Here are some chess puzzles from the games of Isaac Boleslavsky. 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) White Mates in 7. Boleslavsky vs Vladimir Makogonov, Moscow, 1940 4r3/pp1q2kp/1bpn1p2/4p2p/6P1/1BP2Q2/PP3PK1/2B1R3 w - - 0 1 [ Bh6+ if Kg6 gxh5+ Kxh6 Qxf6+ ]
b) Boleslavsky vs Andor Lilienthal, Moscow, 1941 r3kbnr/ppp3pp/1q2b3/4B1p1/2B3P1/8/PPP1QP1P/2KR3R w kq - 0 1 [ Bxc7 ]
c) Boleslavsky vs Andor Lilienthal, Moscow, 1941 3r2k1/5ppp/2nq1n2/1p3P2/2pp4/2P2BQ1/5PPP/2B1R1K1 w - - 0 1 [ Qxd6 Rxd6 Bf4 ]
d) Boleslavsky vs Lev Abramov, Kuibyshev, 1942 rnb2rk1/4bppp/pq2p3/1p1n4/5B2/1NN2B2/PPP3PP/R2Q1R1K w - - 0 1 [ Bxd5 exd5 Nxd5 w/Nxe7 & Bd6 ]
e) Boleslavsky vs F I Duz-Hotimirsky, Moscow, 1942 r2b1r1k/pppq2pn/2npb1Q1/3N1N1p/2B1PP1P/4B3/PPP5/2K3RR w - - 0 1 [ Nde7 ]
Boleslavsky vs Lisitsin, 1956
Boleslavsky Puzzles, Part II. White to move and win except where noted.
a) Boleslavsky vs Georgy Lisitsyn, Moscow, 1944 r5kr/p2b1p2/2n1p1pp/2Nq4/8/B1p3Q1/P1P2PPP/R4RK1 w - - 0 1 [ Rd1 if Nd4 Qg4 ]
b) White Mates in 6. Boleslavsky vs Ludek Pachman, Saltsjobaden, 1948 1rb2r1k/2q2pp1/4pN1p/1p1p2N1/2n2P2/7R/2P1Q1PP/R5K1 w - - 0 1 [ Rxh6+ gxh6 Qd3 ]
c) White Mates in 4. Boleslavsky vs Gosta Stoltz, Saltsjobaden, 1948 4b3/k1r1q2p/p3p3/3pQ3/2pN4/1R6/P4PPP/1R4K1 w - - 0 1 [ Nc6+ ]
d) Boleslavsky vs Yuri Averbakh, Moscow, 1950 7k/p1Rbqrpp/1p6/8/3B3P/P5Q1/6P1/6K1 w - - 0 1 [ Rxd7 ]
e) Boleslavsky vs Ratmir Kholmov, Leningrad, 1956 r3rbk1/3b1ppp/p1np4/1p1N4/1P1Nn2q/P6P/1BB2PP1/R2QR1K1 w - - 0 1 [ Rxe4 if Rxe4 Nf3 ]
Boleslavsky Puzzles, Part III. White to move and win.
a) Boleslavsky vs Georgy Lisitsyn, Leningrad, 1956 2rr1bk1/pp3p2/3p2qp/3Np1PR/4P3/P4P2/1P6/1K1R1Q2 w - - 0 1 [ Rxh6 Qxg5 Rh5 if Qg3 Qh1 ]
b) Boleslavsky vs Strugacs, Minsk, 1959 3brn1Q/ppr1k3/2p1q1p1/3pPp1B/1P1P1P2/P3B3/7R/6RK w - - 0 1 [ Bxg6 if Nxg6 Rh7+ ]
c) Boleslavsky vs Anatoly Bannik, Moscow, 1961 r7/p3rpk1/P1b1nnp1/q3p2p/1pB1P2P/4QNN1/1P3PP1/2RR2K1 w - - 0 1 [ Bxe6 if Rxe6 Ng5 ]
d) Boleslavsky vs Semen Furman, Moscow, 1961 3r1r1k/pq3p1p/5P2/2bp1Q2/1pp1nP2/4B3/PPP3BP/R2R2K1 w - - 0 1 [ Bxe4 if dxe4 Qg5 mates ]
e) Boleslavsky vs A Peperle, corr., 1963 rn2k1nr/p4ppp/1q2p3/1p2N3/1BpPb3/4P3/1P3PPP/R2QKB1R w KQkq - 0 1 [ Qg4 Bg6 Qf3 ]
Boleslavsky Puzzles, Part IV. White to move and win except where noted.
a) White Mates in 5. Boleslavsky vs Ilya Mosionzhik, Moscow, 1967 2br2r1/2n3bk/n3Pq1p/ppp2p1p/5P1N/2P4Q/PPB3P1/R1B1R1K1 w - - 0 1 [ Qxf5+ Qxf5 Bxf5+ w/Ng6+ ]
b) White Mates in 3. Boleslavsky vs Roman Dzindzichashvili, URS, 1967 7r/1qr1nNp1/p1k4p/1pB5/4P1Q1/8/PP3PPP/6K1 w - - 0 1 [ Qe6+ w/Qd6+ ]
c) Boleslavsky vs W Janes, Riga, 1968 3qkr2/pp3pQp/3p1Pp1/4pb2/2r5/5NP1/PPP4P/1K1RR3 w - - 0 1 [ Rxe5+ Kd7 Rxf5 if gxf5 Ne5+ ]
d) Black to move and win. Finogenov vs Boleslavsky, Kuibyshev, 1942 6k1/p2b2b1/3p1q1p/2pP4/2P4N/3Q1PB1/Pr2n1NP/1R3K2 b - - 0 1 [ ...Nxg3+ hxg3 Qd4 ]
e) Black Mates in 4. Yakov Estrin vs Boleslavsky, Sverdlovsk, 1946 6k1/p2b2pp/1p3q1r/3P4/2P1B2P/1P3Np1/P2Q1b2/3R3K b - - 0 1 [ ...Qxf3+ Bxf3 Rxh4+ Kg2 Bh3+ ]
Boleslavsky Puzzles, Part V. Black to move and win except where noted.
a) Black Mates in 5. Fernand Morel vs Boleslavsky, Helsinki, 1952 3r1r1k/5pp1/4B2p/4Q3/R3P3/1Pq3PP/P5P1/6K1 b - - 0 1 [ ...Rd1+ Kh2 Qc1 ]
b) Olaf Sterner vs Boleslavsky, Stockholm, 1954 2rb2k1/1p3ppp/4b3/4p3/1B2P1n1/pPNP4/P2N2PP/R5K1 b - - 0 1 [ ...Bb6+ Kf1 Ne3+ w/...Nc2 ]
c) Black Mates in 6. Alfred Tarnowsky vs Boleslavsky, Lodz, 1955 7k/6r1/b2p4/4P3/2PR1qBr/Pp3pR1/1P6/5KQ1 b - - 0 1 [ ...Bxc4+ ]
d) Black Mates in 5 (2 solutions). Alexander Blagidze vs Boleslavsky, Kiev, 1957 6k1/4bpp1/p7/1p4Pp/2q2P1K/P1Br3P/1P2r3/R1Q2R2 b - - 0 1 [ ...Rxh3+ (played) Kxh3 Qd3+ or ...Qe6 ]
e) Y Kliavinsh vs Boleslavsky, Minsk, 1957 6k1/p4pp1/8/5P1p/3p1BP1/6PK/PPq1r3/4R2Q b - - 0 1 [ ..Rh2+ Qxh2 hxg4+ ]
f) Victor Korchnoi vs Boleslavsky, Riga, 1958 8/1N2kp2/2p3p1/p3P2p/2P1KP2/n1r3P1/7P/R7 b - - 0 1 [ ...Nc2 ]
g) Dmitry Nadezhdin vs Boleslavsky, Tashkent, 1965 r1r3k1/4bpp1/p1bp1n1p/q2NpP2/1p2P2P/P2Q4/1PPRBBP1/2K4R b - - 0 1 [ ...Bxd5 exd5 Rc3 if bxc3 Qxa3+ ]