players who want a profitable way to brush up on their tactics." Manchester Chess Fed.
Here are some chess puzzles from the games of Evgeni Vasiukov.
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)
Vasiukov vs Reinhard Fuchs, Gotha, 1957
5r1k/p2qnnpp/1p2p3/3pPp1P/3P1N2/P2PB1Q1/5PP1/2R3K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rc7 w/Nxe6 ]
b)
White Mates in 4. Vasiukov vs Aleksander Grushevsky, Moscow, 1959
3R4/p5kp/4pNr1/q1p3p1/1nP3P1/1P6/3Q3P/1K6 w - - 0 1
[ Rd7+ if Kxf6 Qc3+ ]
c)
White Mates in 4. Vasiukov vs David Bronstein, Baku, 1961
kb3R2/1p5r/5p2/1P1Q4/p5P1/q7/5P2/4RK2 w - - 0 1
[ Rxb8+ ]
d)
Vasiukov vs Bozidar Djurasevic, Belgrade, 1961
3r1b2/1pR3pk/p3q1pp/3p4/3B4/PP6/1P4PP/5QK1 w - - 0 1
[ Qxf8 if Rxf8 Rxg7+ w/Rxg6+ ]
e)
Vasiukov vs Yu Vasilchuk, Moscow, 1961
2r2bk1/1b3p2/p2p1p2/1p1PpN2/4P3/P4N1P/r4PP1/R1R3K1 w - - 0 1
[ Ne7+ Bxe7 Rxc8+ ]
Vasiukov Puzzles, Part II. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
White Mates in 5. Vasiukov vs Gedeon Barcza, Moscow, 1962
r2r3k/n1p2ppp/3b1N1B/8/2Q1R3/2P3P1/P4PKP/q7 w - - 0 1
[ Qxf7 if Rg8 Rg4 ]
b)
Vasiukov vs Ratmir Kholmov, Moscow, 1964
4rrk1/1bp2ppp/p4b1B/1pq2B2/6Q1/2P4P/PP3PP1/3RR1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Bxg7 if Bxg7 Qh5 ]
c)
White Mates in 5. Vasiukov vs Eero Boek, Reykjavik, 1966
rqr2b1k/pp1b2pp/5p2/3BpP2/1n5N/3P4/P2B1PPP/3QR1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Ng6+ ]
d)
Vasiukov vs Lev Alburt, Baku, 1972
3rr2k/2p2Qbp/bpnq2p1/p2np1N1/P7/2PP2P1/1P3PBP/R1B1R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Qxe8+ Rxe8 Nf7+ w/Nxd6 & Bxd5+ ]
e)
White Mates in 5. Vasiukov vs Vladimir Goldin, Moscow, 1972
3r4/p1qNRnk1/8/r6p/1p3P1P/1Pp5/P1Q3P1/1K1R4 w - - 0 1
[ Rxf7+ ]
Vasiukov Puzzles, Part III. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
White Mates in 3. Vasiukov vs Josef Pribyl, Zalaegerszeg, 1977
r1b1kb1Q/qpn1pp2/p5p1/2n3Pp/2B4P/7N/PPP5/2KRR3 w q - 0 1
[ Rxe7+ if Kxe7 Qf6+ ]
b)
Vasiukov vs Anatoly Lutikov, Beltsy, 1981
5bk1/p2qnp2/1p4pp/1np1Q3/4P2P/2P1B1P1/1P1N1P1K/5B2 w - - 0 1
[ Bxb5 if Qxb5 Bd4 f6 Qe6+ ]
c)
Vasiukov vs Lembit Oll, Ivano-Frankovsk, 1982
2r3k1/3b1p1p/1r1p1Qp1/1p1Pn3/4P3/q4P1P/1R2B1PK/1R3N2 w - - 0 1
[ f4 if Ne3 Rb3 ]
d)
White Mates in 4. Vasiukov vs James Howell, Yaroslavl, 1990
2rqr1k1/1p2bp1p/pn4p1/3p1bP1/3B3Q/2NR2R1/PPP1NP1P/1K6 w - - 0 1
[ Qxh7+ ]
e)
White Mates in 7. Vasiukov vs M Vifian, Leningrad, 1991
r2q2k1/1p5p/p1b1P3/n2Q1p2/P2BpP1b/1PP4P/4N2K/R7 w - - 0 1
[ Rg1+ if Kf8 e7+ ]
Vasiukov Puzzles, Part IV. White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Vasiukov vs Sammy Reshevsky, Moscow, 1991
2r3k1/1p4p1/p3prNp/P1q5/8/2PQn2P/1P4P1/3RR1K1 w - - 0 1
[ b4 if Qxc3 Ne7+ ]
b)
Vasiukov vs Vladimir Barskij, Moscow, 1995
2rr4/1b3pkp/pp1pppn1/2q5/2P1PPN1/1P1R3P/P2Q2P1/3R1B1K w - - 0 1
[ f5 if exf5 or Nf8 Qh6+ mates ]
c)
Vasiukov vs Andrei Shchekachev, Moscow, 1996
1q3rk1/3p1ppp/5b2/2P5/8/1r3BP1/5P1P/R2QR1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Ra8 if Qb5 Rxf8+ mates ]
d)
Vasiukov vs Janis Klovans, Arvier, 2006
8/4qpQ1/4p2p/7k/3P2p1/6P1/5P1K/8 w - - 0 1
[ f3 if gxf3 Kh3 mates ]
More Russian GMs
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