Here are some chess puzzles from the games of Ruslan Ponomariov.
White to move and win except where noted.
Solutions are between the brackets under each puzzle.Drag your cursor from one bracket to the other.
a)
Ponomariov vs Sergei Azarov, Szeged, 1994
1r6/kpp2rBp/pn1b1P2/2p1pQ1N/2P1P2P/3q4/KPR2P2/2R5 w - - 0 1
[ Bh6 w/Rd2 ]
b)
Ponomariov vs Alexander Grischuk, Szeged, 1994
rqb1n1k1/p4rbp/5pp1/2BNp3/1P2P3/3B4/P5PP/R3QR1K w - - 0 1
[ Ne7+ Kh8 Bc4 if Rf8 Nxg6+ mates ]
c)
Ponomariov vs Nikolai Danilov, Verdun, 1995
4nrkn/pq2rppp/2pp4/1p2p1PP/4P1Q1/P1PPP1N1/BP3R2/5RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Nf5 if Rd7 or Rc7 Nh6+ gxh6 gxh6+ Ng6 hxg6 hxg6 Qxg6+ ]
d)
Ponomariov vs Viktor Vamos, Verdun, 1995
r5k1/2qn1p1p/1pp3p1/3n1p2/2B5/2B1P2P/1P3PP1/2RQ2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Bxd5 cxd5 Qd4 if f6 Qxd5+ ]
e)
Ponomariov vs Vadim Malakhatko, Kiev, 1997
2kq2r1/pbpn4/1pn2pr1/3p1N1p/1P1P4/P4N2/2Q1BPPP/2R1R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ N3h4 w/f4 ]
Ponomariov Puzzles, Part II. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Ponomariov vs Anna Zozulia, Alushta, 1998
3rk2r/pp3p1p/4p1p1/4Pn2/4Nb2/2P2N2/PP2K1PP/R2R4 w - - 0 1
[ g3 Bh6 g4 ]
b)
Ponomariov vs Yuri Drozdovskij, Gurzuf, 1999
1q3rkr/1p3ppp/p4n2/4N3/1PQ5/4R3/5PPP/4R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nxf7 Rxf7 Re7 Qf8 Rxb7 w/Ree7 ]
c)
Ponomariov vs Luc Winants, Neum, 2000
4r2r/kPp3pp/3n1p2/P1N5/2q1p3/8/2Q2PPP/R2R2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxd6 if Qxc2 Ra6+ ]
d)
Ponomariov vs Persson Hillarp, Torshavn, 2000
8/3nkppp/q1rpp3/8/N2BP3/3n2P1/1P3P1P/R2Q2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nc3 if Qc4 Ra4 ]
e)
White Mates in 7. Ponomariov vs Vassily Ivanchuk, Moscow, 2002
2k5/8/1BP1Kp1p/3P2p1/pb4P1/p4p2/B3b1P1/8 w - - 0 1
[ d6 Bxd6 Kxd6 Kb8 c7+ Kb7 Kc5 ]
Ponomariov Puzzles, Part III. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
White Mates in 8. Ponomariov vs Francisco Vallejo Pons, Leon, 2003
r6Q/3n1kp1/2p3N1/1pPp4/rP1n3P/2N2q2/3K4/1R2R3 w - - 0 1
[ Re7+ Kf6 Qxg7+ Kf5 Rf7+ Kg4 Ne5+ ]
b)
White Mates in 8. Ponomariov vs Dmitry Fingerov, Odessa, 2005
r3b2r/ppp3k1/4pb1p/7Q/3q2N1/3BR3/PPP3PP/5R1K w - - 0 1
[ Nxf6+ if Bxh5 Nxh5+ Kg8 Rg3+ ]
c)
White Mates in 6. Ponomariov vs Sergey Karjakin, Wijk aan Zee, 2007
r2qkr2/2n1N2p/5QpP/pp1P2P1/6B1/8/PPP5/1K5R w - - 0 1
[ Qc6+ if Kxe7 Re1+ Kf7 Be6+ ]
d)
Ponomariov vs Andres Holgado Maestre, Zafra, 2007
r2q1rk1/1b3ppp/p2p1P2/2p2N2/4P3/1B1PB3/1nP3PP/3Q1RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Nh6+ if gxh6 Qg4+ or if Kh8 fxg7+ Kxg7 Qg4+ Kh8 Rxf7 ]
e)
White Mates in 4. Ponomariov vs Boris Savchenko, Moscow, 2007
r2q1rk1/1pp2p2/p1b2bpQ/3pP3/2pR4/P1P1B1PB/5PK1/7R w - - 0 1
[ Be6 if Bh4 Qxg6+ ]
Ponomariov Puzzles, Part IV. Black to move and win except where noted.
a)
White Mates in 3. Ponomariov vs Evgeny Alekseev, Moscow, 2008
8/8/p3B1bk/b1P3pp/3QP3/1KN3q1/8/8 w - - 0 1
[ Qh8+ ]
b)
Varuzhan Akobian vs Ponomariov, Verdun, 1995
4r1k1/pp4pp/2n1qpb1/2Q5/5P2/P7/3r1PPP/R1BN1RK1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxd1 ]
c)
Andranik Matikozian vs Ponomariov, Krasnodar, 1997
6k1/p5p1/2p1PpN1/2b2PB1/n1p2PpP/2P3R1/Pr6/3K4 b - - 0 1
[ ...Bf2 if Rxg4 Nxc3+ Kc1 Rxa2 (...Be3#) ]
d)
Vadim Shishkin vs Ponomariov, Kiev, 1997
8/4p3/3p2k1/3Pb1p1/4P1b1/r5P1/4NKB1/3R4 b - - 0 1
[ ...Bxg3+ ]
e)
Maxim Pavlov vs Ponomariov, Alushta, 1998
2r3k1/3np2p/3p1pp1/2pP4/qp2PPP1/1R1P3P/1BQ4K/8 b - - 0 1
[ ...c4 if dxc4 Nc5 or if Rc3 Nb6 Qxa4 Nxa4 Rc2 Nxb2 ]
Ponomariov Puzzles, Part V. Black to move and win.
a)
Vladimir Stoockalov vs Ponomariov, Alushta, 2000
2br2k1/1p3p2/1qp3p1/p1n5/P1P3P1/1PQ1RP2/4NKB1/8 b - - 0 1
[ ...Nd3+ ]
b)
Sergei Tiviakov vs Ponomariov, Moscow, 2001
3r1r1k/1q3p1p/pp6/1p2ppQ1/4Nn2/2PP4/PP3PPP/R3R1K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Nh3+ gxh3 Rg8 ]
c)
Jan Timman vs Ponomariov, Wijk aan Zee, 2003
r1r5/1q3pk1/p2bp1pp/1p6/1n1P1N2/P4N1P/1P1Q1PP1/2R2RK1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Bxf4 if Qxf4 Nd3 ]
d)
Zbynek Hracek vs Ponomariov, Calvia, 2004
6k1/1b4pp/8/R1p1pr2/2P5/1PBn4/6PP/4N1K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Nc1 if h3 Ne2+ ]
e)
Emil Sutovsky vs Ponomariov, Sochi, 2006
6k1/6pp/3p4/5P2/1p6/2n2P2/3B2PP/6K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Ne2+ w/...b3 ]
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