Tactics you can use from wtharvey.com
Here are some chess puzzles from the games of John Donaldson.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
Solutions are between the brackets under each puzzle.
Drag your cursor from one bracket to the other.
a)
White mates in 6.
John Donaldson vs R A Doney, New York, 1981
4r3/pQ3rkp/3P1ppb/2P4q/8/3B1RP1/P6P/B6K w - - 1 0
[ Qxf7+ Kxf7 Rxf6+ Kg8 Bc4+ ]
b)
John Donaldson vs John Braley, New York, 1982
7k/5pp1/1P5p/4b3/4n1P1/R3N2P/3r4/6BK w - - 1 0
[ Nc4 if Rd5 Ra8+ Kh7 Nxe5 ]
c)
Gordon Taylor vs John Donaldson, New York, 1982
6k1/4b2p/4b1p1/5p2/P7/2NB3P/r5P1/1R5K b - - 0 1
[ ...Ra3 if Rc1 Bf6 or if Rb7 Bf8 Rc7 Bg7 ]
d)
Lars Karlsson vs John Donaldson, New York, 1983
2r1qr2/p3bpk1/1p3np1/1b1pN3/3P4/1P3R2/BB1Q2PP/3R3K b - - 0 1
[ ...Ne4 if Qe1 Rc2 ]
e)
Black mates in 3.
Tim McCarthy vs John Donaldson, New York, 1984
6k1/2r5/B2pp1pp/Pp3q2/1P1b4/1Q1N1PPP/4P1RK/2r5 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rh1+ Kxh1 Qxh3+ ]
1e)
mate in 3
Tim McCarthy vs John Donaldson
John Donaldson puzzles, pt. ii.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
White mates in 4.
John Donaldson vs Stellan Brynell, Malme, 1986
3r3k/p1pn1B1p/2p2r2/5Q2/5P1q/2B1P3/P4P1P/6RK w - - 1 0
[ Qxd7 if Rf8 Qg4 Qxg4 Bxf6+ ]
b)
Tom O'Donnell vs John Donaldson, Vancouver, 1986
r5k1/1p3pp1/4p3/1PNpP2p/2nP4/8/q4PPP/1RQ3K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Nd2 if Rb2 Qa1 Rc2 Qxd4 ]
c)
Black mates in 3.
Ariel Mengarini vs John Donaldson, New York, 1987
8/p4pk1/4p1p1/1p2q1P1/1P1R2P1/2Q2KRr/P1B2P1r/8 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxg3+ fxg3 Qe2+ ]
d)
John Joyce vs John Donaldson, Dublin, 1995
r4rk1/pp1qn1b1/2npb1pp/4p3/PPN1P3/5NP1/3BQPBP/R4RK1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxf3 if Bxf3 Nd4 or if Qxf3 Bxc4 Rfe1 Nd4 Qd1 Bb3 w/Nc2 ]
e)
John Donaldson vs Charles Jones, Philadelphia, 1997
5r2/1R2p3/R2bk1pp/3p4/1B6/1P2P3/P3KP1r/8 w - - 0 1
[ Rxe7+ Kxe7 Bxd6+ ]
2e)
John Donaldson vs Charles Jones
John Donaldson puzzles, pt. iii.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Tommy Nielsen vs John Donaldson, Wrexham, 1997
8/7p/3p2pk/1Q1P4/4nq2/1B5P/P5P1/7K b - - 0 1
[ ...Ng3+ Kg1 Qe3+ Kh2 Ne2 ]
b)
White mates in 5.
John Donaldson vs Bryan Smith, Los Angeles, 2000
1r2r2k/4q1b1/p3BnQ1/P1pp4/1P1PP3/6P1/1B4K1/5R2 w - - 0 1
[ Rh1+ Bh6 Rxh6+ Nh7 Qxh7+ Qxh7 dxc5+ ]
c)
John Donaldson vs Robert Sulman, Stillwater, 2001
4nk2/r5qp/3p2p1/3p1p2/3P3Q/P4NP1/5PKP/4R3 w - - 0 1
[ Ng5 ]
d)
Black mates in 2.
Rory Chambers vs John Donaldson, Stillwater, 2001
1B4k1/3n1pbp/p5p1/2pP4/N7/QP1n4/5qPP/1R5K b - - 0 1
[ ...Ne1 ]
e)
John Donaldson vs Sonny Kamberi, Oklahoma City, 2003
r4rk1/2p3pp/p7/1p2q2n/8/4P1N1/PPQ2PKP/R2R4 w - - 0 1
[ Qb3+ Kh8 Rd5 ]
f)
White mates in 3.
John Donaldson vs Mike Zeggelaar, Calgary, 2008
6k1/Q6p/P5p1/q4p2/n7/6P1/5P1P/5BK1 w - - 1 0
[ Bc4+ Kh8 Qd4+ ]
3b)
mate in 5
John Donaldson vs Bryan Smith
US GMs
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