1)
White plays 1.Bg5. Is this a good decision?

WHITE TO MOVE, is 1.Bg5 a good idea?

This position offers both positional and tactical points. 1.Bg5 isn’t a good strategic decision since White’s dark-squared Bishop is a valuable piece. Thus Bxf6 isn’t desirable (White has more space and shouldn’t exchange pieces without good reason), and exchanging Black’s bad Bishop for White’s good one (after the f6-Knight moves to e8, for example) is something that would make Black very happy.
One of Black’s main plans in this position (if White plays quietly with 1.f3 or any number of other moves) is to move his Knight back to e8 and then prepare a kingside pawn advance by …g7-g6, …Ne8-g7, and eventually …f7-f5 – this fits in nicely with his pawn chain which aims at White’s kingside via c7-d6-e5. While doing this, Black will also threaten …Bg5, exchanging his “bad” Bishop for White’s “good” one. Thus, 1.Bg5 doesn’t make sense since Black would eventually offer the exchange of Bishops anyway (and it’s something White wants to avoid!).

So 1.Bg5 is strategically lacking, but it is also a tactical blunder! Black could employ a very old and very useful trick: 1…Nxd5! winning a clean pawn since 2.Nxd5 Bxg5 and 2.Bxe7 Nxe7 both give White nothing for the lost material.
If you understood that 1.Bg5 was a poor strategic decision, take four positional points. If you knew that one of Black’s best plans (with or without Bg5) is …Ne8, …g6, and …Ng7, then take three bonus positional points.
If you noticed that 1…Nxd5 in an outright tactical refutation of White’s Bishop leap, take three tactical points. [7 total positional points, 3 total tactical points]
2)
Can Black defend this position?

BLACK TO MOVE

Motylev-Anand, Moscow 2002.
If you tried 1…Kg6 (Fritz 7’s choice), then you have ice in your veins or you felt there wasn’t another good alternative. Black appears to be winning after 2.Qe6+ (Rather pathetic is 2.Qxe7 Qxe7 3.Rxe7 Rxa4 4.bxa4 Rb1+ 5.Bf1 Rxf1+ 6.Kg2 Rc1 7.Re6+ Kxg5 8.Rxc6 Kf4 when White loses without a fight.) 2…Kxg5 since …Rg4 ideas keep him alive. However, why play such a risky move (that involves steady calculation) when a far safer defense exists?

I much prefer Anand’s solution: 1...Re4! This move gives the Exchange back for a winning mass of central pawns – not to mention the fact that he winds up a solid pawn ahead and breaks White’s attack. After 1…Re4, White’s game slid steadily downhill: 2.Bxe4 fxe4 3.Qh3 g6 4.Nb6 Rd8 5.Rf1+ Kg7 6.Qe6 Bxg5! Anand has worked extensively with computers and has taken up many of their greedy ways. 7.Rg1 Bf6 8.Rf1 Qe7 9.Qxc6 e3 10.Nxd5 e2, 0-1.

Take two tactical points and three positional points if you decided on 1…Re4. Why am I giving positional points for this solution? Because a glance at White’s offside Knight and that big center (with minimal calculation) should convince you that Black’s defenses will hold, which means certain victory in the long run. [3 total positional points, 2 total tactical points]
3)
White has many tempting moves here. Find the very best!

WHITE TO MOVE

Shirov – Svidler, Moscow 2002. Both 1.Bxc5 and 1.f5 are strong, but completely devastating is Shirov’s 1.Nxe6+! fxe6 2.f5 (simply threatening fxe6+ followed by Qf7+) 2…Ke8 3.fxe6, 1-0. The position after 3…Rf8 4.Qe2 doesn’t leave Black with any defense against 5.Qh5+.

If you liked either 1.Bxc5 or 1.f5, take one tactical point. However, if you saw 1.Nxe6+ followed by 2.f5, then take four tactical points. [4 total tactical points]
4)
Black’s in trouble, but how can White take full advantage of this situation?

WHITE TO MOVE

A possible variation from the game Pert - Ganguly, Torquay 2002. 1.Nd4!! is the way to go (Yes, both 1.Bh6+ Kg8 2.Bxf8 and 1.Re2!? followed by 2.Rae1 also favor White, but not nearly as much as the “subtle” Knight move to d4.) when 1…h5 meets 2.Re6! Re8 3.Rae1 with carnage, 1…Nc6 is eviscerated by 2.Nf5+! gxf5 3.Qh6+ Kg8 4.Bxf6 Bxf6 5.Bxf5 with mate, and (finally!) 1…Re8 gets stomped by the very nice 2.Bxg6!! hxg6 3.Rxe7 Qxe7 4.Nf5+ gxf5 7.Bh6+ Kh8 8.Bf8+ winning the Queen and the game.
If you saw all these lines, take eight tactical points. If you saw 1.Nd4 and noted that ideas like Nf5+ and/or Re6 might follow, take six tactical points. If you saw 1.Nd4 but only intended Nf5+ (not seeing the Re6 idea), take four tactical points. [8 total tactical points]
5)
In this fairly typical position from the Queen’s Indian Defense, is 1.Be1 a good idea? Good or bad, what is its point?

THUMBS UP OR DOWN ON 1.Be1?

This common maneuver is part of a plan designed to usurp the square e4 from Black’s grasp. White intends to move his light-squared Bishop back to f1 (wishing to keep both his Bishops, White avoids an exchange after the f3-Knight moves) and then play Nd2 (made possible by Be1). The game Sakaev - M Adams, Kallithea 2002 continued: 1.Be1 Qe7 2.Qe3 a5 3.Bf1 Bb7 4.Nh4! (stopping Black’s intended …e6-e5 advance for fear of Nf5) 4…Qf8 (4...c5 made more sense) 5.Qd3 e5 6.d5 Nc5 7.Qc2 Bc8 8.f3 Kh8 (Avoiding 8...e4 9.Bc3 Qe7 10.Bd4 when White’s control over the dark-squares give him a clear advantage.) 9.Bf2 Ng8 10.e4 Ne7 11.Nf5 Nxf5 12.exf5 g6 13.fxg6 hxg6 14.Be3 when White had control of the game.

If you liked 1.Be1 and understood its latent designs against e4, take six positional points. Take two bonus positional points (for a total of eight) if you knew that Bf1 (part of the same plan) would eventually follow. [8 total positional points]
6)
How would you handle this position for White?

WHITE TO MOVE

Radjabov-Tzermiadianos, Kallithea 2002. White reduced Black to road kill by 1.Nxh7! (The old “tear down the kingside and mate him along the b1-h7 diagonal” trick!) 1…Nce7 (Checkmate is unavoidable after 1...Kxh7 2.Ng5+) 2.Nexf6+ Nxf6 3.Nxf8 Qxf8 4.Qg3 Qg7 5.Bg5, 1-0.
If you saw 1.Nxh7! Kxh7 2.Ng5+, take four tactical points. [4 total tactical points]
7)
White is a twelve year old, so if you want to solve this, think like a child and hope for the best.

WHITE TO MOVE

Karjakin - Kotsur, Kallithea 2002. The youngest grandmaster in history comes up with a positional pawn sacrifice that leaves Black very passively placed: 1.e6! (This leaves Black with a bad pawn structure and gives White’s Knight access to the e5-square.) 1…fxe6 2.Qg4 Rh6 3.Ne5 Nd7 4.Bd3 (And not 4.Nxg6?? Nf6 5.Qg5 Rh5 when Black wins.) 4…Bg7 (4...Nxe5 5.fxe5 0–0–0 6.0–0 leads to the same kind of position that occurs in the game.) 5.0–0 Bxe5 6.fxe5 Nf8 7.a4 and White has a huge advantage since Black’s extra pawn is useless and his pieces are very passive, while White enjoys the better structure, a safe King, and chances to build up a serious assault against the enemy monarch on the queenside.
If you appreciated the positional merits of 1.e6, take six positional points. [6 total positional points]
8)
Black’s trying to hang on, but it’s hard to believe he will succeed.

WHITE TO MOVE

Morozevich - Sasikiran, Moscow 2001. White blasts his way through by 1.Rxg6! (1.Qg2 Qb4 2.Rxg6 Rxg6 3.Rxg6 Qxd4 gives Black more counterchances than he deserves.) 1...Rxg6 2.Qxf5+ Rf6 3.exf6 Qxf6 4.Qd7+ Kf8 (4...Qe7 5.Rg7+) 5.Qc8+ Kf7 6.Qc7+ Kf8 and now, instead of his inferior 7.Rg5?! (It’s still winning for White after this), White could finish off with style by 7.Re3! Rh7 (7...Rh4 8.Qc8+ Kg7 9.Qd7+) 8.Qc8+ Kg7 9.Qe8 Qxf4+ 10.Rg3+.

If you saw 1.Rxg6, take three tactical points. [3 total tactical points]
9)
Even material, better pawn structure for Black, but White has a passed pawn. Who stands better?

WHITE TO MOVE

Piket - Kantsler, Ohrid 2001. White wins this position with the cute 1.Bxc5 (1.b7 Bc7) 1...Ba4 (1...dxc5 gives White a chance to blunder with 2.d6+?? c4! 3.Bxc4+ Kf8 4.b7 Bb6+ 5.Kg2 Ba7 and Black wins. However, 2.b7 Bc7 3.d6+ is simple and deadly.) 2.Ba2 Kf7 3.b7 Bc7 4.Ba7, 1-0.

If you saw 1.Bxc5 take two tactical points. If you noticed that 1…dxc5 2.b7 was the right order (meaning that you saw 2.d6+ c4!), take an extra five tactical points. [7 total tactical points]
10)
If I was White I would drool in rapture, pat myself on the back for playing such a fine game, and then settle down to find the best way to steer my winning position into a safe and happy harbor. What path would you take?

WHITE TO MOVE

Karjakin - Kotsur, Kallithea 2002. In the actual game White played 1.b3 and won smoothly after 1…cxd4 2.cxd4 Qc3 3.Qd1 Nxd4?? (White had a clear plus anyway, but hanging a piece didn’t help Black’s cause!) 4.Rc1, etc. However, White’s best course of action was the tactical 1.Bxh4!! c4 (Taking with either piece on h4 fails: 1...Rxh4 2.Bb5+ Kd8 [2...Nd7 3.Qxg6+] 2.Qxh4 Nxh4 3.Rxf8 mate; 1...Nxh4 2.Qf4 Rh8 3.Qf7+ Kd7 11.Bb5+ Kc8 12.Qg7 and White wins.) 9.Bg5 cxd3 10.Bxh6 Nxh6 11.Rxf8+! Kxf8 12.Qxg6 Nf5 13.Rf1 Qd7 (13...d2 14.Qxe6) 14.Rxf5+ exf5 15.e6 Qe8 16.Qh7 and it’s time for Black to sign the scoresheet.
If you saw 1.Bxh4 and worked out why Black couldn’t capture on h4 with either piece, take eight tactical points. [8 total tactical points]

POSITIONAL SCORES:
0 to 3 – tsk, tsk. A basic positional primer is called for.
4 to 8 – Not too bad, but there’s obviously a lot of room for improvement.
9 to 12 – Pretty solid. You’re clearly a player to be reckoned with.
13 to 17 – Impressive! If you are equally good at tactics then you will be feared by all.
18 to 24 – You have master level strategic skills.

TACTICAL SCORES:
0 to 6 – Is that all you’ve got? Now you know what’s holding you back.
7 to 14 – You have 1400-1800 level tactics.
15 to 23 – You have 1900-2000 level tactics.
24 to 30 – You are a serious tactician. If your positional skills are on this same level then you are likely a 2400 + player.
31 to 39 – Were you using Fritz?