... for each of the 15 gambits." Ben Treat
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 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+ ]
b)
Topalov vs Pablo Glavina, St Cugat, 1992
8/8/8/pp1p2k1/6P1/4R1KP/6N1/6q1 w - - 0 1
[ Re6 ]
c)
Topalov vs Juan Mellado Trivino, Terrasa, 1992
r3rbk1/1p1q2pp/5p2/pNpnP3/P2p1PP1/1P3Q1P/1P1B4/R3R2K w - - 0 1
[ Nd6 w/Qxd5 or Nxe8 ]
d)
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+ ]
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 ]
Topalov vs Kamsky, 2006
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Topalov Puzzles, Part II. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
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 ]
b)
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+ ]
c)
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+ ]
d)
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+ ]
e)
Topalov vs Loek Van Wely, Monaco, 1999
2r1k2r/1p1n1p2/p2p1np1/4p1B1/4P1bP/2N3R1/PqPQ1P2/R3KB2 w - - 0 1
[ Rb1 Qa3 Bxf6 Nxf6 Nd5 if Nxe4 Nf6+ or if Qxa2 Nxf6+ ]
Solution addition by Peter Klembara. Thx!
Topalov vs Levon Aronian, Morelia, 2008
Topalov Puzzles, Part III. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
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+ ]
b)
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 Bc2+ Kf6 ]
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 Peter Leko, Monte Carlo, 2004
7k/7p/4n2q/2b5/2P1Q2P/4pRP1/8/7K w - - 0 1
[ Qe5+ if Kg8 Rf6 ]
Topalov Puzzles, Part iV. Black to move and win except where noted.
a)
Vassily Ivanchuk vs Topalov, Las Palmas, 1996
r3qbk1/2R3p1/p2pNR2/4n3/NP2b1r1/1Q2B3/PP4BP/6K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxg2+ Kf1 Qb5+ ]
b)
Loek Van Wely vs Topalov, Antwerpen, 1997
2r4k/N6p/3p2p1/1Q1Pb3/Pq2Pr1P/R1p2P2/1P6/1KR5 b - - 0 1
[ ...c2+ if Ka2 Qd2 Qf1 Qd4+ or if Ka1 Qxa3# ]
c)
Predrag Nikolic vs Topalov, Linares, 1997
r1q3k1/2n1pp1p/3p2p1/2pP4/1r1bPPn1/1PN2QPP/PB4N1/1R3R1K b - - 0 1
[ ...Ne5 ]
d)
Black Mates in 3. Loek Van Wely vs Topalov, Wijk aan Zee (blitz), 1998
5bk1/5pp1/7p/1P5Q/5q2/7P/B2r2R1/6K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Bc5+ ]
Topalov Puzzles, Part V. Black to move and win except where noted.
a)
Mikhail Gurevich vs Topalov, Sarajevo, 2000
4q1k1/1pp2rbp/6r1/p1Pp1b2/3B1p2/Q1P2P2/P3PRBP/3R1K2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Bxd4 w/Rfg7 & Bh3 ]
b)
Ljubomir Ljubojevic vs Topalov, Monte Carlo (blindfold), 2003
5rk1/1p1b3p/p2p2p1/3P3r/P3Pq2/2NQ3P/1P3PKR/5R2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Bg4 if f3 Bxf3 Rxf3 Rg5+ ]
c)
Black Mates in 4. Teimour Radjabov vs Topalov, Wijk aan Zee, 2003
6k1/5p2/6p1/8/p2b1P2/P2q3p/3p3P/3Q1R1K b - - 0 1
[ ...Qe4+ if Qf3 d1/Q or if Rf3 Bf2 ]
d)
Jan Timman vs Topalov, Wijk aan Zee, 2003
5k2/pQ6/4q3/4b3/4P3/P5p1/1P3p2/K1R5 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qc4 ]
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