Here are some chess puzzles from the games of Magnus Carlsen.
White to move and win except where noted.
Solutions are between the brackets under each puzzle.Drag your mouse from one bracket to the other.
a) White Mates in 3. Carlsen vs Hans K Harestad, Copenhagen, 2003
r7/3bb1kp/q4p1N/1pnPp1np/2p4Q/2P5/1PB3P1/2B2RK1 w - - 0 1
b)
Black to move and win. Glenn Gaasland vs Carlsen, Norway, 2001
2rr2k1/pb3pp1/4q2p/2pn4/2Q1P3/P4P2/1P3BPP/2KR2NR b - - 0 1
[ ...Ne3 Rxd8+ Rxd8 Qe2 Rd1+ ]
c)
Black to move and win. Christian Aarefjord vs Carlsen, Oslo, 2001
8/3R1p2/1p3k2/7b/2Pp3P/BP1K4/2P4r/8 b - - 0 1
[ ...Bg6+ w/Rd2+ ]
d)
Black to move and win. Anita Hersvik vs Carlsen, Oslo, 2002
r4rk1/pp4pp/5pn1/3q1R2/2nP2N1/2P1B3/P1Q3PP/R5K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qe6 Bf2 Nd6 ]
e)
Carlsen vs Gustav Gulbrandsen, Norway, 2002
r1b1k2r/pp1nqpp1/4p2p/3pP1N1/8/3BQ3/PP3PPP/2R2RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Qxa7 if Rxa7 Rxc8+ Qd8 Rxd8+ & Nxf7+ or if Rb8 Qxb8 Nxb8 Rxc8+ & Rxh8 ]
Carlsen's Interview on Rikets Rost
Carlsen Puzzles, Part II. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Carlsen vs Per Manne, Bergen, 2002
6k1/3n1ppp/ppr2n2/8/P2B4/1P2N1P1/4rP1P/3R1RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Bxf6 ]
b)
Carlsen vs Zaven Andriasian, Halkidiki, 2003
r4rk1/3nqp2/p4np1/1pP5/P5p1/4P3/BP1B1PQ1/2KR3R w - - 0 1
[ Bc3 w/Qxg4 or Rxd7 ]
c) White Mates in 3. Carlsen vs Timothy Taylor, Budapest, 2003
d) White Mates in 3. Carlsen vs Kristian Trygstad, Fredrikstad, 2003
e)
Carlsen vs Can Arduman, Rethymnon, 2003
2R1b1k1/N4p1p/5np1/8/8/2N4P/Pr4P1/7K w - - 0 1
[ Ne4 ]
Magnus Carlsen vs Ruslan Ponomariov, Tal Memorial, 2009: Pt I
Carlsen Puzzles, Part III. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Black Mates in 2. Jon Hammer vs Carlsen, Halkidiki, 2003
5rk1/ppp2pbp/3p2p1/1q6/4r1P1/1NP1B3/PP2nPP1/R2QR2K b - - 0 1
[ ...Qh5+ ]
b)
Carlsen vs Lorenz Drabke, Budapest, 2003
rnbk1b1r/pq3Bpp/4pn2/4N3/3P4/4P3/1P1B1PPP/R2QK2R w - - 0 1
[ Ba5+ w/Qa4 & Qe8+ ]
c)
White Mates in 2. Carlsen vs Helgi Gretarsson, Rethymnon, 2003
r5q1/pp1b1kr1/2p2p2/2Q5/2PpB3/1P4NP/P4P2/4RK2 w - - 0 1
[ Bg6+ ]
d)
Carlsen vs Nurlan Ibraev, Calvia, 2004
r2qr1k1/pb1p1pp1/1pnR1n1p/4pQN1/2P4P/1P2P3/PB3PP1/2K2B1R w - - 0 1
[ Rxf6 w/Qh7+ ]
e)
Carlsen vs Nigel Short, Hoogeveen, 2004
4k3/R4br1/8/p3P3/4N3/5K2/8/8 w - - 0 1
[ Nd6+ Ra8+ Nf5+ & Ra7+ ]
Magnus Carlsen vs Ruslan Ponomariov, Tal Memorial, 2009: Pt II
Carlsen Puzzles, Part IV. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Carlsen vs Nikola Sedlak, Reykjavik, 2004
r4qk1/pp5p/4rpp1/1P1Nnp2/1Q6/4P1P1/P4P1P/2RR2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Qb3 w/Nc7 ]
b)
Carlsen vs Alexei Shirov, Drammen, 2005
r5k1/4r1b1/p3q2B/1p4R1/P2pbR2/1P5P/3Q2P1/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Bxg7 w/Rxg7+ & Qxd4+ ]
c)
Carlsen vs Predrag Nikolic, Wijk aan Zee 'B', 2005
4r2r/ppq2kpp/1b2bp2/nP1p4/R7/B2B1N2/2P2PPP/3QR1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Ng5+ w/Qf3+ & Rxe6 ]
d)
White Mates in 5. Carlsen vs Atle Groenn, Sandnes, 2005
r1b4r/p3k1p1/1pQbBR1p/8/3P3q/4P3/P5PP/1R4K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rf7+ Kd8 (if Kxe6 Qc4#) Qxd6+ Ke8 Bd7+ ]
e)
White Mates in 9. Carlsen vs Zurab Azmaiparashvili, Khanty Mansyisk, 2005
7k/2r1p3/4pNpb/q1p2n1p/1pB2P2/2P3P1/1P2Q2P/3R2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rd8+ if Kg7 Rg8+ & Qxe6# or if Bf8 Rxf8+ Kg7 Rg8+ ]
Endgame Study: Carlsen vs Onischuk
Carlsen Puzzles, Part V. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Carlsen vs David Kjartansson, Reykjavik, 2006
2r1kb1r/4ppp1/pq6/1p1R2Bp/6n1/1N5P/PPPQ2P1/3R3K w - - 0 1
[ Rc5 if Qb7 Na5 ]
b)
Carlsen vs Alexander Morozevich, Biel, 2006
7k/6r1/2pN2pp/3n4/5Q2/7P/3R1PPK/4q3 w - - 0 1
[ Rxd5 if cxd5 Qf8+ Kh7 Ne8 ]
c)
Black to move and win. Arkadij Naiditsch vs Carlsen, Wijk aan Zee, 2006
8/1b4p1/5pk1/6qp/1P2pn2/4BP2/P5PP/R4Q1K b - - 0 1
[ ...exf3 if gxf3 Qg4 ]
d)
Black to move and win. Hannes Stefansson vs Carlsen, Reykjavik, 2006
2r3k1/4bpp1/4pn1p/1p6/q1r5/2BR1BP1/PQ2PPKP/3R4 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxc3 ]
e)
Black to move and win. Kjetil Stokke vs Carlsen, Oslo, 2006
6k1/Q3pp1p/1p4p1/3qN3/1P1n4/P1r4P/5PP1/4R2K b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxh3+ Kg1 Ne2+ Kf1 Nf4 ]
Top 20 Chessplayers in the World
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