A concerted action of two or more chessmen designed to achieve a specific objective, such as to gain material advantage or to win a more favorable position, or to effect a checkmate.
For a ‘Petite Combinaison’ (French names used by Capablanca), let us see the game Tartakower-Capablanca, New York 1924. Tartakower played 9.Bxb8 hoping for Rxb8 then 9. Qa4+ followed by Qxb4, but Capablanca played the subtle 9…Nxd5 threatening 10…Ne3 with a win.
For a ‘Longue Combinaison’ let us go the famous game Mason-Szymon [C50], Vienna 1st Vienna (27), 13.06.1882.
Botvinnik said: A combination is a forced variation with sacrifice.
ECHESSPEDIA
Quotes of the Day
Karpov Lost, Kasparov Lost, the Only One Who Remained Is Me.
Silvio Danailov 2014
Now, at 51, in my life I have reach the stage between the middlegame and the endgame. But I don’t have the feeling that I am in the endgame already.
Boris Spassky 1988 NIC
I think I would beat Tal pretty easily. Fischer would be more difficult, but I think I could beat him too.
Magnus Carlsen
It’s always better to sacrifice your opponent’s men
Savielly Tartakower
Carlsen: “I ran out of steam towards the end but fortunately I played better than he did”
Magnus Carlsen 2017