Here are some chess puzzles from the games of Joshua Waitzkin.
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) 
Waitzkin vs Yuri Zaderman, Chicago, 1990
r2r2k1/1np1q1p1/p4b1p/2pRpP2/4N1P1/Q6P/PP3B2/3R2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Qb3 ]
b) 
Waitzkin vs M Berman, USA, 1990
r1b2rk1/pp1nn1pp/1q2p3/3pP3/1b1P4/6PB/PP4KP/R1BQ2NR w - - 0 1
[ a3 ]
c) 
Waitzkin vs Oscar Maldonado, New York, 1991
2brk2r/2p2pbp/p1P2np1/1pN1p3/4P3/4BP2/PP2B1PP/1KR4R w - - 0 1
[ Nb7 ]
d) 
White Mates in 2. Waitzkin vs Luis Hoyos-Millan, New York, 1992
6k1/5p2/p3bRpQ/4q3/2r3P1/6NP/P1p2R1K/1r6 w - - 0 1
[ Rxg6+ ]
e) 
Waitzkin vs Stanislav Garber, New York, 1992
2q3k1/1r4b1/7Q/3P3R/6r1/8/6RK/8 w - - 0 1
[ Qh7+ w/Qf5+ ]
Waitzkin Puzzles, Part II. White to move and win.
a) 
Waitzkin vs Roman Dzindzichashvili, New York, 1993
8/6p1/1p5p/4k3/1PPpP3/3K4/6P1/8 w - - 0 1
[ b5 w/c5 ]
b) 
Waitzkin vs Jonathan Levitt, New York, 1994
5k2/ppN3p1/2r3pn/5p2/2n3P1/1B3P1P/P7/4R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Ne6+ w/Nd4 & Rc1 ]
c) 
Waitzkin vs Joachim Demoulin, Szeged, 1994
1r2nrk1/p1pq1ppp/2n3b1/2b1pNB1/Bp2P2N/2PP1Q1P/P4PP1/R3R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ d4 exd4 cxd4 if Bb6 Bxc6 & Ne7+ ]
d) 
Waitzkin vs Walter Browne, Modesto, 1995
5nk1/p4r2/1p2p3/3p1Prp/3P2p1/3B3P/PP3RP1/5R1K w - - 0 1
[ h4 Rgg7 f6 ]
e) 
Waitzkin vs Laszlo Vadasz, Budapest, 1997
k1r5/pb1r1pp1/1pqbpn1p/1N6/1PP5/P1BB2P1/4QP1P/1K1RR3 w - - 0 1
[ Bxf6 w/Be4 ]
Waitzkin Puzzles, Part III. Black to move and win except where noted.
a) 
White to move and win. Waitzkin vs Jacques Elbilia, Bermuda, 1999
r5k1/1r3p2/4p2B/p1pn3n/8/6P1/PP3PB1/2RR2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxd5 exd5 Bxd5 Rba7 Bxa8 Rxa8 Rxc5 ]
b) 
P Ruder vs Waitzkin, Duisburg, 1992
4N3/5p1k/p2p2n1/2pPPQ2/8/2q5/1p1R4/4K3 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qxe5+ if Qxe5 b1/Q+ ]
c) 
Black Mates in 8. Roman Krant vs Waitzkin, New York, 1992
7k/1N1P3p/8/p1p5/P1Pb1P2/8/1pK1p3/8 b - - 0 1
[ ...b1/Q+ Kxb1 e1/Q+ Kc2 Qe2+ Kc1 Be3+ ]
d) 
John MacArthur vs Waitzkin, New York, 1992
2r3k1/6pp/1p3b2/pN6/4P3/1P2p3/P2r2PP/2RR2K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rcc2 ]
e) 
Black Mates in 8. Erez Klein vs Waitzkin, New York, 1993
1r4k1/6pp/B3p3/3nP3/3n4/b1p5/P5PP/K2Q1R2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Bb2+ Kb1 c2+ Qxc2 Ba3+ ]
Waitzkin Puzzles, Part IV. Black to move and win except where noted.
a) 
Josh Manion vs Waitzkin, New York, 1993
5r1k/1b2q1pp/3bp3/8/3BB3/PP6/4Q1PP/R5K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qh4 if g4 Bxe4 & if Qxe4 Qf2+ mates ]
b) 
Roman Krant vs Waitzkin, New York, 1993
8/2p3k1/3p2p1/3P1n1p/5P1P/4qBP1/Q5K1/8 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qe1 if Qf2 Ne2+ ]
c) 
Black Mates in 5. Yochanan Afek vs Waitzkin, Budapest, 1997
2N4k/p6p/2p1p3/P1b5/8/1BP4P/1P1q1nP1/5QK1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qf4 Qxf2 Bxf2+ Kf1 Qd2 ]
d) 
Black Mates in 3. Jennifer Shahade vs Waitzkin, Chicago, 1997
r4r1k/5p2/3P4/4pP1N/b5P1/b1p2B2/p1P1R2P/K2R4 b - - 0 1
[ ...Bb2+ ]
e) 
Igor Sorkin vs Waitzkin, Philadelphia, 1997
Q4r2/2k3pp/3b4/4n3/2p1P3/4B3/1Pp3PP/R6K b - - 0 1
[ ...c1/Q+ if Bxc1 Rf1# ]
f) 
Yan Teplitsky vs Waitzkin, Bermuda, 1999
3r2k1/1b3p1p/p3p1p1/1p2b3/1P1qP2P/P1N2QP1/2R2P2/1B4K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qd3 if Qxd3 Rxd3 or if Kg2 Qxf3+ w/...Rd3+ ]
Can't see the solutions?...Click here.
Other US GMs
Back to the Index