Muzio5's chess course #2 - Skewers

Here are a couple more easy tactics. Although they are extremely easy to get, paticulaly when set up as a puzzle, they form the basis of combinations.

1.

Most chess players should be able to get this instantly.  But would they see it quite so quickly in a game situation? It is easy to find the win when it is set up as a puzzle, but these things are overlooked every day.

Here is exactly the same puzzle as above - just with a deflection sacrifice thrown in. This makes it slightly harder, but if you know about both deflection sacrifices and skewers, you should get it instantly.

This is different, as this time the king is skewered to a square (h8). You need to remember that you can skewer and pin pieces to squares, as well as other pieces.

Finally, one puzzle.

This is easy if you know your skewer theme - and also the sacrificing for stalemate or a drawn position. I will continue this next time!