Masking Combinations: The Subtle Art of Hidden Tactics

Dear Chess Friends!

Tactical combinations are more difficult to execute in modern chess than they were previously. Players constantly practice solving tactical puzzles and have become skilled at detecting tactical threats. As a result, it's critical to disguise your objectives, making tactical strikes more difficult for opponents to predict. This unique approach is known as Masking Combinations.

During a recent chess workshop, I delved into this intriguing topic, revealing how the best tacticians effectively hide their true intentions until it's too late for their opponents to react. Here's all you should know about masking combinations and how to use them effectively in your games.

Types of Masking Combinations

1. The Quiet Preparatory Move: These seemingly innocuous maneuvers build important groundwork without revealing your tactical objectives.

• Protecting your king from future checks.
• Position your pieces on safe squares.
• Creating an escape square (or "luft") for your king.
• Subtle coordination between your pieces.
• Pushing a pawn to dislodge an enemy piece from an important square.

2. Lulling Your Opponent to Sleep: Repeating moves or using confusing strategies might give your opponent a false sense of security, prompting them to make careless moves.

• Encourage your opponent to abandon key defensive squares.
• Baiting your opponent's king into a vulnerable position for future forks.

3. Counter-combinations: Giving your opponent what appears to be a favorable tactical opportunity, only to refute it decisively.

• Escape from a supposedly secure pin (e.g., Legall's Mate).
• Unveiling unexpected sacrifices including checks and discovered attacks.
• Allowing your opponent to sacrifice material for a double attack in order to counter-attack effectively.
• Tricking your opponent into promoting pawns simultaneously while concealing a crucial checking move.

These masking combination are common in tactical textbooks, particularly in the context of opening traps, but they also emerge frequently in the games of top-level players throughout the opening, middlegame, and even endgame phases. Mastering masking combinations require precise calculation and tactical awareness, since this powerful method is both effective and dangerous.

Investigate masking combinations further

In my most recent session, I looked at four instructive examples of how to properly disguise your tactical intentions. If you missed the live session, you're in luck—I've uploaded the full recording here:

To further enhance your learning, I’ve shared the PGN file with these critical examples. Study these scenarios, sharpen your calculation skills, and transform subtle threats into winning strikes.

1) Euwe, Max - Alekhine, Alexander

Chess isn't just about what you see—it's often about what you successfully conceal.
Best of luck, and may your tactical ideas remain invisible until they strike!

If you would like to participate in our next event in live, you can register here: https://chesslance.com/masterclass/

Your participation is absolutely free.

FM Viktor Neustroev