Panda Tactics

 2026 Daily Chess Championship - Round 1 

Good morning chess players!

As in the previous year, I started the Daily Chess Championship 2026 on a high note, winning all my games in the first round. This year’s tournament brought a mix of challenging and interesting moments, and I’m glad to share some of the most valuable tactics from my games.

I have presented these tactics as a series of 9 puzzles for you to solve.

9 Tips How to Solve Chess Puzzles:

1. Look at the board carefully
   Look at all the pieces. Do not move yet. Just look.

2. Who is to move?
   Check if it is White or Black to move. This is very important.

3. Find the king
   Where is the enemy king? Is it in danger?

4. Check first
   Ask yourself: Can I give check?
   Checks are often the best moves.

5. Look for captures
   Can you take an enemy piece?
   Free pieces are good targets.

6. Think about threats
   After your move, what will you attack next?

7. Watch for tricks
   Be careful: does the opponent have a check or capture after your move?

8. Find the best move, not a fast move
   Take your time. The best move is often not the first idea.

9. Play the move and check again
   After you choose a move, look again:
   Is your king safe? Did you miss something?

Let's focus on the chess board.

Remember the above 9 rules when solving the puzzles!

Let's go back to the last puzzle. Looks like new line in Orangutan Gambit.

In my previous blog:

https://www.chess.com/blog/tsubasaozora/orangutan-gambit

But in one game in this tournament I had really great Orangutan Gambit line .

A very unusual concept. Black sacrifices their bishop as early as move six, all in order to prevent castling and to draw the white king slightly toward the center. Moreover, the only active black piece at this stage is the queen, which effectively controls a large part of the board. Only a bit later do the remaining black pieces enter the game. I had many problems finding an effective defense against such a sacrifice.

6… Bd2 — this bishop sacrifice can confidently be called the Orangutan Counter-Gambit.

So let's look at this clever sacrifice performed by my oponent. 

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Now I am waiting for round 2. 

Final Standings:

If you prefer you can watch it also on YouTube videos :

That’s all the puzzles and games I’ve prepared for you based on my best games from round 1.  
If you solved them all — congratulations! You’ve earned a spot on the podium and a virtual medal.
If not, no worries — it’s all part of the training. Every mistake is a step forward.
Go back, review the positions, and try again.
Even strong players blunder sometimes  — what matters is learning from it.