Today is a special presentation in that there's no mate in 3 or 4 puzzle. This is a middle game puzzle that challenges you to find a plan. It comes from my book, Openings for Amateurs--Next Steps in the chapter on various Isolated Queen Pawn attacks. If you want to be better than average, it's a concept you have to learn. You're going to be given a big hint: the first move is 1.d5!! Now can you figure out what's going to happen next? How is this the winning move? What's your follow-up plan? BTW, a 12–year-old played this in a real tournament.

1.d5!! Nbxd5 2.Bg5!! A stunning but logical follow-up as it increased the pressure on d5. That rook on d1 is brutal with its pin. 2...Be7 3.Bxf6 gxf6 3...Bxf6 4.Bxd5 Bxd5 5.Nxd5 4.Nxd5 Bxd5 5.Bxd5 exd5 6.Nd4 The knight heads for the light square outpost on f5 where it can't be challenged and prevents Black from castling. 6...Kf8 7.Nf5 h5 8.Rxd5! Qxd5 9.Qxe7+ Kg8 10.Qxf6 and Black Resigned. Who was this kid? It was future world champion Boris Spassky vs. Avtonomov in Leningrad in 1949! OK, so he was a genius. Now you know how to play like one in this type of position. I was so impressed, I had them put an artistic version of the position on the cover of my book.

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