Puzzles XVII
Want it or not, here comes puzzles 
Positioning of heavy pieces
Depending on its location, any piece can be categorized as:
1. An active piece - capable of attacking enemy pawns or pieces;
2. A passive piece - defending its own pieces or pawns.
QUEEN
The Queen is the strongest piece. 'Cause at the start of the game it must be developed in such a way that it is in the least vulnerable position for enemy forces. To each debut the variant corresponds to a certain position of the Queen, from which she can best support other pieces.
As the game progresses, the Queen must come out of hiding and join the attack. After all, the shock capabilities of the Queen are most spectacularly realized in the attack. In most cases in in the middle of the game and in the endgame the Queen must be centralized.
Good or bad Queen placement can play decisive role in the struggle.
Consider examples. Particularly effective and spectacular are combinations in which the Queen is sacrificed on the first move. This is confirmed by the following position.
Averbakh - Kotov (1953)
With the Rook sacrifice, White completes the game with an irresistible attack on the king.
Johansson - Rey (1935)
With an elegant sacrifice, Black wins beautifully.
Rhodes - Formanek (1970)
The vulnerable position of the Black`s Queen allows White to move into a winning endgame.
Alekhine - Taylor (1937)
Having won a pawn, Black delayed castling and stuck his Queen in the opponent's camp.
Bronstein - Geller (1955)
Black did not feel the danger of his Queen position, which allowed White to carry out an elegant combination.
Freymann - Rabinovich (1934)
Even strong chess players are subject to the temptation to capture the enemy pawn. In this position, Black believed that he would be saved by the Knight's counterattack.
Reti - Euve (1920)
The position of the Queen should be considered unsuccessful when it blocks the movement of the enemy pawn.
In the following example, this is confirmed by the move of White Rook.
Korchnoi - Szabo (1961)
White, thanks to the passed pawn and the excellent position of his Queen in the center, has a decisive advantage.
Maroczy - Mieses (1908)
The queen is stronger in attack than in defense!
ROOK
The Rook is the second most powerful piece after the Queen. Therefore, the Rooks must be connected to the game immediately after the minor pieces have been brought out and castling has been made.
Rooks are best placed on open and semi-open files.
An open file - a file free of pawns.
A semi-open line - a vertical line where is only an enemy pawn.
On open files, the rooks can invade the seventh or the eighth rank, which usually results in material gains or checkmate.
Consider examples. By invading the Rook on the 7th rank, White achieves decisive advantage.
The White Rook strikes a crushing blow
Bronstein - Korchnoi (1962)
The strength of a Rook on an open file increases when another Rook comes to its aid. This is already a serious positional advantage.
Doubled rooks - Rooks that are on the same line.
In position, the white rooks, literally like a whirlwind, smashed Black's position
Duras - Cohn (1911)
In a number of cases, to strengthen the action of the Rooks doubled on the file, the queen comes to their aid.
In the following example, a dead pin eventually leads Black to Zugzwang.
Alekhine - Nimzowitsch (1930)
It is said that a Rook stands well when it supports its pawns, helping them advance.
In the example, the far advanced white pawn creates checkmate threats to the Black king.
Zinkl - Metger (1897)
It happens that an open or semi-open line first need to be created.
Black opens the file and starts attacking the weak pawn on a2.
Mattison - Nimzowitsch (1929)
It is considered that the Rook is unsuccessfully located when by moving it, player lose right to castle, and also when the Rook runs into its own pawns.
In position, Black is lagging behind in the development of the King side allowed White to crush their last hopes.
Alekhine - Wolf (1922)
The position of the Rook in front of its own pawns may be bad, unless it is connected with a specific plan.
The Black Rook on g6 is obviously uncomfortable being surrounded by White pieces.
Kotov - Keres (1948)
Dangerous may be the position of the Rook, mobility which is limited by enemy pawns.
In the example, the Black Rook is clearly lost.
Alekhine - NN (1933)
Occupy open files with rooks! Invade on the 7th and 8th horizontal!
Exercises:
1. White to move and win
2. White to move and win
3. White to move. Checkmate in 8
4. White to move and win
5. Black to move and win
6. White to move. Checkmate in 3
7. White to move. Checkmate in 5
8. Black to move and win
9. White to move and win
10. White to move and win
11. Black to move and win
12. Black to move and win
