Step By Step

Step by Step: Mate #67 By Mark Donlan Step by Step: Mate is designed to test and improve your visualization skills. The premise is simple, try solving for mate from the first diagram. For best results, set the position up on the board and think for as long as you need without moving the pieces. If you are unable to solve for mate, refer to the diagrams below in which you can solve Step by Step for mate in one, mate in two, etc. Also, be sure to subscribe to our Daily Chess Puzzle email. You can also print out this page and use it as a workbook exercise in a classroom setting. Spaces are provided for answers to be written; occasionally there will be positions that allow for two similar … [Read more...]

Step by Step: Test #30By Mark DonlanStep by Step: Test is designed to test and improve your chess skills. For best results, set the position up on the board and think for as long as you need without moving the pieces. Also, be sure to subscribe to our Daily Chess Puzzle email.Develop an attacking plan for White.[FEN "r1bqr1k1/pppnbppp/3p1n2/8/2BNP3/2N5/PPP1QPPP/R1B2RK1 w - - 0 9"]Tylor,TH - Koltanowski,GeorgeHastings, 1929 [C41]1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d6 3.Nc3 Nbd7 4.e4 e5 5.Bc4 Be7 6.0-0 0-0 7.Qe2 exd4 8.Nxd4 Re89.Bxf7+ Kxf7 10.Ne6 Kxe6 11.Qc4+ d5 12.exd5+ Kf7 13.d6+ Nd5 14.dxe7 Rxe7 15.Nxd5 Ne5 16.Qf4+ Kg8 17.Nxe7+ Qxe7[And White is a pawn and an exchange ahead.]18.Bd2 Ng6 19.Qg3 Be6 20.Rfe1 Qf7 … [Read more...]

Step by Step: Calculation #33 By Mark Donlan Step by Step: Calculation is designed to improve your visualization and calculation skills. The premise is simple: find the winning move in the first diagram and then calculate the win from the second diagram and determine how it relates to the first. On occasion follow-up questions will be asked relating to various sidelines. For best results, set the position up on the board and think for as long as you need without moving the pieces. Also, be sure to subscribe to our Daily Chess Puzzle email. Evaluate the position with Black to move. Is Bxc3 safe? [FEN "2q4k/p5bp/6p1/5p2/5P1P/1BP2QP1/Pr6/3R2K1 b - - 0 37"] Fischer,Robert James … [Read more...]

Step by Step: Tactics #66 By Mark Donlan Step by Step: Tactics is designed to test and improve your basic tactical skills. For best results, play the position out over-the-board and think for as long as you need without moving the pieces. You can also print out this page and use it as a workbook exercise in a classroom setting. Also, be sure to subscribe to our Daily Chess Puzzle email. After the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Qh4 5.Nc3 Bc5 6.Be3 Nge7 7.Nf3 Qh5, how did White win? [FEN "r1b1k2r/ppppnppp/2n5/2b4q/4P3/2N1BN2/PPP2PPP/R2QKB1R w KQkq - 0 8"] Scroll down for more options Circle the type of tactics that were involved in this … [Read more...]

Step by Step: Mate #66By Mark DonlanStep by Step: Mate is designed to test and improve your visualization skills. The premise is simple, try solving for mate from the first diagram. For best results, set the position up on the board and think for as long as you need without moving the pieces. If you are unable to solve for mate, refer to the diagrams below in which you can solve Step by Step for mate in one, mate in two, etc. Also, be sure to subscribe to our Daily Chess Puzzle email.You can also print out this page and use it as a workbook exercise in a classroom setting. Spaces are provided for answers to be written; occasionally there will be positions that allow for two similar moves … [Read more...]

Step by Step: Test #29 By Mark Donlan Step by Step: Test is designed to test and improve your chess skills. For best results, set the position up on the board and think for as long as you need without moving the pieces. Also, be sure to subscribe to our Daily Chess Puzzle email. How should White follow-up on 5.c3 dxc3. [FEN "r1bqk1nr/ppppbppp/2n5/8/2BpP3/5N2/PPP2PPP/RNBQK2R w KQkq - 0 5"] Svedenborg,P (2228) - Pettersen,Arne TCh-NOR Qualifier NOR (2), 2002 Giuoco Piano [C50] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Be7 5.c3 dxc3 6.Qd5! The threat of mate at f7 leads to an advantage to White. 6...Nh6 7.Bxh6 0–0 8.Bxg7 (Or 8.Nxc3 gxh6 9.Qh5) 8...Kxg7 9.Nxc3. Download … [Read more...]

Step by Step: Calculation #32 By Mark Donlan Step by Step: Calculation is designed to improve your visualization and calculation skills. The premise is simple: find the winning move in the first diagram and then calculate the win from the second diagram and determine how it relates to the first. On occasion follow-up questions will be asked relating to various sidelines. For best results, set the position up on the board and think for as long as you need without moving the pieces. Also, be sure to subscribe to our Daily Chess Puzzle email. Black to move. Evaluate 14...Kg7. Ackermann,Frank (1908) - Brethauer,Sarah (1625) 6th Bad Zwesten op (2), 05.01.2002 Bogo-Indian … [Read more...]

Step by Step: Tactics #65 By Mark Donlan Step by Step: Tactics is designed to test and improve your basic tactical skills. For best results, play the position out over-the-board and think for as long as you need without moving the pieces. You can also print out this page and use it as a workbook exercise in a classroom setting. Also, be sure to subscribe to our Daily Chess Puzzle email. After the moves 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.c3 d5 4.e5 f6 5.f4 Nh6 6.Nf3 Bg4 7.Be2 Nf5 8.0–0 Nd7 9.a4 c5, how did White follow up on 10.e6 Nf8? Scroll down for more options Circle the type of tactics that were involved in this puzzle: Checkmate Deflection Discovered Attack Double Attack En … [Read more...]

Step by Step: Mate #65 By Mark Donlan Step by Step: Mate is designed to test and improve your visualization skills. The premise is simple, try solving for mate from the first diagram. For best results, set the position up on the board and think for as long as you need without moving the pieces. If you are unable to solve for mate, refer to the diagrams below in which you can solve Step by Step for mate in one, mate in two, etc. Also, be sure to subscribe to our Daily Chess Puzzle email. You can also print out this page and use it as a workbook exercise in a classroom setting. Spaces are provided for answers to be written; occasionally there will be positions that allow for two similar … [Read more...]

Step by Step: Test #28 By Mark Donlan Step by Step: Test is designed to test and improve your chess skills. For best results, set the position up on the board and think for as long as you need without moving the pieces. Also, be sure to subscribe to our Daily Chess Puzzle email. How should White follow-up on 37.Rc7 Qb4 38.Ngf6 Rh6. Gritsak,O (2549) - Iwanow,A (2195) 14th Euro Indiv 2013 Legnica POL (1.114), 05.05.2013 Fianchetto Grüfeld [D77] 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 d5 5.0-0 0-0 6.d4 dxc4 7.Na3 Na6 8.Nxc4 c5 9.b3 Bf5 10.Bb2 Be4 11.Rc1 Rc8 12.dxc5 Nxc5 13.Bh3 e6 14.Nd6 Rc7 15.Rxc5 Rxc5 16.Bxf6 Bxf6 17.Nxe4 Rd5 18.Qc2 Bg7 19.Rc1 Qa5 20.a4 Rfd8 21.Bf1 a6 22.e3 b5 … [Read more...]