Characteristic Puzzles in the Openings



Here are some chess puzzles from the games of Yaroslav Zherebukh.
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)
Yaroslav Zherebukh vs Branko Kutuzovic, Pardubice, 2005
r1b1kb1r/pp4pp/4P3/5p2/n2B4/p4N2/3N1PPP/R3R1K1 w kq - 0 1
[ e7 if Bxe7 Rxa3 Nb6 Bxb6 ]

b)
Yaroslav Zherebukh vs Dmitry Ivanov, Alushta, 2006
3q1rk1/1p2ppb1/1n1p2p1/pNr3BP/P3P2P/1B3P2/1nP1Q3/1K1R3R w - - 0 1
[ Rxd6 ]

c)
Yaroslav Zherebukh vs Grigory Varchenko, Rodatychi, 2006
8/1p2rrkp/p2Q2q1/4n1pR/1PP5/4NpP1/P4P1P/3R2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nf5+ if Kg8 Qb8+ or if Rxf5 Qxe7+ or if Qxf5 Qh6+ Kg8 Rxg5+ ]

d)
White mates in 4.
Yaroslav Zherebukh vs Mikhail Kozakov, Lvov, 2006
5k2/1bpr1p1r/p3qB2/4P3/pn1PpQ2/6RP/1P3PP1/4RNK1 w - - 0 1
[ Qg5 ]

e)
White mates in 6.
Yaroslav Zherebukh vs Mikle Kutsykh, Lvov, 2006
2qb2k1/1p1b1r1p/2rp1ppP/8/pNPQRB2/8/P1P2PP1/K3R3 w - - 0 1
[ Re8+ if Rf8 Qd5+ Be6 R1xe6 ]

1e)
mate in 6
Yaroslav Zherebukh vs Mikle Kutsykh

Yaroslav Zherebukh Puzzles, Part II.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Yaroslav Zherebukh vs Vladimir Galakhov, Evpatoria, 2007
2r1k2r/2q1bp2/2n1p1p1/p2pP1Np/B1bP1B1P/P4QP1/5P2/2R1R1K1 w k - 0 1
[ Rxc4 dxc4 d5 if exd5 e6 Qb7 exf7+ Kf8 Bd6 ]

b)
Yaroslav Zherebukh vs Andrey Grekh, Lvov, 2008
1rbq1rk1/5ppp/3Qpb2/p1B4P/1p2P3/5n2/PPP1N3/1K1R1BR1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxg7+ if Kxg7 Qg3+ Bg5 Rxd8 Rxd8 Nd4 h6 Qxf3 or if Kh8 Rg3 ]

c)
Yaroslav Zherebukh vs Vladislav Kovalev, Kirishi, 2008
4b3/3n4/3K1k2/1p1B3p/7P/2P5/3B4/8 w - - 0 1
[ Bg5+ (if Bc6 Nb6) Kg6 Bc6 ]

d)
Yaroslav Zherebukh vs Christophe Bernard, Paris, 2009
4r1k1/4Qp1p/1nqP2p1/p1p5/Pr6/5N2/5PPP/2RR2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Ne5 Rxe7 dxe7 Qe6 Rd8+ ]

e)
White mates in 7.
Yaroslav Zherebukh vs Kevin Roser, Paris, 2009
2r2r2/p1nQqk1N/bp3p2/n1pp4/2P5/P1PBB3/7P/R3K2R w KQ - 0 1
[ Ng5+ fxg5 0-0+ Kg8 Qxe7 ]

2d)
Yaroslav Zherebukh vs Christophe Bernard

Yaroslav Zherebukh Puzzles, Part III.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
White mates in 3.
Yaroslav Zherebukh vs Lajos Seres, Budapest, 2009
r3nrk1/p4p1p/1p4pQ/2pqB3/8/3P2R1/PPP2P1P/R5K1 w - - 0 1
[ Qxh7+ ]

b)
Yaroslav Zherebukh vs Richard Rapport, Budapest, 2009
2r3k1/5p1p/1n2p1p1/p3P3/3N4/2rQB3/1q3PPP/4RBK1 w - - 0 1
[ Qb5 if Qb4 Qxb4 axb4 Nb5 or if Qxb5 Nxb5 R3c6 Na7 ]

c)
Yaroslav Zherebukh vs Pablo Cruz Lledo, Leeuwarden, 2009
r1b1k2r/1p2q1pp/p3p3/2p1b3/8/2P1B1P1/P4PBP/R2Q1RK1 w kq - 0 1
[ Qh5+ ]

d)
White mates in 6.
Yaroslav Zherebukh vs Puneet Jaiswal, New Delhi, 2011
r1b5/p1Q5/5qpk/3p1pN1/2pp4/8/P5PP/4R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Qh7+ Kxg5 g3 ]

e)
White mates in 5.
Yaroslav Zherebukh vs Ray Robson, Moscow, 2012
2R3n1/7k/5q2/p2p4/4pQ2/3r2R1/5P2/5K2 w - - 0 1
[ Rc7 if Kh8 Rxg8+ ]

f)
Yaroslav Zherebukh vs Michael Rohde, New York, 2019
3r1r2/k6p/pp2p1b1/2b1P1p1/P5P1/1q2B1QP/1P4B1/R1R4K w - - 1 0
[ 1.Rxc5 if 1...bxc5 2.Bxc5+ ]

3f)
Yaroslav Zherebukh vs Michael Rohde


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