Here are some chess puzzles from the games of Vasily Smyslov.
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)
White Mates in 6. Smyslov vs Hermann Steiner, Groningen, 1946
1n2r1k1/2Q1P1pp/p7/1p1P1p2/5RNP/P5P1/1P3P1K/1q6 w - - 0 1
[ Qd8 Qg1+ Kxg1 h6 Qxe8+ Kh7 Nf6+ ]
b)
Smyslov vs Ludek Pachman, Moscow, 1947
3r1k2/p1q2pp1/1p2pn1p/3bN3/1P5Q/1BP3RP/P2r1PP1/4R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Qf4 if Bxb3 Ng6+ ]
c)
Smyslov vs Alexey Sokolsky, Moscow, 1947
6r1/2r1q1pk/p1pNn2p/1p1pP3/1P5P/1P4Q1/2P2RP1/5RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Qd3+ ]
d)
White Mates in 5. Smyslov vs Salomon Flohr, Moscow, 1949
2R5/5k1p/2P1p3/3bKpP1/4p3/2r5/8/1R6 w - - 0 1
[ g6+ Kg7 (if Kxg6 Rg8+ w/Rbg1) gxh7 Kxh7 Kf6 ]
e)
Smyslov vs Ratmir Kholmov, Moscow, 1949
3bnk2/1p3pp1/p1rpq2p/P3p3/1r2P3/RPNQB2P/2P2PP1/3R2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nd5 Rb5 Rda1 & c4 ]
Smyslov Puzzles, Part II. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Smyslov vs V M Byvshev, Leningrad, 1951
6k1/2RB1rpp/r7/n3P3/5P2/1p1p2P1/1PbR1K1P/8 w - - 0 1
[ e6 Rf8 (if Re7 Rc8+ mates) e7 ]
b)
Smyslov vs Vladimir Simagin, Moscow, 1951
2k5/2n5/1RK1p1p1/p1N3P1/1pP5/4P3/P1r5/8 w - - 0 1
[ Rb7 if Ne8 Ra7 Kb8 Re7 ]
c)
White Mates in 3. Smyslov vs Paul Keres, Gagra, 1953
5Q2/8/8/5K2/6P1/3Q4/8/k1q4q w - - 0 1
[ Qf6+ or Qg7+ if Ka2 Qa7+ or if Qb2 Qa3+ ]
d)
White Mates in 6. Smyslov vs Viacheslav Ragozin, Gagra, 1953
5r1k/2R3bp/pp2Q1p1/n7/P3p3/5p1P/1P3PPK/2B2r2 w - - 0 1
[ Qe7 if Rg8 Bh6 ]
e)
Smyslov vs Gideon Stahlberg, Zurich, 1953
3r2r1/pp2qpkp/1np1pp2/8/2PP2N1/4Q3/PP3PPP/3RR1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nh6 if R moves Ng5+ ]
Smyslov Puzzles, Part III. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Smyslov vs Karl Robatsch, Amsterdam, 1954
r4rk1/pppbq3/3p1b1p/3P2p1/2P4n/2BQ1R1P/PP3PP1/1B3RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxf6 w/Bxf6 Qh7+ & Qxd7 ]
b)
Smyslov vs Lothar Schmid, Amsterdam, 1954
2br3k/4Q1bp/2B3p1/5p2/3q1B2/8/5PPP/4R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Qe8+ Rxe8 Rxe8+ Bf8 Be5+ ]
c)
Smyslov vs Mikhail Botvinnik, Moscow, 1954
4knr1/pR1b1p2/8/q2pPpB1/4r2P/P1pQ4/2P2PP1/4KB1R w - - 0 1
[ Qxe4 if f or dxe4 Rb8+ Bc8 Bb5+ ]
d)
Smyslov vs Mikhail Botvinnik, Moscow, 1955
r5k1/1pn1r2p/3R2p1/4p1N1/q3P3/4P1P1/7P/3Q1RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Rd8+ if Re8 or Kg7 Qf3 ]
e)
White Mates in 4. Smyslov vs Mario Bertok, Zagreb, 1955
r7/1p3Q2/2kpr2p/p1p2Rp1/P3Pp2/1P3P2/1B2q1PP/3R3K w - - 0 1
[ Rxc5+ Kb6 Qc7+ Ka7 Rxa5+ Qa6 Bd4# ]
Smyslov Puzzles, Part IV. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Smyslov vs Miroslav Filip, Amsterdam, 1956
2n3k1/1b2qp2/p2p4/5P2/pP1R3p/P1N1r2P/3Q2PN/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nf1 if Re1 Qh6 ]
b)
Smyslov vs Vasja Pirc, Belgrade, 1956
3r4/R2n1pkp/prR3p1/3qp3/8/P7/2Q2PPP/5BK1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxd7 ]
c)
White Mates in 5. Smyslov vs Miroslav Filip, Vienna, 1957
6rr/1pqn2Q1/p2p4/2pP2P1/P3p2k/1P6/7B/5RRK w - - 0 1
[ Rf4+ Kh5 Qf7+ Rg6 Qf5 ]
d)
Smyslov vs Boris Spassky, Leningrad, 1959
rrq3k1/5ppp/ppn1b3/8/2BBP3/8/PP3QPP/2R2RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Bxe6 if Qxe6 Rxc6 ]
e)
Smyslov vs Vladimir Savon, Baku, 1961
r1n2r1k/5pbp/4q1p1/p3N2n/P5Q1/1RN4P/1PP2B2/4R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nd7 if Qxg4 hxg4 Rd8 gxh5 Bxc3 Rxc3 ]
Smyslov Puzzles, Part V. White to move and win.
a)
Smyslov vs Alexander Cherepkov, Moscow, 1961
4r3/5k2/P1b4p/4Bp2/4qp2/2Q4P/3R2PK/8 w - - 0 1
[ Bh8 ]
b)
Smyslov vs Alexander Tolush, Moscow, 1961
r2q2k1/pQ2bppp/4p3/8/3r1B2/6P1/P3PP1P/1R3RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Bb8 ]
c)
Smyslov vs Conel H O'D Alexander, Hastings, 1963
1r2r3/k1n1pp1p/p4np1/RP1P4/8/4N1P1/5PBP/R5K1 w - - 0 1
[ d6 if exd6 Rxa6+ mates ]
d)
Smyslov vs Janis Klovans, Moscow, 1963
1r1r1nk1/6pp/p7/3p1N2/8/8/PP4PP/2R2R2 w - - 0 1
[ Ne7+ w/Nc6 ]
e)
Smyslov vs Nikola Padevsky, Moscow, 1963
3q2r1/pp1N1pkp/6p1/3R4/2r2RPn/7P/PP1Q1P2/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxf7+ Kxf7 Ne5+ if Ke7 Rd7+ ]
Smyslov Puzzles, Part VI. White to move and win.
a)
Smyslov vs Eric Arnlind, Stockholm, 1964
2q2nk1/R2r1p2/1pN1p1p1/1Pp4p/2P4P/5PP1/4P1K1/Q7 w - - 0 1
[ Ra8 if Qc7 Rxf8+ or if Rd1 Ne7+ ]
b)
Smyslov vs Walter Ader, Tel Aviv, 1964
4bnk1/1p1rp2p/1Q1P1pp1/p3P1N1/q7/6P1/P1r2PBP/1R2R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Bd5+ if e6 Bb3 or if Kg7 dxe7 ]
c)
Smyslov vs Bogdan Pietrusiak, Polanica Zdroj, 1966
2q2rk1/1prnppb1/6pp/pB1PP3/2n5/P1N5/1P2QBPP/2R2RK1 w - - 0 1
[ d6 if exd6 Nd5 ]
d)
Smyslov vs Vladimir Doroshkievich, Tbilisi, 1966
5r1q/p1R4b/2Pp3k/3B2Np/5rp1/1Pb5/P3Q2P/7K w - - 0 1
[ Rxh7+ if Qxh7 Nxh7 Kxh7 Qc2+ or if Kxg5 h4+ w/Qxh5+ or Qc2+ ]
e)
Smyslov vs Alberic O'Kelly de Galway, Habana, 1967
3r1nk1/2rbq1p1/3Npp1p/p1PP4/1pB4P/5QP1/1P3P2/2R1R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nb7 ]
Smyslov Puzzles, Part VII. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Smyslov vs Emil Ungureanu, Lugano, 1968
R3b3/1p2kr1p/6p1/2pP4/2P2p2/6P1/5PBP/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ d6+ if Kd7 Bh3+ ]
b)
White Mates in 4. Smyslov vs Werner Golz, Polanica Zdroj, 1968
r2q4/1p2N2k/1P3Qp1/pBnpp3/4b1P1/8/P6P/5RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Rf3 ]
c)
White Mates in 7. Smyslov vs Vladimir Liberzon, Riga, 1968
4r2k/2p4p/1pNp2n1/1b1B1R2/7P/6P1/3B1R1K/1q6 w - - 0 1
[ Bc3+ if Re5 Nxe5 dxe5 Rxe5 Kg7 Re7+ ]
d)
Smyslov vs Maxwell Fuller, Hastings, 1969
r5k1/1pn2pb1/2p4p/2P1p1p1/1PB1N1q1/4P1P1/5PP1/1Q1R2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nf6+ if Bxf6 Qg6+ Bg7 Qxf7+ Kh7 Rd7 ]
e)
White Mates in 4. Smyslov vs Juan Dominguez Sanz, Las Palmas, 1972
2bqr2k/1r1n2bp/pp1pBp2/2pP1PQ1/P3PN2/1P4P1/1B5P/R3R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Ng6+ ]
Smyslov Puzzles, Part VIII. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Smyslov vs Ivan Radulov, Leningrad, 1977
2r2b1k/1q2r1p1/pp1p1pQp/8/P2n4/2P4P/1P2BRP1/5R1K w - - 0 1
[ Bd3 if Kg8 Rxf6 ]
b)
Smyslov vs Gerardo Barbero, Los Polvorines, 1980
bnr5/r4q1k/p1pp1ppb/1P3p1p/P1PN1N2/4P1P1/2Q2PBP/1R1R2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nxf5 ]
c)
Smyslov vs Zoltan Ribli, London, 1983
r2r3Q/pp2kpp1/4pN1n/3P4/8/P4P2/1q3P1P/R3R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxe6+ fxe6 Qxg7+ Nf7 d6+ if Rxd6 Nd5+ w/Qxb2 ]
d)
Smyslov vs Gennadi Sosonko, Tilburg, 1984
R4bk1/5pp1/5n1p/4Q3/3B4/1qprPBP1/5P1P/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxf8+ Kxf8 Qc5+ if Kg8 Qc8+ & Qf5+ or if Ke8 Qc8+ Ke7 Bc5+ ]
e)
White Mates in 5. Smyslov vs Lesly Blackstock, London, 1988
8/5K1k/4B1pp/1r2B3/6PP/8/8/8 w - - 0 1
[ h5 ]
Smyslov Puzzles, Part IX. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Smyslov vs Herbert Weigel, Bad Woerishofen, 1991
3q1rk1/pb5p/1pr1Pbp1/3p1p2/2nB1N2/3BP2Q/P4PPP/2R2RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Bxf6 if Qxf6 Nxd5 Qxe6 Bxc4 or if Rxf6 e7 ]
b)
Smyslov vs Sergey Solovjov, Oviedo, 1992
r3nrk1/2pqnpbp/p2pp1pB/4P3/1p1P3Q/5NP1/PPP2PBP/3RR1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Bxg7 if Nf5 Qh3 Kxg7 Ng5 ]
c)
White Mates in 3. Smyslov vs Lembit Oll, Rostov on Don, 1993
4r3/pp1nr3/2p4p/4p1b1/4kPP1/1PBN4/P1P1K3/3R4 w - - 0 1
[ Nf2+ Kxf4 Rg1 ]
d)
Smyslov vs Nana Ioseliani, Monte Carlo, 1994
3rr1k1/1p1q1p2/p3pPp1/2p1BnQ1/2P5/1P6/P2P3P/4RR1K w - - 0 1
[ Rxf5 if exf5 Qh6 ]
e)
Smyslov vs Robert Fontaine, Cannes, 1996
r6r/p3kn2/1p1b4/2p1n1N1/7p/P3B2P/1P2B3/2K2RR1 w - - 0 1
[ Nxf7 if Nxf7 Rg7 Rf8 Bc4 ]
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