Some combinations from the games of GM David Howell

To get you in the right mood for the Winterthur Chess Week 2008 we present a series of combinational exercises taken from the games of the participating grandmasters. As a starter, we have chosen six combinations from the games of the young British GM David Howell. The solutions of the excercises will be published in the last week of august.

Have a lot of fun finding these tactical blows!

 

David Howell (Elo 2527) –
Krzysztof Bulski (Elo 2421)
Wch U20 Jerewan 2007

howell-bulski

1) How did white take advantage of the terribly weakened
position of the black king?

 

David Howell (Elo 2471) –
Vladimir Lazarev (Elo 2522)
FRA chT 2006

howell-lazarev

2) Here too, the black king is in trouble.
What did David Howell play?

 

David Howell (Elo 2348) –
David Egglestone (Elo 2159)
Jersey op 2005

howell-egglestone

3) What is the most energetic way to win this
postion for white?

 

David Howell (Elo 2519) –
K. Arakhamia-Grant (Elo 2418)
GBR ch 2007

howell-arakhamia

4) White now went for a petite combinaison. How?

 

David Howell (Elo 2348) –
Craig Pritchett (Elo 2258)
EU-union ch Cork 2005

howell-pritchett

5) David Howell sacrificed a knight several moves ago.
Can he now profit from this decision?

 

David Howell (Elo 2486) –
Jean Pierre Boudre (Elo 2336)
FRA chT 2006

howell-boudre

6) Black just moved g6, in order to drive away the defender of the pawn f4.
What was David Howell's reaction?