Eliminating Key Pieces - Coach Answer Key
Neutral exercise numbering matches the student handout.
Exercise 1
Best move: 1...Nc7!
Short plan: Re-route the knight so ...Ba6 can exchange Black’s bad bishop for White’s good bishop. After the exchange, organize ...Nb8-c6 and rook activity against White’s queenside/central weaknesses.
Critical line: 1...Nc7 2.Bd2 Ba6 3.Rc2
Strategic theme: Exchange your bad bishop for the opponent’s good bishop
Why the tempting alternative is inferior: A direct exchange without the preparatory reorganization is less coordinated; the source emphasizes ...Nc7 first so ...Ba6 comes under favorable conditions.
Difficulty: 1/5
Source mapping: Original Position 105; Cu. Hansen - V. Eingorn, Dortmund 1988; printed exercise page 319 (PDF 320); printed solution page 396 (PDF 397).
Exercise 2
Best move: 1.Be2!
Short plan: Route the f1-bishop to g4 and exchange Black’s good bishop. The resulting light-square weaknesses become more important than Black’s nominal structural solidity.
Critical line: 1.Be2 b6 2.Bg4 Bxg4 3.hxg4
Strategic theme: Eliminate the opponent’s good bishop to expose its color-complex
Why the tempting alternative is inferior: The source does not single out a concrete rival first move; a slow move that leaves Black’s good bishop untouched misses the strategic window and preserves Black’s best defender.
Difficulty: 1/5
Source mapping: Original Position 106; T. Markowski - V. Haralambof, Bern 1996; printed exercise page 319 (PDF 320); printed solution page 396 (PDF 397).
Exercise 3
Best move: 1...Kg7!
Short plan: Prepare ...h6 and ...Bg5 to exchange White’s good bishop. Once that bishop disappears, Black can control c5 and make the remaining white bishop comparatively poor.
Critical line: 1...Kg7 2.Rfd1 h6 3.Bb1 Bg5 4.a3 Bxe3
Strategic theme: Prepare the exchange of the opponent’s best bishop
Why the tempting alternative is inferior: Immediate activity that ignores the bishop leaves White’s best minor piece in place. The king move is useful because it prepares the exchange plan without creating a new weakness.
Difficulty: 2/5
Source mapping: Original Position 107; B. Ivkov - S. Kagan, Petropolis Interzonal 1973; printed exercise page 319 (PDF 320); printed solution page 396 (PDF 397).
Exercise 4
Best move: 1...Qd7!
Short plan: Coordinate ...Bf5 to trade White’s good bishop while also creating tactical pressure on h3. The queen move gives the exchange plan a concrete tactical point.
Critical line: 1...Qd7 2.f4?! Bf5 3.Qc2 Be4!
Strategic theme: Use a multipurpose move to force a favorable bishop exchange
Why the tempting alternative is inferior: Playing ...Bf5 without first improving queen coordination lacks the extra tactical pressure. ...Qd7 combines the exchange plan with threats, making White’s defensive choices more awkward.
Difficulty: 2/5
Source mapping: Original Position 108; M. Stolberg - M. Botvinnik, USSR Championship, Moscow 1940; printed exercise page 319 (PDF 320); printed solution page 396 (PDF 397).
Exercise 5
Best move: 1.Qd3!
Short plan: Attack d6 and prepare Bf3, exchanging Black’s bishop before attacking the fixed d5/d6 weaknesses. The queen move prevents Black from gaining time with a central counter-push.
Critical line: 1.Qd3 Rfd8 2.Bf3! Bxf3 3.Nxf3
Strategic theme: Prepare the exchange before attacking fixed pawns
Why the tempting alternative is inferior: The immediate 1.Bf3?! allows 1...e4! 2.Be2 d5, giving Black counterplay. Preparation matters because exchanges are irreversible.
Difficulty: 2/5
Source mapping: Original Position 109; A. Karpov - B. Parma, Caracas 1970; printed exercise page 319 (PDF 320); printed solution page 397 (PDF 398).
Exercise 6
Best move: 1...Bb5!
Short plan: Exchange Black’s bad bishop and reduce White’s control of the light squares, especially c4. After the exchange, White’s queenside targets and entry squares become more important than any cosmetic pawn damage.
Critical line: 1...Bb5 2.Rd3 Bc4
Strategic theme: Trade a bad bishop to seize key squares
Why the tempting alternative is inferior: The alternatives 1...f4?! 2.c4! and 1...Rc7?! 2.c4! dxc4 3.Rxc4 leave White with the easier game. The bishop exchange directly addresses the key-square problem.
Difficulty: 3/5
Source mapping: Original Position 110; Y. Estrin - K. Pytel, Albena 1973; printed exercise page 319 (PDF 320); printed solution page 397 (PDF 398).
Exercise 7
Best move: 1.Bg5!
Short plan: Use Bh4-g3 to exchange Black’s good bishop and also stop the ...Nh5-f4 maneuver. The exchange reduces Black’s kingside resources and leaves White with a slightly easier target structure.
Critical line: 1.Bg5 0-0 2.Bh4 Qe7 3.Bg3 Bxg3 4.hxg3
Strategic theme: Exchange a key bishop while denying a maneuver
Why the tempting alternative is inferior: A routine developing move keeps Black’s good bishop and the ...Nh5-f4 idea alive. The source’s point is that Bg5 is valuable because it solves both problems at once.
Difficulty: 3/5
Source mapping: Original Position 111; S. Erenburg - S. Porat, Ashdod 2004; printed exercise page 320 (PDF 321); printed solution page 397 (PDF 398).
Exercise 8
Best move: 1...h5!
Short plan: Prepare ...Bh7 and ...Bh6 to trade Black’s bad bishop for White’s good bishop. Then exchange rooks before White can install a knight on b6, and fix queenside pawns on light squares.
Critical line: 1...h5 2.Rc2 Bh7 3.Rfc1 Bh6 4.Bxh6 Kxh6
Strategic theme: Prepare a long-route bishop exchange as a defensive plan
Why the tempting alternative is inferior: A passive move that only defends the current weaknesses leaves White time to improve. The source’s plan is proactive: create the bishop exchange first, then simplify the rooks.
Difficulty: 4/5
Source mapping: Original Position 112; J. H. Donner - B. Ivkov, Santa Monica 1966; printed exercise page 320 (PDF 321); printed solution page 398 (PDF 399).
Exercise 9
Best move: 1.Rxd8+!
Short plan: Exchange all four rooks to magnify Black’s bad bishop and reduce counterplay. The resulting queen-and-minor-piece position makes the fixed dark-square weaknesses much easier to exploit.
Critical line: 1.Rxd8+ Rxd8 2.Rd1 Rd5 3.Bf3! Rxd1 4.Qxd1
Strategic theme: Use mass exchanges to expose a bad minor piece
Why the tempting alternative is inferior: 1.Qd2?! e5! and 1.Rd6?! Rxd6 2.cxd6 e5! allow Black a freeing break. The rook exchange removes the dynamic resources that could rescue the bishop.
Difficulty: 4/5
Source mapping: Original Position 113; J. Hellsten - E. Djingarova, Menton 2003; printed exercise page 320 (PDF 321); printed solution page 398 (PDF 399).
Exercise 10
Best move: 1.Nd3!
Short plan: Preserve the knight so White does not drift into a good-knight-versus-bad-bishop scenario for Black. The main strategic task is to keep a piece capable of contesting the light squares and blockading activity.
Critical line: 1.Nd3 Nc4 2.Rfc1
Strategic theme: Avoid an unfavorable minor-piece exchange
Why the tempting alternative is inferior: 1.Bd2? allows ...Nc4 and ...Bxb4, after which Black obtains the classic good-knight-versus-bad-bishop advantage. The exchange decision matters more than superficial development.
Difficulty: 5/5
Source mapping: Original Position 114; M. Najdorf - Y. Averbakh, Candidates Tournament, Zürich 1953; printed exercise page 320 (PDF 321); printed solution page 398 (PDF 399).