Tactics in the B40s Sicilian
Here are some chess puzzles from the Sicilian, Taimanov Variation (ECO B48).
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Be3
Solutions are between the brackets under each puzzle.
Drag your cursor from one bracket to the other.
White to move and win except where noted.
a)
Peter Dely vs Laszlo Szollosi, Budapest, 1963
r1b1kb1r/1pqpnppp/p1n1p3/8/3NP3/P1N1B3/1PP2PPP/R2QKB1R w KQkq - 0 1
[ Ndb5 axb5 Nxb5 if Qe5 (or Qb8) Nd6 or if Qa5+ b4 ]
b)
White mates in 3.
Georgi Tringov vs Emil Bogdanov, Sofia, 1963
r1b2rk1/1p3ppp/pq1p4/3P4/5Q2/3B4/PPP3PP/4RR1K w - - 0 1
[ Qxf7+ ]
c)
Tatiana Roschina vs Svetlana Kufeld, Elista, 1996
1rb2rk1/3p1ppp/p1p4B/4pP1n/1bq1P1Q1/2N5/PPP3PP/R4R1K w - - 0 1
[ Bxg7 if Nxg7 f6 mates or if f6 Bxf6+ Kf7 Bxe5 ]
d)
White mates in 7.
PN Trutnev vs Vladimir Semenyuk, RCCA, 1997
r4rk1/1pqnbp1p/p2p2p1/8/3B4/P2B3Q/1PP3PP/R4RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Bxg6 if Nf6 Rxf6 or if fxg6 Qe6+ ]
e)
Matthew Sonter vs Michael Davidovici, Queensland, 1999
2kr3r/1pqbbpp1/p2ppn1p/8/2n1P1PP/1NN1BP2/PPP2Q2/1K1R1B1R w - - 0 1
[ Bxc4 Qxc4 Bb6 if Rdf8 Na5 Qb4 a3 ]
1e)
Matthew Sonter vs Michael Davidovici
Sicilian, Taimanov (B48) puzzles, pt. ii.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Hans De Vilder vs Natalia Kiseleva, Amsterdam, 2000
r1br2k1/2q2ppp/p3pn2/1p2p3/5PN1/2NQ3R/PPP3PP/R6K w - - 0 1
[ Nxf6+ ]
b)
Hua Ni vs Tamas Herman, Budapest, 2000
r1b1k2r/B3bpp1/p4n2/q2ppP1p/N3P3/3B3P/PP4P1/2RQ1RK1 w k - 0 1
[ Bb6 Qb4 a3 Qd6 Bc7 Qd7 Nb6 ]
c)
Mehdi Roger vs David Lemeaux, France, 2002
r1b1k2r/1p1p1ppp/p2qp3/5n2/2P5/3BB3/PP3QPP/R4RK1 w kq - 0 1
[ Bxf5 if exf5 Bc5 w/Rae1+ ]
d)
Jonathan Humphrey vs Igor Bjelobrk, Auckland, 2005
r3k2r/1pqn1ppp/4p3/1B6/1Q6/1P2Bp2/1PP3PP/1K5R w kq - 0 1
[ Bb6 if Qc8 Rd1 ]
e)
White mates in 5.
Anastasia Paganoglou vs Aristi Tegou, Ermioni, 2006
r4rk1/1b2b1pn/ppqppp2/6PQ/4P3/P1NBBR2/1PP4P/R5K1 w - - 0 1
[ g6 if Ng5 Rh3 ]
2b)
Hua Ni vs Tamas Herman
Sicilian, Taimanov (B48) puzzles, pt. iii.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Alexander Petrushin vs Ilia Shkurikhin, Moscow, 2007
r4rk1/1b1p1p1p/p1q1p1p1/1pb1P2n/8/P1NBB2Q/1PP2PPP/R4RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Be4 ]
b)
Sergei Bargan vs Vladimir Zhadko, Kishinev, 2007
r4rk1/1b3ppp/p3pn2/1pq1p3/8/2NB2R1/PPPQ1PPP/5RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxg7+ Kxg7 Qg5+ Kh8 Qxf6+ Kg8 Re1 Qc6 Be4 Qc4 Re3 ]
c)
Benjamin Katz vs Victor Shen, Internet, 2008
r4rk1/1b1n1ppp/p1qpp3/8/R3P3/2NBQP2/1PP3PP/R6K w - - 0 1
[ Rc4 if Nc5 b4 or if Qb6 Qxb6 Nxb6 Rb4 ]
d)
White mates in 8.
Bryan Smith vs Felix Barrios, Toronto, 2010
r1b2rk1/5pnp/pq1pp3/1pb2P2/3NP2Q/2NBBP1P/PPP5/7K w - - 0 1
[ f6 if Kh8 fxg7+ Kg8 e5 f5 exf6 Qb7 Bxh7+ ]
e)
German Bazeev vs Artem Guzenko, St. Petersburg, 2011
r1b2rk1/5ppp/p1qppn2/1p6/1b1BP2P/2N2P2/PPPQ2P1/2KR1B1R w - - 0 1
[ Bxf6 if gxf6 Rh3 Kh8 Qh6 mates ]
3b)
Sergei Bargan vs Vladimir Zhadko
Sicilian, Taimanov (B48) puzzles, pt. iv.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Black mates in 6.
Yuri Zotkin vs Alexei Suetin, Kiev, 1965
r3k2r/1bqp1ppp/p3pn2/1pb1n1B1/4P3/1NNB3P/PPP2PP1/R3QRK1 b kq - 0 1
[ ...Nf3+ gxf3 Qg3+ Kh1 Qxh3+ Kg1 Bd6 if e5 Bxf3 ]
b)
Muniz vs Carlos Romero Calderon, Asturias, 1967
3rk2r/2q2ppp/p2bp3/1p6/2b5/PN2BP1P/1PP2QP1/2R2RK1 b k - 0 1
[ ...Bg3 if Bb6 Bxf2+ ]
c)
Yves Ecabert vs Hansjuerg Kaenel, Bern, 1997
r1b1k2r/1pq2ppp/p1n1pn2/3p4/1b1NP3/2NBBP2/PPPQ2PP/R3K2R b KQkq - 0 1
[ ...Nxd4 Bxd4 e5 ]
d)
Alfredo De La Fuente Mayan vs Gumersindo Cabero Valero, Burgos, 2000
r1b1r1k1/2qn1ppp/p3p3/1pp1b3/4PP2/2NBB1PP/PPP1Q1K1/3R1R2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Bxc3 bxc3 c4 ]
e)
Black mates in 4.
Albert Ploc vs Valter Pregarac, Piran, 2005
2kr2r1/1b1p1p1p/p3p3/1p6/3Qnq2/PBP2N2/2P2PPP/3R1RK1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qxf3 g3 Qh1+ Kxh1 Nxg3+ ]
4a)
mate in 6
Yuri Zotkin vs Alexei Suetin
Sicilian, Taimanov (B48) puzzles, pt. v.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Jurij Zezulkin vs Alexander Kachur, Barlinek, 2006
r4rk1/1b1p2np/p1q1pppQ/1pb5/3BP3/P2BR3/1PP1NPPP/4R1K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Nf5 ]
b)
Alejandro Mateus vs Francisco Mateus, Ourense, 2008
1rb1k1nr/3pbppp/p3p3/q5PP/NnBNP3/1P2BP2/2PQ4/2KR3R b k - 0 1
[ ...Qxa4 bxa4 Na2+ if Bxa2 Ba3# ]
c)
Black mates in 3.
Daniele Parrini vs Saverio Gerardi, Campobasso, 2008
2r1k2r/1b2bppp/pB1pp3/N3n3/qp2P3/8/PPP2QPP/1NKR1B1R b k - 0 1
[ ...Bg5+ Be3 Bxe3+ ]
d)
Francesco Sorcinelli vs M R Venkatesh, Rethymnon, 2009
r4rk1/1p4pp/p2ppn2/2q1p3/4P3/2NQ4/PPP2PPP/3R1R1K b - - 0 1
[ ...Ng4 if Qh3 Nxf2+ or if f3 Ne3 ]
e)
Black mates in 4.
Vasilios Gkikas vs Georgios-Alexandros Kouskoutis, Greece, 2014
r3k2r/1q3p2/p1b1pQ2/8/1p2P3/3B2pP/PPP2bP1/R4R1K b kq - 0 1
[ ...Rxh3+ gxh3 Bxe4+ ]
5b)
Alejandro Mateus vs Francisco Mateus
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