Tactics

I'll post puzzles here. Anyone can post here as well.

White to play and win (Position can also be solved from black perspective, but this is a harder task. A good challenge!)

White to move and win.

This one can be solved for either side to play and win! It showcases the dynamism of opposite color bishop middlegames. Both of these solutions are very important and happen in practical games so they should be added to one's memory bank of tactical motifs :)

This position has a forced mate for both sides. Both mating patterns are very practical and good to commit to memory. The pattern for white to move is known as the arabian mate (I think). The pattern for black to move is referred to as Boden's mate. They both involve a theme of deflection/removal of the defender. 

This one can be solved for white to move and win and for black to move and win. It is quite symmetrical. Theme: Remove the defender.

I'm reviving this tactics forum with a concentration on mating patterns. Black to play, mate in 5 (with best defense from White). 

For the first one, Bxg6 and I don’t see how you can defend mate

For the first one there's a forced mate in 2. If Bxg6, Black has a very strong reply with 1...Qa4+!! and Black mates first.