Here are some chess puzzles from the games of Varuzhan Akobian. White to move and win except where noted.
Solutions are between the brackets under each puzzle. Drag your cursor from one bracket to the other.
a) Akobian vs Krzysztof Jasik, Rimavska Sobota, 1996 1r4k1/1r1nppbp/8/pBpPq2n/P5p1/2N1B1P1/1P3PQP/2R1R1K1 w - - 0 1 [ Bc6 if Ra7 or Rc7 Nb5 ]
b) Akobian vs Milorad Vojovic, Cannes, 1997 R1b5/1rr3k1/3p1pp1/2qPp3/1Rp1P1Pp/2P1P2P/Q5BK/8 w - - 0 1 [ Rxc8 ]
c) Akobian vs Gabor Pinter, Litohoto, 1999 2R5/3r1npk/1p6/p2p1p1p/P2P4/1P3PBP/6P1/6K1 w - - 0 1 [ Rc7 Rxc7 Bxc7 ]
d) Akobian vs Jan Werle, Litohoto, 1999 6k1/p4pp1/1p4b1/3BQ3/3P1PPK/q7/8/8 w - - 0 1 [ f5 if Bh7 Qe8+ w/Bxf7+ ]
e) White Mates in 4. Akobian vs Imed Abdelnabbi, Abudhabi, 2000 5rk1/pp1r1pp1/8/n2N3R/b2P4/P4Q2/1P1q1PPP/1R4K1 w - - 0 1 [ Nf6+ gxf6 Qxf6 ]
Akobian Puzzles, Part II. White to move and win except where noted.
a) Akobian vs Dennis Ovcina, Yerevan, 2000 1r3bk1/2q5/p2p3p/3bpQp1/1PN5/3BP1PP/6P1/5RK1 w - - 0 1 [ Nb6 ]
b) Akobian vs Frankie Newton, Philadelphia, 2002 5R2/2p5/1p1p4/pP2q2k/P7/4P1R1/7K/8 w - - 0 1 [ Rh8+ ]
c) White Mates in 5. Akobian vs Eduardo Ortiz, Burbank, 2003 1n4k1/ppq3b1/4p2R/2p2r2/2PrNpQ1/2N3P1/PP6/2K4R w - - 0 1 [ Qg6 if Kf8 Rh8+ ]
d) Akobian vs Dashzeveg Sharavdorj, Burbank, 2003 1q1r2k1/1Q3p2/3P2pp/1pN5/1bp5/4P1P1/6P1/3R2K1 w - - 0 1 [ Qxb8 Rxb8 Na6 ]
e) Akobian vs Stephen Muhammad, New York, 2003 4nk2/1q2npb1/p2p1p1p/2pP1B1P/2P1NPQ1/1rB1P2K/1P4R1/8 w - - 0 1 [ Nxd6 if Nxd6 Qxg7+ mates ]
Akobian Puzzles, Part III. Black to move and win except where noted.
a) White Mates in 3. Akobian vs Blas Lugo, Minneapolis, 2005 8/p3q2k/1p2p1p1/r2bQ3/3P2R1/8/6P1/5R1K w - - 0 1 [ Rf7+ Qxf7 Rh4+ ]
b) White to move and win. Akobian vs Andranik Matikozian, Las Vegas, 2005 r6k/1p1bq2n/p2p2R1/P1pP4/2P1np2/2N2N2/1P1QB2P/1K6 w - - 0 1 [ Nxe4 if Qxe4+ Bd3 Qxf3 Qc3+ or if Bf5 Qc3+ Nf6 Rxf6 ]
c) Eduard Sosulin vs Akobian, Tula, 2000 4r1k1/p7/4q2p/1Q1p2pB/P1p2n2/6N1/1Pn2PPP/R5K1 b - - 0 1 [ ...Nxh5 ]
d) Black Mates in 3. Andranik Matikozian vs Akobian, Los Angeles, 2002 1k5r/pp1Q1pp1/2p4r/b4Pn1/3NPp2/2P2P2/1q4B1/1R2R1K1 b - - 0 1 [ ...Rh1+ Bxh1 Nh3+ ]
e) Black Mates in 5. Hikaru Nakamura vs Akobian, San Francisco, 2002 2r5/6pk/1q2p2p/4b3/1P2P3/1R1Q3P/B4rP1/1K1R4 b - - 0 1 [ ...Qa7 if Rd2 Rxd2 or if Ra3 Rb2+ ]
Akobian Puzzles, Part IV. Black to move and win except where noted.
a) William Aramil vs Akobian, Los Angeles, 2003 r1b2rk1/pp4pp/8/1PQpp3/2n4P/P4qPB/2P1NP1R/R3K3 b - - 0 1 [ ...Bxh3 if Rxh3 b6 Qb4 Qxf2+ Kd1 Qg2 ]
b) Eric Cooke vs Akobian, Los Angeles, 2003 4k2r/1r3p2/b1q1p1p1/p2pP3/2nB1PP1/b1P2R2/P3N1B1/1R2Q1K1 b - - 0 1 [ ...Nd2 ]
c) Black Mates in 3. Jerry Hanken vs Akobian, Las Vegas, 2005 3rr1k1/p4pp1/8/b1N5/1P1p3p/P3qbPP/1B3nBK/Q1R3R1 b - - 0 1 [ ...hxg3+ Kxg3 Bb7+ ]