Here are some chess puzzles from the games of Grigory Serper.
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)
Serper vs Igor Khenkin, URS, 1987
rn1Q4/pp3ppk/2p3p1/8/8/4B3/2K2PPP/4qB1R w - - id 1-0
[ Bc4 if Qb4 Qh4+ or if Qxh1 Bxf7 mates ]
b)
Serper vs Stefan Brandner, Tunja, 1989
1k1rr3/p1nb1p2/Bp6/4B2p/6p1/8/P4PPP/3RR1K1 w - - id 1-0
[ Rxd7 ]
c)
Serper vs A Andreev Jr, Podolsk, 1990
4r3/1p2bkp1/r4p2/p1p2Q1p/Pn2P3/6PB/1B2qP1P/1RR3K1 w - - id 1-0
[ Bf1 if Qd2 Bc4+ Kf8 Qxh5+ or if g6 Bxe2 gxf5 Bxh5+ ]
d)
White Mates in 3. Serper vs Vasilios Kotronias, Gausdal, 1991
r2q4/1p2kpPQ/p2p4/2pPr1p1/P1P3p1/8/1P4PP/R4RK1 w - - id 1-0
[ Rxf7+ ]
e)
White Mates in 4. Serper vs Oystein Dannevig, Gausdal, 1991
2r5/1p5p/3p4/pP1P1R2/1n2B1k1/8/1P3KPP/8 w - - id 1-0
[ h3+ Kh4 g3+ ]
Serper Puzzles, Part II. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
White Mates in 2. Serper vs Alexei Shirov, Moscow, 1991
q2br1k1/1b4pp/3Bp3/p6n/1p3R2/3B1N2/PP2QPPP/6K1 w - - id 1-0
[ Qxe6+ ]
b)
Serper vs Milorad Knezevic, Moscow, 1991
kr5r/p6p/n4np1/2Rp4/5N2/6P1/5PBP/2R3K1 w - - id 1-0
[ Nxd5 ]
c)
White Mates in 6. Serper vs Ferdinand Unzicker, Moscow, 1991
4rr2/ppp3pQ/3qpk2/1b1p4/3P4/7R/PP1B1PP1/R3K3 w Q - id 1-0
[ Bg5+ if Kxg5 Qxg7+ ]
d)
Serper vs Michail Brodsky, Moscow, 1992
2R1br1k/5qpp/4p3/1pQ1P3/1P6/6P1/5PB1/6K1 w - - id 1-0
[ Qxf8+ ]
e)
Serper vs Vladimir Ilinsky, Bishkek, 1993
r3r1k1/p4p1p/1qN2Q2/1p6/8/1P4P1/P3PP1P/2R3K1 w - - id 1-0
[ Ne7+ Kf8 Rc6 if Qb7 Qh6+ mates or if Qd8 Re6 mates ]
Serper Puzzles, Part III. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
White Mates in 5. Serper vs Kenneth Wallach, Oakbrook, 1996
1r6/2p4n/4P1pk/4Q2p/4P2P/q7/1P6/1KR3R1 w - - id 1-0
[ Rxg6+ Kxg6 Rg1+ ]
b)
White Mates in 3. Serper vs Robert Gardner, North Bay, 1998
2r1r3/p5q1/1p2k1p1/4p2p/2P5/1P1QR1P1/P6P/5RK1 w - - id 1-0
[ Qd5+ Ke7 Rxe5+ ]
c)
Serper vs Dean Ippolito, Seattle, 2003
r1b1nrk1/pp1n1pp1/7q/2Pp4/1P1B4/P2Bp2N/1Q6/2KR3R w - - id 1-0
[ Ng5 if Qxg5 Rh8+ mates ]
d)
Black Mates in 7. Kjell Yndesdal vs Serper, Gausdal, 1991
r1b1r1k1/pp3ppp/3p4/4n2q/2PBP3/P2B3P/2Q2PP1/4RRK1 b - - id 0-1
[ ...Nf3+ gxf3 Bxh3 Kh2 Bd7+ ]
e)
Black to move and win. Hans-Joach Schubert vs Serper, Gausdal, 1991
1r3rk1/p3pp1p/3p2p1/3qP3/1R1n1P2/3P3P/P2Q2P1/3BR1K1 b - - id 0-1
[ ...Qc5 if Rxb8 Nf3+ ]
Serper Puzzles, Part IV. Black to move and win except where noted.
a)
Black Mates in 3. Michail Brodsky vs Serper, Kherson, 1991
8/2Q5/2P1p2k/3p1p1p/4brq1/2R5/3R3K/8 b - - id 0-1
[ ...Rf2+ ]
b)
Inguna Erneste vs Serper, Helsinki, 1992
6k1/5pp1/Q3p2p/5b2/8/8/1PPR1qPP/2KBr3 b - - id 0-1
[ ...Rxd1+ Kxd1 Qg1+ Ke2 Bg4+ Kd3 Qf1+ ]
c)
Denis Baudot vs Serper, Asiago, 1994
3r4/pp2kp2/4p3/2P3R1/1P1bNK2/P4P2/3R4/6r1 b - - id 0-1
[ ...Rxg5 Nxg5 Be5+ if Ke3 Rxd2 ]
d)
Spencer Lower vs Serper, Las Vegas, 1996
2rrn1k1/p4ppp/1q2pn2/1p6/1Pp1P3/P1Q1N1P1/1B4BP/R2R2K1 b - - id 0-1
[ ...Ng4 if Rxd8 Rxd8 Re1 Rd3 ]
More US GMs
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