What is a combination made of?

 [disclaimer]

You will often see positions that I have used before. But since my insights are new, that very fact is not relevant. Since I repeat them all the time, I can't remember that anyway.

White to move

3r3r/1pk2p1p/2p1p1p1/b2n1q2/3P1P2/P1PQ3P/2BB2P1/3R1R1K w - - 0 1

#241. Van Dijk, Harold vs. Polak, Alexander

Chessable course 1001-chess-exercises-for-club-players

What is this combination made of?

The main ingredients are two discovered attacks, who function side by side and are influencing each other.

• discovered attack of c3 and Bd2 against Nd5 and Ba5 (blue arrows)
• discovered attack of Bc2 and Qd3 against Qf5 and d2 (green arrows)

Notice the unusual target d2. It is in fact a defensive target. You might think, "duh, 20 scenarios is not much", but it are these kind of subtle differences that make the study worthwhile. Targets can be anything!

White to move

It al starts with the first discovered attack.

• 1.c4 threatens two targets, the black Bishop and Knight. It is important to realize that Bxa5+ comes with an additional threat (the check)
• 1. ... Bxd2 is the most logical answer. Taking an attacker adds an obligation for white to take it back.
• 2. Qxd2 takes care of the recapture, but releases the new threat of Bc2 against the black Queen

Black can try to exchange the problem piece Qf5 first by trading it for the white Queen, but then white has the in between move Bxa5+.

I find this all very beautiful. And it gives me insight in the inner workings of a combinations.