See 2, 3 or 4 moves ahead
Here are some chess puzzles from the games of top FIDE players of 2012.
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)
Black mates in 2.
Anton Kovaliov vs Vladimir Akopian, St. Petersburg, 2012
6k1/5pp1/8/1Np1p2p/B3P2P/P1R2KP1/1r4r1/8 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rbe2 ]
b)
Black mates in 2.
Adrian Petrisor vs Anish Giri, Plovdiv, 2012
6R1/8/R3p3/5p2/b1P4P/5k2/2r4P/r4BK1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxf1+ ]
c)
Black mates in 2.
Sergey Volkov vs Boris Grachev, Nakhchivan, 2012
1k5r/1p6/p6q/1p1P2p1/5b1r/2RR1Q2/P4PK1/5N2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rg4+ ]
d)
Black mates in 2.
Pavel Kotsur vs Quang Liem Le, Astana, 2012
4r2k/1q4pp/p4b2/7Q/1p2n1N1/8/PPr3PP/2BR1R1K b - - 0 1
[ ...Ng3+ ]
e)
Black mates in 2.
Artur Jussupow vs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Bastia, 2012
7r/p4k2/1p1Rnp2/1P2p3/P2pP1K1/3P3r/5R2/2B5 b - - 0 1
[ ...R8h4+ ]
1e)
mate in 2
Artur Jussupow vs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Top FIDE players of 2012, Part II.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Black mates in 2.
Migle Lepeskaite vs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Warsaw, 2012
3r4/p3pkbp/4p1p1/N1p5/n1R4P/P4bP1/1P3P2/R1Br1BK1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxf1+ ]
b)
Black mates in 2.
Sergei Movsesian vs Yue Wang, Istanbul, 2012
7Q/3k4/4p3/p1Pp4/Pp4q1/1P1KP3/3B2P1/r7 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qf5+ ]
c)
Black mates in 3.
Viswanathan Anand vs Michael Adams, London, 2012
6k1/5p2/4b1pQ/2R1p2p/1pB1P2P/1P4P1/r4PK1/3q4 b - - 0 1
[ ...Bh3+ ]
d)
Black mates in 3.
Rafal Tomczak vs Mateusz Bartel, Gorzow Wlkp, 2012
8/p4pk1/r5p1/6Kp/8/8/P1R4P/8 b - - 0 1
[ ...Ra4 ]
e)
Black mates in 3.
Chiel Van Oosterom vs Christian Bauer, Belgium, 2012
8/3p2k1/5pp1/2QB3p/1BP3nP/1P4P1/P2P1PK1/1q5r b - - 0 1
[ ...Rh2+ Kf3 Qd3+ ]
2e)
mate in 3
Chiel Van Oosterom vs Christian Bauer
Top FIDE players of 2012, Part III.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Black mates in 3.
Petar Ljangov vs Ivan Cheparinov, Varna, 2012
4r3/R4p1k/6p1/2p1q2p/1p5P/1Pp1r1P1/P1Q1BK2/4R3 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qxg3+ Kf1 Rf3+ ]
b)
Black mates in 3.
John Markus vs Anish Giri, Netherlands, 2012
6k1/6p1/3NpnPp/2Pb4/3P3P/3NQ1K1/8/5q2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qg2+ Kf4 Qg4+ ]
c)
Black mates in 3.
Tigran Gharamian vs Zoltan Gyimesi, Belfort, 2012
8/1R6/4p1B1/4kpp1/8/3n1KPP/2r2P2/8 b - - 0 1
[ ...Ne1+ Ke3 f4+ ]
d)
Black mates in 3.
Surya Shekhar Ganguly vs Baadur Jobava, Dubai, 2012
8/1p3k2/2p1n3/P1b1PK2/1r6/8/4N1B1/3R4 b - - 0 1
[ ...Ng7+ Kg5 Be7+ ]
e)
Black mates in 3.
Mateusz Bartel vs Ruslan Ponomariov, Istanbul, 2012
2r1r1k1/p5p1/1nN2Q2/3P4/PP1Rb3/2P3R1/4q3/6K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qe1+ ]
3d)
mate in 3
Surya Shekhar Ganguly vs Baadur Jobava
Top FIDE players of 2012, Part IV.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Black mates in 3.
Mateusz Bartel vs Markus Ragger, Warsaw, 2012
kb4r1/1p1RRp2/p1q5/2P5/5P1r/P3Q1PB/7K/8 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxh3+ ]
b)
Black mates in 3.
Francois Brethes vs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Biel, 2012
6k1/p4p1p/3N2p1/1Q1b4/3b1p2/2r3P1/q3P2P/2B1RK2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rf3+ if Kg2 Rxg3+ ]
c)
Black mates in 3.
Sebastian Siebrecht vs Francisco Vallejo Pons, Germany, 2012
3Q4/5r1k/R5p1/8/2pn1PKP/6P1/8/5q2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxf4+ if Kg5 Rg4+ or if gxf4 Qg2# ]
d)
Black mates in 3.
Boris Savchenko vs Vadim Zvjaginsev, St. Petersburg, 2012
8/2k5/1r6/4N3/3p2RP/2p5/1p6/1K6 b - - 0 1
[ ...c2+ ]
e)
Black mates in 4.
O Suleimaniants vs Vladimir Akopian, St. Petersburg, 2012
4q3/7k/1p1Q2bp/8/3p1p2/5pP1/1P3P1P/2N2K2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Bd3+ ]
4b)
mate in 3
Francois Brethes vs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Top FIDE players of 2012, Part V.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Black mates in 4.
Yuriy Kuzubov vs Sergei Azarov, Plovdiv, 2012
8/7R/8/B3p3/Pp2k3/1P1n3P/2K5/5r2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Ke3 Bb6+ Ke2 ]
b)
Black mates in 4.
Nicolas Brunner vs Laurent Fressinet, Belfort, 2012
6rk/2p1R3/1p1p2q1/p4p2/2P2P2/1P1r3P/P4Q1K/2R5 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxh3+ Kxh3 Qg4+ ]
c)
Black mates in 4.
Anuar Ismagambetov vs Sergey Karjakin, Astana, 2012
1k6/p3qp1p/PB2p3/3bb3/2R1nP2/1Q6/1P4rP/5R1K b - - 0 1
[ ...Ng3+ Qxg3 Rxg3+ Re4 Bxe4+ ]
d)
Black mates in 4.
Petr Neuman vs Sergei Movsesian, Hustopece, 2012
1q2r1k1/4rpp1/6n1/1p1p4/1P1P2Pp/P1N2P2/2QR2B1/6K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Re1+ Bf1 Qg3+ if Rg2 Rxf1+ ]
e)
Black mates in 4.
Viktor Bologan vs Teimour Radjabov, Astana, 2012
3QB3/p6k/4N1p1/6P1/8/6PK/Pq6/4n3 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qg2+ if Kh4 Qh2+ Kg4 Qe2+ ]
5d)
mate in 4
Petr Neuman vs Sergei Movsesian
Top FIDE players of 2012, Part VI.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Black mates in 4.
Elisabeth Paehtz vs Nigel Short, Potsdam, 2012
1r4k1/5p2/P2p1q1p/3P2p1/2B5/3PQ1P1/6KP/8 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rb2+ if Kh3 Qf5+ ]
b)
Black mates in 4.
Arturs Neiksans vs Ivan Sokolov, Istanbul, 2012
7k/1p6/1b5p/3R4/p5b1/P1NP3P/6PK/5r2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Bc7+ if g3 Bf3 ]
c)
Black mates in 4.
David Navara vs Peter Svidler, Prague, 2012
3k4/p7/1r6/2p3p1/q1nn1P2/2RQ2NN/P5PP/K7 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qb4 if Rb3 Qe1+ ]
d)
Black mates in 4.
Robert Rabiega vs Francisco Vallejo Pons, Germany, 2012
6r1/1p3p2/4bk2/3p4/BQP2n1q/5PnP/P1P2RP1/4R1K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Nxh3+ if gxh3 Ne4+ or if Kh2 Ng1+ ]
e)
Black mates in 5.
Kamil Miton vs Anton Korobov, Czech Republic, 2012
3qr1k1/3b1pp1/8/p2Q4/3N1P2/B1R2Pb1/P5B1/6K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Bf2+ Kxf2 Qh4+ Kg1 Re1+ ]
6c)
mate in 4
David Navara vs Peter Svidler
Top FIDE players of 2012, Part VII.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Evgeny Alekseev vs Dmitry Andreikin, Moscow, 2012
3r2k1/1p3p1n/pq2p1p1/4Q3/5P2/3r1NP1/PP3RKP/5R2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Re3 ]
b)
Magnus Carlsen vs Levon Aronian, Moscow, 2012
3rr1k1/4bppp/1R1N4/p1P5/3Q4/q4P2/6PP/R6K b - - 0 1
[ ...Bf6 if Rxa3 Bxd4 Nxe8 Bxc5 Rd6 Rxe8 ]
c)
Alexander Moskalenko vs Dmitry Andreikin, Sochi, 2012
2q1r1k1/1p3p2/p2p3Q/2pPr3/2P1p3/PP2Pn1P/1R1N1PK1/7R b - - 0 1
[ ...Rg5+ Kf1 Rg6 if Qf4 Qxh3+ or if Qh5 Re5 ]
d)
Tania Sachdev vs Sergei Azarov, Philadelphia, 2012
r5k1/2Q2p2/4q1p1/p6p/3n1P2/P6P/2N3P1/5R1K b - - 0 1
[ ...Rc8 if Nxd4 Qa6 Qe5 Qxf1+ ]
e)
Kidambi Sundararajan vs Sergei Azarov, Rockville, 2012
8/5ppk/R3p2p/8/1q2P3/3Q2P1/2r2P1P/6K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qb1+ ]
7b)
Magnus Carlsen vs Levon Aronian
Top FIDE players of 2012, Part VIII.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
B Takyrbashev vs Csaba Balogh, Istanbul, 2012
q7/p2b1kpp/1R1Qnn2/5p2/2P5/6P1/1P1NrP1P/R4K2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxd2 Qxd2 Qh1+ ]
b)
Vladimir Potkin vs Dmitry Andreikin, Sochi, 2012
8/5Bkp/5np1/2p3Q1/r7/5qp1/P6P/R4RK1 b - - 0 1
[ ...gxh2+ Kxh2 Ng4+ Kg1 Qg3+ ]
c)
Marina Romanko-Guseva vs Ernesto Inarkiev, St. Petersburg, 2012
2b1r3/p1q3bk/6pp/2p1p2n/PpN1p2Q/1Pn3P1/2PB1PBP/R3R1K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Bf6 ]
d)
Michael Zaslavsky vs Viktor Bologan, Plovdiv, 2012
5r2/3qbk2/p2p2bR/3P2B1/1pN1p1P1/1P3r2/PP1Q4/K2R4 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rd3 if Qe2 Rxd1+ Qxd1 Bxg5 ]
e)
Vassily Ivanchuk vs Viktor Bologan, Beijing, 2012
rr4k1/2q1b3/3p1pn1/2pRn1p1/4P1Pp/1N3P1P/1PPB1Q2/1K1R1B2 b - - 0 1
[ ...c4 Nd4 c3 if Bc1 Qa7 mates ]
8d)
Michael Zaslavsky vs Viktor Bologan
Top FIDE players of 2012, Part IX.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Raphael Prasca vs Lazaro Bruzon, Quito, 2012
5b2/8/4kp2/1R2pNrp/2P1K3/6PP/1P1r4/5R2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxf5 if Rxf5 Rd4+ or if Rb6+ Bd6 ]
b)
Yifan Hou vs Xiangzhi Bu, China, 2012
2kr3r/1p6/2p3Qp/2Nnqp2/3P3P/8/PPP3B1/2KR4 b - - 0 1
[ ...Nf4 if dxe5 Ne2+ mates or if Qf7 Qxc5 ]
c)
Irina Krush vs Fabiano Caruana, Reykjavik, 2012
5b1k/2p5/1q4pp/4p3/4P3/2PQ4/1r2N1PP/R6K b - - 0 1
[ ...Qf2 ]
d)
Daniel Contin vs Kiril Georgiev, Arvier, 2012
1r5k/3R1Qp1/5p1p/8/8/1p1P2P1/5PKP/2q5 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qc6+ Kh3 Qxd7+ Qxd7 b2 ]
e)
Yana Kim vs Alexey Dreev, Kirov, 2012
r4rk1/pp4pp/2pb1n2/5pN1/3P4/2P1B3/PP4PP/2KR3R b - - 0 1
[ ...Ng4 if Bg1 Bf4+ ]
9d)
Daniel Contin vs Kiril Georgiev
Top FIDE players of 2012, Part X.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Jean-Pierre Le Roux vs Romain Edouard, Warsaw, 2012
3r4/8/p4kp1/1b3p1n/1P1R4/4KP1P/P1R5/8 b - - 0 1
[ ...f4+ Ke4 Ng3+ Kxf4 Rxd4+ Kxg3 Rxb4 ]
b)
Mohammed Al-Sayed vs Kiril Georgiev, Golden Sands, 2012
2N2k2/1r1n1p2/4pp1p/8/bP6/4PP2/4B1PP/4K2R b K - 0 1
[ ...Rc7 if Nd6 Rc1+ ]
c)
Nigel Short vs Laurent Fressinet, Bastia, 2012
5rk1/1b3ppp/8/1N6/6Q1/1B2q3/Pb3RPP/6K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Ba6 if Qe2 Qc1+ or if Ba4 Rc8 ]
d)
Mindaugas Genutis vs Daniel Fridman, Warsaw, 2012
1r4k1/5ppp/5n2/1q2n1B1/1P1R3Q/6P1/5PB1/6K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Ng6 ]
e)
Bindi Cheng vs Timur Gareev, Las Vegas, 2012
r5k1/5pp1/4pb1p/8/nr2NP2/1N2R1P1/4P2P/3R2K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxe4 Rxe4 Nc3 ]
10e)
Bindi Cheng vs Timur Gareev
Top FIDE players of 2012, Part XI.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Vasily Papin vs Boris Grachev, Moscow, 2012
2rq1rk1/1b2bppp/p1n1pn2/1p1pN3/3P1B2/1QN3P1/PP2PPBP/2RR2K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Na5 Qc2 b4 ]
b)
Viktor Bologan vs Sergey Karjakin, Astana, 2012
r2b1r2/pp3pk1/6p1/3Np1N1/4B3/2PP4/PP6/6RK b - - 0 1
[ ...Rh8+ ]
c)
Liren Ding vs Sergey Karjakin, Beijing, 2012
4r2k/pp4p1/2p5/4P2p/4Qnq1/8/PP4PP/4R1NK b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxe5 ]
d)
S Nitin vs Baadur Jobava, Dubai, 2012
6rk/p2p3p/1p2pP2/1P6/2Pn4/5p1R/P6P/4R2K b - - 0 1
[ ...f2 if Rf1 Ne2 ]
e)
Mateusz Bartel vs Anton Korobov, Lublin, 2012
3Q4/6bk/3n2p1/3B3p/5P2/6P1/4q2P/6BK b - - 0 1
[ ...Ne4 ]
11a)
Vasily Papin vs Boris Grachev
Top FIDE players of 2012, Part XII.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Eltaj Safarli vs Anton Korobov, Baku, 2012
r6r/2q1bk1p/p1ppbp1Q/4p1p1/N1P1P3/1PB5/P4PPP/3RR1K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Bg4 if f3 Bf8 ]
b)
Mohammed Al-Sayed vs Viktor Laznicka, Caleta, 2012
3r2k1/ppq4p/4b1p1/2n1Np2/2P5/P3RB2/1P3QPP/4K3 b - - 0 1
[ ...f4 Re2 Bxc4 if Nxc4 Nd3+ ]
c)
Dariusz Swiercz vs Nigel Short, Potsdam, 2012
8/R4p2/2b1pk2/2r1n3/4P3/P5P1/3N4/5BK1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rc2 if Nb3 Nf3+ mates ]
d)
Jacob Hoyer vs Vladimir Malakhov, Helsingor, 2012
r6k/2R4p/3p4/P2Pb3/4P3/5B1P/2p5/6K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Bd4+ Kg2 Bc5 ]
e)
Viktor Bologan vs Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Beijing, 2012
6k1/1p2pp2/4nbp1/P3B2p/q1P5/7P/5KP1/Q2R4 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qc2+ if Ke1 Qe4+ or if Kg1 Bxe5 ]
12b)
Mohammed Al-Sayed vs Viktor Laznicka
Top FIDE players of 2012, Part XIII.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Mohammed Al-Sayed vs Maxim Matlakov, St. Petersburg, 2012
8/5ppk/1b5p/p3PPq1/8/2BQ3P/1P4PK/8 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qf4+ if Kh1 Qc1+ Kh2 Bf2 ]
b)
Shivkuma Shivaji vs Georg Meier, Fremont, 2012
8/5p1p/2p2Pk1/5qPp/2P1rb2/3Q4/4R3/5RK1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Bh2+ if Rxh2 Rg4+ ]
c)
Slavoljub Marjanovic vs Tigran L Petrosian, Kavala, 2012
8/1p3pk1/1Bb1p1p1/P3P2p/1b3P1P/6P1/2NR1K2/r7 b - - 0 1
[ ...Bxd2 Nxa1 Ba4 ]
d)
Anish Giri vs Arkadij Naiditsch, Eilat, 2012
3B2k1/5p2/p4n1p/4rqp1/1pR5/1P4PP/P4P2/3Q2K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rd5 if Rd4 Ne4 f3 Qe5 Rxd5 Qxg3+ ]
e)
Thies Heinemann vs Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu, Germany, 2012
3r2k1/pp3ppp/8/8/8/2n3P1/P1QN1K1P/8 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxd2+ ]
13a)
Mohammed Al-Sayed vs Maxim Matlakov
Top FIDE players of 2012, Part XIV.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Anastasios Pavlidis vs Sergei Rublevsky, Warsaw, 2012
6k1/1q2bpp1/p3n3/1pp1Q2p/8/1P1NP2P/PB3PP1/6K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...c4 if Nf4 Bf6 Qxh5 Nxf4 ]
b)
Hao Wang vs Nikita Vitiugov, St. Petersburg, 2012
1k6/p7/1p6/5P2/4b3/PBpP4/R5r1/5K2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxa2 if Bxa2 c2 ]
c)
G N Gopal vs Ilia Smirin, New Delhi, 2012
r4r1k/2p2P2/p1qpN1b1/8/7P/2b1Q1B1/PnB2R2/2K1R3 b - - 0 1
[ ...Nd3+ Bxd3 Bd4+ ]
d)
Michael Prusikin vs Andrei Volokitin, Austria, 2012
8/pp2r1bk/3N2pp/2P4q/1P1n1B2/3Q2P1/4n1BP/4R2K b - - 0 1
[ ...Nxf4 if gxf4 Rxe1+ Bf1 Nf3 ]
e)
Weiqi Zhou vs Hao Wang, Zaozhuang, 2012
5rk1/pp6/2pR1rb1/2n3qp/2P1P1P1/1PN1R1Q1/P3B1P1/6K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...h4 ]
14a)
Anastasios Pavlidis vs Sergei Rublevsky
Top FIDE players of 2012, Part XV.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Nicolai Getz vs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Caleta, 2012
1r4k1/p1pQ4/3p2q1/3P4/2P1p1pR/4PrP1/P5K1/5R2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rb2+ Kg1 Rxf1+ Kxf1 Qf6+ ]
b)
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov vs Peter Svidler, Astana, 2012
8/p4pkp/3Pbpp1/2q5/4B2P/2pQP1P1/P4P2/6K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...f5 if Bg2 c2 ]
c)
Denis Kovalev vs Vladislav Tkachiev, Warsaw, 2012
q3r1k1/5p2/1pR3p1/7p/1P2r3/P2pP1P1/5P1P/2Q1R1K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...d2 ]
d)
Igor Kurnosov vs Veselin Topalov, Astana, 2012
6k1/5p2/5Pp1/3R4/1P1N3p/2P2R1P/4r1PK/r3b3 b - - 0 1
[ ...Bg3+ if Rxg3 Ree1 mates ]
e)
Rund Bosch vs Maxim Turov, Helmond, 2012
2kr1br1/pp2pp1p/2p2p2/7q/2PP1Bb1/1P3N2/P3QPPP/2KR2R1 b - - 0 1
[ ...e5 if Bg3 Ba3+ Kb1 e4 or if dxe5 Ba3+ Kc2 Qf5+ ]
f)
Andrey Zhigalko vs Nikita Vitiugov, St. Petersburg, 2012
8/6bk/1pQ1Prnp/1P1p2p1/4p3/2N1P1P1/Rq5P/5NK1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qc1 if Rf2 Rxf2 Kxf2 Qxc3 ]
g)
Yunguo Wan vs Yangyi Yu, Beijing, 2012
2r3k1/5pb1/4p2p/1B6/Pp3Q2/1R3P1P/1qP3P1/7K b - - 0 1
[ ...Qa1+ Kh2 Be5 ]
15f)
Andrey Zhigalko vs Nikita Vitiugov
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