Here are some chess puzzles taken from the games of Siegbert Tarrasch.
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)
Tarrasch vs Theodore Von Scheve, Nuremberg, 1883
6r1/pp3p1k/4qBb1/3p4/2pP2P1/2P4r/P1PQ2R1/5RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Rf3 ]

b)
Tarrasch vs Johannes Zukertort, Frankfurt, 1887
r4rk1/2pqbppp/p1n1b3/1p1pP3/3Nn3/1BP5/PP3PPP/RNBQR1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nxe6 w/Rxe4 ]

c)
White Mates in 8. Tarrasch vs Kurschner & Irion, Nuremberg, 1887
r1q3k1/pp1bb2p/2p1N1n1/3P3Q/8/8/PPPB2PP/5RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Rf7 ]

d)
Tarrasch vs Isidor Gunsberg, Breslau, 1889
2n5/6k1/1r2p1q1/2p1p3/3pP2p/3P1Q2/2PN2PP/1R5K w - - 0 1
[ Rf1 ]

e)
Black Mates in 3. Matthias Kuerschner vs Tarrasch, Neuernberg, 1890
r1bBk2r/1pp2p2/p2p4/2b1ppQp/3nP1n1/3P2K1/PP4BP/R5NR b kq - 0 1
[ ...h4+ if Qxh4 f4+ ]

Tarrasch, Part II. White to move and win except where noted.

a)
White Mates in 3. Tarrasch vs Eckart, Nuremberg, 1892
r1bq1r1k/pp2n1pp/8/3N1p2/2B4R/8/PPP2QPP/7K w - - 0 1
[ Rxh7+ ]

b)
Tarrasch vs David Janowski, Hastings, 1895
2rq4/1b2b1kp/p3p1p1/1p1nNp2/3P3P/PB2B1Q1/1P3PP1/3R2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Bh6+ ]

c)
White Mates in 8. Tarrasch vs Max Kurschner, Nuremberg, 1895
rn5r/pp2Pk1p/1qp2pp1/3p3B/3P4/B7/P1P3PP/Q4RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxf6+ if Kxf6 Qf1+ ]

d)
Tarrasch vs Jacques Mieses, Nuremberg, 1895
4r1r1/pk1nqppp/1pp5/3pPP2/3P3P/P6B/1PP2Q2/2K2RR1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxg7 w/f6 ]

e)
Tarrasch vs Carl Schlechter, Germany, 1897
6k1/2BQ1pp1/2n3qp/p7/8/2PP2P1/r1P2RK1/8 w - - 0 1
[ Bd6 ]

"The positions aim to illustrate typical tactical themes, tricks and traps
that you are likely to come across if you take up the opening." Manchester Chess Fed.


Tarrasch, Part III. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
White Mates in 7. Tarrasch vs George Marco, Vienna, 1898
r3n1k1/3b1p2/1q1p1Pp1/2pP2b1/1pP5/1P1B2B1/7Q/4RR1K w - - 0 1
[ Bxg6 if Nxf6 Rxf6 ]

b)
Black to move and win. Frank Marshall vs Tarrasch, San Sebastian, 1912
R4bk1/5p2/6p1/3r2P1/5P2/2p1N3/7P/6K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...c2 ]

c)
Tarrasch vs Jacques Mieses, Berlin, 1916
r4rk1/p1B1bpp1/1p2pn1p/8/2PP4/1q1B1P2/1P2QP1P/R4RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Bc2 traps the Q ]

d)
Black to move and win. Oscar Chajes vs Tarrasch, Carlsbad, 1923
5r1k/3r3p/2q5/1p2Pp2/1bp2P2/5RQP/P1B3R1/7K b - - 0 1
[ ...Be1 ]

e)
Black to move and win. Cancelliere vs Tarrasch, Trieste, 1923
r6r/1p1nkpp1/6p1/2p5/1B2nP2/4PK1P/BP4P1/R6R b - - 0 1
[ ...cxb4 if Kxe4 b3 ]

f)
Tarrasch vs Walter Von Holzhausen, Paris, 1924
r1bqr1k1/pppnbppp/2np4/8/2BNP3/1PN5/P1P2PPP/R1BQR1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Bxf7+ w/Ne6 ]

More German GMs
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