There are tactics, and then there are tactics.
Sure, a nice discovered attack or smothered mate is always enjoyable. But what we really live for as chess players are those off-the-wall combinations – those tactics that make your jaw drop and leave you with no words except “Nooooo way!”
Something like this beauty by World Champion Magnus Carlsen. It’s White to play – see if you can find how Magnus saved both his queen and rook in glorious style:
Drumroll please…
Here, Carlsen played 1.Qf5!!
Now Black’s rook and queen are attacked, and if Black plays 1…Qxf5, White has 2. Rxb8+ with mate to follow shortly! Black will lose a queen, a rook, or the game no matter what.
So, inspired by tactics like this one, this week we’re honoring the great tacticians of the chess world – pro and amateur alike – for their most magnificent triumphs.
How to Participate
Now through Friday, March 18, you can share epic tactics for a chance to win an epic prize.
Here’s how it works: just share a picture of the starting position of an incredible tactic – either from your own game or a master game – on social media @chessable with the hashtag #TacticsMadness, with the moves of that tactic. For example:
@JoeChessPlayer
@chessable Check out this insane tactic by Tal! White played 1.Nd5! cxd5 2.Qd5+ Nf7 3.Qxa8 Bc6 4.Bb6!! #TacticsMadness
Prizes
At the end of the week, we’ll select the five coolest tactics people submitted in two categories:
- Tactics from your own original game
- Tactics from master games
The five winners of each category will get a free Chessable course, plus have their tactic featured in a special Chessable course which will be free to all users! (we’ll be featuring some of the best submissions as we get them too – even if they are not chosen as winners).
Winners can choose from the following list of prizes:
- The Woodpecker Method
- Checkmate Patterns Manual
- Tournament Ready: Tactics
- The Best Chess Moves of All Time
- Brutal Chess Tactics
Other Contest Rules and Notes
- Participants must be Chessable members to claim their prize
- No cheating! Please don’t try to pass off a master tactic as your own, or steal tactics from other people’s games if you are entering a tactic for the first category
- Submissions will only be accepted from Sunday, March 13 to Friday, March 18.
- No more than one submission for each category will be considered
- Winning tactics will be decided by the end of March and featured in a future Chessable blog post. Prizes will be distributed shortly after.