Here are some chess puzzles taken from the games of Veselin Topalov.
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)
White Mates in 6. Topalov vs. Jonathan Speelman, Moscow, 1995
[ e7+ Kxe7 Qxg7+ Kd8 Qf6+ Ke8 Bf7+ ]
b)
Topalov vs. Ariel Sorin, Benidorm, 1992
[ Nd5 if Qe8 Qc3 ]
c)
Topalov vs. Carlos Lozano, Oviedo, 1992
[ Bxg6 exd4 Bxd4 hxg6 c5 ]
d)
Topalov vs. Artur Jussupow, Novgorod, 1995
[ Nf5 Qc7 (if gxf5 Qxh5 w/Rxf5 or Rg1+) Rg1+ ]
e)
Topalov vs. Alfonso Romero Holmes, Leon, 1993
[ Rdg1 ]
Topalov vs Kamsky, 2006
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Topalov Puzzles, Part II. White to move and win.
a)
Topalov vs Marc Santo-Roman, Las Palmas, 1991
r1b3k1/q2n2pp/pp2pr2/8/1PN5/4Q3/P1B2PPP/R1R3K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nd6 if Bb7 Nxb7 w/Be4 or if Nf8 Nxc8 w/Bxh7+ ]
b)
Topalov vs Yury Piskov, Star Dojran, 1991
5rk1/pp2R3/3p1rqp/5b2/2P3p1/P2n2PP/5PBN/3Q1RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Bd5+ if Kh8 hxg4 ]
c)
Topalov vs Stephen Boyd, Alicante, 1992
6k1/1B3r1p/p5p1/2Q5/1rb5/2b3P1/7P/3R3K w - - 0 1
[ Bxa6 if Bxa6 Rd8+ ]
d)
Topalov vs A Pomata, Alicante, 1992
8/p2brn1k/1p4pp/3pBp1P/P2P1PP1/2P5/2B2K2/R7 w - - 0 1
[ hxg6+ Kxg6 gxf5+ Bxf5 Rg1+ ]
e)
Topalov vs Ivan Manolov, Burgas, 1992
8/p5kp/6p1/2pP4/2p1N1Pb/7P/PP4K1/1B1b4 w - - 0 1[ Nc3 ]
Topalov Puzzles, Part III. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Topalov vs Alexei Shirov, Oviedo, 1992
r3k1r1/4bpP1/p2p4/1p1qp2Q/7P/3B4/PPP5/1KB2R2 w - - 0 1
[ Qh7 w/Be4 ]
b)
White Mates in 3. Topalov vs Elizbar Ubilava, Palma de Majorca, 1992
r1b1r3/qp1n1pk1/2pp2p1/p3n3/N1PNP1P1/1P3P2/P6Q/1K1R1B1R w - - 0 1
[ Nf5+ if gxf5 Qh6+ or if Kf6 g5+ ]
c)
Topalov vs Pablo Glavina, St Cugat, 1992
8/8/8/pp1p2k1/6P1/4R1KP/6N1/6q1 w - - 0 1
[ Re6 ]
d)
Topalov vs Juan Mellado Trivino, Terrasa, 1992
r3rbk1/1p1q2pp/5p2/pNpnP3/P2p1PP1/1P3Q1P/1P1B4/R3R2K w - - 0 1
[ Nd6 w/Qxd5 or Nxe8 ]
e)
White Mates in 7. Topalov vs Igor Gazik, Budapest, 1993
1r4k1/p1q3r1/6Q1/3pp2p/1p5P/1P1B1PR1/2P1K1P1/8 w - - 0 1
[ Qh7+ Kf8 Qh8+ Rg8 Rxg8+ ]
Topalov vs Levon Aronian, Morelia, 2008
Topalov Puzzles, Part IV. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Topalov vs Vladimir Tukmakov, Groningen, 1993
3r4/2Rr2pp/pP2ppk1/5q2/7Q/P3B2P/5PP1/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ b7 if Rxc7 Qg3+ or if e5 g4 ]
b)
White Mates in 6. Topalov vs Evgenij Ermenkov, Burgas, 1994
4qrk1/QR1N2p1/2p1p2p/3pPp1b/3P1P2/2P3P1/7P/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nf6+ Rxf6 Rxg7+ Kf8 exf6 ]
c)
White Mates in 4. Topalov vs Garry Kasparov, Moscow, 1994
4k2r/1R3R2/p3p1pp/4b3/1BnNr3/8/P1P5/5K2 w - - 0 1
[ Rfe7+ Kd8 Nc6+ Kc8 Na7+ ]
d)
Black to move and win. Lazaro Bruzon vs Topalov, Wijk aan Zee, 2005
[ ...Qg3+ w/...Rh6 ]
e)
Topalov vs Rustam Kasimdzhanov, Linares, 2005
r4r1k/p2n3p/1p1N1ppq/3Q4/4RP2/P1P5/4B1PP/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nf7+ Rxf7 Qxf7 if Nf8 Re7 ]
Topalov Puzzles, Part V. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Topalov vs Ilia Smirin, Polanica Zdroj, 1995
5r2/1bNkb2p/p7/3p4/1PN2B2/8/1n4PP/2R4K w - - 0 1
[ Nb6+ Kd8 Ne6+ ]
b)
Topalov vs Jan Timman, Amsterdam, 1996
r7/1p3k2/7Q/p2p2r1/5q2/1P1B1P1P/P4P2/4R2K w - - 0 1
[ Bg6+ ]
c)
Topalov vs H Pollmann, Frankfurt, 1997
rnbq1rk1/pp2bppp/4pn2/2pP4/4PB2/2NB1N2/PPQ2PPP/R4RK1 w - - 0 1
[ d6 Bxd6 Bxd6 Qxd6 e5 ]
d)
Topalov vs Predrag Nikolic, Monte Carlo, 1997
3rk2r/R2bb1p1/1p6/4Pp1p/3N3P/1R2B1P1/5PK1/8 w - - 0 1
[ e6 if Bc8 Nc6 ]
e)
White Mates in 6. Topalov vs Anatoly Karpov, Wijk aan Zee, 1998
5qk1/p5bR/r3n1p1/4P1N1/1pp2P2/6K1/1P1Q4/7R w - - 0 1
[ Rh8+ Bxh8 Rxh8+ Kxh8 Qh2+ ]
Topalov Puzzles, Part VI. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
White Mates in 6. Topalov vs Ljubomir Ljubojevic, Monaco, 1999
3R4/1b4rk/4B1p1/qp2Qp1p/4p3/1P2P1P1/5P1P/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Bg8+ Rxg8 Rd7+ Kh6 Qf4+ g5 Qd6+ ]
b)
Topalov vs Loek Van Wely, Monaco, 1999
2r1k2r/1p1n1p2/p2p1np1/4p1B1/4P1bP/2N3R1/PqPQ1P2/R3KB2 w - - 0 1
[ Rb1 Qa3 Nxf6+ w/Nd5 ]
c)
White Mates in 5. Topalov vs Anatoly Karpov, Monaco, 1999
8/1p5p/5Q2/p3N2k/P2r4/6Pp/5P1K/5q2 w - - 0 1
[ g4+ Rxg4 Qf5+ Kh6 Nxg4+ ]
d)
Topalov vs Loek Van Wely, Wijk aan Zee, 1999
2r4k/7p/p1nQN1r1/1p3N1b/2q5/2P3P1/PPB4P/4R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Ne7 Nxe7 Qe5+ Kg8 Bxg6 ]
e)
White Mates in 4. Topalov vs Artur Jussopow, Frankfurt, 2000
8/P3k3/6R1/3pNK2/b2P1PP1/8/r7/8 w - - 0 1
[ Rg7+ Kd6 a8/Q ]
Topalov Puzzles, Part VII. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Topalov vs Giovanni Vescovi, Moscow, 2001
r4bk1/5bp1/p2pq2p/1ppnN3/P7/2B3RP/1P3PP1/1B2Q1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Qe4 ]
b)
Topalov vs Evgeny Bareev, Dortmund, 2002
r6r/k4pp1/2q1p2p/1R1n4/7P/8/PPP1QPP1/2KR4 w - - 0 1
[ Rdxd5 if exd5 Qe3+ ]
c)
White Mates in 6. Topalov vs Ljubomir Ljubojevic, Monte Carlo, 2003
r1b1k3/3p1r2/p2Rp1Q1/5pB1/1p2q3/8/PPP3PP/1K1R4 w - - 0 1
[ Rxe6+ Qxe6 Qxe6+ ]
d)
Topalov vs Evgeny Bareev, Monte Carlo, 2003
1r3r1k/pb2bpp1/1p2p2p/2q3N1/4BQ1P/8/PPP2PP1/1K1R3R w - - 0 1
[ Bxb7 Rxb7 Qe4 ]
e)
Topalov vs Vassily Ivanchuk, Monte Carlo, 2004
Q4n2/2q2k1p/2p2bp1/1pP1p3/1P2P3/3N1NP1/5PK1/8 w - - 0 1
[ Qxc6 if Qxc6 Nfxe5+ ]
f)
Topalov vs Peter Leko, Monte Carlo, 2004
7k/7p/4n2q/2b5/2P1Q2P/4pRP1/8/7K w - - 0 1
[ Qe5+ ]
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