Chess Improvement Secrets for the Busy Player

GM Simon Williams

Question 1.

Black sacrificed material to get this

active position.

How can Black take the initiative?

Question 2.

Whats the typical attacking

pattern that Simon recommends
in this type of position?

Black to play.

1
Question 3.

Can Black accept the Queen

sacrifice?

Question 4.

White to play and win material.

2
Question 5.

Black is attacking on the kingside

but has some problems.

How can White take advantage?

Question 6.

How can Black improve his

position?

3
Question 7.

Which attacking pattern does

Simon recommend in this
position?

White to play.

Question 8.

What is Blacks plan and how can

it be carried out?

4
Question 9.

Identify Blacks worst piece and

find a way to improve its position.

Question 10.

How can Black get at Whites

king?

5
Question 11.

How should White continue?

Question 12.

Black to play and mate in 3.

6
Question 13.

Carlsen gave a masterclass in

beneficial exchanges in this game.

What should White capture: the

Ng6 or the Bd6?

Question 14.

Is 18Bxf4 good?

7
Question 15.

White to play and win.

Question 16.

Which is better in this position, the

bishop or the knight?

Black to play.

8
Question 17.

Whats the best square for the

Nf3?

Question 18.

Whats White plan and what

should they play?

9
Question 19.

White to play and win.

Question 20.

Whats Blacks threat and how can

White defend himself?

10
Question 21.

Black to play and mate in 5 moves.

Question 22.

Black to play and deliver mate.

11
Question 23.

Evaluate this endgame and

suggest a continuation for White.

Question 24.

What should Black play here?

12
Question 25.

Evaluate this endgame and

suggest a continuation for White.

Question 26.

What must Black play in this

position to obtain a draw without
any problems?

13
Question 27.

White to play and win.

Question 28.

Black to play and win.

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 Solutions

1 Black destroyed Whites center with 12c5! 13.dxc5 Nd7, followed by Nxe5 and
Bb7, with a strong attack over the entire board.

2 Black launches an attack with 9Qe8!, followed by Qh5, f4, Bh3 and Nd7-f6-
g4.

3 19Bxh6? loses to 20.gxf7+ Kh8 21.Be5+ Bg7 22.Rxh7+! Nxh7 23.Rh1, and Rxh7#
is unstoppable.

4 17.Bxc6! Qxc6 18.Qe5+ wins the g7 pawn. In the game, Black played 17bxc6, but
after 18.Qe5+ Qxe5 19.Nxe5, Black cant defend both c6 and f7.

5 15.e5! opens the position to take the advantage of Whites lead in development.
Blacks premature attack leads to nothing, as h2 is very well protected.

6 Black has development issues to resolve. So he played 13Bd7, with the idea of
improving the position of the bad bishop via e8 and g6 or h5.

7 11.h4!, followed by Ng5, is a great attacking device.

8 Black should attack on the kingside with the pawn break f4. For that reason, he
played 21Nh8!, to follow with 22.g5.

9 Black played 29Qd8!, with the idea of improving the queen via b8(!)-a7-c5.

10 17h6!! Is a brilliant idea to take full control of the weakened h7-b1 diagonal.
After 18Bh7!, the threat of Qe4(f5 or g6 also work) wins.

11 White is already doomed positionally, so he has to activate all his pieces without
losing time. 16.c5!! Nxc5 17.Rxc5! dxc5 18.Bc4 activates the bishop to take control
of the weakened light squares and prevent kingside castling.

12 22Nb4+! 23.Qxd8 Nc4+ 24.Ke1 Nc2#

13 Both! After 13.Bxg6! hxg6 14.Bxd6! Qxd6 15.Ne5 Black is deprived of his best
minor pieces, has a big problem on e5 and his Bb7 is still locked in.

14 No! Although he doubles Whites pawns, he loses his good bishop and, whats
worse, his bad bishop is soon alone (as the Na5 can be easily taken when he lands
on c4).

15 Black has a big problem on his light squares and this can be exploited with 17.Ne6!
Rc8 18.Qh5+, as now 18Qf7 loses to Nd(e)xc7+, as well as 18g6 19.Nxf6+.

16 After 25b5! the knight is the superior minor piece, as it has a great square on d5,
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 blocking the d4 pawn and keeping it on the same color square as the bishop.

17 12.Ne1, with the idea of Nd3-f4, is a magnificent way to increase the pressure over
the isolated pawn.

18 White has a space advantage on the kingside, so he must advance his pawns there.
But the problem is that the Kf1 will be weakened. Therefore, before advancing,
White moves his king to a more secure square: b1! So, White played 34.Ke1!!

19 18.Bh6!! is a move to remember. After 18gxh6 19.Qd2 f5 20.exf6 Bd8 21.Qxh6

Ra7 22.Ng5 White has a winning attack as the f7+ threat is impossible to stop.

20 Black wins on the spot with Qh1+!, Nh2+ and Rg1#. So White can only play
30.Qg8+! Kxg8 31.Nce7+ Kh7 32.Nxg6, as he has lot of pieces for the queen. In
any case, Blacks attack is still very dangerous.

21 23Bxg2+! 24.Kxg2 Qh3+!! 25.Kxh3 Ng5+ 26.Kg2 Nh4 27.Kh1 g2#

22 19Nxh3+! 20.Bxh3 Qxh3! 21.gxh3 Rg5+ and mate.

23 50.Ke5! g6 51.Nd5 gives White an active position and, at least, clear compensation
for the two pawns.

24 Black is a pawn up in the endgame, so he must play for the victory. If that is your
aim, dont exchange pawns! Black must play 49a5, with a clear advantage.

25 White has a big advantage as he has the more active king. With 27.Ke4!, followed
by Ke5 and Kf6 (or Kd6) White is close to winning.

26 39h5! Is a must! In the game, Black played 39Rc4?, and after 40.g4! White
squeezes Blacks pawns and later won a nice game.

27 60.Kc4! and Black is in zugzwang! If 60Kh6, then 61.Rh8+ and b8Q. So, Black
must move the rook. But after 60Rb1 61.h6! gxh6 62.f6 Black cant prevent both
White pawns from promoting.

28 12Nxe3!! 13.Kxe3 Bc5+ 14.Kf3 Qd7! and White is mated. He cant stop both
Qc6+ and Bg4.

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