Originally posted by greenpawn34
The clues to look for when someone drops a play this position in your lap.
Look out for words like "pretty or cute or smashing..." It's a Queen sac.
If no words. Then look at Queen checks first (no matter how silly).
Nothing on - Then work you way down the field, Rook sac, Bishop and Knight sacs.
Always with a check - these are the forcing moves ...[text shortened]... ances are (especially on here) the lad may have posted a faulty position with no sound combo. 🙂
I would also add "look for underpromotions and
en passant captures", especially if it is a composition.
As a rule, check for them first or second (behind queen sacs) if it's a composition, but check them last (i.e., put them at the bottom of the list) if it's a game position.
There is an older gentleman at my local club who is always getting pissed off at me because of this. He brings problems in, and I often guess the right move without calculating because I can guess the "hook" in the position.
He just doesn't realize that his showing the problem in the first place is a flag to the rest of us that we should look for particular types of moves and themes, and that we "round up the usual suspects" each time.
If problems are poetry, then he has to come up with something better than "There once was a man from Nantucket..."!
British Chess Championships
28 Jul '14 16:241 edit
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