Here are some chess puzzles from the games of Victor Korchnoi.
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 4. Korchnoi vs Andrei Peterson, Kiev, 1965
Correction by Balaji Srinivasan. Thx!
[ Qg7+ Ke8 Qxe7+ ]
b)
Korchnoi vs Eduardo Secchi, Cordoba, 1960
[ a3 if Qxa3 Ra2 ]
c)
Korchnoi vs Bukhuti Gurgenidze, Leningrad, 1960
[ Nxe5 w/Bxe5 & Re3 ]
d)
Korchnoi vs Abram Khasin, Moscow, 1961
[ Qf2 if Qh6 Rg3+ ]
e)
Korchnoi vs Yuri Averbakh, Moscow, 1966
[ Qd5 if Qc8 Rc3 ]
Korchnoi Puzzles, Part II. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Korchnoi vs Isaac Lipnitsky, Moscow, 1952
[ Bc7 w/Ra5 ]
b)
Korchnoi vs Dmitry Rovner, Leningrad, 1957
[ e6 w/Rxe6 & Qe5 ]
c)
Korchnoi vs Bukhuti Gurgenidze, Moscow, 1957
[ Bxf6 ]
d)
White Mates in 6 (2 solutions).
Korchnoi vs Yuri Sakharov, Leningrad, 1951
[ Qh5 or Qh3 ]
Korchnoi Puzzles, Part III. White to move and win.
a)
Korchnoi vs Boris Spassky (age 11), Tallinn, 1948
[ Nd5 ]
b)
Korchnoi vs V Zak, Leningrad, 1951
[ Be6 if Rd8 Qxd8+ w/Bxd5 & Nf7+ ]
c)
Korchnoi vs Aron Reshko, Leningrad, 1951
[ Bd3 if Rc7 Bb6 ]
d)
Korchnoi vs Efim Geller, Kiev, 1954
[ Qb3+ if Ke7 Bxf6+ ]
e)
Korchnoi vs Nikolay Gusev, Frunze, 1956
[ Nce5 w/ Nxe5 if Qe8 Qh7 & Ng6+ ]
Korchnoi Puzzles, Part IV. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Korchnoi vs Aleksander Buslaev, Poltava, 1956
[ Rxe5 if Bxe5 d7 ]
b)
Korchnoi vs Nikolay Gusev, Poltava, 1956
[ Nd7+ if Kc7 Nb5+ ]
c)
White Mates in 3. Korchnoi vs Lev Polugaevsky, Tbilisi, 1956
[ Rxg6+ ]
d)
Korchnoi vs Boris Vladimirov, Sochi, 1958
[ Rxh6 w/Nxh6+ ]
e)
Korchnoi vs Helmuth Luik, Cheliabinsk, 1959
[ Qb4 if Qf7 c7 ]
Korchnoi Puzzles, Part V. White to move and win.
a)
Korchnoi vs Stefan Witkowski, Krakow, 1959
r1b1k2r/pp2ppbp/2n3p1/4q3/1n2B3/P5P1/1P1BNP1P/RN1Q1RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Bxc6 Nxc6 Bc3 ]
b)
Korchnoi vs Borislav Ivkov, Buenos Aires, 1960
4r2k/ppqr1p1p/3b1Pp1/4n3/5B2/2P3QP/PP4B1/3RR2K w - - 0 1
[ Bxe5 if Bxe5 Rxd7 or if Rxe5 Rxd6 ]
c)
Korchnoi vs Ludek Pachman, Buenos Aires, 1960
1rn2k2/4r2p/1pB1bpp1/q1N1p3/3p4/3P2P1/1RQ1PP1P/1R4K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nxe6+ Rxe6 Bd7 ]
d)
Korchnoi vs Miroslav Filip, Stockholm, 1962
r2r2k1/5p2/4n2Q/1n1pq1NP/1P2b3/4R1P1/5PB1/2R3K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxe4 if Qxg5 Rxe6 ]
e)
Korchnoi vs Rudolf Teschner, Stockholm, 1962
2r3k1/p2bQppp/1rp5/3pP3/P2N1P2/1P4Pq/7P/2R1R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ e6 if Bxe6 f5 or if Be8 Qxa7 w/exf7+ & Re7 ]
Korchnoi Puzzles, Part VI. White to move and win.
a)
Korchnoi vs Alexander Zaitsev, Yerevan, 1962
r2qn3/pp3kp1/4bp1p/3n4/3P3P/1B3Q2/PP3P2/2R1R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxe6 if Kxe6 Qe4+ Kf7 Bxd5+ Kf8 Qe6 ]
b)
Korchnoi vs Boris De Greif, Havana, 1963
6qk/p4p2/1p2bp2/3p1r1p/3P3P/4QB2/PP3PP1/4R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Be2 w/Bd3 ]
c)
Korchnoi vs Theodor Ghitescu, Bucharest, 1966
r3r3/1p3n1k/p2p3p/P1NPqb2/1R3Q2/5P2/N6P/6RK w - - 0 1
[ Nd7 if Qxf4 Rxf4 Bg6 Nf6 ]
d)
Korchnoi vs Yee Fung, Havana, 1966
rnb2rk1/pp4pp/4P3/5p2/3qn3/3B4/PPQ2PPP/R1B2RK1 w - - 0 1
[ e7 Re8 Qb3+ Kh8 Qf7 if Bd7 Qf8+ ]
e)
Korchnoi vs Vladimir Antoshin, Sochi, 1966
8/5p2/5p1p/Pk6/R7/5rP1/2K4P/8 w - - 0 1
[ a6 ]
Korchnoi Puzzles, Part VII. White to move and win.
a)
Korchnoi vs Alexei Suetin, Tbilisi, 1966
r1q3k1/pp3rb1/n2p1n1p/P2Pp2Q/4Np1N/R5P1/1P3P1P/2B2RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Qxf7+ Kxf7 Nxd6+ ]
b)
Korchnoi vs Istvan Bilek, Sousse, 1967
5r2/pQ6/Pp3b1k/2p1N2p/2B3p1/1P4P1/5PPK/4q3 w - - 0 1
[ Bd3 if Bg7 Nf7+ mates ]
c)
Korchnoi vs Joao Cordovil, Lugano, 1968
4n3/1p5k/p2P1n1p/1Np1pp2/P1B5/7P/1P3PPK/8 w - - 0 1
[ Bf7 ]
d)
Korchnoi vs Kick Langeweg, Wijk aan Zee, 1971
r3rbk1/2qn2pp/2p2p2/ppn1p2b/4P3/4NPPB/PPP3QP/3RNRBK w - - 0 1
[ Bxd7 if Nxd7 Qh3 ]
e)
Korchnoi vs Miguel Najdorf, Wijk aan Zee, 1971
r2q1rk1/pp2np2/1b5p/1B2BRp1/3P4/5Q2/PP4PP/R5K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxg5+ if hxg5 Qf6 or if Ng6 Rxg6 fxg6 Bc4+ Kh7 Qxb7 ]
Korchnoi Puzzles, Part VIII. White to move and win.
a)
Korchnoi vs Hans Ree, Amsterdam, 1972
3rr1k1/1p3p1p/2pp1Qn1/p1q5/4B2R/6PP/PP2PP2/5RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxh7 ]
b)
Korchnoi vs Jan-Hein Donner, Amsterdam, 1976
r5k1/3bq1np/p2p4/1p1P4/1P2NQp1/6N1/P5PP/5RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Nf6+ if Kh8 Nxd7 ]
c)
Korchnoi vs Bertus Enklaar, Leeuwarden, 1976
r5k1/1ppqr1p1/7p/n1p2p2/n1P2P2/P2PPB1P/1BQ4K/3R2R1 w - - 0 1
[ Bf6 ]
d)
Korchnoi vs Jonathan Mestel, London, 1976
r6b/pppk4/3p2p1/3PpPqb/2P2p1R/2NQ4/PP1B1PP1/2K5 w - - 0 1
[ Qh3 ]
e)
Korchnoi vs Anatoly Karpov, Baguio, 1978
2r3k1/p1nq1pbp/4p1p1/3pP3/3P1P2/1r2B1PP/1PR1B3/R4QK1 w - - 0 1
[ Qc1 if Rb7 Ba6 ]
Korchnoi Puzzles, Part IX. White to move and win.
a)
Korchnoi vs Anatoly Karpov, Merano, 1981
6k1/1p3rp1/p2B4/6p1/3b4/PQ5P/1n6/7K w - - 0 1
[ Qe6 if g6 Qe8+ Kg7 Be5+ ]
b)
Korchnoi vs Bela Toth, Rome, 1981
r7/ppp1P2k/7p/2B1nqpQ/5N2/6P1/PP1r1P1P/4R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxe5 Qxe5 Qg6+ Kh8 Ne6 ]
c)
Korchnoi vs Robert Huebner, South Africa, 1981
2r1r2k/1bp1b2p/p1R2np1/Bp4N1/3qB3/1Q4P1/PP3P1P/5K1R w - - 0 1
[ Bc3 if Qd7 Rxf6 ]
d)
Korchnoi vs Yasser Seirawan, Pasadena, 1983
4kb2/2R1n2r/2p1N1pp/2B5/2P5/6PP/nP2PP2/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nxf8 Kxf8 Rc8+ Kf7 Bxe7 ]
e)
Korchnoi vs Anthony Miles, Wijk aan Zee, 1984
3r3k/ppNbrppp/2n5/7Q/qP3P2/P2R4/5PBP/5RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Qc5 if b6 Bxc6 or if Re2 Rxd7 ]
Korchnoi Puzzles, Part X. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Korchnoi vs Albert Blees, Netherlands, 1985
1n1r1q2/1b3k1p/p2p4/2pP1P2/1p2N2Q/8/PP2PPr1/2R1K2R w - - 0 1
[ Qh5+ Ke7 f6+ Kd7 Qh3+ ]
b)
White Mates in 7. Korchnoi vs Uwe Beimfohr, Switzerland, 1986
r2qk2r/1p1n1pbp/1n4p1/pB1QP3/P2P4/BP6/5PPP/R3R1K1 w kq - 0 1
[ e6 if Qf6 exd7+ Kd8 Re8+ ]
c)
Korchnoi vs Heinz Wirthensohn, Switzerland, 1986
3rr1k1/1p1bqppp/1n6/p1bp4/P3n3/1PNQPNP1/1B3PBP/2R2RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Nxe4 dxe4 Qc3 ]
d)
White Mates in 5. Korchnoi vs Lajos Portisch, Reykjavik, 1987
4Qbk1/6p1/7p/1p1p4/4bP2/1P2B1R1/2PK4/5q2 w - - 0 1
[ Rxg7+ if Kxg7 Bd4+ ]
e)
White Mates in 2. Korchnoi vs Lev Gutman, Wijk aan Zee, 1987
8/1p3Qb1/p5pk/P1p1p1p1/1P2P1P1/2P1N2n/5P1P/4qB1K w - - 0 1
[ Nf5+ ]
Korchnoi Puzzles, Part XI. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Korchnoi vs Johann Hjartarson, Saint John, 1988
r1b2rk1/4b1pp/3qpn2/pp1pN3/3B1Q2/1P1N2P1/P1R1PP1P/2R3K1 w - - 0 1
[ Bc5 if Qc7 Ng6 ]
b)
White Mates in 5. Korchnoi vs Felix Csajka, Zurich, 1988
3r4/1b2bNk1/4pnp1/1p4B1/3p1P2/1PqB2R1/r3Q1P1/4R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Bh6+ if Kg8 Rxg6+ or if Kh7 Bxg6+ or if Kxf7 Qxe6+ ]
c)
Korchnoi vs Alexander Beliavsky, Amsterdam, 1990
3r3k/ppRB1rpp/5pq1/8/1Q2bB1P/P3N3/5PP1/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ h5 if Qxh5 Bg4 Qg6 Rxf7 ]
d)
Korchnoi vs Olivier Renet, Paris, 1990
1r1q2k1/R4pbn/1p1p3r/1PpNpPp1/2P1P2p/3QP2P/6P1/2R1B1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Ne7+ Kh8 Nc6 ]
e)
Korchnoi vs Jan Timman, Amsterdam, 1991
5rk1/1bp1r1p1/pp1q3p/n2PNp2/2P2P1P/4Q3/PP6/1BKR2R1 w - - 0 1
[ Qc3 if Rf6 b4 ]
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