Chess Tactics: Relevance of all-round play in chess

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Chess Tactics: Relevance of all-round play in chess• The game of chess calls for shrewd analytical skills of positions

coupled with calculations to gain control over the game. It is essential that good positional play should be entwined with calculations of moves and deployment of effective tactics assessing the overall position in the board. Having good control over the board positionally will not guarantee you any success over the opponent as long as you do not entwine the tactics effectively to gain control over the board. It is in this context that one should strive to be a good allround player instead of concentrating either only on his tactical skills or in positional factors.

• In the following example, you will notice that having good positions will not lead to success as one silly error caused without giving importance to the opponent’s pieces, and due to paucity of time, ended up in losing the game from the winning position.

• This is the position after 27 moves. It is the turn of the white to move now.

Chess Tactics: Relevance of all-round play in chess• White is a good player in positional chess and

now, a cursory look at the board indicates that white has an extra pawn than black. The game proceeded as follows :

• 28. Rc1 h629. Rc8+ Kh730. Rc4 Qe531. Rf4 Qc4

• White, using his skills on positional chess has been making satisfactory progress. The position after 31 moves is given hereunder:

Chess Tactics: Relevance of all-round play in chess

• Not only is the white rook at f4 supporting the pawn at f2, the queen in b3 is threatening the black pawns at e6 and f7 and blocking their movement.

• 32. Kh2 ….. Another good move from White in an attempt to develop his pawns with King’s assistance.

• 32. ….. Kg733. Rg4+ Kh734. Rf4 Kg735. Qb4 Qc236. Kg2 e537. Rg4+ ……. This is a wrong move from White that has exposed the pawn at f2.

• 37. …… Kg6 Black tries to capitalize on the wrong move by White. He could have moved the King to h7 but instead preferred this move.

• 38. Qxb6+ ……. White continues to attack with fervor considering the fact that time is running out, and Black tried to confuse the confused white by moving the king to the “f” file.

• 38. ……. Kh5• This is the position at the board at the end of 38 moves.

Chess Tactics: Relevance of all-round play in chess

• 39. e4+ …… This is the blunder on the part of White. He did not assess the winning position correctly and out of confusion and time constraint, deprived himself of a winning move in Kh3 and by calling check on Black, exposed the white rook at g4, and literally threw the game.

• 39. …… Kxg440. Qe3 Rd341. Qxh6 Rxg3 After this White resigned accepting defeat.

• This is a clear example of how confusion caused by the opponent and paucity of time can change the whole advantage into a loss.

• For any aspiring chess player to grow up the ladder and achieve success, he or she should develop as a complete player having allround skills and not relying on any particular skill as positional play or tactical player. Positional analysis and calculation of the moves and counter moves are very essential for the deployment of a good successful chess strategy or an effective chess tactics.

Chess Tactics: Relevance of all-round play in chess

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