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Game Of The Week
A couple years back, I came up with a method to organize chess tactics. I called it the DROP Method (cschess.webs.com/apps/blog/cate … rop-method). The DROP method is an acronym for the basic kinds of tactics. It is meant to remind you not to drop your pieces and help you get your opponent to drop theirs.
I said that the DROP Method was a work in progress, and it was. So, I thought I would revisit each of the four kinds of chess tactics to provide more examples.
The first kind of tactic in the DROP Method is Discovery, which I revisited on May 10th (cschess.webs.com/apps/blog/entr … verload-ix)
The fourth kind of tactic in the DROP Method is Pin.
Pin is a chess move that immobilizes an opponent’s piece.
The Pin is different from the other kinds of tactics in that it does not create multiple threats. Its main function is to prevent a piece from moving. A Pin on a target allows that target to be attacked by a lower value piece. A Pin on a support allows the capture of the piece the support is guarding.
“The pin is mightier than the sword.”
Fred Reinfeld
The Pin works by threatening a low value piece that has a higher value piece (or an unguarded piece) behind it. The low value piece is stuck (as if with a pin) to the higher value piece due to the loss of material should the low value piece move and allow the capture of the higher value piece.
If the higher value piece is the King, the low value piece is absolutely immobilized, as the rules of Chess do not allow moves where the King could be captured. Otherwise the Pin is relative, as the opponent can actually move the low value piece if he is willing to accept the loss of material. The other types of Pins are rare:
Absolute (Pins a target to the King)
Relative (Pins a low value target to a higher value piece)
Cross (Multiple Pins on one piece)
Cross-check (blocks check and counter-checks)
Here is an example from the Colorado Springs Chess Club’s Sunday-night event: CSCC Killer Bloodgood Rapid Online. Alex Bozhenov was going for his first medal in our online summer games and trying to stay unbeaten in Rapid time control. However, LM Brian Wall was trying to take the lead in the medal count and grabbed a Pawn in the opening. Alex had a golden shot to win the game but picked the 2nd best move and ended up with the silver.
White to move
See the diagram and answer here:
cschess.webs.com/apps/photos/ph … =206251535
P Is For Pin VIII
chessvideos.tv/chess-game-r … ?id=115616
[Event “CSCC Killer Bloodgood Rapid Online”]
[Site “https://cschess.webs.com/”]
[Date “2020.07.12”]
[Round “3.1”]
[White “Bozhenov, Alex”]
[Black “Wall, Brian”]
[Result “1/2-1/2”]
[ECO “D94”]
[WhiteElo “1808”]
[BlackElo “1946”]
[PlyCount “62”]
[EventDate “2020.07.12”]
[TimeControl “600+10”]
- Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e3 O-O 5. d4 c5 6. Be2 d5 7. O-O Nc6 8. cxd5
Nxd5 9. e4 Nxc3 10. bxc3 cxd4 11. cxd4 Nxd4 12. Nxd4 Qxd4 13. Qxd4 Bxd4 14. Rb1
b6 15. Bh6 Rd8 16. Rfc1 Rd7 17. Bb5 Bc5 18. Bxd7 Bxd7 19. Be3 Bxe3 20. fxe3 Be6
-
Rb2 Kg7 22. Rc7 Kf6 23. Kf2 g5 24. h3 h5 25. Kf3 h4 26. a4 Ke5 27. Rxe7 Kd6
-
Rb7 Kc6 29. Re7 Kd6 30. Rb7 Kc6 31. Re7 Kd6 1/2-1/2
This Week In Chess
On July 12th, the Colorado Springs Chess Club held the CSCC Killer Bloodgood Rapid Online event (4SS, G/10+10).
chess.com/tournament/live/c … ne-1313555
Place, CSCC Killer Bloodgood (4SS, G/10+10), Score
1 “#1 NM BrianWall (1958)” 3.5
2 “#2 bozhenoff (1788)” 3.0
3 “#3 cschessnews (1694)” 2.5
4 “#4 JJ7X (1771)” 2.0
5 “#5 KingVed (1471)” 2.0
6 “#6 Czechmate1972 (1569)” 2.0
7 “#7 CosmicNovaGalaxy (1342)” 1.0
8 “#8 liencam2 (1180)” 0.0
9 “- Navajo36us80917 (1130)” 1.0
10 “- msmcgough (1487)” 0.0