Getting in shape

Or at least thinking about it. I'm being coaxed back into tournament chess after a six and a half year (and counting) absence. Not sure if I'll jump back into the deep end soon or not, but anticipating that I might I've decided I should perhaps work on my game a little. ('A little' is about all I ever really work on my game.) This means it's time to start working on my tactics, so out come the puzzle books! Additionally, I've been looking through copies of recent Chess Life magazines and studying the problems therein.

The early results have not been encouraging: even when I'm getting the correct answers I'm often missing something in the solution.  Nuance matters! (See my earlier post, for example, though in that one I did find the nuance. Well, I found the problem with the solution - my favorite silicon monster found the solution. Still, half-credit is better than none!)

So it's been a slog. The work, if I stick with it, will pay off, but what discouraging early returns! One of the problems that made me shake my head in annoyance was this one, from GM Andy Soltis's Chess to Enjoy column in the February 2015 Chess Life.

IM Basheer Al Qudaimi (2396) - GM Bassem Amin (2635)

2014 World Rapid Championship, Dubai

27 ... ?

Black to play and win

I looked at this one off and on for a couple of days, before finally glancing at it and realizing the obvious winning idea. I felt like a chump not seeing it right away.

Worse still, while writing this post I discovered that my solution was wrong! AAUGH! The only solace I can take is that GM Amin actually goofed up the combination himself at the end, although he won anyway. (If I think of it later I'll try to look up old coverage to see if his opponent lost on time or simply didn't see that he had an out.) Ah well, it's a process, right?

(Solution below the fold. Don't worry, it's short this time!)

The Joy of Cooking!

I've been looking at the problems from GM Andy Soltis's Chess to Enjoy column recently. (More on that in another post.) This morning I kinda sorta cooked one of the solutions. The problem was taken from the game Alexander Sellman - Preston Ware, Fifth American Chess Congress, 1880, and appeared in the April 2015 Chess Life. Here's the position:

Sellman - Ware, 1880

30 ... ?

Black to play and win

(Solution below the fold for those that want to work it out themselves.)