Below is the very first puzzle of IM Mark Ginsburg’s USCL Quiz! To check out the rest of the article visit his blog.
Test Your Insight
Here’s a set of tough positions. Each has interesting strategical and tactical elements. No computer engines! The harder you work, the better off you’ll be. 
In each case, I’ll ask a poll question about it. Post your answer as a comment.
Position 1
Black to playTo give you some context about position 1, this was Nakamura-Ramirez from a recent SEA-ARZ USCL match.
Continued here……
Filed under:
2009 Season
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Here is my assesment of the position:
Black has 6 pawns versus White’s 4 pawns. Nonetheless, Black’s a6 and c7 pawns are weak. On the other hand, White enjoys the more active bishop – taking aim at the c7 pawn-, whereas Black’s bishop is temporarily hemmed in by his pawns. White also has the more active rook, attacking the a6 pawn, whereas Black’s rook is passively defending.
This also makes me wonder since we have opposite colored Bishops as the only minor pieces whether the position is a draw or whether Black can convert his extra 2 pawns to victory.
I would probably play 1…Bc4. The idea is the following. I think the most testing reply is 2.Rc1. Here I foresee the following:
1…Bc4 2.Rc1 Bb5 3.Bxc7 a6 and the unpleasant pin along the c-file plus the passed a-pawn give Black good game. So the following line is perhaps better for White:
Instead of 3.Bxc7, we have 3.Rxc7. Here if Black exchanges rook, it’s probably drawish. So Black should probably play 3…Ra8. The idea is that checks against the Black king detract White from the goal of blocking the passed pawn. So after 3.Bxc7 Ra8 4.Rg7+ Kf8 5.Rxh7 a4, White’s rook is out of game and if 6.Rh8+, we have 6…Bg8 7.Bd6+ Kf7. You don’t want to exchange rooks because it’s harder to push the passed pawn then.
So where does that leave White? 2.Rc1 with the idea of capturing the c7 pawn may not be such a good idea after all. But then if White plays anything else, then Black has kept his two pawn-lead and improved the position of his pieces. If white just sits there and does nothing, he will follow with …Bb4, …c6, …Ra8, ..a5-a4.
Of course, I may be wrong about all this! So let me know how well I did!
1…Rb8!! is the right move. Nothing else strikes the heart of the position. Bishop moves wouldn’t challenge white. The variations after 1…Rb8!! are worth careful study.
It’s pretty funny, the real issue is how can black activate his kingside pawns? This is done with the aesthetic Rb8!! idea Rb3-Rf3. That idea puts white under heavy pressur. It’s instructive how black’s king does not participate for the moment, but in many structures after Rb8-b3-f3 it can run up and assist. The maneuver ending with Rf3 frees up the black f-pawn to advance, after which the f4-e4 pawn are a formidable duo.