Here are some chess puzzles from the games of Rafael Vaganian.
White to move and win except where noted.
Solutions are between the brackets under each puzzle.Drag your cursor from one bracket to the other.
a)
White Mates in 4. Vaganian vs Sergey Makarichev, 1967
7R/2rr1kp1/p3p3/1p1q1p2/n4P1Q/P4P2/4B2P/6RK w - - 0 1
[ Rxg7+ ]
b)
Vaganian vs Amanmurad Kakageldyev, URS, 1969
r3kb1r/pb1n1ppp/4pP2/1B1qN3/8/1P1p4/1P1BQPPP/R3K2R w - - 0 1
[ Bxd7+ if Qxd7 Qg4 ]
c)
Vaganian vs Anatoly Karpov, Leningrad, 1970
r1r3k1/6pp/p7/3R1p2/q2NpB2/4P3/5PPP/3Q2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rd8+ if Kf7 Qh5+ mates ]
d)
Vaganian vs Vladimir Antoshin, Riga, 1970
3r2k1/p1N5/1p1P2p1/2pKPn1p/P7/8/6PP/5R2 w - - 0 1
[ Rxf5 w/e6 ]
e)
Vaganian vs Rene Borngaesser, Athens, 1971
8/3Q1nkp/5bp1/p7/1p2NP1P/1q4P1/6BK/8 w - - 0 1
[ Nc5 ]
Vaganian Puzzles, Part II. White to move and win.
a)
Vaganian vs Valentins Kirilov, Daugavpils, 1971
r3r1k1/1p1R1pbp/2p3p1/p1P5/Nq2Pn2/7P/PPQ2PB1/3R2K1 w - - 0 1
[ a3 if Qb5 Bf1 ]
b)
Vaganian vs Leonid Shamkovich, Leningrad, 1971
r6k/p2qr2p/bp1p2p1/2pP4/4NR2/8/PP1Q2PP/5RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Qc3+ if Kg8 Rf8+ mates or if Re5 Rf8+ Rxf8 Rxf8+ Kg7 Rg8+ ]
c)
Vaganian vs Ruilon M'Alverne Netto, Graz, 1972
2r1bQ2/r6k/4p1pB/p6q/1pn1P3/1P4PP/P3N1B1/5R1K w - - 0 1
[ Bc1 ]
d)
Vaganian vs David Bronstein, Tbilisi, 1973
2rq4/1br2pkp/p1n1p1p1/1p4Nn/3P4/P4NP1/BP1Q1P2/3RR1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Bxe6 ]
e)
Vaganian vs George S Botterill, Hastings, 1974
rn1qk2r/pbp2p2/1p3ppb/7p/2BP1N1P/2N1P3/PP3PP1/R2QK2R w - - 0 1
[ Bxf7+ if Kxf7 Nxg6 & if Rg8 Qe6+ mates ]
Vaganian Puzzles, Part III. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
White Mates in 5. Vaganian vs Mark Tseitlin, Kragujevac, 1974
6k1/4r1n1/p3N3/3P4/8/1p4R1/r5PP/5RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Rf8+ Kh7 Ng5+ Kg6 Ne4+ ]
b)
White Mates in 5. Vaganian vs Rene Borngaesser, Teeside, 1974
1q6/pbpBQ2p/3p2pk/8/7P/2P5/P4PP1/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ g4 Qg8 g5+ Kh5 Qe2+ ]
c)
White Mates in 5. Vaganian vs Gudmundur Sigurjonsson, Teeside, 1974
4r2k/4P1bp/p5p1/8/1rB1Q3/5RP1/3q1P1P/4R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rf8+ Rxf8 exf8/Q+ Bxf8 Qe5+ ]
d)
White Mates in 2. Vaganian vs Viktor Korchnoi, Moscow, 1975
6rk/6pp/5p2/p7/P2Q1N2/4P1P1/2r2n1P/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Ng6+ ]
e)
Vaganian vs Milan Vukic, Odessa, 1975
r3n1bk/p2qn1bp/2p3p1/QP2p3/2PpNr2/BN3P2/P3B1PP/2RR2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nbc5 if Qc7 Qxc7 w/Nd3 & Ng5 ]
Vaganian Puzzles, Part IV. White to move and win.
a)
Vaganian vs Viktor Kupreichik, Ordzhonikidze, 1978
5k2/p2r1p2/1p2q3/7R/5Q1P/P2p2P1/5P1K/8 w - - id 1-0
[ Rh6 if Qd5 Qf6 mates ]
b)
Vaganian vs Andres Vooremaa, Tallinn, 1979
r5k1/3n2p1/1ppqbp2/r2p3p/4P3/1P2B1PP/P2R1PB1/2RQ2K1 w - - id 1-0
[ Rxc6 Qxc6 exd5 if Rxd5 Rxd5 Rxa2 Rd6 ]
c)
Vaganian vs Andres Vooremaa, Tallinn, 1979
6k1/3n2p1/1p1Rbp2/7p/8/1Pq1B1PP/r4PB1/3Q2K1 w - - id 1-0
[ Bd5 if Ra1 Bxe6+ w/Rxd7 ]
d)
Vaganian vs Evgeny Sveshnikov, Sochi, 1980
4rb1k/1p3Rn1/r2q4/3p4/1P4Q1/p2P4/P1P3BP/5R1K w - - id 1-0
[ Rxg7 Bxg7 Qh5+ w/Qxe1+ ]
e)
Vaganian vs Valery Chekhov, Vilnius, 1980
6r1/1q1Nk1p1/2p1p2p/r3Pp2/pn3R1P/5Q2/1P3PP1/2R3K1 w - f6 id 1-0
[ exf6+ Kxd7 Rxb4 if Qxb4 Qxc6+ mates ]
Vaganian Puzzles, Part V. White to move and win.
a)
Vaganian vs Lev Psakhis, Vilnius, 1980
b3r1k1/R2nrpbp/1pqN1np1/4pPB1/1PP1P3/6PP/3Q2BK/5R2 w - - id 1-0
[ b5 if Qc5 Be3 ]
b)
Vaganian vs Franco Trabattoni, Reggio Emilia, 1981
6R1/p1k2r1p/1pnq2p1/3p1p2/1P1P1Q2/3N2P1/P4P1P/6K1 w - - id 1-0
[ Rc8+ if Kd7 Qxd6+ Kxd6 Rxc6+ w/Ne5+ ]
c)
Vaganian vs Ron Henley, Hastings, 1983
Q7/2pnkp2/3p4/3p4/3NPq2/8/1PK2PP1/8 w - - id 1-0
[ Nf5+ if Ke6 Qe8+ Kf6 Qh8+ Ke6 Ng7+ ]
d)
Vaganian vs Andras Adorjan, Salonika, 1984
1r1r2k1/p2p1pp1/1p2p2p/2n1Pn2/2P5/PqN2NP1/1P2QPKP/2RR4 w - - id 1-0
[ g4 if Ne7 Nd4 ]
e)
Vaganian vs Predrag Nikolic, Salonika, 1984
1n2kb1r/rN4p1/2p1p2p/8/pn2B3/6P1/P2BPP1P/R2R2K1 w k - id 1-0
[ Bxb4 if Bxb4 Rd8+ or if Rxb7 Bg6+ ]
Vaganian Puzzles, Part VI. White to move and win.
a)
Vaganian vs Borislav Ivkov, Moscow, 1985
2rrqk2/5pbp/3p2pN/p1nQ4/8/1P2BP2/P1R3PP/4R1K1 w - - id 1-0
[ Rxc5 if Rxc5 Qxc5 ]
b)
Vaganian vs Jonathan Mestel, London, 1986
4rk2/2R1ppbp/pp1r2p1/4n3/3N4/1P2P1PP/P3KPB1/3R4 w - - id 1-0
[ f4 if Nd7 Bc6 ]
c)
Vaganian vs MN Abdel, Lucerne, 1989
r4rk1/p4ppp/2p1b2n/2N1Pq1n/1p1QR3/1B3N2/PP3PPP/4R1K1 w - - id 1-0
[ Nh4 Qg5 Bxe6 if fxe6 Nxe6 ]
d)
Vaganian vs Leon Piasetski, Toronto, 1990
rnrb2bk/pp1q2pp/1np5/3pPp1P/P2P1N1N/1P4P1/5PB1/R1BQ1RK1 w - - id 1-0
[ Nhg6+ hxg6 Nxg6+ ]
e)
Vaganian vs F Clemens, Cologne, 1991
2r5/ppr1npk1/4p1pp/3p4/bq1P3P/2NBP1P1/PPRQ1P2/2R3K1 w - - id 1-0
[ a3 if Qb3 Nxa4 ]
Vaganian Puzzles, Part VII. White to move and win.
a)
Vaganian vs Paul Backwinkel, Germany, 1992
4k1r1/1p1q1p2/p4Bp1/1n1p2Pp/5P1P/bP1P2N1/P1R2Q1K/8 w - - id 1-0
[ Qe1+ Kf8 b4 if Na7 Qc3 Nb5 Qc8+ mates ]
b)
Vaganian vs Silvio Danailov, Oviedo, 1992
8/2nn1pkp/3bp1p1/3p4/1p1P4/qP2PPP1/1N1BBK1P/1Q6 w - - id 1-0
[ Na4 w/Bc1 ]
c)
Vaganian vs Mladen Muse, Germany, 1993
r3r1k1/p7/b1p2Rp1/8/8/4q3/P5BP/2Q2R1K w - - id 1-0
[ Rf8+ ]
d)
Vaganian vs Ralph Zimmer, Germany, 1994
1r3k1r/2q1pp2/pp6/2pPnQ1p/P1P4b/1nN5/1B2B2P/5RRK w - - id 1-0
[ Nb5 w/Bxe5 ]
e)
Vaganian vs Thomas Jackelen, Germany, 1994
r7/1b5p/2p2nk1/6p1/2p1P3/2N5/PP3N1P/2KR4 w - - id 1-0
[ Rd6 if Kf7 e5 w/Rd7+ ]
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