White to Play

Pete Tamburro on Apr 29, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

Number 18 in our series of instructional games. Kholmov - Bannik B93 Minsk, 1962 A wonderful game to play through. Get that chess set out! 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 g6? (General Sicilian rule--play a6 or g6, but not both together in the early opening.)7.0–0 Bg7 8.f4 Nbd7 9.Kh1 0–0 10.Be3 Qc7 11.a4! (To restrict b5 by Black and, very important, to allow the rook to enter the game via a3 to swing over to the kingside. Watch this!) 11...b6 12.Nd5! (After the exchange, the white pawn is in a better spot, hitting c6 and e6. In many Sicilians this also puts pressure on e7 along the open file.)12...Nxd5 13.exd5 Bb7 14.c4 a5 15.Nb5 Qc8 16.Qd2 The Q+B battery wants to go to h6 to exchange off bishops and make the dark squares weak around Black's king.)16...Nc5 17.Ra3! (Remember what we said earlier.)17...Ba6 18.Nd4 Re8? (There were no saving moves here, but this one makes it easier. Perhaps e6 was the best move of a bad lot.)19.f5 (A pawn hits the castle walls with support from the cavalry and long-range artillery.) 19...Ne4 20.Qc2 Nf6 21.Rc3 Nd7 22.fxg6 hxg6 23.Bg4! Stops the N from going to e5 for defense.)23...Bf6 24.Be6! (Do you see why the bishop can't be taken?)24...Kg7 (Black can't take the bishop because mate would follow-- 24...fxe6 25.Qxg6+ Bg7 26.Nxe6) Can you see the sequence of moves in this final mating attack? SEE DIAGRAM

25.Bh6+!! Kxh6 26.Nf5+! gxf5 If 26...Kh7 27.Rh3+ Kg8 28.Nxe7+ Rxe7 29.Qxg6+ Kf8 30.Rh8+ Bxh8 31.Rxf7+ Ke8 32.Rf8+! Kxf8 33.Qg8# Mate 27.Qd2+ Bg5 28.Rh3+ Kg6 29.Bxf5+ Great game! Many important little lessons along the way. Don't forget the queenside rook lift to a3. It comes in handy in the 1.d4 games as well.

Send questions and comments to PTamburro@aol.com.