Opening/Middlegame Tactics by ProgramFOX

Welcome! This study presents several tactics in atomic chess openings and mid-games. All tactics work for both white and black.

The Qd5 fork (Qd4 fork for black) is a common tactic in the opening. When your opponent neglects pushing pawns, you might be able to use this tactic.

This position occurs after 1. Nf3 f6 2. e3 c6, but something similar might occur in other lines. The idea is to get the queen on Qe5, where there is a fork between a king explosion and a material advantage.

This is a tactic that you'll come across when your opponent's knight is put on h6 (or h3) and the f-pawn is gone. It leads to material advantage or a win.

Here, white wins the knight. However, if the e-pawn isn't pushed, the capture isn't possible and white wins the game.

This is a tactic that you can use when your opponent's knight is on h6 (or h3), their f-pawn is gone, and your d-pawn is pushed so your bishop can move freely (their queen will be lost).

In this example, black has no way out and loses the game. In similar positions, their e-pawn might be pushed which means that they aren't immediately dead, but they will have material disadvantage: they will lose their queen.

In this position, the c-pawn is meant to protect against Nb5. However there is a weakness in this position, that you can exploit by putting the knight on b5. (A similar position might happen on the g-file too)

This bishop move is very strong. Black's only way to block the check is with Nc6.

However, the e-pawn was attacking the d-pawn, adjacent to the knight. Capturing this d-pawn resulted in the removal of the knight. Black can't block the check anymore.

In most cases, you'll be able to finish the game soon here, using your bishops or your queen.

This is a tactic that occurs when your opponent's kingside is "empty" (no knight and bishop), the h-pawn and the g-pawn aren't pushed, and the opponent's queen cannot get to h4 (h5 in case of black) or if it can, it should be captured (I'll explain the reason for that last point later.)

Black's only way to not give white a mate in one, is by pushing g6.

Because there's no knight and no bishop, h6 is undefended. Checkmate is unavoidable. And here is the reason why Qh4 should not be viable for black: if white can't get rid of the black queen in one move, black could exchange the queens and the danger would be done.

Thanks, but could yo upset some more advanced stuff?