'Characteristic Puzzles in the Opening' series



Here are some chess puzzles from the games of Thomas Luther.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.

Solutions are between the brackets under each puzzle.
Drag your cursor from one bracket to the other.

a)
White mates in 4.
Thomas Luther vs Tibor Bezdan, Eger, 1988
2r2Q2/1q1k2Bp/8/1pp1P3/2p2n2/2P5/4rP2/R4K1R w - - 1 0
[ Qf7+ Kc6 Ra6+ ]

b)
White mates in 3.
Thomas Luther vs Michael Stock, Badenweiler, 1990
2k4r/p5pb/2PBp3/1p2P3/4q3/P7/BP1Q4/2K4R w - - 1 0
[ Bxe6+ Kd8 c7+ ]

c)
White mates in 2.
Thomas Luther vs Peter Meier, Berlin, 1990
2R5/3r1p1k/4pPpp/p3q3/1p1p2PP/3P4/PP6/1KQ5 w - - 1 0
[ Qxh6+ ]

d)
White mates in 3.
Thomas Luther vs Zoltan Varga, Brno, 1991
4r2k/4qp1p/pr1b1p1B/2pB1Q2/8/2P5/P1P3PP/3R3K w - - 1 0
[ Be4 Qxe4 Qxf6+ ]

e)
Thomas Luther vs Nikola Stajcic, Budapest, 1992
3r1rk1/5pp1/p5q1/1pbPp2R/4Q1BP/2P5/PP6/1K3R2 w - - 1 0
[ Qxg6 if fxg6 Be6+ mates ]

1d)
mate in 3
Thomas Luther vs Zoltan Varga

Thomas Luther Puzzles, Part II.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
White mates in 5.
Thomas Luther vs Nasib Ginting, Liechtenstein, 1992
2r1kbR1/5p2/3p1P1p/qp6/4P3/1bN5/1PnQ4/1K1R4 w - - 1 0
[ Rxf8+ Kxf8 Qxd6+ Kg8 Qg3+ ]

b)
Thomas Luther vs Juergen Stanke, Cuxhaven, 1993
b3r3/5pbk/p6p/1p1p1P2/7P/2PBq3/P1PQ4/3K2R1 w - - 1 0
[ f6+ Kg8 Rxg7+ Kf8 Rg8+ Kxg8 Qg2+ ]

c)
White mates in 4.
Thomas Luther vs Andreas Stabolewski, Hamburg, 1993
5k1r/4qpp1/4r1Pp/1p1pB2n/8/2Q2P2/1PP4P/2K1R1R1 w - - 1 0
[ Qc8+ Qe8 Bd6+ ]

d)
White mates in 2.
Thomas Luther vs Olivier Touzane, Lippstadt, 1994
1r2kb1r/3n1pp1/p2pp2p/6B1/1pQ1BP2/1N2q1P1/PPPN3P/2K4R w k - 1 0
[ Qxe6+ fxe6 Bg6# ]

e)
White mates in 2.
Thomas Luther vs Stefan Reschke, Germany, 1995
r2r2k1/pp2q2p/6pP/3p2P1/3Qn3/7B/PPP5/1K1R3R w - - 1 0
[ Be6+ ]

2c)
mate in 4
Thomas Luther vs Andreas Stabolewski

Thomas Luther Puzzles, Part III.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Thomas Luther vs Davor Komljenovic, Linares, 1995
7r/5pk1/p2pq1p1/1p4P1/4b1N1/P7/1PP2Q2/1K3R2 w - - 1 0
[ Qd4+ Kg8 Nf6+ ]

b)
White mates in 3.
Thomas Luther vs Rudolf Burkhardt, Seefeld, 1996
2kr1b2/Q1nq1pp1/2p1p3/3nB1P1/p1BPN3/p7/1PP2P2/2KR4 w - - 1 0
[ Ba6+ Nxa6 Qa8+ ]

c)
White mates in 4.
Thomas Luther vs Giampiero Rossi, Torino, 1996
r3rk2/1pb2pqQ/p1p4R/5Pp1/4Pp2/3B1P2/PPP5/2KR4 w - - 1 0
[ Qxg7+ if Kxg7 f6+ Kxh6 Rh1+ or if Ke7 Bc4 ]

d)
Thomas Luther vs Irisberto Herrera, Habana, 1997
r5k1/pp6/2p1pPP1/8/6p1/2n5/PP3P2/2K4R w - - 1 0
[ Rh7 Ne2+ Kd2 Nf4 f7+ Kf8 Rh8+ ]

e)
White mates in 3.
Thomas Luther vs Luke McShane, Lippstadt, 1997
1r3kn1/1r2pp2/2Bp2p1/1PqP2P1/3Q4/5R2/5PK1/7R w - - 1 0
[ Rxf7+ Kxf7 Rh7+ Kf8 Qg7# ]

3d)
Thomas Luther vs Irisberto Herrera


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