Tactic 0151

[Event "ICC Blitz"]
[White "Lorets"]
[Black "jbennett"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "JB"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/3r2b1/pNP3p1/8/K3k3/P7/8 w - - 0 47"]

{White to move, black just played Rxd6. }
{Second best is cxd6 (-2.04), best is Nxd6 (0.0) }
1. Nxd6 Bh5
2. c6 {The point: after cxd6, the bishop can stop the pawn easily. }
2... Bg4
3. c7 Be6
4. c8Q Bxc8
5. Nxc8 g4
6. Ne7
*

Tactic 0150

[Event "ICC Blitz"]
[White "jbennett"]
[Black "ThePawnSnatcher"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "JB"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4r1k1/pp3ppp/6b1/2b5/2Pp2P1/3P1QBP/PP3PK1/RN2q3 b - - 0 19"]

{Black to move, white just played c4. }
{Second best is Re6 (-2.63), best is Qc1 (-3.98) }
1... Qc1! {The b2 pawn can't be defended, and then the rook is trapped. }
2. Bf4 Qxb2
3. Nd2 Qxa1
4. Nb3 Qxa2
5. Nxc5 {White manages to get some material back. }
5... b6
*

Tactic 0149

[Event "13th Melody Amber Rapid"]
[Site "Monte Carlo MNC"]
[Date "2004.03.26"]
[EventDate "2004.03.20"]
[Round "6"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Loek Van Wely"]
[Black "Alexander Morozevich"]
[ECO "D09"]
[WhiteElo "2617"]
[BlackElo "2732"]
[Annotator "JB"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5r1k/2p1q1p1/1r5p/1PRnNb2/1n1pNP2/Q5P1/6BP/4R1K1 b - f3 0 29"]
{Black to move, white just played f4. }
{Second best is Bxe4 (0.22), best is Nc2 (-2.17) }
1... Nc2
2. Qb2 {Rxc2 is no good, because the rook is pinned. }
2... Nxe1
3. Rxd5 Nxg2
4. Qxg2 c5
5. Nxc5 Rxb5
*

Tactic 0148

[Event "ICC Blitz"]
[White "tjh54"]
[Black "jbennett"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "JB"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5r1k/p3Qpqp/3p1N2/8/2rn4/8/PPP3PP/R3R2K b - - 0 22"]

{Black to move, white just played Nf6. }
{Second best is Nf5 (0.21) or Nxc2 (0.23), best is Rxc2 (-0.89) }
1... Rxc2 {Threatens Qxg2#. }
2. Qxf8+ Qxf8
3. Re8 {Pinning the queen. }
3... Qxe8
4. Nxe8 d5
5. Nf6 Rxb2
6. Nxd5 Nc2
7. Rf1 Rxa2
*

Tactic 0147

[Event "ICC Blitz"]
[White "bonden"]
[Black "jbennett"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "JB"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3r1rk1/p1q1p1bp/1p3pp1/2p1n3/3PN3/2P1P1P1/PP4KP/1R1QNR2 b - - 0 18"]

{Black to move, white just played d4. }
{Third best is Bh6 (-1.87), best is Qc6 (-4.57), or Qb7 (-3.20) }
1... Qc6
2. Qc2 Ng4 {Threatens to fork the king and queen. }
3. Rf3 Bh6
4. Kg1 Nxe3
5. Qd3 c4 {And white can't defend the knight any more. }
*

Tactic 0146

[Event "13th Melody Amber Rapid"]
[Site "Monte Carlo MNC"]
[Date "2004.03.26"]
[EventDate "2004.03.20"]
[Round "6"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Loek Van Wely"]
[Black "Alexander Morozevich"]
[ECO "D09"]
[WhiteElo "2617"]
[BlackElo "2732"]
[Annotator "JB"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2b2r1k/2p2qp1/1rn4p/2Rn4/1P1p4/Q4NP1/3N1PBP/4R1K1 w - - 0 26"]

{White to move, black just played Nd5. }
{Second best is b5 (0.88), best is Rxd5 (1.73) }
1. Rxd5 {Better than b5, which was played in the game. }
1... Qxd5
2. b5 {The point: double attack on the knight and the rook on f8. }
2... Kg8
3. Bf1 {Threatening to pin and win the queen. }
3... d3
4. bxc6 Rxc6
5. Qxd3 Qxd3
6. Bxd3
*

Tactic 0145

[Event "ICC Blitz"]
[White "jbennett"]
[Black "Vallejo"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "JB"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3r2k1/p1P2pp1/4p2p/1R2P3/P1R5/5K2/7r/8 b - - 0 39"]

{Black to move, white just played Kf3. }
{Second best is Rdd2 (6.25), best is Rd3+ (-3.86) }
1... Rd3+
2. Ke4 {If Kf4, then Rh4 is mate. }
{If Kg4, then g5 leads to mate. }
2... Rhh3
3. c8Q+ Kh7
4. Qc5 Rdg3
5. Qf2 Rg4+
6. Qf4 Rxf4+
7. Kxf4 Rh4+
8. Kg3 Rxc4
*

Tactic 0144

[Event "ICC Blitz"]
[White "elcapa"]
[Black "jbennett"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "JB"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r1b2rkb/pp1q3p/6pP/3nppB1/2BpN3/P2P4/1PP2PP1/R2Q1RK1 w - f6 0 17"]

{White to move, black just played f5. }
{There are two good moves in this position. }
{Second best is Nc5 (1.95), best is Qf3 (3.34) }
1. Qf3 {Nc5 is also interesting: }
(1. Nc5 Qc6
2. Qf3 Qxc5
3. Qxd5+ Qxd5
4. Bxd5+ Rf7 {Only legal move, since the king can't move. }
)
1... fxe4
2. Qxe4 {Increasing pressure on the pinned knight. }
2... Rf7
3. Qxd5 Qxd5
4. Bxd5 Bf5
5. f4 Re8
6. Bxf7+ Kxf7
7. fxe5
*

Tactic 0143

[Event "ICC Blitz"]
[White "jbennett"]
[Black "julioedisonmc"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "JB"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/4k2P/8/8/1R6/1P1r4/1KP4r/8 w - - 0 50"]
{White to move, black just played Rxd3. }
{Second best is Re4+ (0.16), best is h8Q (1.23). }
{Of course, h8R is just as good as h8Q. }
1. h8Q Rxb3+ {If Rxh8, then the rook on d3 is lost anyway. }
2. Kxb3 Rxh8
3. Rd4
*

Tactic 0142

[Event "ICC Blitz"]
[White "laSelvaBeach"]
[Black "jbennett"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "JB"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/Qpk3pp/2b2p2/2Pp1qn1/8/B7/P4PPP/4R1K1 b - - 0 32"]
{Black to move, white just played Qxa7. }
{Second best is d4 (0.00), best is Nh3+ (-0.77) }
1... Nh3+
2. gxh3 Qg6+
3. Kf1 Bb5+
4. Re2 Qb1+
5. Kg2 Bxe2
6. Qb6+ Qxb6
7. cxb6+ Kxb6
*