Maxim Bloch: Combinative Motifs

Russian Chess House, paperback, Englisch, Spanisch, Russisch, ISBN: 978-5-907234-91-8, 288 Seiten, 2023.

This Manual "Combinative Motifs", written by an experienced coach, ICCF International Grandmaster Maxim Bloch, contains more than 1400 tasks, classified in great detail according to combinational motives. A carefully thought-out sequence of tasks helps to develop combinational vision and allows you to use the book also as a textbook. All positions are characterized by intense struggle, in which the goal is achieved in a unique way. The book is intended for general education and sports schools, universities, chess teams of out-of-school institutions, as well as for self-education.

Inhalt:

1. Geometrical motifs (1-112)
1.1 Knightforks (1-63)
1.1.1 Removal of protection (1-6)
1.1.2 Decoy (7-48)
1.1.3 Square clearance (49-56)
1.1.4 Conjunction of methods (57-63)

1.2 Files (ranks) (64-71)

1.3 Diagonals (72-92)
1.3.1 Removal of obstacles (72-77)
1.3.2 Opening of a diagonal (78-80)
1.3.3 Decoy (81-83)
1.3.4 Two diagonals (84-92)
1.4 Pawn forks (93-97)
1.5 Conjunction of geometrical motifs (98-112)

2. Weakness of files or diagonals (113-255)
2.1 The back rank (113-175)
2.1.1 Elimination of defence (113-123)
2.1.2 Distraction (124-143)
2.1.3 X-rayattack (144-146)
2.1.4 Interception (147-154)
2.1.5 Conjunction of methods (155-175)

2.2 The seventh rank (176-183)

2.3 The h-file (184-222)
2.3.1 Mate to a «cramped» king (184-201)
2.3.2 The g6-pawn (202-205)
2.3.3 Attack on a fianchetto (206-210)
2.3.4 Opening of a file (211-217)
2.3.5 Decoy (218-222)

2.4 The g-file (223-230)

2.5 Central files (231-234)

2.6 Diagonals (235-247)

2.7 Conjunction of files, ranks and diagonals (248-255)

3. Opposing (256-405)
3.1 Open attack (256-337)
3.1.1 Execution of an open attack (256-270)
3.1.2 Opening ofa file (271-278)
3.1.3 Unblocking a pawn (279-283)
3.1.4 Removal of defence (284-291)
3.1.5 Decoy to the opposing file (292-308)
3.1.6 Decoy to the blow dealt by the piece moved away (309-325)
3.1.7 Placement of the attacking piece to the opposing file (326-335)
3.1.8 «Mill» (336-337)

3.2 Exploiting a pin (338-361)
3.2.1 Attack on a pinned piece (338-348)
3.2.2 Distraction of a pinned pawn (349-354)
3.2.3 Other ways of exploiting a pin (355-361)

3.3 Decoy into a pin (362-377)
3.3.1 Attack on a pinned piece (362-371)
3.3.2 Attack on a piece which lost its defence (372-377)

3.4 Counterblow by a «pinned» piece (378-401)

3.5 Conjunction of methods (402-405)

4. Weakness of a Square (Squares) (406-447)
4.1 «The hole» of the fianchettoed bishop (406-432)
4.1.1 The h-file (406-412)
4.1.2 The back rank (413-416)
4.1.3 The pawns on f6,h6,a6 and c6 (417-424)
4.1.4 The others (425-432)

4.2 Invasion of a file (433-437)

4.3 Other cases (438-447)

5. A piece is overloaded (448-467)
5.1 A bishop is overloaded (448-452)
5.2 A knight is overloaded (453)
5.3 A rook is overloaded (454-460)
5.4 A queen is overloaded (461-467)

6. Poorly protected pieces (468-504)
6.1 Elimination of defence (468-477)
6.2 Distraction (478-487)
6.3 Decoy (488-492)
6.4 Distraction with decoy (493-497)
6.5 Other cases (498-504)

7. Misplaced pieces (505-521)

8. Passed pawn (522-587)
8.1 Pawn breakthrough (522-527)
8.2 Distraction (528-536)
8.3 Interception or blocking (537-543)
8.4 A pawn is promoted to a knight (544-550)
8.5 Forcing necessary exchanges (551-560)
8.6 Both opponents have dangerous passed pawns (561-564)
8.7 Passed pawn supports the piece invasion into the back rank (565-570)
8.8 Passed pawn takes part in the attack on a king (571-579)
8.9 Conjunction of methods (580-587)

9. Limited material (588-609)
9.1 Play for a stalemate (588-602)
9.2 Further restricting of material and building a fortress (603-609)

10. Cramped king position (610-653)
10.1 Removal of defence (610-615)
10.2 Square clearance for the attacking knight (616-619)
10.3 Blocking (620-643)
10.4 Creating of a mating net (644-653)

11. Poorly protected king (654-1086)
11.1 A king is defended by fianchetto (654-753)
11.1.1 The bishop is absent (654-694)
11.1.2 The f7-g6-h5 pawn chain without a bishop (695-703)
11.1.3 A king on h6 (704-708) 135
11.1.4 The fianchettoed bishop defends a king (709-735)
11.1.5 Enlarged fianchetto (736-742)
11.1.6 «Sieve» structure: Pawns e6,f7,g6,h7, the bishop is outside «the fianchetto» (743-753)

11.2 One pawn protects the king (754-767)

11.3 Two pawns protect the king (768-838)
11.3.1 The pawns are on g7 and h6 (768-788)
11.3.2 The pawns are on g7 and h7 (789-813)
11.3.3 The pawns are on f6 and g7 (814)
11.3.4 The pawns are on f7 and g7 (815-824)
11.3.5 The f- and h- pawns (825-838)

11.4 Three pawns protect the king (839-932)
11.4.1 The pawns are on f7, g7 and h6 (839-873)
11.4.2 The pawns are on f6, g7 and h7 (874-880)
11.4.3 The pawns are on f6, g7 and h6 (881-885)
11.4.4 The pawns are on f7, g7 and h7 (886-932)

11.5 A king is protected by the pawns placed on the sixth and fifth ranks (933-956)
11.5.1 «Dragging a king out» (933-939)
11.5.2 Breaking the shelter (940-956)

11.6 Typical methods of attack in a Q-side castling position (957-976)

11.7 Piece attack on a king (977-992)

11.8 Attack on a king undefended by pawns (993-1020)

11.9 Attack on an uncastled king (1021-1064)
11.9.1 A king is on e8 (1021-1043)
11.9.2 A king is on f8 (1044-1050)
11.9.3 A king is on e7 (1051 -1059)
11.9.4 A king is on another Square (1060-1064)

11.10 Attack on a king in an endgame (1065-1086)

12. Conjunction of combinational motifs (1087-1206)
12.1 Combinations which are not connected with mate threats (1087-1123)

12.2 Mate threats combined with other threats (1124-1206)
12.2.1 Mate threats combined with threats to attack a queen (1124-1160)
12.2.2 Mate threats combined with activity of a passed pawn (1161 -1168)
12.2.3 Threats along the back rank (1169-1172)
12.2.4 Exposed king (1173-1177)
12.2.5 Uncastled king (1178-1185)
12.2.6 The others (1186-1206)