Here are some chess puzzles from the games of Bent Larsen.
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. Larsen vs Hansen, Tonder, 1956
[ Ng5 if Qg6 Qxh7+ ]
b)
Larsen vs Jean Letzelter, Monte Carlo, 1968
[ Rxg6+ if fxg6 Bd5+ mates ]
c)
Larsen vs Kavalek, Lugano I, 1970
[ Bxg7+ if Ke7 Bf8+ Rbxf8 Rh7+ mates ]
d)
White Mates in 4. Larsen vs Suboticanec, Zagreb, 1955
[ Rh7+ Kxh7 Qe7+ ]
e)
Larsen vs A Davie, Dundee, 1967
[ Bxf7+ if Bxf7 Qc8+ mates or if Kf8 Bxe8 w/Qg8+ ]
Larsen Puzzles, Part II. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Larsen vs Bozidar Djurasevic, Zagreb, 1955
2bR1bk1/2r2p1p/1p3Pp1/r1p5/8/1P3NPP/5PB1/1R4K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rbd1 w/Rxf8+ ]
b)
White Mates in 7. Larsen vs Jorge Behrensen, Mar del Plata, 1958
r6k/pp3r1p/2p3pQ/3p1q2/3P4/7P/PP2RPP1/4R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Re8+ Rf8 R1e7 ]
c)
White Mates in 5. Larsen vs Oleg Neikirkh, Munich, 1958
6k1/6p1/4R1P1/1qP2p1p/pp1P1B1P/1P6/5P2/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ c6 Qxc6 Rxc6 Kf8 Re6 ]
d)
White Mates in 5. Larsen vs Maurice Raizman, Munich, 1958
6r1/5Rnk/6p1/rP1P2P1/p3N3/P3p3/7P/5RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Nf6+ ]
e)
White Mates in 4. Larsen vs Geza Fuster, Portoroz, 1958
2r4k/3n4/3Pp2p/3pPpN1/3P4/4P3/Prp3RP/2R4K w - - 0 1
[ Nf7+ ]
Larsen Puzzles, Part III. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Larsen vs Erik Jensen, Aarhus, 1959
3rn1k1/5p2/4qp1Q/p4N2/1p2p1P1/7P/PP3P2/2R3K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rc7 ]
b)
Larsen vs Kaarle Ojanen, Berg en Dale, 1960
1r2r3/5k2/1b1q3p/p7/1p1pR3/3Q2P1/1P3P1P/4R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxe8 Rxe8 Qh7+ ]
c)
Larsen vs Borislav Ivkov, Halle, 1963
r6k/1pp1r1bp/3q2p1/p1R1pp2/Nn3P2/BP1P2P1/P2QPR1P/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxa5 ]
d)
Larsen vs Burkhard Malich, Halle, 1963
r1r3k1/1p2qpbp/p4np1/2n2b2/P1BNp3/Q1N1P1B1/1P3PPP/R2R2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nxf5 w/Bd6 ]
e)
White Mates in 8. Larsen vs Borge Andersen, Odense, 1963
7r/3qr2k/1p1Nn1pb/2pQ4/P3P2R/6P1/1PP3K1/5R2 w - - 0 1
[ Rxh6+ Kg8 (if Kg7 Qe5+ or if Kxh6 Rh1+) Rf8+ Kg7 Qe5+ Kxh6 Nf5+ ]
Larsen Puzzles, Part IV. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
White Mates in 4. Larsen vs Dragoljub Ciric, Belgrade, 1964
5nk1/2N2p2/2b2Qp1/p3PpNp/2qP3P/6P1/5P1K/8 w - - 0 1
[ e6 Be8 Nxe8 ]
b)
Larsen vs Arthur Dunkelblum, Beverwijk, 1964
2rn1r2/pp1qppk1/6pp/2pnPb2/P2pN3/1QPP2P1/1P1BP1BP/R4RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Nxc5 if Rxc5 cxd4 ]
c)
Larsen vs Efim Geller, Copenhagen, 1966
6k1/2R5/p5P1/P1n2r2/4pN2/4K3/8/8 w - - 0 1
[ Rc8+ if Kg7 Rxc5 ]
d)
Larsen vs Efim Geller, Copenhagen, 1966
1r1r2k1/5p1p/1p2pbp1/1Np5/P4qn1/1P3P1Q/1BP1R1PP/4R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Qxg4 Qxg4 fxg4 if Bxb2 c3 ]
e)
Larsen vs Oscar Panno, Palma de Majorca, 1969
6r1/1p3q1k/3p3p/1Pp2p1n/2P2P1b/2BP1Q1B/7P/6RK w - - 0 1
[ Bxf5+ ]
Larsen Puzzles, Part V. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
White Mates in 3. Larsen vs Martinez, San Juan, 1969
3rb1k1/p3nNpp/1ppq4/5Q2/1b6/1P1P3P/P1P3B1/BK3R2 w - - 0 1
[ Nh6+ ]
b)
Larsen vs Wolfgang Uhlmann, Aarhus, 1971
2r1b1k1/ppN2pbp/4q1p1/4n3/4P3/4B3/PPQ1B1PP/3R2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rd8 ]
c)
Larsen vs Anthony Saidy, San Antonio, 1972
2q2b1k/1p3Q1p/p2r1pp1/3P4/6P1/1P3N1P/5PK1/3R4 w - - 0 1
[ Rc1 ]
d)
Larsen vs Kenneth Smith, San Antonio, 1972
r1b4k/2qn2bp/pp2Q1p1/4p3/PP2NPB1/8/1B4PP/3R2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nd6 if Nf8 Nf7+ ]
e)
White Mates in 4. Larsen vs Stephan Popel, USA, 1972
1q4r1/n2R1p1p/p3pbk1/1p4N1/1P6/2P1Q1P1/P3BP1P/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxf7 Qxg3+ hxg3 e5 Qf3 ]
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