Dan Heisman's Improve Your Chess
Thematic Tactics Missed by White
National Master Dan Heisman is a name that is synonymous with excellence in chess coaching and teaching. Dan authors the award-winning Novice Nook column (winner of three Chess Journalists of America "Best Instruction" awards), aimed at improving adults, for chesscafe.com that are clearly written and offer very practical advice and tips on how to improve your game . In the new Improve Your Chess series, Dan provides instruction by reviewing amateur games played on ICC and showing where the players went wrong and how to improve.
Today's show: The game transposes into a Scheveningen Silician Defense. Black plays a poor move order but White misses several chances to punish it. Then after Black misses an equalizing ...d7-d5, he plays it too late and his center collapses. Black escapes to the queenside where White misses a couple of thematic sacrificial breakthroughs. Finally, under pressure, Black makes a counting error and White wins a piece. After that White is careful to trade into an easily winning endgame and Black gives up the ghost.