Tactics with Mikhail Tal

This post is a lesson for students of the KLA Chess Club. I would like students to have their own board/pieces when completing the following exercises.

Vocabulary:

Tactics/Tactical play- Being able to maneuver pieces to win material or gain a favorable position.

Positional Play- Having pieces in a position that will allow good tacitcal play, as well as having a strong defense.

Mikhail Tal was the 8th World Chess Champion. He was from Riga, Latvia of the former Soviet Union (USSR). He was known for his amazing tactical play which included some wild sacrifices. Of course, strong tactical play and making sacrifices work cannot happen without strong positional play. Pieces must be developed before attacking

He is highly regarded for his very entertaining style of chess and made moves that many wouldn't even consider.

We will explore some of his amazing tactics with some puzzles. Don't get discouraged if you do not get them right away. This point of this lesson is to open your eyes and mind to what other possibilities there are for attacking.

DIRECTIONS:Play the game below with your board/pieces until White makes his 21'st move. Then, see if you can figure out the puzzle beneath.

Now, figure out the puzzle below:

Some may have gotten White's 21st move, but what about White's 22nd move?