'Tactics in the Sicilian' series
Here are some chess puzzles from games of 1899.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
Solutions are between the brackets under each puzzle.
Drag your mouse from one bracket to the other.
a) 
White mates in 2.
Harry Pillsbury vs Samuel Tinsley, London, 1899
3k1r1r/pb3p2/1p4p1/1B2B3/3qn3/6QP/P4RP1/2R3K1 w - - 0 1
[ Bf6+ ]
b) 
White mates in 2.
Aaron Nimzowitsch vs Gustav Neumann, Riga, 1899
r1b3nr/ppqk1Bbp/2pp4/4P1B1/3n4/3P4/PPP2QPP/R4RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Qf5+ if Nxf5 e6# ]
c) 
White mates in 2.
Ryder vs NN, Leipzig, 1899
rn2kb1r/1pQbpppp/1p6/qp1N4/6n1/8/PPP3PP/2KR2NR w - - 0 1
[ Qc8+ ]
d) 
White mates in 2.
Arnold Van Foreest vs Jan Willem Te Kolste, Amsterdam, 1899
r3Bk2/ppp2rq1/1b1pQpp1/3P1n2/3p2R1/3P1NP1/PPP2P2/5K1R w - - 1 0
[ Rh8+ ]
e) 
White mates in 2.
Dawid Janowski vs Francis Lee, London, 1899
r1bq3r/pp1k1BQ1/4p3/3pP3/2pPn3/P5B1/2P3PP/R4RK1 w - - 1 0
[ Be8+ ]
1b) 
mate in 2
Aaron Nimzowitsch vs Gustav Neumann
Chess puzzles from games of 1899, pt. ii.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
Black mates in 2.
Henry Bird vs Harry Pillsbury, London, 1899
r5k1/5ppp/2p5/p7/3qpPnP/P5P1/1P1bK1Q1/R5NR b - - 0 1
[ ...Qd3+ Kd1 Ne3# ]
b) 
White mates in 3.
Geza Maroczy vs Heinrich Wolf, Berlin, 1899
3r4/2p2k1p/pqp1RB2/2r5/PbQ2N2/1P3PP1/2P3P1/4R2K w - - 0 1
[ Re7+ Kxf6 Qe6+ ]
c) 
White mates in 3.
Harry Pillsbury vs George Lyman, Chicago, 1899
3r1rk1/ppp2p1p/6p1/4B1N1/8/2n5/PqB1Q1PP/5R1K w - - 0 1
[ Qh5 if gxh5 Bxh7# ]
d) 
White mates in 3.
Adolf Olland vs Jan Willem Te Kolste, Amsterdam, 1899
6k1/1p2P1r1/p4Q1p/3p2p1/1P1P1p2/4nR2/R1Nq2PP/6K1 w - - 1 0
[ e8/Q+ Kh7 Qxh6+ ]
e) 
White mates in 3.
Emanuel Lasker vs Francis Lee, London, 1899
7r/5pp1/1qP2n1p/8/6kP/3Q1NP1/P4P2/2KR4 w - - 1 0
[ Ne5+ if Kh5 Qe2+ or if Kh3 Rh1+ ]
King-pawn Opening Series
Chess puzzles from games of 1899, pt. iii.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
Black mates in 3.
Edward Jackson vs Frank Marshall, London, 1899
8/p1p5/2p3k1/2b1rpB1/7K/2P3PP/P1P2r2/3R3R b - - 0 1
[ ...Rf4+ if Bxf4 Be7+ or if gxf4 Bf2# ]
b) 
Black mates in 3.
Jan Tresling vs Henry Atkins, Amsterdam, 1899
r7/1p1b3q/3p1nk1/3Pp1p1/1P2Ppn1/R4P2/P1B3K1/2Q1N1B1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qh3+ Kxh3 Ne3+ Kh2 Rh8# ]
c) 
Black mates in 3.
C F Rydberg vs Verner Nielsen, Copenhagen, 1899
2b2rk1/2p1n2p/pp1p3r/3Pp1p1/1PP1Pp1q/P2Q1P1P/2B1N1PK/R6R b - - 0 1
[ ...Qf2 ]
d) 
White mates in 4.
Mikhail Chigorin vs Samuel Tinsley, London, 1899
3k4/R2pq1p1/3Rp2r/1r1bPpNp/5P1P/Q1P5/1P6/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ R6xd7+ if Qxd7 Qf8+ Qe8 Nf7+ ]
e) 
Black mates in 4.
Wilhelm Steinitz vs Dawid Janowski, London, 1899
6k1/3Q1p2/p4qp1/1p5p/1P1R3P/5PK1/P1r5/8 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qe5+ Rf4 Qe1+ Kh3 Qf1+ ]
3b) 
mate in 3
Jan Tresling vs Henry Atkins
Chess puzzles from games of 1899, pt. iv.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
White mates in 4.
Henry Atkins vs N Mannheimer, Amsterdam, 1899
3rn3/p1q2P2/1p1b3k/2p5/4B1p1/2Q1P3/PP4PP/3R2K1 w - - 1 0
[ Qh8+ Kg5 Rd5+ Be5 g3 ]
b) 
White mates in 5.
J Partaj vs W Meiners, Amsterdam, 1899
3rr1k1/2pq1p2/p1n2p2/1pbpP3/6bQ/2P5/PPB2PPP/R1B1R1K1 w - - 1 0
[ Qh7+ Kf8 Qh8+ Ke7 Qxf6+ ]
c) 
White mates in 6.
Dawid Janowski vs Carl Schlechter, London, 1899
2b3k1/4rrpp/p2p4/2pP2RQ/1pP1Pp1N/1P3P1P/1q6/6RK w - - 0 1
[ Qxh7+ Kxh7 Rh5+ Kg8 Ng6 ]
d) 
White mates in 6.
Harry Pillsbury vs NN, Toronto, 1899
2rqk2r/3n1ppp/1p2n3/p7/3P4/B2B2Q1/PP3PPP/R3R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxe6+ if fxe6 Bg6+ or if Qe7 Rxe7+ Kf8 Rxd7+ ]
e) 
White mates in 6.
Geza Maroczy vs Henry Bird, London, 1899
4r2k/3n1R2/2pq3p/p1p5/3n3P/P2P4/B1P2QP1/5R1K w - - 0 1
[ Rh7+ Kxh7 Qf7+ Kh8 Qxe8+ ]
4c) 
mate in 6
Dawid Janowski vs Carl Schlechter
Chess puzzles from games of 1899, pt. v.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
Simon Alapin vs Zinkl, Vienna, 1899
2b3r1/3kq1r1/2n1pQ1p/1p1pP2B/pPpP3N/P1P2R2/5P2/2KR4 w - - 0 1
[ Bf7 ]
b) 
J Moquette vs Adolf Olland, Amsterdam, 1899
2r4k/1b2q1pp/p5r1/4p1n1/1PBpPpP1/P4P2/6QP/2R1NR1K b - - 0 1
[ ...Rgc6 if Qe2 Qc7 ]
c) 
Adolf Rosentreter vs Leopold Hoffer, Berlin, 1899
r1bqk2r/pppp1p2/5n1p/4p3/2BnPp1B/8/PPP3PP/RN1Q1RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxf4 if Ne2+ Qxe2 exf4 e5 ]
d) 
Akiba Rubinstein vs Karel Hromadka, Maehrisch-Ostrau, 1899
kb4r1/pp1r1Rp1/1Qpq3p/P3p3/2B1P3/2PP2Pn/1PK5/R5B1 w - - 0 1
[ Bc5 Rxf7 Bxd6 Bxd6 Bxf7 axb6 axb6+ Kb8 Bxg8 ]
e) 
Carl Schlechter vs Philip Meitner, Berlin, 1899
8/p5Q1/2ppq2p/3n2p1/3B2Pk/2P2P2/P7/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Qxh6+ if Qxh6 Kh2 mates ]
5e) 
Carl Schlechter vs Philip Meitner
Chess puzzles from games of 1899, pt. vi.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
H Imbusch vs H Goring, Munich, 1899
r1bq1bkr/pppp2pp/2n5/4p3/4N3/5Q2/PPPP1PPP/R1B1K1NR w - - 0 1
[ Ng5 if Qf6 Qd5+ ]
b) 
W Meiners vs Julius Dimer, Amsterdam, 1899
r4rk1/p1pb2pp/8/3p4/5Bn1/8/PPP3PP/RN3RK1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Bb5 if Rf3 Be2 ]
c) 
Henry Atkins vs Jan Te Kolste, Amsterdam, 1899
2rqr1k1/1b1nbppp/pp2p3/3nN1B1/3P4/1BN5/PP2QPPP/3RR1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nxf7 ]
d) 
Mikhail Chigorin vs Jankovitch, Moscow, 1899
1k1n4/1P4pp/r1rp1p2/1R2p3/4P3/4BP2/5P1P/R4K2 w - - 0 1
[ Ba7+ Rxa7 Rxa7 if Kxa7 b8/Q+ mates ]
e) 
Grossbach vs Emerich, Vienna, 1899
rnb1r1k1/ppppBppp/1b1P4/1q6/4N3/8/PP3PPP/R2QR1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nf6+ if Kh8 Qc2 or if gxf6 Qg4+ Qg5 Bxf6 ]
Tactics you can use from wtharvey.com
Chess puzzles from games of 1899, pt. vii.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
Wilhelm Schwan vs N Mannheimer, Amsterdam, 1899
6rk/p1pb1prp/2pb3q/4p3/B3P3/3R1Q1P/PPP1NRP1/7K b - - 0 1
[ ...Bg4 if Qe3 Qxe3 Rxe3 Bc5 ]
b) 
Mikhail Chigorin vs Emanuel Lasker, London, 1899
r7/1k4p1/2pp1p1p/1p2pP2/3bP1PP/1q1P1B2/R2Q3R/2K5 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxa2 Qxa2 Be3+ ]
c) 
Jan Diderik Tresling vs Rudolf Swiderski, Amsterdam, 1899
r4rk1/ppp2ppp/2n5/2bqp3/8/P2PB3/1PP1NPPP/R2Q1RK1 w - - 1 0
[ Nc3 if Qd6 Ne4 ]
d) 
J Partaj vs Henry Atkins, Amsterdam, 1899
r1b2rn1/1ppnqpkp/3p2p1/pP1P4/2P1PR2/6N1/P1B1Q1PP/R3N1K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qe5 ]
e) 
J Partaj vs D Bleykmans, Amsterdam, 1899
1k1r2r1/ppb1n2p/5p2/1P2n3/3pPNq1/1Q1P1N2/P2B1RP1/2R3K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Nxf3+ if Rxf3 Qxf3 ]
7a) 
Wilhelm Schwan vs N Mannheimer
Chess puzzles from games of 1899, pt. viii.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
S Vaage vs Jorgen Moeller, Copenhagen, 1899
5rk1/p5pp/1p3q2/2p1Qb2/2P2N2/1P5P/P1r3P1/K3R2R b - - 0 1
[ ...Rc1+ if Kb2 Qxe5 ]
b) 
Francis Lee vs Harry Pillsbury, London, 1899
4r1k1/5bp1/1p6/1Rp4p/2Pp1QPq/3P1P2/2P3K1/5R2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Re2+ if Kg1 Qh3 ]
c) 
Jackson Showalter vs Samuel Tinsley, London, 1899
2k4r/q2n1p1r/3p2p1/1R1Pp1P1/2P1P1P1/p5B1/5QKP/1R6 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxh2+ if Bxh2 Rxh2+ ]
Back to the index