Learn Chess

the Right Way!

Book 2:
Winning Material
by Susan Polgar

SRP: $19.95

168 pages

The Polgar Way to Better Chess!

Learn Chess the Right Way is a five-volume chess puzzle book series
aimed at the novice, beginner and intermediate level player, using the
unique methods of the award-winning coach and former world
champion Susan Polgar. It introduces the most important checkmate
and material-winning tactics, as well as defensive techniques to the
new chess player. Each of the five volumes will consist of over 500
puzzles.

Volume 2 is all about “winning material” exercises. In each of the

first six chapters a certain piece captures an enemy piece (in chapter
1 – The Queen, in chapter 2 – The Rook, and so on). In chapter 7,
you will get no hint about which piece should be moved. In chapters
8-12, the most common and important chess tactics (such as decoy,
fork, pin, discovery and skewer) are introduced. Finally, in chapter
13, in addition to the previously mentioned patterns, you will need to
figure out which tactical pattern to use to win material, including
concepts like “trapping a piece” or “intermediate move.”

Let Susan Polgar help you understand the most common and critical
patterns and let her show you the way to becoming a better player.
Learn Chess
the
Right Way

Book 2
Winning Material

by
Susan Polgar
with Paul Truong

2016
Russell Enterprises, Inc.
Milford, CT USA

1
 Learn Chess the Right Way
Learn Chess the Right Way
Book 2: Winning Material

© Copyright 2016 Susan Polgar

ISBN: 978-1-941270-45-5
ISBN (eBook): 978-1-941270-46-2

All Rights Reserved

No part of this book maybe used, reproduced, stored in a retrieval

system or transmitted in any manner or form whatsoever or by any means,
electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, photocopying, recording or otherwise,
without the express written permission from the publisher except in the case
of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Published by:
Russell Enterprises, Inc.
PO Box 3131
Milford, CT 06460 USA

http://www.russell-enterprises.com
[email protected]

Cover design by Janel Lowrance

Front cover Image by Christine Flores
Back cover photo by Timea Jaksa

Printed in the United States of America

2
 Table of Contents

Introduction 4

Chapter 1 Captures with the Queen 5

Chapter 2 Captures with the Rook 13

Chapter 3 Captures with the Bishop 20

Chapter 4 Captures with the Knight 27

Chapter 5 Captures with the Pawn 34

Chapter 6 Captures with the King 41

Chapter 7 Various Captures 94

Chapter 8 Removing the Guard 59

Chapter 9 Forks and Double Attacks 77

Chapter 10 Pins 94

Chapter 11 Skewers 111

Chapter 12 Discovered Checks and

Discovered Attacks 128

Chapter 13 Various Tactics 146

Solutions 158

3
 Learn Chess the Right Way

Introduction

Ever since I was four years old, I remember the joy of solving chess puzzles. I wrote
my first puzzle book when I was just 15, and have published a number of other best-sellers
since, such as A World Champion’s Guide to Chess, Chess Tactics for Champions, and
Breaking Through, etc.

With over 40 years of experience as a world-class player and trainer, I have developed
the most effective way to help young players and beginners – Learn Chess the Right
Way. By understanding the most common and critical patterns, it will help you improve
much quicker.

In this series of Learn Chess the Right Way, I will show you the most effective way
to learn and improve through pattern recognition.

Volume 2 is all about “winning material” exercises. In each of the first six chapters a
certain piece captures an enemy piece (in chapter 1 – The Queen, in chapter 2 – The
Rook, and so on). In chapter 7, you will get no hint about which piece should be moved.
In chapters 8-12, the most common and important chess tactics (such as decoy, fork,
pin, discovery and skewer) are introduced. Finally, in chapter 13, in addition to the
previously mentioned patterns, you will need to figure out which tactical pattern to use to
win material, including concepts like "trapping a piece" or "intermediate move."

In some examples it will be White to move, while in others you will have to try to find
the winning move for Black. Also please note that under each diagram you will be able
to record the amount of time it took you to solve each puzzle. As you go through and
solve the puzzles again, your speed recognizing the winning material patterns should
improve.

In chess, pattern recognition is a very important part of playing better chess.

Therefore, my suggestion is to try to solve the puzzles multiple times, or until you feel
that you can recognize the correct solutions within a minute per page (4 puzzles). Initially
you may want to set up the pieces on the chess board as shown in the diagrams (make
sure every piece is exactly as shown!), but by the second time around I would surely
recommend to try to solve the puzzles just from the diagram.

Wishing you enjoyment as you embark on the road to “Learning Chess the Right
Way!”

Susan Polgar
July 2016

4
 Chapter 1

Captures with the Queen

In this chapter, the main “hero” is the queen. The queen can move and capture
diagonally or in a line direction. We shall see examples of how the queen can capture
an opponent’s valuable pieces. But first, it is essential to understand the relative value
of the different pieces:

Queen = 9
Rook = 5
Bishop or Knight = 3
Pawn = 1

The king can never be captured (removed from the board) and has no relative value.

When the king is attacked and cannot escape, it is checkmate, as we learned in

volume 1 of this series. When the king is attacked and can escape, it means you gave a
cuuuuuuuuC
(wDwDwDwD}
7DwDwDwip}
6wDqDwhpD}
5DwDwDwDw}
&wDwDwDwD}
3Dw!wDN)w}
2wDwDwDK)}
%DwDwDwDw}
v,./9EFJMV
White or Black to move

In the example above, if it is White’s turn, the correct capture is Qxc6 to simply win
the queen. If it is Black’s turn, the answer would be similar with Qxc3.

In the next example, White can choose between capturing the black queen or knight.

5
 Learn Chess the Right Way

cuuuuuuuuC
(wDwDwDkD}
7DpDwDwDw}
6wDpDwDp0}
5DwDpDw1w}
&w)w)wDwD}
3Dw)wDwGP}
2nDw!wDPI}
%DwDwDwDw}
v,./9EFJMV
White to move

When thinking about your next move or capture, it is always essential to try to foresee
your opponent’s best next move, possibly a recapture. In the position above, capturing
Black’s queen on g5 would be a mistake, as it would miss out on a much better choice.
After 1. Qxg5, Black would respond with 1…hxg5, which means that you just traded
queens without any material gain. On the other hand, by playing 1.Qxa2, White wins
material (a knight) without losing anything.
cuuuuuuuuC
(wDwDwDkD}
71wdwDp0p}
6wdw0wdwD}
5dwDw0wDw}
&RDwDwDwD}
3DwDP!w)w}
2wDwDPdK)}
%dwDwDwDw}
v,./9EFJMV
Black to move

In the position above, Black can capture White’s queen or rook. Here, even though
the queen is the more valuable piece, it is the rook (on a4) that should be captured.
Capturing 1…Qxe3 would be a blunder as it allows checkmate in one with 2.Ra8.

6
 Captures with the Queen

In some of the exercises ahead, you may be able to win “only” a pawn, but typically
that is better than winning nothing. You may also find some puzzles in this chapter where
one side is in check. Remember, you do not necessarily need to move your king. It is
possible for you to capture the piece that just checked you.

Have fun, and good luck solving the next 20 puzzles!

7
 Learn Chess the Right Way

White to move

(1) (2)
cuuuuuuuuC cuuuuuuuuC
(qDwDwDwD} (wDwDwDwD}
70w0wDwip} 7DkDwDw0w}
6w0wDw0pD} 6w0nDwDq0}
5DwDwDwDw} 5DwDwDwDw}
&wDwDwDwD} &wDwDwDwD}
3DwDwDQ)w} 3DwDwDPHw}
2P)PDw)K)} 2wDQDwDP)}
%DwDwDwDw} %DwDwDwIw}
v,./9EFJMV v,./9EFJMV
1. ______ Time: ______ 1. ______ Time: ______

(3) (4)
cuuuuuuuuC cuuuuuuuuC
(wDwDwDwD} (wDw1wDwD}
7DkDwDw0w} 7Dk0wDwDw}
6w0pDw0wD} 6w0wDwDwD}
5hwDwDwDw} 5DwDwDwDp}
&wDwDwDwD} &wDwDwDrD}
3DPDwDw)w} 3DPDwDw)w}
2wDwDwIPD} 2wIPDwDwD}
%!wDwDwDq} %DwDQDwDR}
v,./9EFJMV v,./9EFJMV
1. ______ Time: ______ 1. ______ Time: ______

8
 Captures with the Queen

Black to move

(5) (6)
cuuuuuuuuC cuuuuuuuuC
(wDwDrDwD} (wDwDwDwD}
7DqDwDpip} 7ip1wDwDR}
6wDwDwDpD} 6pgwDw0wD}
5DwDwDwDw} 5DwDw0w0w}
&w0wDwDwD} &wDwDPDwD}
3DwDwDR)w} 3DP!wDPDw}
2PDQDw)w)} 2PDKDwDPD}
%DwDwDwIw} %DwDwDwDw}
v,./9EFJMV v,./9EFJMV
1. … ______ Time: ______ 1. … ______ Time: ______

(7) (8)
cuuuuuuuuC cuuuuuuuuC
(qDwDwDwD} (wDkDrDw4}
70w0wDp0k} 70p0qDQ0p}
6w0wDwhw0} 6wDwDwDwD}
5DwDwDwDw} 5DwDwDwDw}
&wDwDwDwD} &wDwDwDwD}
3)wDwDw)w} 3Dw)R)wDw}
2w)PDw)w)} 2P)wDwDP)}
%DwIRDwHR} %DwIwDRDw}
v,./9EFJMV v,./9EFJMV
1. … ______ Time: ______ 1. … ______ Time: ______