answers to Pandolf test 10 Tutorial



1.
[{B:4r1k1/pp3p1p/6p1/1P1q4/P1pP4/6P1/2Q2P1P/2R3K1 BLACK}
Question 1 of 7. What is Black's best move? Click "Next" for the answer.]

2.
[{B:4r1k1/pp3p1p/6p1/1P1q4/P1pP4/6P1/2Q2P1P/2R3K1 BLACK}
{A:Be8e4}{D:1000}{R}{S:e8e4}1... Re4! Wins the d-pawn with a dash of poison. If White now takes the c-pawn, 2. Qxc4?, he loses his Queen to 2... Re1+, deflecting White's Rook. Here we see the importance of delaying an action. By not taking the d-pawn immediately, Black is able to turn the possible exchange of pawns into the gain of a pawn. Furthermore, he gives his opponent a chance to go wrong.]

3.
[{B:2r5/pp2kppp/4p3/8/1P6/P3PP2/3K1P1P/2R5 BLACK}
Question 2 of 7. What is Black's best move? Click "Next" for the answer.]

4.
[{B:2r5/pp2kppp/4p3/8/1P6/P3PP2/3K1P1P/2R5 BLACK}{A:Bc8c1}{D:1000}{R}{S:c8c1}
Question 2 (cont). 1... Rxc1! Obviously White must take back, 2. Kxb1. How does Black gets the advantage? Click "Next" for the answer.]

5.
[{B:8/pp2kppp/4p3/8/1P6/P3PP2/5P1P/2K5 BLACK}
{A:Be7f6}{D:1000}{R}{S:e7f6}2... Kf6! With this move Black is able to invade decisively, transferring his King to h3, as in the line 3. Kd2 Kg5 4. Ke2 Kh4 5. Kf1 Kh3 6. Kg1. Although White defends his weak pawn, Black can exploit his superior King's position to win. A sample conclusion is 6... e5 7. Kh1 b5 8. Kg1 f5 9. Kh1 g5 10. Kg1 h5 11. Kh1 g4 12. fxg4 fxg4 13. Kg1 e4 14. Kh1 h4 15. Kg1 g3 16. hxg3 hxg3, and however White continues Black can force a win. Sometimes exchanging pieces, even without the immediate gain of material, is the strategic thing to do, especially when it enables one to maintain a positional advantage.]

6.
[{B:3B1k2/p6p/1pn3r1/1R6/4Pp2/2PR1P2/5K1P/r7 BLACK}
Question 3 of 7. What is Black's best move? Click "Next" for the answer.]

7.
[{B:3B1k2/p6p/1pn3r1/1R6/4Pp2/2PR1P2/5K1P/r7 BLACK}{A:Ba1g1}{D:1000}{R}{S:a1g1}
1... Rag1! Strategically uniting the Rooks and tactically threatening 2... Rgg2#. Now the only way White can stave off mate is to sacrifice material, as in the variation: 2. Rf5+ Ke8 3. Rxf4 Nxd8.]

8.
[{B:8/p1p5/1p4k1/5p2/4p1p1/4P3/PPPr1PP1/2R3K1}
Question 4 of 7. What is White's best continuation? Click "Next" for the answer.]

9.
[{B:8/p1p5/1p4k1/5p2/4p1p1/4P3/PPPr1PP1/2R3K1}{A:Wg2g3}{D:1000}{R}{S:g2g3}1. g3! The key move. This prevents Black from opening up the seventh rank by g4-g3. White is merely going to move his King over to e1, dislodging Black's Rook and relieving the pressure. The position should be drawn.]

10.
[{B:N4brk/1p5p/p2p2rq/3Pp3/4Pp1n/3Q1P1P/PPR4K/4BR2 BLACK}
Question 5 of 7. What is Black's best move? Click "Next" for the answer.]

11.
[{B:N4brk/1p5p/p2p2rq/3Pp3/4Pp1n/3Q1P1P/PPR4K/4BR2 BLACK}
{A:Bh4g2}{D:1000}{R}{S:h4g2}
1... Ng2! This seems to threaten a fork at e3, but it's much more serious than that. Black actually eyes mate by 2... Qxh3+ 3. Kxh3 Rh6+ 4. Bh4 Rxh4#. The best that White can try is to flee by 2. Kg1, but that falters to 2... Ne3+ 3. Kh2 Qxh3+ 4. Kxh3 Rh6+ 5. Bh4 Rg3+ 6. Kh2 Rxh4#. This final pattern shows a typical mating paradigm, where two Rooks control consecutive files.]

12.
[{B:1q1r3r/3bkp2/p2p1b1p/1p1Pp1p1/PB5P/1P2NQ2/1P3PP1/2R2RK1}
Question 6 of 7. What is White's best move? Click "Next" for the answer.]

13.
[{B:1q1r3r/3bkp2/p2p1b1p/1p1Pp1p1/PB5P/1P2NQ2/1P3PP1/2R2RK1}{A:Wc1c6}{D:1000}{R}{S:c1c6}1. Rc6! This positions the Rook to exploit the open c-file. It also targets the vulnerable d6-pawn, threatening 2. Bxd6+. And if the Rook is captured, 1... Bxc6, then the square d5 (2. d5xc6) opens up for a crushing Knight invasion. Meanwhile, if the Bishop withdraws, say to c8, then White doubles Rooks on the c-file, 2. Rfc1, menacing a check at c7. If Black then tries to stop this by 2... Rd7, White wins with 3. Nf5+ and 4. Rxc8. In constricted positions, it's not unusual to sacrifice the exchange in order to clear lines and squares for the minor pieces. This is an aspect of positional chess and strategic thinking where the aim is to convert one kind of advantage into another that's more relevant.]

14.
[{B:r4r1k/ppq3pp/3R4/4N1B1/4P3/1Q5/PP2b1PP/2R3K1}
Question 7 of 7. What is White's best move? Click "Next" for the answer.]

15.
[{B:r4r1k/ppq3pp/3R4/4N1B1/4P3/1Q5/PP2b1PP/2R3K1}{A:Wb3d1}{D:1000}{R}{S:b3d1}1. Qd1! Before playing 1. Qd1! White is faced with a number of serious threats. Two that stand out in particular are the attack to the d6-Rook and the possibility of capturing on c1 (Qc7xc1+) destroying the guard on f1, which would lead to mate (Rf8-f1#). With this move (1. Qd1!) White holds everything together in a grand way. If Black takes White's Queen, 1... Bxd1, then White captures Black's, 2. Rxc7. Meanwhile the mate at f1 has disappeared. Note that after 1... Qa5, White is succeeding with 2. Qxe2 Qxe5 3. Rd5, saving the Rook and guarding the Bishop. White wins. Strategically, when your pieces are scattered and not working properly, the right idea is to consolidate -- to make moves that coordinate the forces while dealing with the opponent's threats.]