Tactical Challenges
Chess Puzzle No. 308: Does Black’s castling hide an immediate trap?
03
Nov
Nov
In a rapid game from January 2022 between players rated around 1400, after an English Opening: Agincourt Defence, Black has just castled on move 10. White to play: find the continuation.
TacticsIntermediateWhite to play
White to play and win material
Puzzle: Lichess open database (CC0) · Pieces: Cburnett, Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)
See the solution explained
1.Bg5 attacks Black’s queen on f6, leaving Black with 37 legal replies to deal with this direct threat.
Black answers with 1…Qxb2, capturing a pawn but abandoning the f6 square.
2.Bxe7 captures Black’s knight on e7, leaving Black with 40 legal replies: the bishop picks up material that was left insufficiently protected.
In the real game, the player did find 1.Bg5, though whether the whole combination was completed is not confirmed by the available data. Remember the motif: an attack on the queen that opens the door to a free capture behind it, a classic light skewer.
The English Opening, already on the board from the first moves here, has appealed to generations of amateurs and masters alike for its positional flexibility. If opening study interests you, a complete chess set lets you replay such games piece in hand, as does a mechanical chess clock for practising at a fast pace.
The best chess films: our selection
Cinema has often flirted with the mysterious world of chess, attempting to capture the beauty [...]
8 things to know before buying a chess table
We're delighted that you've decided to buy a chess board. It's a sign that chess [...]
Chess Puzzle No. 283: Black strikes back: can you spot mate in three?
White has just played Bxe8: can you find the mate in three that ends the [...]