King-pawn Opening Series



Here are some chess puzzles from the US CH of the 1970s.
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)
White mates in 2.
Michael Leidner vs Richard Roubal, Ventura, 1971
1nqk2rr/QR1p1p2/3b4/2pP4/5p1p/P1P2N1P/5PP1/4RNK1 w - - 1 0
[ Qb6+ Bc7 Qf6# ]

b)
Black mates in 2.
Patrick Norris vs Gerald Toler, Ventura, 1971
5r1k/3p3p/p2b3B/1pp5/4r2P/1P3bP1/PP3P1K/R3R3 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxh4+ ]

c)
Black mates in 2.
Philip Smith vs Kim Commons, Ventura, 1971
6k1/1b2bpp1/p3p3/1p5p/4n1r1/P4N1K/1BP4P/3R1R2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Ng5+ Nxg5 Bg2# ]

d)
Black mates in 2.
Mitchell Saltzberg vs Deniss Waterman, Ventura, 1971
8/8/1p1pk3/1Pp1p3/2PnP1P1/2R1KPqr/3R2Br/6Q1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qxf3+ ]

e)
White mates in 3.
Michael McSorley vs Ben Kakimi, Ventura, 1971
r1b2nrk/1p3p1p/p2p1P2/5P2/2q1P2Q/8/PpP5/1K1R3R w - - 1 0
[ Qxh7+ Nxh7 Rxh7+ ]

1c)
mate in 2
Philip Smith vs Kim Commons

Puzzles from the US Chess CH of the 1970s, pt. ii.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Black mates in 3.
Denis Strenzwilk vs Karl Burger, Ventura, 1971
8/5kp1/p3p3/1p3pRP/PP3R1P/5P2/KP6/2rr4 b - - 0 1
[ ...Ra1+ Kb3 bxa4+ ]

b)
Black mates in 3.
James Tarjan vs Daniel Jacobs, Ventura, 1971
6k1/5ppp/1b2p3/4P3/2N2PK1/1QR3P1/3r2qP/8 b - - 0 1
[ ...h5+ if Kxh5 Qh3+ or if Kg5 Bd8+ ]

c)
Black mates in 3.
Norman Valenti vs Donald Cotton, Ventura, 1971
2k5/ppp3pp/2n4r/3n3q/3P1pN1/5PB1/PP2Q1P1/R5K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qh1+ Kf2 fxg3+ ]

d)
Black mates in 3.
Robert Snyder vs Gene Rubin, Ventura, 1971
r5k1/1p1b1p2/p3p1p1/3pP3/1B1P3r/4qPn1/PP3Q2/R4RK1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Ne2+ Kg2 Qg5+ ]

e)
White mates in 4.
Robert Bliss vs Edmund Nash, Ventura, 1971
2R1b2r/qp3kpp/p4b2/4RQ2/8/8/PP3PPP/6K1 w - - 1 0
[ Rc7+ Kf8 Rxe8+ Kxe8 Qd7+ ]

1e)
mate in 3
Michael McSorley vs Ben Kakimi

Puzzles from the US Chess CH of the 1970s, pt. iii.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
White mates in 4.
Andrew Karklins vs Edward Friedman, Ventura, 1971
2kr3r/4qpp1/3p3p/1QB1pP2/4n1PP/P1R5/1PP3b1/2K4R w - - 1 0
[ Bxd6+ Nxc3 Qb8+ ]

b)
White mates in 4.
James Tarjan vs Lawrence Gilden, El Paso, 1973
2R2bk1/5rr1/p3Q2R/3Ppq2/1p3p2/8/PP1B2PP/7K w - - 1 0
[ Rxf8+ Kxf8 Rh8+ Rg8 Bxb4+ ]

c)
White mates in 4.
Leonid Shamkovich vs Larry Christiansen, Mentor, 1977
6r1/p5bk/4N1pp/2B1p3/4Q2N/8/2P2KPP/q7 w - - 1 0
[ Ng5+ hxg5 Qxg6+ Kh8 Qh5+ ]

d)
White mates in 4.
Lubomir Kavalek vs Kim Commons, Pasadena, 1978
r1r2nk1/5pp1/4b3/p3PB2/1p3qNP/8/PPP1Q3/1K1R2R1 w - - 1 0
[ Nf6+ Kh8 Qh5+ Qh6 Qxh6+ ]

e)
White mates in 5.
Raymond Martin vs David Parsons, Ventura, 1971
r2q1r2/5pkp/p1np1N2/1p1Np3/nP2P1P1/P3B3/2P2PB1/R3K2R w KQ - 1 0
[ Bh6+ Kg6 f4 exf4 e5 w/Be4+ ]

2a)
mate in 3
Denis Strenzwilk vs Karl Burger

Puzzles from the US Chess CH of the 1970s, pt. iv.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
White mates in 5.
Leslie Bunning vs Harry Bradbury, Ventura, 1971
r2rq2k/pb5p/2p1BnpB/1pPPRp2/8/2Q5/PP3PPP/1R4K1 w - - 1 0
[ Rxf5 if Qxe6 Rxf6 ]

b)
White mates in 5.
Gilbert Temme vs David Hestenes, Ventura, 1971
3r2k1/q2rR1bp/p1pp2p1/2p2p2/5P2/3P1N1P/PPP3P1/R3Q1K1 w - - 1 0
[ Qe6+ Kh8 Re8+ Bf8 Qf6+ ]

c)
White mates in 5.
Arthur Bisguier vs Andrew Karklins, Chicago, 1974
5rk1/ppP4p/8/2P4n/1P2P3/2BB1rpq/P7/3R1RK1 w - - 1 0
[ Bc4+ if R3f7 Bxf7+ Rxf7 Rd8+ ]

d)
Black mates in 5.
Edmar Mednis vs Lubomir Kavalek, El Paso, 1973
2q5/p7/2Rp2pk/3Pp2p/QP1rPp2/5P1P/2r3PK/R7 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxg2+ Kxg2 Rd2+ ]

e)
Black mates in 6.
John Fritzvold vs Homer Jones, Ventura, 1971
r4r1k/1pp3pp/8/p1bB4/2P3b1/P4PP1/1P1R1nKP/RN6 b - - 0 1
[ ...Bh3+ Kg1 Rae8 if Nc3 Nd1+ ]

3b)
mate in 4
James Tarjan vs Lawrence Gilden

Puzzles from the US Chess CH of the 1970s, pt. v.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Florin Gheorghiu vs Andrew Beider, Ventura, 1971
2rr1b1k/1pqb1p1p/p4N2/5p2/2P5/8/PP2BQPP/2RR3K w - - 1 0
[ Rxd7 if Rxd7 Qxf5 ]

b)
Robert Cross vs Frederick Bartholy, Ventura, 1971
1r3rk1/1pq1ppbp/p2p2p1/2nP4/4n3/1P3NP1/PB2QPBP/2RR2K1 w - - 1 0
[ Bxg7 Kxg7 Qxe4 ]

c)
Peter Lapiken vs Raymond Martin, Ventura, 1971
1r6/RBq1r1kp/1p4p1/1P2ppN1/3p1P2/3P2P1/Q3P3/6K1 w - - 1 0
[ Ne6+ if Rxe6 Bc6 ]

d)
Eric Bone vs William Abbott, Ventura, 1971
r4rk1/2p2bpp/p1n2q2/1pbp2N1/8/1BP5/PP1BQPPP/R4RK1 w - - 1 0
[ Qd3 g6 Nxf7 if Rxf7 Qxd5 ]

e)
Ivan Romanenko vs Steven Hohensee, Ventura, 1971
r4rk1/2p1qpp1/p1n4p/1p1bp3/2n1N2N/1BP1P3/PP4PP/R3QRK1 w - - 1 0
[ Nf6+ gxf6 Nf5 if Qd7 Qb3+ mates ]

3c)
mate in 4
Leonid Shamkovich vs Larry Christiansen

Puzzles from the US Chess CH of the 1970s, pt. vi.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Roy Ervin vs David Roy, Ventura, 1971
r1b2k1r/pp3pbp/2n5/2P2p1q/2P5/6P1/PP2N1B1/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 1 0
[ Bxc6 ]

b)
Ronald Finegold vs James Marfia, Ventura, 1971
4r2k/p5p1/1p3p1p/2p4q/2Q4P/1P1PR1P1/P4PK1/8 w - - 1 0
[ g4 if Qg6 h5 ]

c)
Craig Barnes vs David Eisen, Ventura, 1971
2r2k2/p4b1p/q2p4/3NpNPp/1pr1P3/4QP2/PPP5/1K1R4 w - - 1 0
[ g6 hxg6 Qh6+ Ke8 Nf6+ Kd8 Rxd6+ ]

d)
Karl Burger vs Peter Biyiasas, Ventura, 1971
2r2rk1/1b1n1ppp/p2P4/q3p3/2B5/2R2N2/P2Q1PPP/5RK1 w - - 1 0
[ Bxf7+ Kxf7 Rxc8 Qxd2 Rxf8+ ]

e)
Norman Weinstein vs Lawrence Gilden, Chicago, 1974
3r2k1/pp3ppp/3r4/1P6/2B5/4nPP1/2P2R1P/3R2K1 w - - 1 0
[ Rxd6 if Rxd6 Re2 ]

3d)
mate in 4
Lubomir Kavalek vs Kim Commons

Puzzles from the US Chess CH of the 1970s, pt. vii.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Norman Weinstein vs Larry Christiansen, Pasadena, 1978
2b1r1k1/3n1p1p/pq3rp1/1p1QN1N1/8/8/PP3PPP/2RR2K1 w - - 1 0
[ Ng4 if Rf5 Nh6+ or if Rf4 Nxf7 Kg7 Nd6 Ref8 Nxc8 ]

b)
William Lombardy vs Walter Cunningham, Ventura, 1971
r1b1r1k1/pp3ppp/2nB1n2/2P1pN2/7q/2PB4/P1Q2PPP/3RK2R b K - 0 1
[ ...e4 if Nxh4 exd3+ ]

c)
John Peterson vs Robert Reynolds, Ventura, 1971
2kr3r/pp3ppp/1q2b3/2b1Q3/8/3B2P1/PPP2P1P/R1B2K1R b - - 0 1
[ ...Bh3+ if Ke2 Rhe8 ]

d)
James Bolton vs Karl Burger, Ventura, 1971
2r1kb1r/pp3ppp/1qn1p2n/3pP3/3P1P2/3Q1N1P/PP4P1/RNBR2K1 b k - 0 1
[ ...Nb4 if Qe2 Nc2 ]

e)
Max Burkett vs Mark Diesen, Ventura, 1971
k3b1r1/pN2qp2/4p3/2rpP2p/1Q3P2/2P1R1pP/P1P3P1/1R4K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rb5 Qxb5 Bxb5 Rxb5 Rb8 Nd6 Rxb5 Nxb5 Qb7 ]

4b)
mate in 5
Gilbert Temme vs David Hestenes

Puzzles from the US Chess CH of the 1970s, pt. viii.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Jeffrey Kent vs David Eisen, Ventura, 1971
3rr1k1/R4ppp/1p1P1b2/1bpP4/1nN2B2/5BPq/1P3P2/2Q2RK1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Nd3 if Qc2 Nxf4 gxf4 Qxf3 or if Qd2 Bxc4 ]

b)
Arthur Bisguier vs Robert Gauntt, Ventura, 1971
3r4/p2P1p1k/1p1Qpqr1/8/2P3RR/5P2/P4PK1/8 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qxh4 ]

c)
Florin Gheorghiu vs Wesley Burgar, Ventura, 1971
8/6pk/3B3p/4Pp2/2b2P2/2q2QPP/5bBK/8 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qe1 if h4 Be2 Qb3 Qg1+ mates ]

6c)
Craig Barnes vs David Eisen


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