasion when white should have a win.
An important opening line is based upon a slightly more complex form of
this idea. Look at the position after the following moves: 1.Nf3 f6 2.e3 d5
3.Ng5 fxg5 4.Qh5 g6 5.Qe5 Be6 6.Qxc7 b5:
 FEN: r3kbnr/p3p2p/4b1p1/1p1p4/8/4P3/PPPP1PPP/RNB1KB1R |
now although it is far from clear at
this point black often generates a crushing attack down the f-file after
moves such as Nf6, Bh6 and 0-0. When playing this line black knows that he
can sacrifice ANY amount of material in order to open up the f-file because
as long as he has one rook left to invade with he has at least a draw.
Tactics Part 3:Knight, Bishop, Pawn & King