Here are some chess puzzles from the games of Leonid Shamkovich.
White to move and win except where noted.

Solutions are between the brackets under each puzzle.
Drag your cursor from one bracket to the other.

a)
Shamkovich vs Samuel Zhukhovitsky, Baku, 1951
2rr1bk1/3n3p/q3n1p1/p2NN3/Pp2P3/1P4PB/1B4QP/3R3K w - - 0 1
[ Nxd7 if Rxd7 Nf6+ ]

b)
Shamkovich vs Yury Shaposhnikov, Perm, 1960
rnb1k2r/pp2n2p/4p1p1/1NPqbp2/1P1p3Q/P4N2/2P2PPP/R1B1KB1R w - - 0 1
[ c4 if dxc3 Bc4 ]

c)
White Mates in 5. Shamkovich vs Alberic O'Kelly de Galway, Palma de Majorca, 1966
2b2r1k/r5bp/p4R2/1p2p1B1/1q1pP2Q/1B6/PP3P1K/7R w - - 0 1
[ Qxh7+ Kxh7 Kg2+ ]

d)
White Mates in 7. Shamkovich vs Mato Damjanovic, Sochi, 1967
1qr2rnk/5p1p/p1bp1PB1/4p3/3B4/P1p3Q1/1PP3PP/4RR1K w - - 0 1
[ Bxh7+ Nxf6 Rxf6 ]

e)
Shamkovich vs B Dimitrijewski, URS, 1967
4qr1k/pp2b3/4pnQ1/4N3/3P4/8/P4PPP/3R2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rb1 b6 Rb3 Qxg6 Nxg6+ w/Nxe7 ]

Shamkovich Puzzles, Part II. White to move and win.
a)
Shamkovich vs J Ryts, Kislovodsk, 1968
4rr2/6qk/3p2np/p2P1pPQ/PnPppP2/7N/7P/3B1RRK w - - 0 1
[ gxh6 if Qf6 Rxg6 Qxf6 Ng5+ ]

b)
Shamkovich vs Ilya Mosionzhik, Riga, 1968
3r1br1/1kp1n3/p1nq1p1p/8/1PPp1Pp1/1Q4P1/P2B1PBP/1R3RK1 w - - 0 1
[ b5 axb5 cxb5 Kc8 bxc6 w/Qb7# or Qxg8 ]

c)
Shamkovich vs Theodor Ghitescu, URS, 1969
4r2k/1p2b1p1/2p1Pp1p/p1q4P/P2r4/2B2BP1/1PQ2PK1/4R3 w - - 0 1
[ Qg6 if Rdd8 Be4 ]

d)
Shamkovich vs Andrzej Filipowicz, Polanica Zdroj, 1970
2Nr4/3Q2bk/p3P1pp/q1p5/P2nRB2/7P/6PK/8 w - - 0 1
[ Bc7 ]

e)
Shamkovich vs Vladimir Tukmakov, Sochi, 1970
5r1k/4q2p/2rp1ppQ/2n2P2/4P2P/2BP4/6B1/R6K w - - 0 1
[ e5 if Ne4 Bxe4 Rxc3 Bd5+ Kh8 Ra7 ]



Shamkovich Puzzles, Part III. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
White Mates in 5. Shamkovich vs Atanas Kolarov, Varna, 1970
r4r1k/1R5p/3Q1np1/p5N1/8/P1q5/5PPP/5RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Qe7 ]

b)
Shamkovich vs Ilye Figler, Ivano-Frankovsk, 1971
2r1k3/qb6/2p1N2p/p1bnPQ2/PpB5/7P/2R2PP1/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Bxd5 if cxd5 Qg6+ Ke7 Qf6+ Kd7 Rxc5 ]

c)
White Mates in 3. Shamkovich vs Roy Ervin, Lone Pine, 1979
5rrk/5pb1/p1pN3p/7Q/1p2PP1R/1q5P/6P1/6RK w - - 0 1
[ Qxh6+ ]

d)
Shamkovich vs Brian McCarthy, USA, 1976
r1b2rk1/1p3p1p/p1nq1p2/2b5/3p4/1N1B1N1P/PP3PP1/R2Q1RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Qc1 if b6 Nxc5 w/Qh6 or if Bb4 a3 ]

e)
White Mates in 4. Shamkovich vs Larry Chistiansen, Mentor, 1977
6r1/p5bk/4N1pp/2B1p3/4Q2N/8/2P2KPP/q7 w - - 0 1
[ Ng5+ hxg5 Qxg6+ ]

Shamkovich Puzzles, Part IV. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Shamkovich vs Bruce Leverett, USA, 1977
5b1r/Npkqpppp/8/8/1PP5/8/1P2QPPP/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Qe5+ if Qd6 Nb5+ ]

b)
White Mates in 4. Shamkovich vs David Blohm, USA, 1977
r1b4q/pp1p4/3n1bQ1/8/5k2/1P4R1/P1PP1PPP/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ d4 ]

c)
Shamkovich vs Erick Marchand, USA, 1977
rn2k1nr/q7/p6p/3QP1p1/1p5B/8/PPP2PPP/3R1RK1 w - - 0 1
[ e6 if Kf8 Qf3+ Kg7 Rd7+ ]

d)
Shamkovich vs Johan Stopa, USA, 1977
1k5r/pp1q1ppp/1bpr2n1/6N1/PP1p1P2/3P3Q/1P1B2PP/4RRK1 w - - 0 1
[ f5 if Ne5 Rxe5 f6 Re4 fxg5 Bxg5 Bd8 Bf4 ]

e)
White Mates in 4. Shamkovich vs George Botterill, Hastings, 1978
R4bk1/5p1p/5Pp1/1p6/3Q4/1P5P/1P2qrPK/8 w - - 0 1
[ Rxf8+ w/Qc5+ ]



Shamkovich Puzzles, Part V. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Shamkovich vs Gerardo Lebredo, Mexico, 1978
4r1k1/p1p2ppp/2r2q2/8/2P2b2/1R2B2P/P1Q2PP1/5RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Qe4 if Be5 f4 ]

b)
Shamkovich vs Willy De Winter, Mexico City, 1978
b1r4r/2qk1p1p/2p1p1pQ/p1BnP3/1p6/6P1/PPP2PBP/3RR1K1 w - - 0 1
[ c4 if bxc3 bxc3 ]

c)
Shamkovich vs Pal Benko, Greenville, 1980
1r4n1/6kn/p2p2p1/2pPp1Pr/2P1P2p/2N1QN1q/P1K2R1P/6R1 w - - 0 1
[ Nxe5 if Qxe3 Rf7+ mates ]

d)
Shamkovich vs Raymond Keene, New York, 1980
2r1n1k1/pp3Rb1/4p1Pp/2p1P3/4qN1Q/1P2p2P/1PP3PK/8 w - - 0 1
[ Qe7 if e2 Rf7+ mates ]

e)
Shamkovich vs Johann Hjartarson, Lone Pine, 1981
r1b3k1/1pq2ppp/p2Nr3/3Rn3/P3P3/5B2/2P2QPP/3R3K w - - 0 1
[ Nb5 ]

Shamkovich Puzzles, Part VI. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Shamkovich vs Lev Alburt, Reyjavik, 1986
8/4p1k1/3pq1r1/p1p3RQ/2P4P/1r4P1/3R3K/8 w - - 0 1
[ Re2 if Qf6 Rxg6+ ]

b)
Shamkovich vs Lanka Ravi, London, 1987
r1b2k1r/pp3pp1/3qp2p/1B6/3N1n2/P7/1P3PPP/2RQ1RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Nxe6+ ]

c)
White Mates in 2. Shamkovich vs Anatoly Trubman, USA, 1990
5r1k/pp1n1p1p/5n1Q/3p1pN1/3P4/1P4RP/P1r1qPP1/R5K1 w - - 0 1
[ Qxf8+ ]

d)
Shamkovich vs Walter Shipman, Philadelphia, 1992
7R/6p1/5p2/1r2p1k1/4q2p/4P2P/3Q2PK/8 w - - 0 1
[ Qe2 ]

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