Olympiad 2026 - Round 4: Test Your Chess
Let’s be honest.. Round 4 was probably not the most exciting round of the Olympiad so far (with a few notable exceptions, like Aronian ́s game). So this time, I’ve picked just five positions, and I’ve deliberately skipped some of the games from the top boards that have already made the rounds online.The selection is a bit more about difficult practical decisions than spectacular tactics. There are positions where you have to identify the opponent’s idea, choose between several tempting options, or make the most of dynamic factors before they disappear.
As always, try to find the moves yourself before scrolling down to see what happened.
Can you solve them all?
Scroll slowly so you don't accidentally see the solution and spoil the fun!
#5
BLACK TO MOVE. Black is two pawns down, but has plenty of activity. How can he make the most of it?
#4
BLACK TO MOVE. Choose between fxg5 and Ba4. Which one would you play, and why?
#3
WHITE TO MOVE. Find the most precise continuation
#2
WHITE TO MOVE. How can White save the game?
#1
WHITE TO MOVE. Can you navigate this complex position, identify your Black ́s threat, and find the right response?
I hope you enjoyed the positions and hopefully found a few moves that weren't too easy to spot!
There is plenty more interesting chess coming from Samarkand, so I'll be back with another set of exercises from Round 5.
You may also like
GM DrAgnevsteinWhat I learned playing against world-class players
Over the years I had the chance to play many games against world-class players and even multiple wor…
CM the_trainer_miroslav“A Positional Misjudgment: Keymer–Sindarov”
A game that caught my attention because of how quickly a seemingly comfortable position turned into …
GM DrAgnevsteinFantastic Positional Queen Sacrifices - Part 1
Have you ever seen a positional queen sacrifice? If not, check out the following examples!
IM trainingaccount996Game of the Week 8/52
This week’s game comes from the Azerbaijani Championship, the first of two games for the bronze meda…
IM trainingaccount996Game of the Week 7/52
Welcome to a new Game of the Week. Last week, unfortunately, there wasn’t much to choose from - ther…
IM trainingaccount996