Here are some chess puzzles from the Four Knights (ECO C47).



1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6


Solutions are between the brackets under each puzzle.
Drag your cursor from one bracket to the other.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.

a)
Juan Bellon Lopez vs Stuart Wagman, Cirella di Diamante, 1977
r1b4r/ppq2kpp/2pb4/4Rp2/5B2/8/PPP1QPPP/2K2B1R w - - 1 0
[ Qh5+ g6 Bc4+ if Kf6 Qh4+ mates ]

b)
White mates in 6.
Nebojsa Sparic vs Danilo Rajkovic, Cetinje, 1992
r1b1kb1Q/pp1p2q1/6pp/3P1pN1/2B5/8/PP3PPP/n1BK3R w q - 1 0
[ Re1+ Kd8 d6 Nc2 Nf7+ ]

c)
Mikhail Gluzman vs Terrey Shaw, Sydney, 1995
r3r1k1/ppp2ppp/3p4/3P1b2/2Pq2n1/6R1/P2BBPPP/3QR1K1 w - - 1 0
[ Bxg4 if Bxg4 Rxe8+ or if Rxe1+ Bxe1 Re8 Bc3 ]

d)
White mates in 3.
Tim Jaksland vs Charles Bouzoukis, Philadelphia, 1996
r2q1r2/1pp4p/3k4/1B1p1p2/1p4Q1/3N4/1P3PPP/n1BK3R w - - 1 0
[ Qg7 if Qe7 or Re8 Bf4+ ]

e)
Diana Arutyunova vs Bathuyag Mongontuul, Cannes, 1997
r1bqk2r/ppppbp1p/2n3p1/3N1N2/4n3/8/PPP2PPP/R1BQKB1R w KQkq - 1 0
[ Nfxe7 Nxe7 Qd4 Nxd5 Qxh8+ Ke7 Qe5+ ]

1e)
Diana Arutyunova vs Bathuyag Mongontuul

Four Knights (C47 puzzles, pt. ii.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Asuka Nakamura vs Dale Sharp, Bermuda, 2002
r4rk1/p1pbRppp/2p5/8/3q1B2/8/PPP1QPPP/R5K1 w - - 1 0
[ Be5 if Qc5 Rxd7 Rae8 Bd4 or if Qd5 Rd1 ]

b)
Otto Rost Van Tonningen vs Klaus-Peter Kude, Schney, 2006
r4rk1/p1pq1ppp/1nppb3/5B2/3B4/1P6/P1P2PPP/R2QR1K1 w - - 1 0
[ Qg4 if g6 Rxe6 ]

c)
White mates in 3.
Michal Obrusnik vs Milosz Lorek, Leba, 2008
r1bq1r1k/pp2np2/5N1p/2ppPnPQ/3P4/P2B2B1/1PP2KP1/R6R w - - 1 0
[ Qxh6+ Nxh6 Rxh6+ ]

d)
Martina Valickova vs Vladimir Holecek, Czech Republic, 2010
3qrbk1/5ppp/1rp1bn2/p2p1NB1/8/P2B3Q/1PP2PPP/R4RK1 w - - 1 0
[ Bxf6 if exf6 or Qxf6 Ne7+ mates ]

e)
Orkhan Abdulov vs Cem Onem, Canakkale, 2010
r1b1r1k1/p3bp2/2pq3Q/3p4/4n3/2NBR3/PPP2PPP/5RK1 w - - 1 0
[ Rg3+ if Nxg3 Qh7+ ]

2b)
Otto Rost Van Tonningen vs Klaus-Peter Kude

Four Knights (C47 puzzles, pt. iii.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Vladimir Pshenichny vs Yuri Zakharov, St. Petersburg, 2011
r2q1rk1/p3b2p/2p1pnB1/3p2B1/7Q/2N5/PPP2PPP/5RK1 w - - 1 0
[ Bxf6 if hxg6 Bxe7 or if Rxf6 Qxh7+ ]

b)
White mates in 2.
Alfredo Rosich Valles vs Manel Barragan Hernandez, Barcelona, 2012
r1b1kr2/pp3pQp/2p4B/1B1NP3/1b4q1/8/PPP3PP/2KR4 w q - 1 0
[ Nc7+ ]

c)
White mates in 2.
Jorge Villarreal Gongora vs Miguel Cabrera, Valledupar, 2012
r1b2rk1/pppp1ppp/8/8/2B4q/2P2Q2/P1P2PPP/R3R1K1 w - - 1 0
[ Qxf7+ ]

d)
Bruno Dieu vs Sauveur Colandrea, Avoine, 2012
r4rk1/pppqbppp/2n2n2/6B1/8/P1NB4/1PP2PPP/R2Q1RK1 w - - 1 0
[ Bxf6 if Bxf6 Bxh7+ ]

e)
White mates in 4.
Georgios Souleidis vs Oliver Schackmann, Bad Wiessee, 2015
r3kb1r/1pB2ppp/p1n2n2/1Bq5/8/P1NQ4/1PP2PPP/2KR3R w kq - 1 0
[ Rhe1+ if Be7 or Qe7 Qd8+ ]

3d)
Bruno Dieu vs Sauveur Colandrea

Four Knights (C47 puzzles, pt. iv.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Manuel Aguas vs Francisco Adell Corts, Spain, 1992
r1bqr1k1/p4pp1/2pb1n1p/3p4/N6B/2PB1Q2/PP3PPP/R4RK1 b - - 0 1
[ ...g5 if Bg3 Bg4 or if Rfe1 Rxe1+ Rxe1 gxh4 ]

b)
Tamer Karatekin vs Henrik El-Kher, Verdun, 1995
r4rk1/p3bpp1/1q2bn1p/2pp4/8/3B1Q2/PPP1NPPP/2BRR1K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Bg4 if Qe3 c4 or if Qg3 c4 Bxh6 cxd3 ]

c)
Laurie Delorme vs Melissa Levacic, Pau, 2000
r2qr1k1/p1p2pp1/2p2n1p/3p4/1b2P1b1/3BQ1N1/PPP2PPP/R1B2RK1 b - - 0 1
[ ...d4 if Qf4 g5 ]

d)
Black mates in 4.
Tauno Turtiainen vs Igor Skrjabin, Helsinki, 2003
r2r2k1/pp1bqppp/8/2QR4/8/8/PPP2PPP/2K2B1R b - - 0 1
[ ...Rh1+ Ng1 Ng3# ]

e)
Black mates in 4.
Tauno Turtiainen vs Igor Skrjabin, Helsinki, 2003
r2r2k1/pp1bqppp/8/2QR4/8/8/PPP2PPP/2K2B1R b - - 0 1
[ ...Qe1+ Rd1 Qxd1+ Kxd1 Bg4+ ]

4e)
mate in 4
Tauno Turtiainen vs Igor Skrjabin

Four Knights (C47 puzzles, pt. v.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Black mates in 6.
Gonulden Seda Alev vs Kubra Ozturk, Konya, 2008
r4rk1/p1p2pp1/1bpp3p/4n3/N3P1bq/P2B3P/1PPB1PP1/R3QRK1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Nf3+ Kh1 Bxh3 if gxf3 Bg4+ or if g3 Qh5 ]

b)
Black mates in 3.
Veronika Bartosova vs Roman Rathusky, Czech Republic, 2008
r1b1k2r/pppp1ppp/2n5/8/3Nn2q/P1P2P2/1BP1K2P/R2Q1BR1 b kq - 0 1
[ ...Qf2+ Kd3 d5 if Nxc6 Nc5# or if Rg2 Ne5# ]

c)
Black mates in 3.
Jesus Guerrero Beret vs Pedro Perez Aleman, Gibraltar, 2009
2r1k2r/p1p2pp1/2pp4/2b3q1/4P3/2N2QP1/PPP3PP/R4R1K b k - 0 1
[ ...Rxh2+ Kxh2 Qh6+ ]

d)
Black mates in 3.
Marcelo Gomez Cabra vs Jonathan Canonigo Galvis, Bucaramanga, 2013
r3kb1r/ppp2ppp/8/8/P1Bnpnbq/1PN3P1/1BPP1P1P/R2Q1RK1 b kq - 0 1
[ ...Nf3+ if Qxf3 Nh3+ ]

e)
Black mates in 2.
Juan Ortin Caballe vs Jordi Comellas Blanchart, Barcelona, 2017
r1b1r1k1/p1p2ppp/2p5/2bpP3/8/3Bq1B1/PPP1N1PP/R1Q1RK2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qf3+ ]

5d)
mate in 3
Marcelo Gomez Cabra vs Jonathan Canonigo Galvis

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