Here are some chess puzzles from the games of Magnus Carlsen.
White to move and win except where noted.
Solutions are between the brackets under each puzzle.Drag your mouse from one bracket to the other.
a) White Mates in 3. Carlsen vs Hans K Harestad, Copenhagen, 2003
r7/3bb1kp/q4p1N/1pnPp1np/2p4Q/2P5/1PB3P1/2B2RK1 w - - 0 1
b)
Carlsen vs Gustav Gulbrandsen, Norway, 2002
r1b1k2r/pp1nqpp1/4p2p/3pP1N1/8/3BQ3/PP3PPP/2R2RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Qxa7 if Rxa7 Rxc8+ Qd8 Rxd8+ & Nxf7+ or if Rb8 Qxb8 Nxb8 Rxc8+ & Rxh8 ]
c)
White Mates in 2. Carlsen vs Helgi Gretarsson, Rethymnon, 2003
r5q1/pp1b1kr1/2p2p2/2Q5/2PpB3/1P4NP/P4P2/4RK2 w - - 0 1
[ Bg6+ ]
d)
Carlsen vs Nurlan Ibraev, Calvia, 2004
r2qr1k1/pb1p1pp1/1pnR1n1p/4pQN1/2P4P/1P2P3/PB3PP1/2K2B1R w - - 0 1
[ Rxf6 w/Qh7+ ]
e)
Carlsen vs Peter Nielsen, Malmo, 2004
2k5/6p1/1pq2pP1/p7/n2BP3/Q4P2/1Pr5/1K5R w - - 0 1
[ Qe7 w/Qe8+ & Qxa4 ]
Carlsen's Interview on Rikets Rost
Carlsen Puzzles, Part II. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Carlsen vs Lorenz Drabke, Budapest, 2003
rnbk1b1r/pq3Bpp/4pn2/4N3/3P4/4P3/1P1B1PPP/R2QK2R w - - 0 1
[ Ba5+ w/Qa4 & Qe8+ ]
b)
Carlsen vs Nigel Short, Hoogeveen, 2004
[ Nd6+ Ra8+ Nf5+ & Ra7+ ]
c)
M Carlsen vs Alexei Shirov, Drammen, 2005
[ Bxg7 w/Rxg7+ & Qxd4+ ]
d)
M Carlsen vs Alexandra Kosteniuk, Wijk aan Zee 'B', 2005
[ Nc5 if Rb4 Qd2 Rb5 Bf1 ]
e)
M Carlsen vs Predrag Nikolic, Wijk aan Zee 'B', 2005
[ Ng5+ w/Qf3+ & Rxe6 ]
Carlsen Puzzles, Part III. Black to move and win.
a)
Glenn Gaasland vs Carlsen, Norway, 2001
[ ...Ne3 Rxd8+ Rxd8 Qe2 Rd1+ ]
b)
Christian Aarefjord vs Carlsen, Oslo, 2001
[ ...Bg6+ w/Rd2+ ]
c)
Anita Hersvik vs Carlsen, Oslo, 2002
[ ...Qe6 Bf2 Nd6 ]
d)
Rolf Sander vs Carlsen, Gausdal, 2003
[ ...hxg6 Rxc7+ Bxc7 Qxh8 Rxh8 ]
e)
Jonathan Dourerassou vs Carlsen, Halkidiki, 2003
[ ...Bb2+ w/...Bc3 ]
Endgame Study: Carlsen vs Onischuk
Carlsen Puzzles, Part IV. Black to move and win except where noted.
a)
Black Mates in 2. Jon Hammer vs Carlsen, Halkidiki, 2003
[ ...Qh5+ ]
b)
Yuri Zimmerman vs Carlsen, Schwarzach, 2003
[ ...Nf4 if Qd1 Rd3+ Nxd3 Qxd3+ ]
c)
I Cheparinov vs M Carlsen, Wijk aan Zee 'B', 2005
[ ...Bg4+ w/...Rc8 ]
d)
Carlsen vs Sampsa Nyysti, Helsinki, 2002
[ Rdxf5 w/Rg1+ ]
e)
White to move and win. Carlsen vs Svein Johansen, Oslo, 2001
[ Nc5 if Q any Qd7+ mates ]
Carlsen Puzzles, Part V. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Carlsen vs Per Manne, Bergen, 2002
[ Bxf6 ]
b)
Carlsen vs Stig Tjomsland, Gausdal, 2002
[ d6+ if Kxd6 Qd7+ & Qg7+ ]
c)
Carlsen vs Zaven Andriasian, Halkidiki, 2003
[ Bc3 w/Qxg4 or Rxd7 ]
d)
Carlsen vs Dagfinn Snarheim, Asker, 2003
[ Bxf7+ if Qxf7 Qxc3 or if Kxf7 Rd7+ ]
e) White Mates in 3. Carlsen vs Timothy Taylor, Budapest, 2003
Carlsen Puzzles, Part VI. White to move and win except where noted.
a) White Mates in 3. Carlsen vs Kristian Trygstad, Fredrikstad, 2003
b)
Carlsen vs Can Arduman, Rethymnon, 2003
[ Ne4 ]
c)
Carlsen vs Nikola Sedlak, Reykjavik, 2004
[ Qb3 w/Nc7 ]
d)
Carlsen vs Dag Madsen, Trondheim, 2004
[ Qxf5 w/c7 ]
e)
Carlsen vs Oystein Dannevig, Molde, 2004
[ Nxe7 Nxe7 Re6+ Kb5 Bxf6 Rhd8 Rxd8 Rxd8 Re1 ]
Carlsen Puzzles, Part VII. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
White Mates in 5. Carlsen vs Atle Groenn, Sandnes, 2005
r1b4r/p3k1p1/1pQbBR1p/8/3P3q/4P3/P5PP/1R4K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rf7+ Kd8 (if Kxe6 Qc4#) Qxd6+ Ke8 Bd7+ ]
b)
White Mates in 9. Carlsen vs Zurab Azmaiparashvili, Khanty Mansyisk, 2005
7k/2r1p3/4pNpb/q1p2n1p/1pB2P2/2P3P1/1P2Q2P/3R2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rd8+ if Kg7 Rg8+ & Qxe6# or if Bf8 Rxf8+ Kg7 Rg8+ ]
c)
Carlsen vs David Kjartansson, Reykjavik, 2006
2r1kb1r/4ppp1/pq6/1p1R2Bp/6n1/1N5P/PPPQ2P1/3R3K w - - 0 1
[ Rc5 if Qb7 Na5 ]
d)
White Mates in 6. Carlsen vs Jon Gunnarsson, Reykjavik, 2006
4Qbk1/p7/1p6/3q1pN1/P1pnp3/6P1/1P3PK1/3R4 w - - 0 1
[ Rxd4 ]
e)
Carlsen vs Alexander Morozevich, Biel, 2006
7k/6r1/2pN2pp/3n4/5Q2/7P/3R1PPK/4q3 w - - 0 1
[ Rxd5 if cxd5 Qf8+ Kh7 Ne8 ]
Carlsen Puzzles, Part VIII. Black to move and win except where noted.
a)
Arkadij Naiditsch vs Carlsen, Wijk aan Zee, 2006
8/1b4p1/5pk1/6qp/1P2pn2/4BP2/P5PP/R4Q1K b - - 0 1
[ ...exf3 if gxf3 Qg4 ]
b)
Hannes Stefansson vs Carlsen, Reykjavik, 2006
2r3k1/4bpp1/4pn1p/1p6/q1r5/2BR1BP1/PQ2PPKP/3R4 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxc3 ]
c)
Kjetil Stokke vs Carlsen, Oslo, 2006
6k1/Q3pp1p/1p4p1/3qN3/1P1n4/P1r4P/5PP1/4R2K b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxh3+ Kg1 Ne2+ Kf1 Nf4 ]
d)
Yannick Pelletier vs Carlsen, Biel, 2006
2rr1qk1/Q4pp1/1p1pp2p/2n5/P1P5/1PN3P1/4PP1P/3RR1K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rc6 b4 Ra8 ]
Can't see the solutions?...Click here.
Top 20 Chessplayers in the World
Back to the Index