October Blitz and Memes

Strategy requires thought, tactics require observation.

– Max Euwe.

Hello, my fellow tactic lovers, and welcome to another edition of Blitz and Memes. If you're a fan of puzzles taken from amateur online blitz tournaments, then you have come to the right place, because that is what I do.

As always, the tactics have been selected from the Japan Chess Federation's monthly blitz tournament: TGIF Blitz. The tourney takes place on the 3rd Friday of every month, 21:00 JST, right here on chess.com. It consists of seven rounds of blitz, with a time control of 3+2; and is open to all JCF club members.

The memes on the other hand, have been conscripted from the far corners of the InterWebs...

Good luck trying to solve all five puzzles on the first attempt, the first few aren't too difficult but the last...well, I don't know if anyone will get that one correct...

So, without further ado, lets get to the Blitz and Memes.

They Fall Off...

Our first tactic comes from the 6th round. IM nekochabo, playing Black proves that the old adage is still true.

Can you see how Black wins material and the game?

Endgame Clarity

Here we have a position from the 2nd round, nanGM, playing White, is able to clarify the situation, and leave the result in no doubt.

Can you calculate your way to a winning position?

Well, well, well...How the Turn Tables

The 3rd position is brought to you by yours truly. In the 2nd round, SheldonOfOsaka, playing Black, looks to be getting mated, but things aren't always as they seem.

Can you turn the tables on White?

Creation of a Pin

In the final round, supersaiyanchess2, playing White, was able to create a little magic out of nowhere.

Can you take advantage of Black's poor piece placement?

Opening Lines

We have saved the hardest for last. Here chesskingjinwoo, playing Black, is able to put together a string of accurate moves, and eventually find mate.

There is a lot going on in this position and the correct direction is not clear...Well... Good Luck.

And that was it, that was October Blitz and Memes.

Congrats to chesskingjinwoo for winning with a 6.5/7 score. And more importantly, congratulations to you Puzzle Grandmasters, who were able to find all 5 tactics on the first attempt, you truly are the best of us.

As always, thanks for reading and feel free to share these puzzles with your friends down at the Bar or Cigar club.

Cheers, SheldonOfOsaka.

Bonus

I couldn't resist adding one more, this one is from a recent correspondence game of mine, and was the template for this months thumbnail. Enjoy!