'Characteristic Puzzles in the Opening' series
Here are some chess puzzles from the games of Rudolf Spielmann.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
Solutions are between the brackets under each puzzle.Drag your cursor from one bracket to the other.
a)
Rudolf Spielmann vs Leo Fleischmann, Barmen, 1905
2kr3r/2p3p1/1pb1qp1p/R1n1pN2/2P1P3/3P3P/3N2P1/QR4K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxc5 bxc5 Qa6+ Kd7 Nb3 ]
b)
Black mates in 3.
Jacques Mieses vs Rudolf Spielmann, Vienna, 1907
4r1k1/1p5p/3P2p1/2b4q/4rP2/1PQ3P1/PB5P/R6K b - - 0 1
[ ...Re1+ Rxe1 Rxe1+ Qxe1 Qf3# ]
c)
White mates in 3.
Rudolf Spielmann vs Saviely Tartakower, Munich, 1909
r3nrkq/pp3p1p/2p3nQ/5NN1/8/3BP3/PPP3PP/2KR4 w - - 0 1
[ Ne7+ Nxe7 Bxh7+ ]
d)
Rudolf Spielmann vs Moritz Billecard, Ostend, 1907
r4rk1/pp1b1pq1/2p5/4R1p1/2pP4/2P3P1/P1Q3P1/1B2R1K1 w - - 1 0
[ Rxg5 ]
e)
White mates in 3.
Rudolf Spielmann vs F I Duz-Hotimirsky, Prague, 1908
R2rr2k/6pp/2Q2pn1/2B5/3P4/7P/2q3P1/5R1K w - - 1 0
[ Qxe8+ ]
1c)
mate in 3
Rudolf Spielmann vs Saviely Tartakower
Rudolf Spielmann puzzles, pt. ii.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Rudolf Spielmann vs Saviely Tartakower, Vienna, 1910
rn1q1rk1/pp2bppp/4b3/2pn4/4B3/2B2NN1/PPPQ1PPP/R3K2R w KQ - 0 1
[ Bxg7 if Kxg7 Nh5+ mates ]
b)
Rudolf Spielmann vs Oldrich Duras, Breslau, 1912
2kb2r1/1p1r1p2/5p2/pR1N4/P1P1p2p/3q1P1P/1Q4P1/1R5K w - - 1 0
[ Rb3 if Qxc4 Rc3 ]
c)
Black mates in 3.
Siegbert Tarrasch vs Rudolf Spielmann, San Sebastian, 1912
r7/3k1pQp/P1pp1P2/4p3/2Bb3q/3P3P/1P1n3K/R7 b - - 0 1
[ ...Nf3+ Kg2 Qf2+ ]
d)
Victor Sjoberg vs Rudolf Spielmann, Stockholm, 1912
2k1rr2/ppp5/2n1q1pQ/3p4/1P1P1N2/2P4P/P2B1Pn1/R2K3R b - - 0 1
[ ...Nxf4 Bxf4 Qe4 ]
e)
Black mates in 3.
Lajos Asztalos vs Rudolf Spielmann, Budapest, 1913
1R1n3r/2pkb3/3p4/3Qp3/4P3/P1P1B1r1/6q1/1R2KN2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxe3+ if Nxe3 Rh1+ or if Kd1 Qe2+ ]
2d)
Victor Sjoberg vs Rudolf Spielmann
Rudolf Spielmann puzzles, pt. iii.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Black mates in 3.
Paul Johner vs Rudolf Spielmann, Baden-Baden, 1914
7k/p5pp/2p2p2/2Np4/P7/4PKB1/3Q3P/1q4r1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qf5+ Bf4 Qg4+ ]
b)
Simon Krenzisky vs Rudolf Spielmann, Gothenburg, 1919
6k1/5p1p/1p3bp1/4q3/1P1p1QP1/P5K1/1B3P1P/3B1b2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Bh4+ Kf3 Bg2+ ]
c)
White mates in 6.
Rudolf Spielmann vs E Dyckhoff, Munich, 1921
r6k/1p5p/p1pqPR1P/3p1pb1/8/2P5/PP6/1K4Q1 w - - 0 1
[ Qd4 if Kg8 Rg6+ Kf8 Qh8+ ]
d)
Max Euwe vs Rudolf Spielmann, Pistyan, 1922
4kb1Q/1p3p2/2n1q3/5p2/3prBp1/3R2K1/PP4PP/5R2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxf4 if Rxf4 Qe1+ Rf2 Ne5 Rdd2 Qe3+ ]
e)
White mates in 8.
Rudolf Spielmann vs Henri Weenink, Scheveningen, 1923
1r1k1r2/p1q3pp/3pR3/1ppQ1pPn/8/3P3P/PPPB2PK/4R3 w - - 0 1
[ Ba5 if Qxa5 Qc6 ]
3c)
mate in 6
Rudolf Spielmann vs E Dyckhoff
Rudolf Spielmann puzzles, pt. iv.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Max Euwe vs Rudolf Spielmann, Ostrava, 1923
2B3k1/1p4p1/p1p4p/2qpr3/3Q4/4PP1P/PP3KP1/2n2R2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qc2+ if Kg1 Ne2+ ]
b)
Allan Nielson vs Rudolf Spielmann, Gothenburg, 1924
r4rk1/pR3pp1/8/1N1Q4/5Pq1/4P2b/PP3P1P/4R2K b - - 0 1
[ ...Rad8 if Qe4 Rd1 mates ]
c)
Akiba Rubinstein vs Rudolf Spielmann, Moscow, 1925
5rk1/2p3pp/1pp1q3/3n4/1PQ1p3/6PP/P3R3/2B2RK1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxf1+ if Kxf1 Ne3+ Bxe3 Qxc4 ]
d)
Rudolf Spielmann vs Frederick Yates, Semmering, 1926
2rq2k1/4bpp1/5n1p/p1p5/P2p2NB/1P3Q1P/2P2PP1/4R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxe7 Qxe7 Nxf6+ gxf6 Qg4+ ]
e)
White mates in 3.
Rudolf Spielmann vs Rudolf L'Hermet, Magdeburg, 1927
r2r1k2/p2nqp2/2b1p2P/4B3/2p5/3B4/PPP2P1P/2KR2R1 w - - 1 0
[ Rg8+ Kxg8 h7+ ]
4d)
Rudolf Spielmann vs Frederick Yates
Rudolf Spielmann puzzles, pt. v.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
White mates in 6.
Rudolf Spielmann vs Eduard Glass, Vienna, 1928
3R4/1pk2p1p/p3p3/r1q2p2/2P1bP2/1P6/PK1Q2PP/3R4 w - - 0 1
[ Rc8+ if Kb6 Qd8+ or if Kxc8 Qd8# ]
b)
Rudolf Spielmann vs Hans Muller, Vienna, 1928
1rb1r1k1/p1q1bppp/1p2pn2/8/2PQ2N1/1P4P1/PB3PBP/3R1RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Qe5 Qxe5 Bxe5 ]
c)
White mates in 4.
Rudolf Spielmann vs Max Walter, Trencianske Teplice, 1928
r2Nqb1r/pQ1bp1pp/1pn1p3/1k1p4/2p2B2/2P5/PPP2PPP/R3KB1R w KQ - 0 1
[ a4+ if Kc5 Qxc6+ or if Ka5 Nxc6+ Bxc6 b4+ ]
d)
Richard Reti vs Rudolf Spielmann, Dortmund, 1928
r1b2rk1/ppp2ppp/2q5/4p3/1P1n1P2/P1NPB3/2PQ2PP/R4RK1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qxc3 if Qxc3 Ne2+ ]
e)
Albert Becker vs Rudolf Spielmann, Vienna, 1928
3rr1k1/pp2qppp/2p4n/5b2/2B2Q2/N1P4P/PP1R1PP1/5RK1 b - - 0 1
[ ...g5 ]
5d)
Richard Reti vs Rudolf Spielmann
Rudolf Spielmann puzzles, pt. vi.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Black mates in 4.
Vera Menchik vs Rudolf Spielmann, Carlsbad, 1929
8/N4ppk/1Q5p/6r1/1Pr5/5P2/P2q2PP/B5RK b - - 0 1
[ ...Rc1 if g3 Rc2 or if g4 Rxg4 ]
b)
Rudolf Spielmann vs Henri Weenink, Amsterdam, 1930
r1bb1k2/5Bpp/p2p4/1p1Np3/4P3/P7/1PP3PP/5R1K w - - 1 0
[ Nb6 if Bxb6 Bd5+ or if Rb8 Nxc8 Bf6 Be6 ]
c)
Rudolf Spielmann vs Hans Kmoch, San Remo, 1930
4r3/pp2kpp1/1q1rb2p/3p4/3b1N2/Q5PP/PP4PK/1B2RR2 w - - 1 0
[ Nxd5+ ]
d)
White mates in 2.
Rudolf Spielmann vs Vasja Pirc, Bled, 1931
2r5/R1n5/1kqQp3/1p2P2p/3P3P/2p3p1/6P1/R6K w - - 1 0
[ Qxc7+ ]
e)
Vasja Pirc vs Rudolf Spielmann, Rogatska Slatina, 1931
4B2k/pp5p/2br4/2p1n1pN/2P1p3/2Q3P1/PP2Pq1P/4R2K b - - 0 1
[ ...Rd4 if b3 Ng4 mates or if g4 Nxg4 Qg3 Bxe8 ]
7a)
Efim Bogoljubow vs Rudolf Spielmann
Rudolf Spielmann puzzles, pt. vii.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Efim Bogoljubow vs Rudolf Spielmann, Semmering, 1932
rn3rk1/1b2qppp/1p2p3/pB6/3P4/2Q1PN2/P4PPP/R4RK1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Bxf3 gxf3 Qg5+ ]
b)
Rudolf Spielmann vs Salo Landau, Amsterdam, 1936
1qb3k1/6pp/2p2r2/2PpN3/8/2p1Q3/P4PPP/R5K1 w - - 1 0
[ Nxc6 if Qf4 Ne7+ or if Qc7 Qe8+ Rf8 Ne7+ ]
c)
Alfred Donegan vs Rudolf Spielmann, Vienna, 1936
r3r1k1/pq3pp1/3bb2p/3n4/PP2Q3/8/1P1N1PPP/R1B1RNK1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Bd7 ]
d)
White mates in 3.
Rudolf Spielmann vs Vera Menchik, Margate, 1938
r4nk1/pp1b2pp/4p3/3pn1N1/3q4/P2B1Q2/6PP/R4R1K w - - 1 0
[ Qxf8+ Rxf8 Bxh7+ ]
e)
Rudolf Spielmann vs Vladimir Petrov, Margate, 1938
3Rr1k1/p5pn/1p3p2/7P/1PP1q3/2B5/PK1Q2r1/7R w - - 1 0
[ Rxe8+ ]
7d)
mate in 3
Rudolf Spielmann vs Vera Menchik
Other Austrian GMs
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