#TacticsMadness Winners

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Tactics Madness Contest
Table of Contents

The Chessable Tactics Madness Contest results are finally in! Chessable would like to thank all users that submitted their tactics. So many cool tactics were submitted, we had a really tough time choosing the best of the best!

Winners may claim their prize by sending an email to [email protected], including their Chessable user name, which tactic was theirs, and which course they would like to receive as a prize.

Available course prizes are:

  1. The Woodpecker Method
  2. Checkmate Patterns Manual
  3. Tournament Ready: Tactics
  4. The Best Chess Moves of All Time
  5. Brutal Chess Tactics

And without further ado, here are the winning tactics:

From users’ own games

In this category, users submitted tactics that arose in games they played themselves. Let’s take a look at the top five submissions we received.

@PanFlap

1…Qxd2

1…Qxe5 is another option, but it leads to a beautiful checkmate.

2.Bxh7+ Kf8 3.Rf3+ Ke8 4.Bg6+ Kd7 5.Kf7+ Kxd6

If Black’s king tries to run to the other side, it won’t change anything:

5…Kc6 6.Rc1+ Kb5 7.Bd3+ Ka4

8.Qc2+ a nice maneuver, Ka5

9.Qc5+ Ka4

10.Qa3#

6.Qb4+ Kc6 7.Rc1+ Qc3 8.Rxc3#. Checkmate Again

2.Bxh7+

White doesn’t need the Queen to win this game!

2…Kf8

2…Kh8

3.Ng6#

3.Rf3+ Ke8 4.Bg6#

@pune64

1…g4+ 2.Kf4

The only move.

2…Re4+ 3.Kxf5

Once again this is the only move. The following sequence is an obstinate chase of the White king!

3…Re5+ 4.Kf6 Re6+ 5.Kf7 Re7+ 6.Kf8 Re8+ 7. Kf7 Rf8+ 8.Kxf8

White could keep running away through the open field of course, but here is a shorter version for instruction. A nice resource to claim half a point by self-stalemate!

1/2/-/1/2

@Stanislav Glavchev

1…Rxd6!

Removing the piece that defended e5.

2.cxd6 Be5!

The Bishop comes in very strongly to add pressure to h2.

3. dxe5??

In the game White played 3.Qa2? and lost after 3…Nxe4 Bh2+ 4.Nxh2+;

Better was Qxh2+ 5.Kf1 Rxe4∞ with unclear play ahead.

3…Nxe5

Dangerously aiming at f3 to deliver checkmate.

4. Nh2

Only move to protect the very weak f3-square.

4…Nf3+-+

And Black is winning after the forced sequence 5.Nxf3 exf3 6.Qxf7+ with futile attempts Kxf7 7.Rxb7+ Ke6 8.Re7+ Rxe7 9.e4 Qg2#.

@silverwildflower8

15…Rxe1+ 16.Kxe1 Re8+

Now if White goes back to d1, Black would take on f2.

17.Be2 Rxe2+

Second exchange sacrifice!

18.Kxe2 d3+

This is the idea behind the previous moves.

19.Ke1

19.Kd1 is not better than the mainline.

19…dxc2+ 20.Kd2 Qxf2+ 21.Kc3 Bb4#

19…Qxf2+ Game over.

20.Kd1 Qe2#

White’s King was unable to run.

@BanhGiaHuy

Winning Tactic Tactics Madness User Games

1.Ne6+! Bxe6

If …fxe6 2.Qg6+, and White can mop up the kingside pawns, eventually creating a passed pawn.

2.Rxe6!

A rook sacrifice! So that after …fxe6, Qg6+ and White has the initiative!

Outstanding!

Tactics from Master Games

In addition to the tactics from users’ own games, users submitted their favorite tactics from Master Games. Let’s take a look at the top five submissions.

Planinc – Marangunic

This tactic is from a game between Albin Planinc and Srdjan Marangunic from the 1969 Yugoslav Championship This tactic was submitted via Twitter by @Jimovskytwenty3.

1.Qxg6!!

A move that forces the sequence for both players.

1…Hxg6 2.Rxg6 Nh6

A sorrowful attempt to hold on to the rook avalanche.

2…Kh7 3.exf5 Nh6 4.Rxh5 b4 5.hxh6#

3.Rxh5 Rf7

Only move to block the incoming downfall of Black’s knight.

4.Rgxh6+ Kg7 5.Rh7+ Kg8

The following variations illustrate the depth and beauty of Planinc’s remarkable concept:

5…Kg6? 6.exf5+ Kf6 7.R7h6+ Kg7 8.Rg6+ Kf8 9.Rh8#

6.exf5+ Kf6 7.R7h6+ Ke5 8.Re6+ Kf4 9.Re4#

6.exf5+ Rxf5 7.Bd3!! Qf8 8.f4!

6.Rh8+ Kg7 7.R5h7+

Weakening the king further before taking the opposing queen!

7…Kg6 8.exf5+ Rxf5 9.Rxd8 Rxd8 10.Bd3

10…Rxe7 is a little more accurate, but the “simple pin is an elegant coup de grâce to crown a truly grandiose combination’.

1-0

Polgar Sisters – McRoberts

This is a quite interesting submission, as it was submitted by @HollyMcRoberts herself via Twitter!

This position occurred from a game from the Triplex Simul in Las Vegas, 2005, by the Polgar Sisters with White against Holly McRoberts. Why couldn’t Black take the Knight?

1…Kxe7 2.Rd7+ Kf8

Of course 2…Ke8 loses the bishop to 3.Rxg7.

3.e7+ Ke8 4.Rd8+

Trying to bust the e-file wide open!

4…Rxd8 5.exd8=Q+ Kxd8 6.Rd1+

Bringing the rook onto the open file with a quick checkmate to follow.

6…Kc8 7.Qe8+ Qd8

Sad only move.

8.Qxd8#

And checkmate. In the game, Holly played …Kf8, having correctly assessed the danger. Kudos, Holly!

Tal – Feuerstein

This tactic is from a game between the Magician from Riga, himself, Mikhail Tal, and William Arthur Feuerstein, submitted by @zajecia_szachowe. What list of best tactics would be complete without a tactic featuring Tal?

1.gxf6!!

Disregarding the check on d1 for the pawn is reaching the eighth rank with interest.

1…Rxd1+ 2.Nxd1!!

If Black takes, Tal still has a tempo to take the Bishop!

2…Qxd2 3.fxg7

Very pretty Zwischenzüge! White will recover their Queen and then have a tempo on the opposing one.

3…Be6

Making luft for the King when the pawn finally revives its Queen.

4.g8=Q+! Kd7 5.Qxc8+!

With check! Another tempo, and White will take back on d2 up two pieces. Pure Rigan Magic!

5…Kxc8 6.Bxd2

After the inclusion of three intermediate moves, Tal emerges after a fantastic combination up a bishop and a knight.

Olafsson – Levitt

Our runner-up award for the Master Category tactic was submitted by @ChessGeek2.

This is from a lesser-known game that features a surprising blow.

1.Rxe6! Fxe6 2.Ng5! h6

And although a less climactic ending, White did go comfortably on to win with

If 2…Bxg2 3.Qxe6+ dxe6 4.Rxd8#

Checkmate!

3.Nxe4

With much more active pieces and easier play.

Ildiko – Chiburdanidze

The last tactic featured in our Master Category is from Ildiko, Madi vs Maia Chiburdanidze (2000), submitted by AdrianoNunesFX.

22…Qxc3!

Taking advantage of White’s back-rank

23.bxc3

There is another possibility here, but Black is also winning after:

23.Bxd8 Qf3, threatening checkmate again.

23…Rd1+ 24.Kb2 Bc1+

Now White’s king can’t run to h3 and it is forced to come back to the first-rank.

25.Kb1 Ba3+

Game over.

26. Rxd1 Rxd1#

Beautiful checkmate.

That wraps up our Tactics Madness Contest. There were some excellent tactics submitted, both from users’ games as well as from masters’ games. To check out the other tactics and honorable mentions, head over to the Tactics Madness Course. Well done to all those who participated!

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