Here are some chess puzzles taken from the games of Mikhail Botvinnik.
White to move and win.
Solutions are between the brackets under each puzzle.Drag your mouse from one bracket to the other.
a)
Black to move and win. N Liutov vs Botvinnik, Leningrad, 1925
r5k1/1pp4p/p6q/5bpr/5p2/3PnN2/PPP2QPP/2R1RN1K b - - 0 1
[ ...Nxf1 if Rxf1 or Qxf1 g4 ]
b)
Botvinnik vs Nikolai Grigoriev, Leningrad, 1927
5rk1/p1nnqr1p/1p1p4/3Pp2Q/5p1N/1P4PB/P2R1P1P/4R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nf5 ]
c)
Botvinnik vs Khrisogon Kholodkevich, Moscow, 1927
2b3k1/3qp2p/pP1p2p1/P2P1p2/8/4Q1P1/5PBP/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Qe6+ ]
d)
Botvinnik vs Pianov Pavlov, Moscow, 1927
4qr1k/2Rr1npp/p3b3/1p2Pp2/1Q3B2/P4N2/5PPP/4R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxd7 Bxd7 e6 if Bxe6 Rxe6 ]
e)
Botvinnik vs Viacheslav Ragozin, Leningrad, 1927
r5k1/pp5p/4R1n1/3q1r2/1P4Q1/3p4/1B3PPP/5RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxg6+ w/Qxg6+ Qg7+ Re1+ Qe7+ & Rc1+ ]
oder die Lektüre zum geruhsamen Feierabend oder Wochenende." Uwe Bekemann
Botvinnik Puzzles, Part II. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Botvinnik vs P. Sharov, Leningrad, 1928
1rb2nk1/p1r1qppp/4p3/2P5/4B1N1/P5Q1/5PPP/R3R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nf6+ if Kh8 Ne8 ]
b)
Botvinnik vs Grigory Goldberg, Leningrad, 1929
2r5/1b2rk2/p2Rn1pp/q1p1Pp2/Pp3P1P/4P3/BP1Q2P1/2R3K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxe6 ]
c)
Botvinnik vs V Breitman, Leningrad, 1931
r4rk1/1n2qpbp/2bp1npB/1p2p2P/1P2P1P1/2N2PN1/P2Q2B1/2R1K2R w - - 0 1
[ Nf5 ]
d)
Botvinnik vs Vladimir Alatortsev, Moscow, 1931
r4rk1/p1p1n1b1/1p1p2p1/3Pp1Pn/2P1P1q1/1P2B1N1/P2QN1B1/2K4R w - - 0 1
[ Bh3 Qf3 Rf1 Nxg3 Be6+ ]
e)
White Mates in 4. Botvinnik vs Victor Goglidze, Moscow, 1931
2bk4/6b1/2pNp3/r1PpP1P1/P1pP1Q2/2rq4/7R/6RK w - - 0 1
[ Rh8+ Bxh8 Qf8+ ]
Botvinnik vs Capablanca, 1938
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Botvinnik Puzzles, Part III. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Botvinnik vs Nikolay Sorokin, Leningrad, 1933
rnb1k2r/pp3ppp/6q1/b1pp4/3P1B2/1QP1PP2/P5PP/R3KBNR w - - 0 1
[ Bxb8 ]
b)
Botvinnik vs Vladimir Nenarokov, Leningrad, 1933
5rk1/2pBn1qr/1p1p3p/p4Pp1/2PQ2P1/P1P2KP1/7R/7R w - - 0 1
[ Be6+ if Kh8 Rxh6 mates ]
c)
Botvinnik vs Vera Menchik, Hastings, 1934
r2rnk2/5ppp/pp2p3/3bPP2/3N4/PB4P1/1P3K1P/2RR4 w - - 0 1
[ fxe6+ Bxb3 e7+ if Kxe7 Nc6+ ]
d)
Black to move and win. Viktor Goglidze vs Botvinnik, Moscow, 1935
r1r3k1/5p1p/pQ4p1/N2b4/3Pp3/R3P3/4qPPP/5RK1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rab8 if Qd6 Qxf1+ mates ]
e)
Botvinnik vs Rudolf Spielmann, Moscow, 1935
r1b1kb1r/pp2pppp/5n2/3P2B1/Nn1P4/8/q4PPP/2RQKBNR w - - 0 1
[ Bc4 if Qa3 Rc3 or if Bg4 Nf3 ]
Botvinnik Puzzles, Part IV. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Black Mates in 3. Viacheslav Ragozin vs Botvinnik, URS, 1936
1k1r2r1/ppq4p/4Q3/1B2np2/2P1p3/P7/2P1RPPR/2B1K3 b - - 0 1
[ ...Nf3+ ]
b)
Black to move and win. Isaak Mazel vs Botvinnik, Leningrad, 1938
r1bqkb1r/pp3ppp/8/2ppP3/1n3Pn1/PQN2N2/1P1P2PP/R1B1KB1R b KQkq - 0 1
[ ...c4 if Qa4+ Bd7 Qd1 Qb6 ]
c)
Botvinnik vs Alexander Chistiakov, Leningrad, 1939
4qrk1/rpBbb1pp/pN2p3/3pPp2/4n3/3BP3/PPQ2PPP/2R2RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Bb8 ]
d)
Botvinnik vs Iosif Rudakovsky, Moscow, 1940
rq1r2k1/3bbppp/p1nppn2/1p6/N3PP2/1N2BB2/PPP2QPP/R4RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Nb6 if Ra7 e5 ]
e)
Black Mates in 6. Mark Stolberg vs Botvinnik, Moscow, 1940
5bk1/1p4p1/pP3p2/Pq1pnP2/8/1r5P/RN1Br1P1/2QR3K b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxh3+ if gxh3 d4 w/...Qd5+ or if Kg1 Rxg2+ Kxg2 Qe2+ ]
Tolush vs Botvinnik, 1939
Botvinnik Puzzles, Part V. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Black Mates in 3. Igor Bondarevsky vs Botvinnik, Moscow/Leningrad, 1941
6k1/pp1q1ppp/2p5/3n4/Q2P4/PPr4P/3NnBPK/5R2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxh3 if gxh3 Ndf4 ]
b)
Black Mates in 7. Vassily Smyslov vs Botvinnik, Moscow/Leningrad, 1941
8/5p2/1pkBq1Pp/3pPn2/2pP1R2/2P1R2Q/2P1KP2/3r2r1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Nxd4+ if Rxd4 or cxd4 Rge1+ w/...Qxh3+ ]
c)
Botvinnik vs Aberic O'Kelly de Galway, Groningen, 1946
8/2R1brkp/2p1p3/p1p1P1p1/4N3/P1P1P3/6KP/8 w - - 0 1
[ Nd6 if Bxd6 exd6 w/d7 d8/Q+ & Rxf7 ]
d)
Black to move and win. Hermann Steiner vs Botvinnik, Groningen, 1946
6rk/pp1bb2p/2p1p3/3pP2q/1PP3rn/P3NN2/3QPPBP/4R1RK b - - 0 1
[ ...Nxf3 exf3 (if Bxf3 Qxh2+) Rh4 Nf1 Bg5 w/...Bf4 ]
e)
Black to move and win. Tigran Petrosian vs Botvinnik, URS, 1952
2r3k1/p7/1b2b2r/1BqpN2p/8/PQ3RP1/1P4P1/3KR3 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qc1+ Ke2 Rc2+ Kf1 Qd2 if Be2 Qd4 or if Re2 Rc1+ ]
Botvinnik Puzzles, Part VI. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
White Mates in 5. Botvinnik vs Miguel Najdorf, Moscow, 1956
r5k1/4PR2/6Kp/8/6p1/8/8/8 w - - 0 1
[ Rf6 Re8 Rd6 ]
b)
Botvinnik vs Harry Golombek, Moscow, 1956
r1q2r2/p3ppkp/1p1p2p1/1n1P4/4PP2/1P4P1/P2Q2BP/3R1RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Rc1 if Qd7 a4 & if Nc7 Qc3+ ]
c)
White Mates in 5. Botvinnik vs Maurice Raizman, Munich, 1958
2Q5/6k1/7p/4Ppp1/3N4/7n/1q3PPK/8 w - - 0 1
[ Nxf5+ Kf7 Qd7+ Kg6 Qe6+ ]
d)
Black to move and win. Mammed Nurmamedov vs Botvinnik, Moscow, 1959
3qn1kr/pp3pb1/1r2p1p1/2Qp2Pp/P1nP1N2/2P2P1B/1P5P/R1B1R1K1 b - - 0 1br>[ ...Bf8 ]
e)
White Mates in 6. Botvinnik vs Mikhail Tal, Moscow, 1961
2r5/R7/1kpB1p1p/8/3Pr3/2p5/5KP1/R7 w - - 0 1
[ Bc5+ Kb5 R1a4 ]
Botvinnik vs Vidmar Endgame
Botvinnik Puzzles, Part VII. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Botvinnik vs Semyen Furman, Leningrad, 1963
8/3rb2p/pR4p1/2pp1k2/5B2/2P5/P3KPPP/8 w - - 0 1
[ Kf3 if h5 h3 w/g4+ ]
b)
Black to move and win. Mark Taimanov vs Botvinnik, Moscow, 1963
r3n1k1/1br3pp/1p3p2/p7/P1RPq1N1/4P3/1B2Q1PP/2R3K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxc4 if Qxc4+ Bd5 Qe2 h5 or if Rxc4 Ba6 Qc2 Qxg4 ]
c)
Botvinnik vs Jan-Hein Donner, Nordwijk aan Zee, 1965
8/6pk/1p6/8/PP3p1p/5P2/4KP1q/3Q4 w - - 0 1
[ Qf1 w/a5 ]
d)
Botvinnik vs Paul Keres, Moscow, 1966
3q1rk1/r5p1/2bpn1P1/p1pN1p2/P1PnP2p/3PB2P/5Q1K/1R1B1R2 w - - 0 1
[ Rb8 if Qxb8 Qxh4 mates ]
e)
Black to move and win. Eleazar Jimenez vs Botvinnik, Palma de Majorca, 1967
6k1/4b2p/p3p1p1/1p2p3/2p1P3/P1PqBPP1/1P1Q3P/6K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Bc5 if Qxd3 cxd3 Kf2 d2 ]
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