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      Spot the Best Move : Combinations from Local Player's Games

Local to Bedford, UK, (i.e. in the Beds Chess League area) with an interesting recent or old winning/ drawing/losing move to share?   Why not send in the position/player's names/year played plus a story line (e.g. 'After playing Ne4, White went on to lose, what drawing resource did White miss?').
Send positions in Forsyth notation ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forsyth_notation ), or as an image file (kept small by using, say, high jpeg compression and small image dimensions).
Send your examples via contacts@sudokasana.co.uk  or hand to me at the Bedford Chess Club. I will put up as many as possible per year/quarter/month/fortnight, depending on interest.
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a       Latest Position Set

Latest Position Set : Some games by former and current titled Bedford Chess Club Players
[ Scroll Down to see all positions   :   Click on positions for popup solutions (allow a second or two) ]

( 1 ) A.Ledger vs M.Tseitlin, 1995
A nice finish by a former Bedford Chess Club player and IM. White to play and win.

Solution Chess #1 Image                   ..................................................................................................................................................................


( 2 ) D.Ledger vs M.S.Gray, 2009
Another former Bedford Chess player, FM Dave Ledger, here shows the way to win this complex position after black played gh. How would you have advised him?

Solution Chess #2 Image                   ..................................................................................................................................................................


( 3 ) H.Jonkman vs D.Ledger, 2003
In this complex, but roughly level, position, White hides his K away with 1) Kh2. How does black exploit the white king's new position?

Solution Chess #3 Image                   ..................................................................................................................................................................


( 4 ) J.Grant vs A.Ledger, 2005
In another, roughly level position with a mass of pins, White lost his way and played 1) Ra7 , perhaps with ideas of R x a5 or Qd7. How should black proceed (and had he seen the previous game by his brother)?

Solution Chess #4 Image                   ..................................................................................................................................................................


( 5 ) C.Hanley vs Jim Plaskett, 2010
White is a piece up, but is feeling the heat from black's invading pieces. Here white tries to swap off a pair of rooks with 1) Rf1. How does GM, Jim Plaskett refute this move?

Solution Chess #5 Image                   ..................................................................................................................................................................


( 6 ) Jim Plaskett vs M.Pein, 1999
White to play and win.

Solution Chess #6 Image                   ..................................................................................................................................................................


( 7 ) D.Ledger vs M.Pavlovic, 2006
In this difficult position for White, it looks as though white can take the Nc6. Will this work out well?

Solution Chess #7 Image                   ..................................................................................................................................................................


( 8 ) A.Ledger vs K.Arkell, 2008
Here, White played 1) Nd6 keeping the Rd8 from d1 and perhaps threatening to invade via Qc7. What has White missed?

Solution Chess #8 Image                   ..................................................................................................................................................................


( 9 ) J.Plaskett vs M.Hebden, 2007
In this roughly level position, White decides to swap a pair of rooks by playing 1) R x e5. What has he missed?

Solution Chess #9 Image                   ..................................................................................................................................................................


( 10 ) A.Ledger vs J.Plaskett, 1996
Here, white has a clear plus, but how can he make progress in this blocked position?

Solution Chess #10 Image                   ..................................................................................................................................................................


( 11 ) G.Valerio vs B.J.Mercadal (Spain), VIII World Cup Final
Finally, a couple of positions from correspondence games of Bedford club president,
previous ICCF correspondence champion, and ICCF Senior IM, Giuseppe (we-call-him-Joe) Valerio.
Black has 2 extra pawns - in exchange for a woeful lag in development: white's pieces hover ominously.
Here, White played 1) Qh5, threatening Black's kingside, and Black should probably have replied 1) ... g6. How does White exploit Black's actual, rather slow, reply of 1) ... b6 (perhaps intending Bc5 and 0-0)?

Solution Chess #11 Image                   ..................................................................................................................................................................


( 12 ) F.Gerhardt (Germany) vs G.Valerio, VIII World Cup Final
Black's pieces point dangerously at the kingside, so White, with 1) b5, tries to stir things up on the queenside. How does Black tackle the queenside counterattack?

Solution Chess #12 Image                   ..................................................................................................................................................................