King-pawn Opening Series



Here are some chess puzzles taken from the games of Jose Raul Capablanca.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.

Solutions are between the brackets under each puzzle.
Drag your mouse from one bracket to the other.
'Print Edition' available

a)
R Raubitschek vs Jose Raul Capablanca, New York, 1906
2k3r1/ppp1qp2/4bQ2/8/3P2r1/N1P5/PP3RP1/R1B3K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxg2+ if Kf1 Bc4+ mates ]

b)
A Pulvermarcher vs Jose Raul Capablanca, New York, 1907
r2q1rk1/ppp2ppp/5n2/2b1P1B1/Q3P1b1/2P5/PP4PP/RN2KB1R b - - 0 1
[ ...Nxe4 ]

c)
Frank Marshall vs Jose Raul Capablanca, New York, 1909
1r1r1nk1/pp2qppp/8/PBpp1b2/R2P4/Q1P1PN2/1R3PPP/6K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...a6 if Be2 Bd7 ]

d)
White mates in 3.
Jose Raul Capablanca vs T A Carter, St. Louis, 1909
6rk/p1q2p2/2p2b1P/1p2pN2/4P1Q1/2PP4/PPB5/2K4R w -- 0 1
[ Qg7+ Rxg7 hxg7+ Kg8 Rh8# ]

e)
Jose Raul Capablanca vs Michelsen, New York, 1910
r1b3r1/pp1k1q1p/2n2pN1/3p1N2/3P4/5Q1R/5PPP/5RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxh7 ]

1d)
mate in 3
Jose Raul Capablanca vs T A Carter

Capablanca Puzzles, Part II.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Jose Raul Capablanca vs Harry Morris, New York, 1911
2r3rk/3q1p1p/5p2/1p1p1b2/2pN3R/P1P1R3/1P3PPP/3Q2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Re7 if Qxe7 Nxf5 Qe6 Rxh7+ mates ]

b)
Jose Raul Capablanca vs H. Zirn, New York, 1912
5rk1/pb4q1/1pr3B1/2ppp3/8/1P5Q/P1P3PP/4RRK1 w - - 0 1
[ Bh7+ if Qxh7 Rxf8+ ]

c)
Jose Raul Capablanca vs Oscar Chajes, New York, 1913
rq2rb2/2p2kpQ/p6p/1p2P3/1Pn2P2/PB6/6PP/2RR2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxc4 bxc4 Bxc4+ Ke7 Qf5 mates ]

d)
Jose Raul Capablanca vs Edward Lasker, London, 1913
8/7p/p7/4kpPP/3p4/3K4/P7/8 w - - 0 1
[ h6 ]

e)
Akiba Rubinstein vs Jose Raul Capablanca, New York, 1913
r3r1k1/ppq2ppp/2pp1bn1/5N2/2PBPn2/1P1B1Q1P/P4PP1/2R1R1K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Bxd4 Nxd4 Ne5 Qxf4 Nxd3 ]

2e)
Akiba Rubinstein vs Jose Raul Capablanca

Capablanca Puzzles, Part III.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Osip Bernstein vs Jose Raul Capablanca, Moscow, 1914
3r2k1/p4ppp/1q6/2r5/8/2R1P3/P3QPPP/2R3K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxc3 if Rxc3 Qb2 ]

b)
White mates in 8.
Jose Raul Capablanca vs Masyutin, Kiev, 1914
r1bq1n1r/pp3QpB/2pkpb2/3pN3/3P4/2N5/PPP3PP/R4RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Nc4+ dxc4 Ne4+ Kd5 Rf5+ ]

c)
M Schroeder vs Jose Raul Capablanca, New York, 1916
r1b1r1k1/p1q2pp1/2pb3p/n7/2PP2n1/2NQ1N2/PP2B1PP/R1B1K2R b - - 0 1
[ ...Bg3+ if Kf1 Nf2 or if hxg3 Qxg3+ Kd2 Nf2 ]

d)
Jose Raul Capablanca vs Marc Fonaroff, New York, 1918
5rk1/ppq2ppp/2p5/4bN2/4P3/6Q1/PPP2PPP/3R2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nh6+ w/Qxe5 & Nxf7+ ]

3d)
Jose Raul Capablanca vs Marc Fonaroff

Capablanca Puzzles, Part IV.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
White mates in 5.
Jose Raul Capablanca vs Scott, Hastings, 1919
1brrk3/pbq2p2/1p2pQ1N/3p4/2P5/1P4P1/P1B2P1P/3RR1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxe6+ fxe6 Qxe6+ Kf8 Qf6+ ]

b)
White mates in 3.
Jose Raul Capablanca vs Emanuel Lasker, Havana, 1921
2Q2n2/2R4p/1p1qpp1k/8/3P3P/3B2P1/5PK1/r7 w - - 0 1
[ Qxf8+ if Kh5 Rxh7+ or if Qxf8 Rxh7# ]

c)
White mates in 5.
Jose Raul Capablanca vs S Cohen, New York, 1924
2k5/pR6/3Ppr2/2pp3q/7p/1PQ5/PKPP4/6r1 w - - 0 1
[ Qxc5+ Kxb7 Qb5+ Ka8 Qc6+ ]

d)
Jose Raul Capablanca vs Nikolai Zubarev, Moscow, 1925
4r3/3q3p/p2Pkpp1/4b3/P3Q3/6PP/5P2/4R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Qc4+ ]

e)
Fedor Bohatirchuk vs Jose Raul Capablanca, Moscow, 1925
2r1r1k1/1p3ppp/p7/2bN4/Pq1B1Pn1/1P6/1P1Q2PP/2RR3K b - - 0 1
[ ...Qxd4 Qxd4 Bxd4 ]

4c)
mate in 5
Jose Raul Capablanca vs S Cohen

Capablanca Puzzles, Part V.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
White mates in 5.
Jose Raul Capablanca vs A Souza Campos, Sao Paulo, 1927
3r2k1/pb1p1rp1/1pn2pp1/2qNp1B1/2B1P3/7R/PPP2PPP/3R2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nxf6+ ]

b)
Jose Raul Capablanca vs Alexander Alekhine, Buenos Aires, 1927
6rk/p5p1/1pQ1Np1p/8/3B3P/4P1P1/5PK1/1q6 w - - 0 1
[ Nxg7 if Rxg7 Qxf6 Qh7 Qf8+ Qg8 Bxg7+ ]

c)
Jose Raul Capablanca vs NN, Havana, 1927
1nr2rk1/p5pp/1pq1bb2/2Np1p2/1pRP4/1P2P1P1/3N1PBP/2Q2RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Nxe6 if Qxe6 Bxd5 Qxd5 Rxc8 ]

d)
White mates in 5.
Jose Raul Capablanca vs Edgar Colle, Barcelona, 1929
q2r2k1/1p2Qpb1/p2pP1p1/2nP4/5Pp1/1P2B3/P1R3PP/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ exf7+ Kh7 f5 Bf8 Qg5 ]

e)
White mates in 3.
Jose Raul Capablanca vs Gunnar Friedmann, Cuernavaca, 1933
r2qkbQ1/pb1n2p1/2p2r2/5N1p/Pp1P3N/4P3/1P3PPP/2R2RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Nxg7+ Ke7 Nhf5+ Rxf5 Qe6# ]

5e)
mate in 3
Jose Raul Capablanca vs Gunnar Friedmann

Capablanca Puzzles, Part VI.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Jose Raul Capablanca vs Gracie Sq CC, New York, 1931
5r2/6k1/p1r3p1/5PQ1/2q1PN2/1p6/P6P/5R1K w - - 0 1
[ f6+ Rfxf6 Nh5+ ]

b)
Jose Raul Capablanca vs Ribera, Barcelona simul, 1935
r1br1q1k/p3nQp1/1p2p3/2p3NN/7P/8/PPP2PP1/R5K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nf6 Ng8 Qh5+ Nh6 Qg6 ]

c)
White mates in 5.
Jose Raul Capablanca vs Vilaro, Barcelona, 1935
8/8/2r1p1BR/3p2p1/3P4/1p2Pk2/1n3P2/5K2 w - - 0 1
[ Rh3+ Kg4 Kg2 Rc2 Bh5+ Kf5 Rf3+ ]

d)
Milan Vidmar Sr vsJose Raul Capablanca, Nottingham, 1936
r2q1rk1/2bb1pp1/2p1p2p/1pPn4/3PN3/pP3BN1/P1Q2PPP/1K1RR3 b - - 0 1
[ ...Ba5 if Rf1 f5 Nd6 Nc3+ ]

e)
Jose Raul Capablanca vs Boris Ratner, New York, 1936
r2q1r1k/1p2pp1p/p4n2/2pp2Q1/4p3/2NP2P1/PPP2PK1/R6R w - - 0 1
[ Nxd5 if Qxd5 Rxh7+ if Rg8 Nxf6 ]

6c)
mate in 5
Jose Raul Capablanca vs Vilaro

Capablanca Puzzles, Part VII.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Jose Raul Capablanca vs Nicolas Rossolima, Paris, 1938
r5k1/5pp1/Br5p/2R1n3/8/1pK1PP2/1P5P/R7 w - - 0 1
[ Bd3 ]

b)
White mates in 3.
Jose Raul Capablanca vs Vera Menchik, Margate, 1939
8/5R2/1p4pk/4N3/2n2P2/P5P1/6K1/2r5 w - - 0 1
[ Ng4+ Kh5 Nf6+ Kh6 Rh7# ]

c)
Jose Raul Capablanca vs George Wheatcroft, Margate, 1939
3r4/p1N1npbp/1pn2kp1/2p1p3/2b1P3/2P1B1P1/PP1RNPBP/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxd8 Nxd8 Ne8+ ]

d)
White mates in 3.
Jose Raul Capablanca vs G Vassaux, Buenos Aires, 1939
r3br1k/pp5p/4B1p1/4NpP1/P2Pn3/q1PQ3R/7P/3R2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxh7+ Kxh7 Qh3+ Kg7 Qh6# ]

7b)
mate in 3
Jose Raul Capablanca vs Vera Menchik


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