Defense

Question 1

Black to play and save the knight

Answer 1

5-1: 1…Ne5 and the knight escapes because 2.dxe5 is illegal, thanks to the pinned d-pawn. It may lose a pawn after 2.Nxe5 dxe5 3.Qxe5, but Black remains ahead.

Question 2

White to play and save a piece

Answer 2

5-2: 1.f4 This is better than 1.Bc2 Rxb1 2.Bxb1 Bxd2 3.Be4. 1…exf4 If 1…Bxf4 2.Bxf4 Rxe1+ (2…exf4 3.Kf2 Bh5 4.Bxc6 Bg6 5.a4) 3.Kf2 exf4 4.Kxe1. 2.Kf2 Bg4 3.Nf3 White is glad to give back a pawn to remain a piece ahead.

Question 3

Black to play and save a piece (If the bishop moves, then 2.Nxc7+ wins the rook).

Answer 3

5-3: 1…c6 1…Ne7 also works, but the text move is somewhat better. 2.Ne3 Be7.

Question 4

Black to play and win back his piece

Answer 4

5-4: 1…a6 The bishop must be forced to move to where it cannot be guarded by the knight! 2.Ba4 Bd7 and because of the pin Black wins either the knight or the bishop. This pattern is very common, so it is a great pattern to learn!

Question 5

White to play and save a piece

Answer 5

5-5: 1.a3 Better than the reasonable 1.Bd2. 1…Ba5 2.Qxg7 Ne4+ 3.b4 and White regains his piece, since both the bishop and the rook are attacked.

Question 6

Black to play: Why can’te Black win a piece with …Bxc3 and …Qxe2?

Answer 6

5-6: 1…Bxc3? This removes the guard, but…2.Qxc3 Qxe2?? 3.Nh6#.

Question 7

White to play and save a piece

Answer 7

5-7: 1.d5 and if Black retreats his knight, White turns the tables with 2.Nd4, counterattacking the bishop. So White will not lose a piece after 1…exd3 2.dxc6 dxc2 3.cxb7.

Question 8

Black to play and not lose his bishop

Answer 8

5-8: 1…Nc6 blocks the check and guards the bishop. This is another common pattern that you should learn to recognize quickly.

Question 9

Black to play and not lose material

Answer 9

5-9: 1…Qxd2 2.Nxe7+ This Zwishenzug doesn’t win the exchange, but trades two pieces for a rook and a pawn. 2…Rxe7 3.Rxd2 bxc4 and material is at least equal.

Question 10

White to play and only lose a piece, not his queen

Answer 10

5-10: 1.Nh4 Qh5 Or 1…Bxh4 2.Qb4. 2.Qc2 Sometimes you have to minimize your losses and see if you can win back the material later!

Question 11

Black to play and save the e-pawn

Answer 11

5-11: 1…Bd7 Black counterattacks the bishop on b5, so White has no time to take the e-pawn. 2.Bxd7+ If 2.Nxe5 Bxb5. 2…Nbxd7 A very common defensive pattern often missed by beginners.

Question 12

Black to play and save a piece

Answer 12

5-12: 1…Qa5 or any other queen move that attacks the knight for a second time.

Question 13

Black is in bad shape, but he can save the rook – how?

Answer 13

5-13: 1…Qc6 A common pattern for saving attacked rooks. 2.Qc8+ Ke7 White is doing well, but it’s still a fight!

Question 14

Black stops mate and save the queen

Answer 14

5-14: 1…Qh3+ Black is trying to force the king to a square where the queen can check on the long diagonal. 2.Kc2 No better is 2.Ke4, when Black can go for more with 2…f5+. 2…Qg2+ 3.Kb3 Qc6.

Question 15

Black to play and not lose a piece

Answer 15

5-15: 1…o-o-o! attacks the rook and gets the bishop out of the pin.

Question 16

White to play and not lose material (Black has just played a discovered check)

Answer 16

5-16: 1.Nde2 1.Nce2?? Bxd4 and the overworked queen costs White a piece. Now if 1…Bxe2 2.Nxe2, then White stays a piece ahead.

Question 17

Black to play and save his knight

Answer 17

5-17: 1…c5 1…Qb6 is not quite as good. Now the queen cannot maintain the pin on the knight. 2.Qxa4+ Nd7.

Question 18

White to play and not lose material

Answer 18

5-18: 1.Qg2 to guard against 1…Rh1+ and give up the queen for the two rooks is the best way.

Question 19

White to play and win Black’s knight, while saving his own

Answer 19

5-19: 1.Ne7+ Kf8 2.Qxe5 If it makes you feel any better, the player on the Black side was World Champion Vladimir Kramnik!

Question 20

White to play and not lose a piece

Answer 20

5-20: 1.Bxe7 Qxe7 2.Nd2 This is easier to see if you don’t know that Black’s last move was …dxe4 attacking the knight. When a piece is attacked, you should consider saving all your endangered pieces. This is another recurring pattern that is good to know.

Question 21

White to play and not lose more than a pawn

Answer 21

5-21: 1.Bg5 Hits the knight and saves the fork on f3. 1.Bg3 is also possible.

Question 22

Black to play and win

Answer 22

5-22: 1…g6 A defensive counterattack results in a double attack. 2.Qxh6 and then Black captures the knight on d4.

Question 23

White to play and not lose the bishop

Answer 23

5-23: 1.a4! Otherwise the bishop will remove the guard with …Bxb5. But now that would introduce a new defender – the rook on a1!

Question 24

White to play and draw

Answer 24

5-24: 1.Ka6 Kb8 1…Kc6 2.Kxa7 will also draw. 2.b4 Ka8 3.b5 Kb8 self-stalemate!

Question 25

White avoids mate, but he's in trouble.

Answer 25

**5-25: 1.Ng5** The only move. Of course, White will still lose shortly unless Black makes a bad mistake. However, if your opponent is not a strong player, it's worthwhile to hang in there!

Question 26

White to play and not lose a piece

Answer 26

**5-26: 1.Kh1** is the only move to prevent immediate disaster. Black threatened ...Rc4 pinning the queen to the king, but if White had moved the queen, then Black and the discovered check ...Rxd3+ winning the bishop.

Question 27

White to play and save the g-pawn and bishop

Answer 27

**5-27: 1.Nf3** The knight does double duty: defend and block.

Question 28

White to play and save his pawns

Answer 28

**5-28: 1.b3** This blocks the bishop's attack on a2 and saves the b-pawn from being captured.

Question 29

White to play and not lose a piece

Answer 29

**5-29:** White only loses a pawn with **1.Bf3 Bxf3** 1...fxe5 2.Bxd5+. **2.Nxf3 Qxg4+ 3.Kh1.**

Question 30

Black to play and save the knight, the rook, and the mate on f7!

Answer 30

**5-30: 1...Bg4** Other have time to moves lose. The bishop needs to move with tempo, so the black queen can guard the rook and White doesn't capture the knight on f6. **2.Qg3 dxe5 3.Qxe5+ Qe7** and by pinning the queen to the king, forcing a queen trade, Black is better.

Question 31

White to play and stop the pawn

Answer 31

**5-31: 1.g4+!** and Black resigned in the game Kasparov-Timman, Wijk aan Zee 2000, because of 1...Kxg4 2.Rc4+ Kf3 3.Rd4 Ke2 4.b6 d1Q 5.Rxd1 Kxd1 6.b7.