Here are some chess problems taken from the games of Anatoly Karpov.
White to play and win.
Solutions are between the brackets under each puzzle.Drag your mouse from one bracket to the other.
a)
Karpov vs Victor Korchnoi, Leningrad, 1971
[ g3+ Kh3 Nf2+ ]
b)
Karpov vs Sergey Shestakov, Kuibyshev, 1970
[ Nhf4 Bxf4 Nxf4 Rxd4 Ng6+ w/Nf8+ & Qg6 ]
c)
Karpov vs Pronin, Moscow, 1968
[ Re1 ]
d)
Karpov vs Karen Grigorian, Leningrad, 1971
[ Nxh6 if Bxh6 Qxh6+ Rh7 Qxf6+ mates ]
Karpov vs Topalov, 1994
Chess videos by letsplaychess.com
Karpov, Part II. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
White Mates in 6. Karpov vs Istvan Csom, Bad Lauterberg, 1977
[ Nf5 if exf5 Qh2+ ]
b)
Karpov vs Ken Rogoff, Mayaguez, 1971
[ Nh4 ]
c)
Karpov vs Svetozar Gligoric, Milan, 1975
[ Rxd3 if Qxd3 d6+ Kh8 Qxa5 Rxd7 Qxe5+ Rg7 Bd4 ]
d)
Karpov vs Eugenio Torre, Leningrad, 1973
[ g4 ]
e)
Karpov vs Boris Spassky, Leningrad, 1974
[ Rxd8 if Rxd8 Be7 ]
Karpov, Part III. White to move and win.
a)
Karpov vs Gyula Sax, Linares, 1983
[ Re7 Qxe7 Qa8+ Kc7 Qa7+ if Kd8 Qb8# ]
b)
Karpov vs Helmut Pfleger, Hannover, 1983
[ a7 if Bb7 Ba3 ]
c)
Karpov vs Jan Timman, Moscow, 1981
[ dxe6 if Bxe5 exf7 or if fxe6 Ng6+ mates ]
d)
Karpov vs Bent Larsen, Tilburg, 1982
[ Nf5 if exf5 Re3+ Kf8 Qd6+ Kg7 Rg3+ ]
e)
Karpov vs Victor Korchnoi, Baguio City, 1978
[ Rd7 if Bxd7 Qxf7+ mates or if Rb8 Nxf7 Bxd7 Nd8+ mates ]
Karpov, Part IV. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Karpov vs Nedelin, Borovichi, 1961
[ Qxa3 w/Rxb8+ Rc1 & R1c8 ]
b)
Karpov vs Volpert, Yalta, 1966
[ Rf7+ ]
c)
Karpov vs Detkov, Vladimir, 1967
[ Bxh7 w/Ng6+ ]
d)
White Mates in 5. Karpov vs Chilnov, Riga, 1970
[ Rxd6+ w/Qxd8+ ]
e)
White Mates in 7. Karpov vs Izotov, Leningrad, 1970
[ Qa3 ]
Karpov, Part V. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Karpov vs Aronshtats, Leningrad, 1971
[ Rc1 w/Nb5 ]
b)
Karpov vs Leonid Gofstein, Rostov, 1971
[ Nxf3 ]
c)
Karpov vs VN Kozlov, Leningrad, 1971
[ Nxd4 w/Bf4 ]
d)
White Mates in 2. Karpov vs Henrique Mecking, Hastings, 1971
[ Rg7 ]
e)
Karpov vs Donald Byrne, San Antonio, 1972
[ Ba6 ]
Karpov, Part VI. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
White Mates in 4. Karpov vs Mark Taimanov, Moscow, 1972
[ Qg5 ]
b)
Karpov vs Dan Uddenfeldt, Skopje, 1972
[ Nh5 w/Ng7+ ]
c)
Karpov vs Gyula Sax, Budapest, 1973
[ Qe6+ w/Rxb5 ]
d)
Karpov vs Victor Korchnoi, Moscow, 1974
[ e5 if dxe5 Nxf6+ & Nh5 ]
e)
Karpov vs A Pomar Salamanca, Nice, 1974
[ Rf8+ w/Rb8+ & Bd2 ]
Karpov, Part VII. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Karpov vs Victor Kupreichik, Riga, 1975
[ Qc3 w/g5 ]
b)
Karpov vs N Benjamin, London, 1977
[ e6 ]
c)
White Mates in 2. Karpov vs Klaus Wockenfuss, Bad Lauterberg,
[ Bf5+ ]
d)
White Mates in 8. Karpov vs Vlastimil Hort, Bugojno, 1978
[ Rxe6+ w/Qc7+ & Bd6+ ]
e)
White Mates in 7. Karpov vs Ljubomir Ljubojevic, Bugojno, 1978
[ Nf6+ ]
Karpov, Part VIII. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Karpov vs Gennadi Sosonko, Tilburg, 1979
[ Rxc5 ]
b)
White Mates in 7. Karpov vs Miguel Quinteros, Buenos Aires, 1980
[ Bxe6+ if Kxe6 Qxg6+ or if Kf8 Rxh8+ ]
c)
Karpov vs Zoltan Ribli, Amsterdam, 1980
[ Rc2 ]
d)
White Mates in 5. Karpov vs Mikhail Tal, Bugojno, 1980
[ Rd2 ]
e)
White Mates in 5. Karpov vs Miguel Najdorf, Mar del Plata, 1982
[ Bg8+ w/Bf7+ & Rxh8+ ]
Karpov, Part IX. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
White Mates in 6. Karpov vs Efim Geller, USSR, 1983
[ Qxc4 ]
b)
Karpov vs Ian Rogers, Bath, 1983
[ c4 if Qc5 b4 ]
c)
Karpov vs Anthony Miles, Brussels, 1986
[ Nd5 ]
d)
White Mates in 5. Karpov vs Zoltan Ribli, Dubai, 1986
[ Qxh7+ w/Rh1+ & Rbh2 ]
e)
Karpov vs Alexander Sznapik, Dubai, 1986
[ Ne6 ]
Karpov, Part X. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Karpov vs Bruno Kamber, Switzerland, 1987
[ Nxb6 w/Rf4 ]
b)
Karpov vs John Van der Wiel, Amsterdam, 1987
[ Nxc5 w/Be5+ ]
c)
Karpov vs M Gallati, Zurich, 1988
[ Na7 w/Nc6 ]
d)
Karpov vs Victor Gavrikov, Moscow, 1988
[ Be4 w/Bh7+ ]
e)
Karpov vs V Kveinis, Riga, 1988
[ g4 ]
Karpov, Part XI. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Karpov vs Lajos Portisch, Tilburg, 1988
[ Rxf6 w/Qc3 ]
b)
Karpov vs Arthur Yusupov, Moscow, 1988
[ Bxe6 w/Rc1+ & Nxe6+ ]
c)
White Mates in 3. Karpov vs Jaan Ehlvest, Reykjavik, 1991
[ Nh6+ ]
d)
White Mates in 4. Karpov vs Mikhail Gurevich, Reggio Emilia, 1991
[ Qh8+ w/Qe5+ ]
e)
White Mates in 4. Karpov vs George Trammell, St Martin, 1992
[ Qf1+ w/Qf3+ & Qe4 ]
Karpov, Part XII. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Karpov vs Oleg Romanishin, Tilburg, 1993
[ Ra8+ w/e6 ]
b)
Karpov vs Valery Salov, Linares, 1993
[ Qxg6 if hxg6 Rh4 ]
c)
Karpov vs Jan Timman, Arnheim, 1993
[ f7+ ]
d)
White Mates in 5. Karpov vs D De Vreugt, Euro Disney CH, 1994
[ Nf5+ w/Qh3 ]
e)
Karpov vs Kiril Georgiev, Tilburg, 1994
[ Neg5 w/Nxg5 & Re8 ]
Karpov Puzzles, Part XIII. White to move and win.
a)
Karpov vs Alexander Beliavsky, Dortmund, 1995
1R3nk1/6p1/3Ppp1p/r2q4/4Q2P/5PB1/6PK/8 w - - id 1-0
[ d7 if Qxd7 Qb4 ]
b)
Karpov vs Alexander Khalifman, Linares 1995
5r2/pR3pk1/q2p1bp1/3B3p/2P4P/3Q1RP1/5PK1/4r3 w - - id 1-0
[ Rxf6 if Kxf6 Qf3+ Kg7 Rxf7+ mates ]
c)
Karpov vs Boris Gelfand, Sanghi Nagar, 1995
3q1r1k/6rp/1p2p3/3PPn1b/p4R2/P6B/1P1Q1B1K/2R5 w - - id 1-0
[ Bxf5 if exf5 or Rxf5 Bh4 w/Bf6 ]
d)
Karpov vs Joel Lautier, Biel, 1997
3q1r1k/7p/2brR1p1/1p6/8/1B2Q3/4RPPP/6K1 w - - id 1-0
[ Qc3+ if Rf6 Rxd6 Qxd6 Re6 ]
e)
Karpov vs Marcin Krysztofiak, Koszalin (simul), 1997
r1b4k/p2n2bp/2pn1rp1/q3p1N1/2B1Pp2/2N2P2/PP1Q1BPP/2KR3R w - - id 1-0
[ Qxd6 Rxd6 Nf7+ Kg8 Nxd6+ Kh8 Nxc8 ]
Karpov Puzzles, Part XIV. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
White Mates in 2. Karpov vs Piotr Mickiewicz, Koszalin (Simul), 1997
5r1r/1p6/p1p2p2/2P1bPpk/4R3/6PP/P2B2K1/3R4 w - - id 1-0
[ Rh4+ ]
b)
White Mates in 2. Karpov vs Bidjukova, Voronezh (Simul), 1997
2r5/2R5/3npkpp/3bN3/p4PP1/4K3/P1B4P/8 w - - id 1-0
[ g5+ ]
c)
Karpov vs Lavrov, Voronezh (Simul), 1997
r1k5/p1rn3p/2p3p1/1q6/3P1N2/BP5P/P4PP1/3RQ1K1 w - - id 1-0
[ Bd6 ]
d)
White Mates in 4. Karpov vs Federico Perez, Bastia (Simul), 1998
1r1qrbk1/3b3p/p2p1pp1/3NnP2/3N4/1Q4BP/PP4P1/1R2R2K w - - id 1-0
[ Nxf6+ ]
e)
Karpov vs Laurent Berlandier, Internet (Simul), 1998
r6r/1ppbkppp/4p1n1/b2nP3/4NP2/1PPB1NP1/3BK2P/R6R w - - id 1-0
[ b4 if Bb6 c4 ]
Karpov Puzzles, Part XV. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Karpov vs JP Peccini, Besancon (Simul), 1999
1kqr4/1prbbpp1/QR1p1n1p/p2Pp3/P3P3/BRN2N2/2P2PPP/6K1 w - - id 1-0
[ Nxe5 if dxe5 Bxe7 w/Bd6 mates or if Be8 Nc6+ mates ]
b)
Karpov vs Gustavo Albarran, Buenos Aires (Simul), 2001
2bqr1k1/5pbp/ppp1p1p1/4B3/2P1n3/1PN1P3/P2rBPPP/R1Q2RK1 w - - id 1-0
[ Nxe4 if Rxe2 Bxg7 Kxg7 Rd1 Qh4 Ng3 ]
c)
White Mates in 4. Karpov vs Juan Carlos Sanz, Madrid (Simul), 2001
2r1r3/1b1q1p2/p3p1k1/1p1pPnN1/3P1Q2/3B3R/PP3P1K/5R2 w - - id 1-0
[ Nxe6 if fxe6 Qh6+ ]
d)
Karpov vs Judit Polgar, Moscow, 2002
2rr2k1/pp2ppbp/3n2b1/1q4p1/1nNP2P1/4P2P/PB1NQP2/R2R1BK1 w - - id 1-0
[ Nxd6 ]
e)
White Mates in 5. Karpov vs Gomez Gustavo, Sao Paulo (Simul), 2003
rrn2q1k/2p3b1/n1Pp3p/6PR/1PQ1Pp2/4BP2/3NK3/7R w - - id 1-0
[ Rxh6+ if Bxh6 Bd4+ ]
Karpov Puzzles, Part XVI. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Karpov vs Carlos Solis, Sao Paulo (Simul), 2003
1r1r1k2/1b2qpp1/p3pn1p/1pNnN3/3P3Q/PB6/1P3PPP/3RR1K1 w - - id 1-0
[ Nxe6+ if Qxe6 or fxe6 Ng6+ ]
b)
Karpov vs Alain Costa, Ajaccio, 2007
r1bqk2r/pppp1ppp/8/3Pp3/1b1n4/6P1/PP1PPPBP/R1BQK1NR w KQkq - id 1-0
[ e3 ]
c)
Karpov vs Michael Seitz, Wolfsburg (Simul), 2007
1rn1b1k1/4bpp1/4p2p/1pNqN3/1P1P4/1Q1B3P/5PP1/2R3K1 w - - id 1-0
[ Qxd5 exd5 Na6 w/Nc7 ]
d)
White Mates in 3. Karpov vs Mahajlo Stojanovic, Valjevo, 2007
2q1rb1k/prp3pp/1pn1p3/5p1N/2PP3Q/6R1/PP3PPP/R5K1 w - - id 1-0
[ Nf6 if h6 Qxh6+ ]
e)
Karpov vs Alexei Shirov, Tallinn, 2006
4kr2/p1Bbpp2/1p4p1/n6p/2B1P2P/2K2P2/P2R2P1/8 w - - id 1-0
[ Bb5 ]
Karpov Puzzles, Part XVII. Black to move and win except where noted.
a)
Rutka vs Karpov, Trinec, 1967
r2r3k/3q3P/p4p2/1pb1pN2/4Q2N/2P5/PP1n1P2/R3K2R b KQ - id 0-1
[ ...Bxf2+ (if ...Nxe4 Ng6#) ]
b)
Bruce Amos vs Karpov, Mayaguez, 1971
1r2r2k/5pp1/3pb2p/n2Nn3/Pp1qP3/1P4PP/3NQ1B1/2RR3K b - - id 0-1
[ ...Nd3 if Rc2 Nf2+ ]
c)
Calvo Minguez vs Karpov, Madrid, 1973
5rkn/4b1p1/ppnq1r2/2p1p1N1/P2pP1pP/BP1P1pP1/2PN1P1Q/2R3KR b - - id 0-1
[ ...Rh6 w/...Bxg5 ]
d)
Black Mates in 3. Viktor Korchnoi vs Karpov, Baguio, 1978
8/7R/2r5/8/P3n3/8/3nk1PP/R5K1 b - - id 0-1
[ ...Nf3+ ]
e)
Peter Dankert vs Karpov, Munich, 1979
8/2k2p2/Rbb1p3/3pPp2/2nP4/1p1N3q/1B2Q2P/7K b - - id 0-1
[ ...Nxb2 if Nxb2 Bb5 ]
Karpov Puzzles, Part XVIII. Black to move and win except where noted.
a)
Jan-Hein Donner vs Karpov, Amsterdam, 1981
5r2/3k4/1p1pp3/2n1r2p/p1PK4/P3RBPP/1PR5/8 b - - id 0-1
[ ...Nb3+ Kd3 Rxe3+ w/Rxf3+ & Nd4+ ]
b)
Boris Spassky vs Karpov, London, 1982
5rk1/4bnpp/p3r3/3qp3/PpN2B2/1Q6/1P2RPPP/4R1K1 b - - id 0-1
[ ...Nd6 ]
c)
Jan Timman vs Karpov, London, 1984
k3rr2/P1p4p/b1p5/3pP1Bq/1b5P/1N2Q1P1/PP4K1/2R4R b - - id 0-1
[ ...Rxe5 if Qxe5 Qf3+ ]
d)
Ljubomir Ljubojevic Ljubomir vs Karpov, Linares, 1992
4Q3/1q3nk1/5pp1/1p2p2p/1b1pP2P/1P1P2P1/4BPK1/6N1 b - - id 0-1
[ ...Be7 w/...Nd6 ]
e)
Badals Magem vs Karpov, Madrid, 1992
3q2k1/5p2/3p2p1/p2Np1b1/P1P1P2p/5P1P/1QR3PK/4r3 b - - id 0-1
[ ...Be3 if Nxe3 Qg5 mates ]
Karpov Puzzles, Part XIX. Black to move and win except where noted.
a)
Alexander Ivanov vs Karpov, Moscow, 1992
r1r3k1/ppq1bpp1/1n2pn2/4N1N1/5B2/3R4/PPP1QP1P/2K4R b - - id 0-1
[ ...Nfd5 ]
b)
Joel Lautier vs Karpov, Linares, 1994
r5k1/6p1/5p1p/8/3Pb3/1Rn1BNPP/5K2/8 b - - id 0-1
[ ...Nd1+ if Ke2 Bc2 or if Kg2 Ra2+ ]
c)
Judit Polgar vs Karpov, Monte Carlo (blind), 1994
8/p4pk1/3RB1pp/1b2P3/5PPK/2r5/3Q3P/6q1 b - - id 0-1
[ ...Rc2 (if ...fxe6 Rd7+ draws) if Qxc2 Qe1+ mates ]
d)
Black Mates in 5. Valery Salov vs Karpov, Alma-Ata, 1995
8/1P3pk1/2Qpp3/7p/P2Pn1p1/4qN1P/6PK/8 b - - id 0-1
[ ...g3+ Kh1 Nf2+ Kg1 Nxh3+ ]
e)
Renzo Mantovani vs Karpov, San Giorgio Legnano, 1995
8/p1r2ppk/1p3nqp/8/2N1pP2/P3P1nP/1P3QPK/3RN3 b - - id 0-1
[ ...Qh5 w/...Ng4+ or ..Qxd1 ]
Karpov Puzzles, Part XX. Black to move and win except where noted.
a)
Black Mates in 5. Magem Badals vs Karpov, Cap d'Agde, 1996
8/5k2/3bpp2/1p1p1b1p/3P3P/1B2QPP1/P4BK1/1q6 b - - id 0-1
[ ...Bh3+ ]
b)
Black Mates in 5. Eric Lobron vs Karpov, Frankfurt, 1997
6rk/pb4rp/1p3p2/3q3Q/1P1P3R/1P5P/1B2R1P1/6K1 b - - id 0-1
[ ...Rxg2+ Kf1 Rg1+ Kf2 Rf1+ ]
c)
Paul Van Der Sterren vs Karpov, Wijk aan Zee, 1998
5rk1/QBr2ppp/1p6/1bq5/8/6P1/P4P1P/R3R1K1 b - - id 0-1
[ ...Rxb7 (if ...Bc6 Rac1) Qxb7 Bc6 if Qe7 Qd5 ]
d)
Gilberto Milos vs Karpov, Buenos Aires, 2001
3q1r1k/8/2p2bpp/8/2br2B1/4RQB1/5PPP/4R1K1 b - - id 0-1
[ ...Bg7 ]
e)
Alexei Shirov vs Karpov, Bastia, 2002
4rk2/p4p1p/5Bp1/1bb1N3/4B3/3P4/P1P2PPP/4K3 b - - id 0-1
[ ...Re6 if Bh8 f6 w/...f5 ]
Other World Champions
More Russian GMs
Back to the Main Index