Most of the world’s best chess players are currently competing in the Paris Grand Chess Tour.
Imagine you can step up to their tables and play for them at critical moments. Would your tactical ability be up to the mark?
Can you find the winning moves in the following positions?
1) Two former world champions have reached a position with a strange pawn structure. How did Anand win a piece?
Viswanathan Anand – Vladimir Kramnik
White to play
2) If you found the tactic for Anand (above) you should be able to find the way to do something similar against him here.
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Viswanathan Anand – Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Black to play
3) Black is a piece up but needs to capture the last white pawn in order to make more progress. The trouble is if he tries to do it with 1 …Rb3, the White king can easily defend the pawn by moving to f2. Can you spot the tactic to help Caruana win the pawn (and eventually, the game) by force?
Levon Aronian – Fabiano Caruana
Black to play
4) Wesley So is two pawns ahead and should win this endgame. However, Caruana can put up a stubborn defence because his king and rook are both active and he has cut off the white king on the first rank, leaving it unable to join the battle. Black is also planning on blocking the passed c-pawn with 1 …Kc6, which will slow down White’s winning plan. Can you find a way to speed up progress for White? After three moves he will have a decisive advantage!
Wesley So – Fabiano Caruana
White to play
Answers later…