and you'll have to look for someone to try these gambits out!" Ankush Agarwal
Here are some chess puzzles from the games of Hikaru Nakamura.
Black 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. Nakamura vs Mohamad El Mikati, Cannes, 1997
r1b1Q3/p1p3p1/1p3k1p/4N3/8/2P5/PP3PPP/2K4R w KQkq - 0 1
[ Qf7+ Kxe5 f4+ Ke4 Re1+ Kd3 Qd5# ]
b)
Joshua Friedel vs Nakamura, Washington, 1999
r1b2rk1/1p5p/p2p2p1/3Nbp1n/P3PB1q/1NP2Q2/1P4PP/R4R1K b - - 0 1
[ ...fxe4 if Qxe4 Ng3+ ]
c)
Danny Goldenberg vs Nakamura, Budapest, 2000
1r1r2k1/5ppp/pqN1p3/3pP3/bb3P2/3PQ3/1PR3PP/1KRN4 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qxe3 Nxe3 Bxc6 Rxc6 Bd2 ]
d)
Dagur Arngrimsson vs Nakamura, Oropesa, 2000
1k1r4/4b1p1/7p/3qP3/P5PP/1Np1B3/2P5/2K2Q2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rf8 if Qe1 Qc4 Bf2 Bxh4 ]
e)
Olzhas Khamiz vs Nakamura, Oropesa, 2000
2r1k2r/2qb1p2/pn1p1bpp/4p3/1p2PPP1/1N1Q1B1P/PPPRN3/1K5R b k - 0 1
[ ...Nc4 Rdd1 Bb5 if Qd5 Ne3 ]
Nakamura vs Akobian, US Chmp, 2009
Nakamura Puzzles, Part II. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
White Mates in 5. Nakamura vs Romuald Jovan, Bled, 2001
rn3rk1/p4pp1/2pN3p/3bN3/3P2nq/3B4/PPQ2PPP/3RR1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Bh7+ w/Nexf7+ ]
b)
Nakamura vs Pavol Hanko, Bled, 2001
r5k1/3b2p1/p2qp3/1p1Np3/4PbB1/7Q/PPP4P/1K3R2 w - - 0 1
[ Nxf4 w/Rd1 & Rxd7 ]
c)
Black Mates in 2. Gennadij Sagalchik vs Nakamura, Buenos Aires, 2003
2b5/k2n1p2/p2q4/5R1B/2p4P/P1b5/KPQ1R3/6r1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qxa3+ ]
d)
Black to move and win. Maurice Ashley vs Nakamura, Seattle US-CH, 2003
3k3r/3r2p1/p3B2p/1pq2Q2/5P2/8/PPP3PP/2K1R3 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qf2 ]
e)
Black to move and win. K Chris vs Nakamura, Internet, 2003
2r1k2r/2qnbpp1/3p1n2/4pPB1/pp2P2p/3P3P/PP1Q2P1/1KNR2NR b - - 0 1
[ ...Nxe4 if dxe4 Bxg5 Qxg5 Qc2+ mates ]
Nakamura Puzzles, Part III. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Nakamura vs Sergey Karjakin, Cuernavaca, 2004
5rk1/2R2pp1/3q3p/2bN1Q2/3p4/6P1/P4P1P/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxc5 ]
b)
Nakamura vs S Muhammad, San Diego US-CH, 2004
1r6/2k3pp/2bb1p2/2p5/2B5/4BP2/1P4PP/3R2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxd6 ]
c)
Nakamura vs L Bruzon, Wijk aan Zee 'B', 2004
1n1r2k1/2N3pp/1rP2p2/3p4/3P4/1n2P2P/5PP1/1RR3K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nxd5 ]
d)
Nakamura vs Friso Nijboer, Wijk aan Zee, 2004
5r2/1p5k/p2b2b1/2pPp1Qn/P1q5/2N2Rp1/2P3P1/4R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Re4 if Bxe4 Qxh5+ mates ]
e)
Nakamura vs Robert Hess, New York, 2004
1R6/2p5/p1Ppk3/Pn1Np3/1P2r3/7P/5K2/8 w - - 0 1
[ Rxb5 w/Nxc7+ & a6 ]
Nakamura Puzzles, Part IV. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Nakamura vs Alexander Stripunsky, New York, 2004
br2r1k1/3qb2p/4p1p1/4p2n/p5Q1/3BN3/PP2N1PP/2R2R1K w - - 0 1
[ Bxg6 if Ng7 Bxh7+ & Rf7 ]
b)
Black to move and win. Nana Dzagnidze vs Nakamura, Lausanne, 2005
r1b3k1/5pbp/p3p1p1/3rP3/1BR5/5N2/P3KPPP/3R4 b - - 0 1
[ ...a5 w/...Ba6 ]
c)
Black to move and win. Andrew Boekhoff vs Nakamura, Las Vegas, 2006
5rk1/ppnqprb1/2p1n3/3bP1p1/3PB3/1P4KP/PB1NQ2N/2R2R2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Nf4 Qg4 Qxg4 if Kxg4 Bxe4 Nxe4 Nd3 or if Nxg4 Ne2+ ]
More US GMs
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