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Chess Potpourri

Chess Potpourri

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Are you ready for some advanced tactics?

This module with 100 challenges has something for everyone. FM Craig Mar includes some opening traps, endgames, combinations, and positional challenges. Many of the challenges are at the intermediate level (USCF or Elo ratings between 1200 and 1500) and many are at the expert and master (USCF or Elo rating above 2000) level. Mar chooses positions from many sources including his own games as well as GM's, IM's, and amateurs. Take this tactics challenge today—it has something for everyone!

Here is what will learn:

  • Opening traps!
  • Endgame tactics!
  • Middlegame combinations!
  • Positional challenges

Larsen-Spassky, Belgrade, 1970

This is a problem from a famous game played between two grandmasters.
9 Challenges

Tactics in the Pirc Defense

This common opening trap is well worth learning.
3 Challenges

Opening Trap

Black decides not to lose his queen and tries a different move when the knight checks on g5.
3 Challenges

Sudden Attack

This game was played at a simultaneous exhibition by the Master C. Mar.
3 Challenges

Sudden Attack (variation)

This is a variation which was played in the game. After 1.Nh6+! Black can lose the exchange or he can do what my opponent did. The former move is the better move.
3 Challenges

The Triumph of the Good Bishop

This is a hypothetical bishop endgame which is very common where one side has all its pawns stuck on the same color as its bishop. The side with the "good" bishop has all the winning chances.
3 Challenges

Good Bishop vs. Bad Bishop

Good Bishop vs. Bad Bishop
3 Challenges

Wild Rook on the 7th Rank

This is a hypothetical problem similar to a game I saw between two masters where a strong rook got on the 7th rank.
5 Challenges

Knight and Queen mates

This is a common mate which I have pulled on a few people.
4 Challenges

The classic bishop sacrifice

This common theme occurs quite often in King's pawn and Queen's pawn openings.
6 Challenges

Mar-Shiller, Sunnyvale, California, 1994

This was a rated tournament game played in Sunnyvale.
5 Challenges

Mar-Menetti, Berkeley, California, 1995

This position occurred during an offhand game. Peter Menetti is a master from Santa Rosa, California.
3 Challenges

Mar - Pickler, Falkbeer countergambit, opening trap

This was a "5 minute" game, a fast game played with a chess clock where both players have only five minutes to complete all their moves. Gary Pickler is a USCF master who loves to play speed chess.
9 Challenges

Queen's Gambit opening trap

The Queen's Gambit is as tricky as its name. Black may fall into this deadly trap.
3 Challenges

Mar - Thornley, Sunnyvale, California, l976

In 1976, both John Thornley and I were up and coming experts. A few years later, John died in a tragic auto accident in the Santa Cruz mountains.
6 Challenges

Klimek - Mar, Berkeley, 1974

Peter Klimek was an expert rated 2007, then a highly respected rating, while I was playing my first year in tournaments and rated 1643.
8 Challenges

Seirawan - Frankle, Los Angeles, 1986

This was a decisive last-round game played during the Memorial Day Tournament.
2 Challenges

Stainthorpe - Mar, Berkeley, 1977

This game was played in the Berkeley chess club, and U.S. Chess Federation rated.
6 Challenges

Mar - Pifer, San Jose, California, 1994

Pifer is a USCF expert whom I played in a simultaneous exhibition.
3 Challenges

Biyiasas - Mar, Cal state championship, 1984

This was played in the second round of an all-master round-robin tournament.
6 Challenges

Rey - Mar, 1986 Northern California Championships

G. Rey is an International Master from San Francisco, who fell into a strong attack.
7 Challenges

Mar - Glueck, Bagby Round Robin No. Calif. Ch., 1987

This game was played in the last round of a seven-round tournament.
6 Challenges

Wilson - Mar, Los Angeles, 1981

This was a last-round game at the Memorial Day Tournament.
9 Challenges

Mar - Stainthorpe, Berkeley chess club, 1978

I had just made master in June, 1978, and needed to win to maintain my rating. Stainthorpe was rated 1867 back then.
5 Challenges

Lee - Mar, Berkeley People's Tournament, 1981

This was a rated tournament game between Gene Lee rated 2066 and Mar, rated 2322.
6 Challenges

Mar-Jordy Mont-Reynaud, Berkeley, 1994

This game was played in a Saturday Quad, a three-round-a-day tournament. In 1994, Jordy was just 10, but rated 1st or 2nd in the country for his age group.
4 Challenges

Mar - Lehman, Sunnyvale, California, 1994

This game was played in a 4-round Swiss event in the first round.
5 Challenges

Mar - Lawson, San Mateo, California, 1994

This game was played in the first round of a big tournament.
5 Challenges

Mar - Vickers, Berkeley, 1980

This king and pawn ending came out of a Dutch. Vickers was an expert and I was a master.
6 Challenges

Alburt - Dzindishkashvilli, Lone Pine, 1980

This was a big money last-round game between two great players, Lev Alburt, multi-time U.S. champion and Roman Dzindishkashvilli, the man with the unpronounceable name.
7 Challenges

Dzindzichashvili-Browne, New York, 1984

White has strong pressure on the g file, but is there a mate?
7 Challenges

Pachman - Petrosian, Portoroz Interzonal, 1958

Petrosian was a young grandmaster at this interzonal tournament.
7 Challenges

Petrosian - Tal, Curacao, 1962 Candidates Tournament

The Candidates Tournament was the first step on the road to determining the challenger to the World Champion. Petrosian has Tal in a difficult rook and pawn ending.
5 Challenges

Portisch-Petrosian, Lone Pine, 1978

This was a classic Nimzo-Indian, played in Petrosian style.
7 Challenges

Baroudi - Mar, 1972, Sacramento, California

This was my first tournament game, while Baroudi was the best player in the Sacramento area at that time.
6 Challenges

Spassky - Petrosian, World Championship, 1966

This was a game played between then world champion Tigran Petrosian and challenger Boris Spassky.
2 Challenges

GM Biyiasas - GM Dzindzichashvili, Lone Pine, 1980

At Lone Pine, Dzindzi was red hot, and won clear first. Biyiasas is a California GM who finished in the middle of the field that year.
7 Challenges

Prochaska - Mar, Fremont, California, 1975

This game was played in the first round of a 4-round Swiss system event.
7 Challenges

Prochaska-Mar, Fremont, 1975, conclusion

We have landed in a rook endgame.
8 Challenges

Evans - Tarjan, Santa Monica, 1974

James Tarjan, then just 21, won the American Open with a score of 7.5 out of 8.
6 Challenges

Corbin-Mar, San Jose, California, 1985

This was a sharp king and pawn endgame, played in the San Jose Chess Club.
7 Challenges

Corbin-Mar, San Jose, 1986, club game

White is ahead a pawn, yet Black has a dangerous passed pawn.
4 Challenges

Accelerated Dragon, opening trap

The Accelerated Dragon variation of the Sicilian Defense begins 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 Qa5.
4 Challenges

The White side of the Accelerated Dragon

Gata Kamsky, the 4th best player in the world, played the White side of this opening in his World Championship qualifying match against GM V.Anand.
7 Challenges

The Accelerated Dragon trap

This opening is very tricky. This trap has caught many good club players.
7 Challenges

Play of the King's Indian Defense for Black

This position arises from the moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5! 7.dxe5 dxe5 8.Qxd8 Qxd8 9.Nxe5.
2 Challenges

King's Indian Defense

This is an important variation to learn. White tries to get an extra pawn out of it. Black has a strong in-between tactic in response to that. Excessive greed doesn't pay.
3 Challenges

The Schliemann Variation of the Ruy Lopez for White

This line arises after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5. It livens up the usually dull "Spanish torture."
5 Challenges

Maffeo - Browne, Hayward, 1975

This sharp position arose out of a King's Indian defense, when Browne was then U.S. champion. I also played in this tournament, but in the B section.
4 Challenges

Menas - Mar, San Francisco, 1975

I was then an A player, rated 1801, while Borel Menas was rated about 2050.
8 Challenges

Rey - Mar, Concord, 1995

This position arose in the last round of a tournament, out of a King's Indian.
6 Challenges

Shain - Mar, Concord, California, 1995

This game was played in the third round out of a Budapest opening, 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5. I eventually equalized the game but White got the upper hand after Black made a few inaccuracies.
6 Challenges

Browne - Hort, Wijk Aan Zee, 1975

This game was played in a round-robin format with a small number of grandmasters where everyone plays everyone, in Europe.
5 Challenges

Karpov - R.Byrne, Hastings, 1972

Karpov was then just 21 and unproven, while Byrne was a solid grandmaster.
4 Challenges

Karpov-R.Byrne, Hastings, 1972

This is a possibility that Byrne did not select, but as we shall see, he would have lost even if he had not fallen into the mate.
7 Challenges

Mar - Rubin, LosAngeles, 1986

This game was played in the summer of '86 at a big tournament.
5 Challenges

Kasparov - Karpov, World Championship match, 1985

This was a game played for the world title in a best-of-24 games match.
6 Challenges

Timman-Spassky, Spain, 1982

Spassky's attacking genius is still evident in this sprightly miniature.
5 Challenges

Lasker-Pelikan variation of the Sicilian defense

This is a sharp common defense at all levels. White cannot combat it in "normal" fashion, playing Bc4, Be3, f4, and 0-0-0, as he would against the Dragon,
6 Challenges

Biyiasas - Lobo, San Francisco, 1983

This game was played in the Northern California Championships.
5 Challenges

McCambridge - Biyiasas, No. Calif. Championship, 1983

This position arose out of a Saemisch variation of the King's Indian Defense, and went 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 0-0 6.Bg5, a departure from the normal 6.Be3.
7 Challenges

Biyiasas - Silman, Northern Cal Championship, 1983

This position arose out of the moves 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5, the Rossolimo variation of the Sicilian defense.
7 Challenges

Fritzinger - Mar, Northern Cal Championship, 1983

This strange problem arose out of a classical Ruy Lopez, 1.e4 e4 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Bc5. Black was down a pawn and somewhat desperately just played ...R(f4)xf2?!!,
6 Challenges

R.Anderson - GM Max Dlugy, Las Vegas, 1994

This game was played at the National Open in Las Vegas.
6 Challenges

Cornelius - J.Whitehead, San Francisco, 1980

The opening was an Averbakh King's Indian.
4 Challenges

Portisch - Karpov, San Antonio, Texas, 1972

This game was played in the powerful Grandmaster's tournament at San Antonio. White has sacked an exchange on f6 hoping that the broken king-side pawns will compensate for loss of the exchange.
6 Challenges

Alvarez - Karpov, Skopje Olympiad, 1972

Black is down the exchange, but what an attack he has.
4 Challenges

Mar - Jordy Mont-Reynaud, Sunnyvale, California, 1995

This game was played in the third round of a four-round Swiss System event at the Lockheed plant in Sunnyvale, which is near San Jose.
5 Challenges

Dragon hypothetical

This is a problem I made up, but which could easily occur, from the Dragon variation of the Sicilian, which goes 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6.
5 Challenges

Enright - Biyiasas, Berkeley, 1977

This game took place in a small Swiss system tournament. Peter Biyiasas was then just an International Master. Paul Enright was an expert.
5 Challenges

Mar - R. Anderson, Monterrey, California, 1988

This position arose out of a King's Indian, 4 Pawns Attack.
5 Challenges

Radke-P.Whitehead, Sunnyvale, California, 1976

Harry Radke was then a rated expert as was Paul Whitehead, a rising star who would win the American Open two years later. Both players have since retired from the game to pursue other careers.
3 Challenges

The Lucena Position

The Lucena arises in rook and pawn endings where one side has an extra pawn and the king cut off by the rook. It is quite common so one should know how to win it.
7 Challenges

Belyavsky - Kasparov, Moscow, 1983

This was the first match on the road to the World Title. One has to defeat a number of other title aspirants in elimination style format to qualify as the challenger.
15 Challenges

Tarjan - de Firmian, Los Angeles, 1984

This game won the brilliancy prize at the L.A. Memorial Day Tournament.
4 Challenges

Browne - Dzindzichashvili, U.S. Championship, 1987

This position arose out of the bizarre "Dzindzi-Indian" opening.
6 Challenges

Karpov - Hort, Montreal, 1979

Karpov's favorite type of position, where he can exercise his great technique and calculation ability without risk. White has a large positional advantage in a drawish-looking rook ending.
6 Challenges

Karpov - Hort, 1980

This rook endgame arose out of the positional Caro - Kann opening. Hort was optimistically looking for a draw here. However, I believe the rook ending is probably lost.
7 Challenges

Sicilian exercise

This is a hypothetical problem which I developed when I was an A player to develop my calculating ability.
3 Challenges

Sicilian hypothetical

This is a variant where White, instead of capturing on c3 with the queen, captures with the pawn instead.
5 Challenges

Kudrin - Mar, Philadelphia, 1987

This game was played in the 5th round of the World Open of 1987.
6 Challenges

Mar - Lein, Santa Monica, 1987

This started out as a Benoni declined, with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.Nf3 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e5 5.Nb5 d5 6.cxd5 Bc5 7.N5c3.
5 Challenges

Karpov - Uhlmann, Madrid, 1973

This position arose out of a Tarrasch French, 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5. The Tarrasch variation is characterized by the move 3.Nd2, whereby White avoids the pin normally associated with the move 3.Nc3 Bb4.
6 Challenges

Karpov - Hort, Budapest, 1973

This is a classic good bishop vs. bad bishop endgame, where the side with the "bad" bishop has all its pawns stuck on the same color as the bishop. They are ripe and easy targets.
7 Challenges

Karpov-Mecking, Hastings, 1972

Karpov and Mecking were then young grandmasters under 24. Karpov would be the World Champion just two years later when Fischer refused to play him.
4 Challenges

Karpov - Hort, Bugojno, 1977

This position arose out of the Caro-Kann opening, 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 5.Nf3 Ngf6 6.Nxf6+ Nxf6 7.Ne5 Bf5 8.c3 e6.
7 Challenges

J. Silman - anonymous expert, Sunnyvale, 1977

This is a position I remember from many years ago when Silman and Biyiasas were terrorizing the area, but I can't remember the opponent.
6 Challenges

Short - Tiviakov, Linares, 1995

This is a very tricky knight ending. I've always felt that the knight was not only the most difficult and complex piece to handle, but the most tactical piece, outside of the queen.
7 Challenges

Mar - Vancura, San Jose, 1987

This position arose out of a Queen's Gambit Declined. White had the better game throughout, and Black was forced to put his bishop on what appeared to be a strong outpost.
5 Challenges

Karpov - Taimanov, Moscow, 1972

Karpov was then a young grandmaster and Taimanov was at the height of his powers. This position arose out of a Sicilian, Taimanov variation (what else?!). White had sacked a pawn for a strong attack.
7 Challenges

Hort - Petrosian, Kapfenburg, 1970

This position arose out of a French Defense, Winawer Variation, where White had optimistically given up his knight for Black's rook. Petrosian is a master at playing such positions. Petrosian was the World Champion the year before, but was then at the height of his power.
7 Challenges

King and Pawn hypothetical

This is an endgame nuance I picked up from watching some masters play.
6 Challenges

Wolski - Mar, Concord, California, 1995

This position arose out of a Sicilian Defense, Taimanov variation, after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Bd3 Qc7.
6 Challenges

Saidy - Fischer, U.S. Championship, l963

This was the famous last game, in which Fischer was trying to get a perfect score, 11-0 against a field of grandmasters and international masters.
6 Challenges

Fischer - Addison, U.S. Open, 1957

This game occurred in the next-to-last round at the Open, which was won by 14-year-old Bobby Fischer. It started out as a Caro-Kann opening.
6 Challenges

Petrosian - Spassky, World Championship match, 1966

Petrosian won the match and defended his title, then lost the title match to Spassky in 1969.
4 Challenges

Smyslov - Fischer, Rovinj - Zagreb, 1970

This was labeled the Tournament of Peace, but in fact it was a fighting tournament, with Bobby playing only six draws out of 17 games.
6 Challenges

Fischer - Wade, Vinkovki, 1968

This game started out as a King's Gambit, and turned into a difficult ending with opposite-colored bishops.
6 Challenges

R. Anderson - C. Mar, Sunnyvale, California, 1995

Renard Anderson had the White pieces, while I had Black. This was a Gurgenidze opening, 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.Bg5 c6 5.Qd2 Qa5 6.f4 d5 7.e5 Nh6.
7 Challenges

Yu - Basich, Walnut Creek Action, 1989

National Master Peter Yu is playing White, while master Ron Basich is playing Black. They are both California masters. Black has a powerfully developed game, while White is against the ropes. What's the proper method to finish it off?
4 Challenges

J.Ely - C.Mar, Berkeley, 1974

James Ely, White, was then rated 1840, while I, Black, was rated 1643.This game was contested at the Berkeley Chess Club in 1974.
5 Challenges

T.Stevens - R.Basich , Berkeley Chess Club, 1994

Black sacked a piece to obtain good compensation, an attack and a strong pawn on the 7th rank.
6 Challenges

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