Check out this #chess game: TCZ_CoachChad vs Agoldfarb – https://www.chess.com/live/game/113962821519

This was a rated 15|10 rapid game from the US Chess club tournament on Chess.com, July 6, 2024. I had White.

The lesson is loose pieces. After 11…Nb5 and 13…Qd4, Black’s knight on b5 had no defender, and a check took it for free. From move 14 on I was a piece up, so my job changed from winning material to converting it.

Converting means trading the right pieces. I traded queens on move 18. My rooks did the rest: they took the d-file, then the fifth rank, and picked off pawns until the last rook trade on move 42 left Black without counterplay.

• 14.Bxb5+: The b5 knight was undefended. Black blocked with 14…c6, and 15.Be2 kept the extra piece.
• 18.Qxd4 exd4: Trade queens when you are a piece up. Fewer attackers means fewer tricks against you.
• 27.Nxe6 fxe6: The knight removes Black’s last bishop. Two rooks and a knight against two rooks.
• 41.R7d6+ Rxd6 42.Rxd6+: A check that forces a rook trade. Black’s king is pushed away and 43.Rxb6 wins another pawn.
• 52.Nc3+: A knight fork: check on the e4 king and an attack on the a2 rook. Black resigned.

– Coach Chad

Check Coach Chad’s tactics in the full game.

[Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2024.07.06"]
[White "TCZ_CoachChad"]
[Black "Agoldfarb"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Tournament "https://www.chess.com/tournament/live/-us-chess-1510-rapid-4880069"]
[ECO "A20"]
[WhiteElo "1507"]
[BlackElo "1810"]
[TimeControl "900+10"]
[Termination "TCZ_CoachChad won by resignation"]

1.c4 e5 2.h3 Nc6 3.a3 a5 4.d3 Bc5 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.h4 h5 7.Na4 Ba7 8.Bd2 Ng4 9.c5 d5 10.Nh3 Nd4 11.e3 Nb5 12.e4 dxe4 13.dxe4 Qd4 14.Bxb5+ c6 15.Be2 Nf6 16.Bxa5 Bxc5 17.Nxc5 Rxa5 18.Qxd4 exd4 19.b4 Ra8 20.e5 Nd5 21.Bc4 Nxb4 22.O-O Nd5 23.Bxd5 cxd5 24.Rfd1 b6 25.Nb3 Be6 26.Nxd4 O-O 27.Nxe6 fxe6 28.Ng5 Rf5 29.Nxe6 Rxe5 30.Nc7 Rd8 31.Rab1 Rd6 32.Rb5 Re4 33.Rbxd5 Rc6 34.Nb5 Rxh4 35.g3 Rhc4 36.Rxh5 g6 37.Rd8+ Kg7 38.Rd7+ Kf6 39.Rhd5 Rc1+ 40.Kg2 Ra1 41.R7d6+ Rxd6 42.Rxd6+ Kg5 43.Rxb6 Rb1 44.f4+ Kh5 45.g4+ Kxg4 46.Rxg6+ Kxf4 47.Rf6+ Kg4 48.Rb6 Rb2+ 49.Kf1 Ra2 50.Ke1 Kf3 51.Kd1 Ke4 52.Nc3+ {1-0}