Tactics Analysis #19

Been a while since I did one of these (despite my best intentions), so here are my current tactics stats as they stand today without any comparisons to my last set of results. I'll go back to monitoring changes from next week. Some of these puzzles I did a while ago as I'm working through a backlog in my notes.

Current Puzzle Rating: 2167
Current Puzzles Complete: 3800

Position 1:

https://lichess.org/training/5UzOb

According to my notes, I originally tried Bc5, which doesn't really do anything. I think the idea I missed was that we can capture with check after Nd5.

Solution: 1. Nd5 Rxc6 2. Nxe7+ (if 1. ... exd5 2. Qxc8+)

Position 2:
https://lichess.org/training/P9JyD

White only has three legal moves. 1. Rxc1 dxc1=Q+ looks immediately bad. I looked at 1. Qf1 Qxf1+ 2. Rxf1 fxg6 and White is down a piece. I didn't really look at the final legal move, because I couldn't see how it gets us anywhere. I think I wasn't really looking at White's threat of Qh8# (for example, 1. Bf1 Qxb1?? 2. Qh8#) which would have helped.

Solution: 1. Bf1 fxg6 2. Qxg6+ Kf8 (or Kh8) 3. Qh6+ (and White is now lined up to play Rxc1 wherever the Black king moves)

Position 3:
https://lichess.org/training/1fn4d

Don't know that I'd find this in a game, but the idea of attacking the king is a natural one to look at in a tactics puzzle (especially where there isn't much else to look at, as nothing else looks lose or isolated). My idea was d5, with the idea exd5 2. Qf4 and Black can't defend Qh6 - but Black can play Re6 to threaten the bishop and the queen can't get in fast enough to complete the threat.

Solution: 1: Rxh5 (threatening Rh8#) gxh5 2. Qd3 (Black can't now get the rook involved to prevent the infiltration)

Position 4:
https://lichess.org/training/e8cue

A more recent failure for this one, rather than one of last year's from the archives. I saw the idea of creating a double threat and the potential issues on Black's back rank, but I didn't calculate the results properly and couldn't find the solution.

Solution: 1. Qe2 (threatening the rook and bishop - if 1... Rxe3 2. Rd8+! is fatal) Qe6 Qxb2