Tactics in the Spanish Opening – Part 2

Spanish Opening - Strategy and Tactics is now available as a paperback, here are some sample training exercises that illustrate the play in typical pawn structures of the Classical Spanish opening. Scroll down to see the solutions.

The book presents a straightforward repertoire for White after 1. e4 e5 and focuses on the Spanish Opening. Most major variations at Black's disposal are briefly explained and covered. The book is intended for chess players who want to learn the Spanish opening and are looking for a quick overview of the major variations. For each line, several sample games are followed by tactical positions typical for that line. Any player who plays the Spanish Opening either as White or Black - can benefit from learning the specific middlegame themes presented here. Most chapters have examples from practical games of chess champions of the past and present, such as Fischer, Karpov, Anand and Carlsen, followed by puzzles for the reader to solve. That should reinforce newly learned concepts and help get a better sense of the pawn structures discussed throughout the book. There are also questions for the reader to answer at the key moments of the games.

 

Safvat, Yousof - Calero, Ivan, 1962

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 Be7 7. Re1 d6 8. c3 Na5 9. Bc2 c5 10. d4 Qc7 11. h3 O-O 12. Nbd2 Nc6 13. d5 Nb8 14. a4 b4 15. c4 Ne8 16. g4 g6 17. Nf1 Qd8 18. Ng3 Ra7 19. Bh6 Ng7 20. Kh1 Kh8 21. Rg1 Rg8 22. Rg2 Ne8 23. Qd2 Nd7 24. b3 Bf8 25. Rag1 Bxh6 26. Qxh6 Qf6 27. Ng5 Nf8 28. Nf5 gxf5 29. gxf5 Rg7 30. Qh5 Kg8 31. f4 h6 32. fxe5 dxe5 33. Nf3 Rxg2 34. Rxg2+ Ng7 35. Nh2 Kh7 36. Qf3 h5 37. Qg3 Re7 38. Bd1 Re8

White's turn

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Tseshkovsky, Vitaly - Henry, Paul, 1969

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. c3 d6 9. h3 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4 Qc7 12. Nbd2 Nc6 13. d5 Nb8 14. a4 Bb7 15. c4 b4 16. Nf1 Nbd7 17. g4 Rfb8 18. Ng3 g6 19. b3 Bf8 20. Kh1 Bg7 21. Rg1 Kh8 22. Be3 Ng8 23. g5 f6 24. h4 Nf8 25. h5 fxg5 26. Nxg5 Bc8 27. hxg6 hxg6 28. Nf5 Bh6 29. Nxh6 Nxh6 30. Rg2 Kg7 31. Qf3 Nf7 32. Rag1 Nxg5 33. Rxg5 Qf7 34. Qh5 Ra7

White's turn

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Arshaev, Ajush - Ismayilov, Nijat, 2012

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4 Qc7 12. Nbd2 Bb7 13. d5 Bc8 14. a4 Bd7 15. Nf1 Rab8 16. Ng3 bxa4 17. Bxa4 Qb6 18. Bg5 Bb5 19. Nf5 Bd8 20. Bxb5 axb5 21. N3h4 g6 22. Nh6+ Kg7 23. Qf3 Ng8 24. N4f5+ Kh8 25. Bxd8 Rbxd8

White's turn

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Solutions

 

 

Safvat, Yousof - Calero, Ivan, 1962

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 Be7 7. Re1 d6 8. c3 Na5 9. Bc2 c5 10. d4 Qc7 11. h3 O-O 12. Nbd2 Nc6 13. d5 Nb8 14. a4 b4 15. c4 Ne8 16. g4 g6 17. Nf1 Qd8 18. Ng3 Ra7 19. Bh6 Ng7 20. Kh1 Kh8 21. Rg1 Rg8 22. Rg2 Ne8 23. Qd2 Nd7 24. b3 Bf8 25. Rag1 Bxh6 26. Qxh6 Qf6 27. Ng5 Nf8 28. Nf5 gxf5 29. gxf5 Rg7 30. Qh5 Kg8 31. f4 h6 32. fxe5 dxe5 33. Nf3 Rxg2 34. Rxg2+ Ng7 35. Nh2 Kh7 36. Qf3 h5 37. Qg3 Re7 38. Bd1 Re8

39. Bxh5!

Black resigned, not without reason, but perhaps a bit prematurely.

( 39. Bxh5 Kh8 ( 39. ... Nxh5? 40. Qg8+ Kh6 41. Ng4# ) 40. Ng4 Qg5 41. Bxf7 Re7 42. h4 Qf4 43. Nxe5 Qxg3 44. Rxg3 Rxe5 45. f6 +- )

1-0

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Tseshkovsky, Vitaly - Henry, Paul, 1969

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. c3 d6 9. h3 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4 Qc7 12. Nbd2 Nc6 13. d5 Nb8 14. a4 Bb7 15. c4 b4 16. Nf1 Nbd7 17. g4 Rfb8 18. Ng3 g6 19. b3 Bf8 20. Kh1 Bg7 21. Rg1 Kh8 22. Be3 Ng8 23. g5 f6 24. h4 Nf8 25. h5 fxg5 26. Nxg5 Bc8 27. hxg6 hxg6 28. Nf5 Bh6 29. Nxh6 Nxh6 30. Rg2 Kg7 31. Qf3 Nf7 32. Rag1 Nxg5 33. Rxg5 Qf7 34. Qh5 Ra7

35. Qh6+!! Kg8 36. Rxg6+ Nxg6 37. Rxg6+ Qxg6 38. Qxg6+ Rg7 39. Qxd6 Rh7+ 40. Bh6 1-0

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Arshaev, Ajush - Ismayilov, Nijat, 2012

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4 Qc7 12. Nbd2 Bb7 13. d5 Bc8 14. a4 Bd7 15. Nf1 Rab8 16. Ng3 bxa4 17. Bxa4 Qb6 18. Bg5 Bb5 19. Nf5 Bd8 20. Bxb5 axb5 21. N3h4 g6 22. Nh6+ Kg7 23. Qf3 Ng8 24. N4f5+ Kh8 25. Bxd8 Rbxd8

26. Ne7

Black resigned, because capturing either knight leads to Qf6 mate, and otherwise White will capture on 'g8' himself.

1-0