KCN # 201

Position after 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 Nxe5 Nxe4?!

White’s best tactic here is to:

(a) Set up an e-file discovery with 4 Qe2;
(b) Play the double attack 4 Qf3;
(c) Develop the queen and attack the enemy knight with 4 Qg4; or
(d) Threaten mate with 4 Qh5.

KCN # 156

Position after 1 e4 e5 2 Bc4 Bc5 3 Qh5

Black should defend against mate with:

KCN # 277

Which statement most accurately reflects best play from this position with White to move?

(a) White can threaten checkmate but Black has a defense;
(b) White has overextended the attack and now must start defending his advanced pawns;
(c) White can play a destruction sacrifice which forces mate; or
(d) White should make a non-committal move and offer a draw.

KCN # 189

Position after 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 e5

Comparing the moves 5 … Bb4+ and 5 … Qa5+, which of the following is correct?

(a) Both moves gain time for development but it is better to develop the bishop than the queen;
(b) Both checks will get repulsed by White’s defense;
(c) One move loses material to a double attack whereas the other wins material through a double attack; or
(d) Both checks are inadvisable because Black is trying to avoid exchanges.

KCN # 131

Position after 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Bxc6 dxc6 5 Nxe5

Black is a pawn down. Which of the following moves ultimately fails to gain back the pawn if White plays the best possible defenses?

(a) 5 … Qg5;
(b) 5 … Qe7
(c) 5 … Nf6
(d) 5 … Qd4.

KCN # 255

Position after 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 Bc5 6 Be3 Qe7

How does White take advantage of Black’s overworked queen to win material?

(a) 7 Nxc6
(b) 7 Nd5
(c) 7 Nf5
(d) 7 Ndb5.

KCN # 208

Position after 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 g6 6 Be3 Ng4?

How does White pick off material?

(a) 7 Be2
(b) 7 Bb5+
(c) 7 h3
(d) 7 Ndb5

KCN # 212

Position after 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 g6 7 Be3 Bg7 8 Be2 Nc6 9 O-O Ng4

Which of the following statements is most correct?

(a) White wins a piece starting with 10 Nxc6;
(b) White wins a piece starting with 10 Bxg4;
(c) White gets the better game with 10 Nxc6 but cannot win anything; or
(d) White gets the better game with 10 Bxg4 but cannot win anything.

KCN # 216

Position after 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 g6 7 Be3 Bg7 8 f3 Nc6 9 Qd2 O-O 10 O-O-O d5 11 Kb1

What is the correct evaluation of 11 … dxe4?

(a) It leads to a good endgame for Black;
(b) It strengthens White’s center;
(c) It leaves Black with a strong square on e5;
(d) It loses a piece.

KCN # 237

Position after 1 e4 c5 2 c3 d6 3 d4 Nf6 4 Bd3 g6 5 dxc5 dxc5 6 e5 Ng4 7 Bb5+ Bd7

How does White win material?

(a) 8 Qxg4, using a pin;
(b) 8 e6, using interference;
(c) 8 Bxd7+, using interpolation ;
(d) White can’t force the win of material

KCN # 294

Position after 1 e4 c5 2 c3 d6 3 d4 Nf6 4 Bd3 g6 5 dxc5 dxc5 6 e5 Nd5 7 Be4 Be6 8 c4 Nb4

In this position, White should take the b-pawn before exchanging queens

(a) Because the attacking player should keep the queens on;
(b)To let his own queen defend against the possibilities of … Nd3+ and … Nc2+;
(c) To keep the Black king further away from the queenside.
(d) White should not take the b-pawn before exchanging queens.

KCN # 285

Position after 1 e4 c5 2 c3 d6 3 d4 Nf6 4 Bd3 Nc6 5 Nf3 Bg4 6 d5 Ne5

Which statement about the move 7 Nxe5 is most correct?

(a) It loses the queen for insufficient compensation;
(b) It forces the win of a piece;
(c) The best reply to it would be 7 … dxe5, though it is still a good move.
(d) If Black captures the queen, then 8 Bb5+ should result in equal material.

KCN # 199

Position after 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 c3 Nf6 4 Be2 Nc6 5 d4

Black loses material now if he captures on e4, but if he trades pawns on d4 first, then he can capture on e4. Why?

(a) Because 5 … Nxe4 6 Bd3 followed by taking on c5 next is too dangerous;
(b) Because if Black is going to allow an open e-file, he better open the c-file also to get counterplay;
(c) Because 5 … Nxe4 6 d5 is followed by Qa4(+) whereas 5 … cxd4 6 cxd4 Nxe4 7 d5 allows 7 … Qa5+.
(d) Because 5 … Nxe4 6 Bb5 threatens d4-d5 whereas 5 … cxd4 6 cxd4 Nxe4 7 Bb5 allows 7 … Qa5+.

KCN # 317

Position after 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 g6 4 Bxc6 dxc6 5 d3 Bg7 6 O-O Nf6 7 h3 O-O 8 Nc3 Ne8

What justifies Black’s “undeveloping” his knight with his last move?

(a) Black does not want his knight to be traded;
(b) The knight will reappear at d6 where it supports the break … c5-c4;
(c) Black is planning to push his b-pawn and wanted to have the long diagonal open.
(d) The knight will travel via c7 and e6 to d4, an outpost on Black’s half-open d-file.

KCN # 317

White’s bishop on c1 is attacked. Rank the moves 1 Ba3, 1 Kg2 and 1 e4 in order from best to worst.?

(a) 1 Ba3, 1 Kg2, 1 e4;
(b) 1 Ba3, 1 e4, 1 Kg2;
(c) 1 e4, 1 Kg2, 1 Ba3;
(d)1 Kg2, 1 Ba3, 1 e4 .