Tactics in the B50s Sicilian



Here are some chess puzzles from the Sicilian, Boleslavsky Variation, 7.Nb3 (ECO B59).



1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Be2 e5 7.Nb3



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)
Conel H O'D Alexander vs Dragoljub Janosevic, Belgrade, 1952
r4rk1/1p1qbppp/1B6/3bp3/2Nn4/5B2/PRP2PPP/3Q1R1K w - - 0 1
[ Nxe5 if Bxf3 Nxf3 ]

b)
White mates in 5.
Littrell vs Brian Hulse, USA, 1973
r5k1/p2r1p1p/q2p2p1/3n4/3B3Q/1R6/PPP2PpP/R5K1 w - - 0 1
[ Qxh7+ if Kf8 Qh8+ Ke7 Re1+ or if Kxh7 Rh3+ ]

c)
Maurice Smitsvs Michael Aagaard, Hinnerup, 1979
r2qk2r/pp3ppp/2nQ4/4pbb1/4N3/1N6/PPP1BPPP/R3K2R w KQkq - 0 1
[ Qxd8+ if Bxd8 Nd6+ ]

d)
Marcelo Beckerman vs Pablo Sifres, Buenos Aires, 1992
r2qr1k1/1p2bpp1/p2p1n1p/4nN2/3QPB2/2N4P/PPP3P1/3R1R1K w - - 0 1
[ Bxe5 dxe5 Qxe5 if Qb8 Nxe7+ Kf8 Qxb8 ]

e)
White mates in 4.
Daniel Hersvik vs Attila Nagy, Szombathely, 1993
r1q1nr1k/pp1bb1pp/2np1pP1/4pP2/2B1P2P/1NN1B3/PPP5/R2Q1RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Qh5 if h6 Bxh6 ]

1d)
Marcelo Beckerman vs Pablo Sifres

B59 Puzzles, Part II.
White to move and win.
a)
Matthias Skubicki vs Pascal Holz, NRW, 1994
r4rk1/1pNnq1pp/p1n1b3/2p1p3/4Pp2/1N3P2/PP2B1PP/2RQ1RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Nxe6 if Qxe6 Bc4 ]

b)
Sven Wobbe vs Joachim Klein, St. Ingbert, 1994
5rk1/pp2b1pp/3pp3/3q4/5BQ1/2nP3P/P5P1/R4R1K w - - 0 1
[ Bh6 if Rf7 Rxf7 Kxf7 Qxg7+ w/Qxc3 or if Rxf1+ Rxf1 g6 Qh4 ]

c)
Anders Olsson vs Umut Atakisi, Tallinn, 1997
r4rk1/1p1q1ppp/8/pN6/R2b4/2P3Q1/1P3PPP/3R2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Qd3 ]

d)
Evgeny Kuzin vs Michal Maka, Krakow, 1999
r2r2k1/pp2b1pp/2n5/3bpp2/8/1NP1BP2/PP2B1PP/R2R2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxd5 if Rxd5 Bc4 ]

e)
Richard Gonzalez Davila vs Laureano Risotti, Guaymallen, 2001
2r2rk1/2n1b1pp/p2pqp2/1p1N1R2/3BP1Q1/P2P4/6PP/5RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Nxe7+ Qxe7 Bxf6 if Qd7 Bxg7 ]

2d)
Evgeny Kuzin vs Michal Maka

B59 Puzzles, Part III.
White to move and win except where noted.
a)
White mates in 4.
Daniel Gumula vs Dariusz Smagacz, Poland, 2003
5rk1/1pqB1ppp/8/r3p3/1b2P2B/6R1/2P2PPP/3Q1bK1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxg7+ if Kh8 Bf6 Ra6 Qh5 ]

b)
White mates in 3.
Jiri Vanko vs Dimitrios Gkogkas, Marianske Lazne, 2005
5rk1/1p3ppp/3p4/p1rP2q1/P7/5Q2/1PP2RPP/4R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Qxf7+ ]

c)
Hanus Brekka vs Carl-Otto Nielsen, Copenhagen, 2005
r2qkb1r/1p3pp1/3p1n1p/1b2p3/pP2P3/1NN1BP2/1PP3PP/R2QK2R w KQkq - 0 1
[ Nxb5 if axb3 Rxa8 Qxa8 Nc7+ ]

d)
Thi Mong Tran - Dang Minh Phuong, Vietnam, 2008
r2r2k1/pp1qbppp/2n1b3/3np3/8/1NN1B3/PPP1BPPP/R2RQ1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nxd5 if Bxd5 c4 ]

e)
Zamir Narvaez vs Cristian Rios, Jamundi, 2009
r4rk1/1p3ppp/1qn2b2/p7/5B2/1NP3Q1/PP4PP/R4R1K w - - 0 1
[ Bc7 Qb5 Rxf6 ]

3c)
Hanus Brekka vs Carl-Otto Nielsen

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