Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
White to play and mate Black
Sheinsweet v Bruner, San Juan 1965
Solution
1 Qh6+ is obvious, it being a puzzle from a book. My engine says 1 Rg1 is also +-, simply bringing more pieces to the party.
1…Kh6 2 Nf5+ Kg5 and Komodo tells me that both 3 Be2 and 3 Rg1 are mate in four. I had chosen 3 f4+ which takes slightly longer.
FEN
r2qrn2/1p2nbkp/2p1pp2/p7/3PP1BN/2N4R/PP1Q1P2/2KR4 w – – 0 1
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
White to play and mate Black
Wachtel v Grimshaw, San Juan 1965
Solution
Quite an optically hard solution, and no wonder that in the game White missed it, and played 1 Qe2, winning prosaically.
But 1 Nf5+! Ne5 2 Ng7+ Kf7[] 3 Nh6 mate.
FEN
r1bqkr2/ppppNn1p/5Pp1/4Q3/6N1/8/PPP3PP/R4R1K w – – 0 21
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
White to play and mate Black
Durst v Als, Mannheim 1965
Solution
1 Nd7! is a pretty solution: and if 1…Nh5, 2 Nf6+! (and the same if 1…Nd7).
FEN
r1b2rk1/2q2ppp/pp1ppn2/2p1N3/5P2/1P1PP1Q1/PBP3PP/R4RK1 w – – 0 1
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
White to play and mate Black
Yodovich v Zagorovsky, USSR 1965
Solution
Not too hard: 1 Rg4! in order to remove the defender from h6, and after 1…fg, 2 Qh6+ and 3 Bb2+. mating.
FEN
5r1k/p2rqBp1/1p4Pp/2pP1p2/P1P1bRnQ/B3P3/6P1/4R1K1 w – – 0 1
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
Black to play and mate White
Lundin v Osterberg, Copenhagen 1965
Solution
1..Qf2+ is mandatory, and wins. A few checks and it is mate with 4..Re1.
FEN
4r1k1/pp2r1p1/3p1p1B/2pP1P1Q/2P4R/P1Pn4/2q3PP/5RK1 b – – 0 1
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
White to play and mate Black
Kavalek v Khodos, Sinaia, 1965
Solution
A one move solution: 1 Rd8+! wins
If 1..Qd8, 2 Qe6+ and mates on f7; and if 1…Bd8, 2 Qh8+! and 3 Rf8 mate.
Kavalek fully analyses this game in Megabase 2017.
FEN
rnq3kr/1b4p1/p4bp1/1p4N1/4p3/2N1B2Q/PPP4P/2KR1R2 w – – 0 22
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
White to play and mate Black
Osnos v Dely, Budapest 1965
Solution
Not too hard today: 1 Bc5 hits the LPDO Bc5 and is a double attack, threatening 2 Rf8 mate. So 1…Bc5 2 Qc5 and if 2…bc, 3 Ne7+ mates.
FEN
b1R2nk1/5ppp/1p3n2/5N2/1b2p3/1P2BP2/q3BQPP/6K1 w – – 0 31
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
Black to play and mate White
Petersen v Kolbaek, Denmark 1965
Solution
A nice exercise. 1..Nf3 is an obvious try, and the main task is how to crack 2 Qe2. Eventually I got the move order correct: 2…Nf2+ 3 Rf2 Qf2! and mates.
FEN
3r2k1/1R3pp1/pN6/4n2p/P1P1p2q/3nP2P/3Q1PP1/5R1K b – – 0 1
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
Mikenas v Bronstein, Tallinn 1965
Solution
Part of my (and I expect many player’s) chess education: 1…Ra3!!: a position often cited in textbooks.
In CJS Purdy terms, there is an x-ray attack by the Qe5 on the LPDO Ra1; and the White King is in a back rank mating net.
FEN
r3r1k1/1p1b1pp1/1p5p/3Pq3/1R6/P2Q1B2/1P4PP/R6K b – – 0 24
Another puzzle from Dragoslav Andric’s 1981 book “Matni Udar”.
Black to play and mate White
Nikolic v Maric
Solution
Not too hard today: 1…Bg3! wins, because of the threat of 2…Re1 mate (after 2 Rf6).
FEN
6k1/1pb1rpp1/p4q1p/2Q5/3P3p/1B5P/PP3RP1/5K2 b – – 0 1
allanbeardsworth 