It's Halloween!

Today is 31st October - Halloween. I thought I'd dig out something topical for it's entertainment value ... ! It looks slightly dubious, and undoubtedly refutable but here it is ... "The Halloween Gambit!"

Tactics: Problem# 10

Here is recent game between Odisey Suleymanyants vs Vladamir Akopian. See if you can spot the simple finish - Black to play and win ...

(Careful not to scroll too far - you'll see the answer ... !)

Black to move ...

1...  Bd3+ 2. Nxd3 Qe2+ 3. Kg1 Qd1+ 4. Ne1 Qxe1++ 0-1

PGN Viewer courtesy of http://chesstempo.com/

Grand Slam Masters Final 2012

Even the world experts sometimes get it very wrong.  Here is a game from the Grand Slam Masters Final 2012 contested by Carlsen and Caruana ... Here we see the simple win of a piece on move 13 no less ... This tactical theme is simply known as "trapped piece".  Well spotted Magnus Carlsen!

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. g3 b6 4. Bg2 Bb7 5. Qe2 d6 6. d4 cxd4 7. Nxd4 Nf6 8. O-O Nbd7 9. Rd1 a6 10. e5 Bxg2 11. exf6 Bh3 12. Qh5 Qxf6 13. Qxh3 Be7 14. Nc3 Qg6 15. Nc6 Ne5 16. Nxe7 Kxe7 17. Bf4 1-0

PGN Viewer courtesy of http://chesstempo.com/

Learn from the world's leading players

If you navigate further down the page, you will notice on the right hand side there is a graphical icon displaying the world's leading players in a table http://www.2700chess.com/  I have discovered that on this website there is an option to view the very latest Live Games from the most exclusive tournaments played by the world's leading Grandmasters.

It is possible to view games from recent events from the calendar year.  All games can be played through on the site (there is a pgn player available).  I personally like stepping through the Carlsen games.  It is somehow bewildering that not only is he the top player in the world, but one of the youngest players above 2700... !

On the site, you navigate through a tree (see below) and choose a tournament, then choose a game to play through.  I found this facility particularly useful.  The added bonus of course being that all games are completely up to date and the pgn's can be downloaded for further analysis ... !