Here are some chess puzzles taken from the games of Alexei Shirov.
White to move and win.
Solutions are between the brackets under each puzzle.Drag your mouse from one bracket to the other.
a)
Shirov vs. Valery Zhuravliov, Riga, 1986
[ Bb8 if Rxb8 Rxg7 ]
b)
Shirov vs. Daniel King, Gausdal, 1990
Norbert Stegemann, Editor
[ Rh3 if Rxh3 Qg8+ mates in 5 ]
c)
Shirov vs. Peter Leko, Belgrade, 1995
[ Bh6+ ]
d)
Shirov vs. Konstantin Sakaev, Sochi, 1986
[ Qh8+ ]
e)
Shirov vs. Alexander Chernin, Groningen, 1993
[ Bxg6 ]
Alexei Shirov, Part II. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Shirov vs Carsten Hoi, Gausdal, 1991
[ g3 ]
b)
White Mates in 2. Shirov vs J. Lapinski, Daugavpils, 1990
[ Bxc7+ or Qf8+ ]
c)
Shirov vs Olivier Renet, Correze, 1991
[ Qxh7+ Bxh7 Nf7+ w/Nxd6 ]
d)
Shirov vs Tom Wedberg, Stockholm, 1990
[ Qxd4 ]
e)
White Mates in 8. Shirov vs Yuri Piskov, Moscow, 1991
[ Rxg8+ Kh7 Qe4+ Kxg8 Qe6+ Kh7 Be4+ ]
Shirov Puzzles, Part III. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Shirov vs Viktor Bologan, Kapsukas, 1987
5k2/1ppr4/3P4/p1p1p3/2P1P1nq/2NQ1p2/PP3P2/1K4R1 w - - 0 1
[ dxc7 Rxc7 Rxg4 ]
b)
Shirov vs Jusefs Petkevich, Riga, 1987
r2r2k1/ppqnpp1p/2n3p1/4P3/1PP1NP2/2N1B2P/4Q1P1/R4RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Nd5 Qb8 b5 ]
c)
Shirov vs Vladimir Akopian, Borzhomi, 1988
r1b2nk1/pp1r1p1p/2q3p1/3N2b1/2B1P3/2B5/PPQ3PP/3R1RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Qf2 if Qxc4 Nf6+ w/Qxf6 ]
d)
White Mates in 6. Shirov vs Gyozo Forintos, Budapest, 1989
1n2n2k/r3p1bp/pr1p2p1/N1pB2Nq/2P5/5QP1/RP1B1P2/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Qf7 w/Qg8+ & Nf7# ]
e)
Shirov vs D Zulu, Tunja, 1989
1rnq1rk1/1ppb2bp/p2p1np1/N1PPp3/PP2Pp2/1QN2P2/4BBPP/R4RK1 w - - 0 1
[ c6 if bxc6 dxc6+ ]
Shirov Puzzles, Part IV. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Shirov vs Sergio Minero Pineda, Santiago, 1990
Q1b2rk1/7p/3p1npb/2pPpn2/2P1N2q/1N1B4/3B1PPP/5RK1 w - - 0 1
[ g3 if Qh3 Nxf6+ ]
b)
Shirov vs Zoltan Varga, Santiago, 1990
4bk2/p4p2/6p1/Nrp1P3/n3NPP1/1P2K3/3R4/8 w - - 0 1
[ Rd8 if Rxa5 Nf6 mates ]
c)
Shirov vs Valeriy Neverov, Moscow, 1991
1q3rk1/Q5pp/pr2p3/4N3/3pP3/8/Pb3PPP/1R3RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Qxb8 ]
d)
Shirov vs Zigurds Lanka, Moscow, 1991
6r1/2q2knQ/pNPp4/P3p1P1/1P2Pp2/1KN5/8/8 w - - 0 1
[ g6+ if Kf8 Nd7+ ]
e)
Shirov vs Simen Agdestein, Gausdal, 1992
4kb1r/2ppq2p/bnp2p2/8/r1P2P1P/1N4P1/P3Q2R/R1B1KB2 w - - 0 1
[ Nc5 if Ra5 Nxa6 Rxa6 c5 ]
Shirov Puzzles, Part V. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
White Mates in 6. Shirov vs Gata Kamsky, Manila, 1992
5k2/5p2/3P1Npp/4Q3/1p6/6Pq/3b3P/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nd7+ Kg8 Qe8+ ]
b)
Shirov vs Luis Bernal Moro, Oviedo, 1992
8/ppR3bk/3pB1bp/3Pp1p1/1q2NrQ1/5P1P/P5PK/8 w - - 0 1
[ Nf6+ Kh8 Rc8+ Bf8 Rxf8+ Kg7 Nd7 if Rxg4 Rg8+ mates ]
c)
White Mates in 6. Shirov vs Alexander Bangiev, Germany, 1993
r1b3k1/pp4pR/2p1p1B1/2PrN3/3n1P2/8/PP6/1K1R4 w - - 0 1
[ Rdh1 Kf8 Rh8+ Ke7 Re8+ ]
d)
Shirov vs Eric Lobron, Munich, 1993
r1n5/2k3p1/1p2p1p1/2pPP3/1QN4q/P4P2/1P6/1KR5 w - - 0 1
[ Nxb6 if Qxb4 Nxa8+ ]
e)
Shirov vs Christopher Lutz, Munich, 1993
5rk1/2b2pp1/1n1p3p/p3p3/rP4PP/1K2BP2/2P5/3R1B1R w - - 0 1
[ c3 if axb4 Bxb6 ]
Can't see the solutions...Click here.
Buy "Fire on Board" by Alexei Shirov
Top 20 Chessplayers in the World
More Grandmasters