Today we have an attacking position that is obviously good for White. There are several good moves here that lead to a winning advantage. Our challenge to you is to find the most precise first move in this attacking position. Several moves work, but one is better, and we'll tell you why in the solution. Needless to say, you have to map out a complete plan of attack, just like in a real game. This was a real game: Alatorzeff-Samykhovsky, Russia, 1931.

Solution:

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 c6 5.Nc3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 Be7 7.e4 dxe4 8.Nxe4 Nxe4 9.Bxe4 Nf6 10.Bc2 0–0 11.Qd3 Qa5+ 12.Bd2 Bb4 13.0–0–0 Bxd2+ 14.Rxd2 b5 15.c5 Qxa2 16.Ne5 g6 17.h4 Nd5 18.Bb1 Qa4 19.Qg3 Qa5 20.h5 Qc7

And now the solution:

21.Rd3 Ne7 22.hxg6 fxg6 23.Nxg6 Qxg3 24.Nxe7+ Kf7 25.Rxh7+ Qg7 26.Rf3+ Kxe7 27.Rxg7+ Black Resigned because mate is unavoidable. You can figure that out!

Why is Rd3 the best move? (If you picked, Rdd1 or Rh3 or hxg6, you're OK, just not most precise). It brings another piece into the game. The rook can now move along the third rank. If you look at the mating attack that follows, you can see how useful that rook is! The "rook lift" is a useful tool in a player's chess arsenal. It reaffirms the old chess saying that you can't attack with just two pieces. Get your whole army involved! White's queen sacrifice is temporary, but shows how the attack can ignore the queen loss to pick up time on the opposing king. A very instructive game!

Send questions and comments to PTamburro@aol.com.