King-pawn Opening Series



Here are some chess puzzles taken from the games of Efim Geller.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.

Solutions are between the brackets under each puzzle.
Drag your mouse from one bracket to the other.

a)
Efim Geller vs Joseph Vatnikov, Kiev, 1950
r1bqnrk1/p3b1pp/1p2Pp2/4pN2/8/1nN1B3/PPP3PP/R2Q1RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Nd5 if Bd6 e7 ]

b)
White mates in 7.
Efim Geller vs Nikolai Novotelnov, Moscow, 1951
5nk1/2b1q1p1/2p5/3pP1pQ/1r1P2P1/3B1R2/5PP1/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxf8+ if Qxf8 Bh7+ or if Kxf8 Qh8+ Kf7 Bg6+ Ke6 Qc8+ ]

c)
Efim Geller vs Paul Muller, Helsinki, 1952
r1b2r1k/pp1nb1pp/2p1pn2/3p1p1q/2PP4/3N1NP1/PPQ1PPBP/R1B2RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Nf4 if Qf7 Ng5 Qg8 Ngxe6 ]

d)
White mates in 6.
Efim Geller vs Andrija Fuderer, Goteborg, 1955
r5kr/1b3pNp/p1R4B/1p6/6n1/1B6/PP3nPP/3R2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Bxf7+ Kxf7 Rd7+ Kf8 Ne6+ ]

e)
White mates in 6.
Efim Geller vs Alexander Kotov, Moscow, 1955
r1b2bk1/2q2pp1/p2p4/3P1NpQ/1np5/4R3/PB3PPP/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Bxg7+ if Bxg7 Re8+ Bf8 Rxf8+ ]

1d)
mate in 6
Efim Geller vs Andrija Fuderer

Efim Geller puzzles, Part II.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Efim Geller vs Alexander Buslaev, Erevan, 1959
r4rk1/p3qppp/5n2/p2pP3/8/R2BP3/5PPP/3Q1RK1 w - - 0 1
[ exf6 if Qxa3 Bxh7+ mates ]

b)
White mates in 8.
Efim Geller vs Pal Benko, Stockholm, 1962
r1bn3k/1p2b1q1/p5pN/3pp3/3P4/2P5/PP4RQ/5R1K w - - 0 1
[ Rxg6 if Qxg6 Nf7+ or if Bh3 Qxh3 Kh7 Rxg7+ ]

c)
Efim Geller vs Miroslav Filip, Curacao, 1962
r5k1/1pqb2pp/p3p3/4P3/2n2r2/2N2B2/PPP1Q2P/R4R1K w - - 0 1
[ Nd5 exd5 Bxd5+ ]

d)
White mates in 10.
Efim Geller vs Helmuth Luik, Leningrad, 1962
2r1r1k1/pb2b1pp/1p6/3P1Q1R/8/1P6/5PPP/1BqR2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Qxh7+ Kf8 Qf5+ Bf6 Rh8+ ]

e)
White mates in 7.
Efim Geller vs Bent Larsen, Copenhagen, 1966
8/r7/p7/k4p2/2B1b2r/PPR5/1KP5/3R4 w - - 0 1
[ Rd6 if Bxc2 b4+ Ka4 Rd5 ]

2d)
mate in 10
Efim Geller vs Helmuth Luik

Efim Geller puzzles, Part III.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Efim Geller vs Alexander Matanovic, Sukhumi, 1966
3r4/8/1P2k3/p1Rb1npp/5pB1/B7/6PP/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Bxf5+ Kxf5 b7 ]

b)
White mates in 8.
Efim Geller vs Enver Bukic, Skopje, 1967
4bk2/1p3p2/p1r1r1p1/P2pP3/3B3R/2PP2PQ/5R1K/2q5 w - - 0 1
[ Bc5+ if Rxc5 Qxe6 Qg5 Rh8+ ]

c)
White mates in 5.
Efim Geller vs Milko Bobotsov, USSR, 1968
3q2r1/pbr2Q2/1p1kp3/4N3/3P4/2P5/P4PPP/4RBK1 w - - 0 1
[ Nc4+ if Qc6 Qxe6+ ]

d)
Efim Geller vs Anatoly Lutikov, Moscow, 1969
3r2k1/1pp1bp2/p5p1/3pNqP1/3P1P1Q/1PP5/P7/4R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Ng4 ]

e)
Efim Geller vs Heikki Westerinen, Goteborg, 1968
r3k3/1p2rp1p/1npp1Q2/3P2R1/1n2q3/6P1/5P1P/2R2BK1 w - - 0 1
[ Bh3 if Kd8 Qxd6+ Rd7 Rg8+ ]

3a)
Efim Geller vs Alexander Matanovic

Efim Geller puzzles, Part IV.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
White mates in 6.
Efim Geller vs Andre Filipowicz, Hungary, 1970
4k2r/2Q2ppp/8/Bp1qp3/4n3/1P6/2P3PP/R6K w - - 0 1
[ Bb4 if Nd6 Bxd6 ]

b)
White mates in 5.
Efim Geller vs Heinz Liebert, Kapfenberg, 1970
2b5/2qrrp1k/5R2/2p2p1p/1pB1P2P/1P1P2P1/1Q5K/8 w - - 0 1
[ Rh6+ Kxh6 Qh8+ Kg6 exf5+ ]

c)
White mates in 4.
Efim Geller vs Hernandez, Havana, 1971
4nk2/p4p2/1p2pN1q/3pP1N1/PPnP2Q1/8/5PK1/8 w - - 0 1
[ Nxe6+ if Ke7 Nxd5+ or if fxe6 Qg8+ ]

d)
Efim Geller vs Borislav Ivkov, Hilversum, 1973
2r3k1/1p2Qpp1/p2Pq3/P1p5/2P4P/4p3/6P1/4R2K w - - 0 1
[ d7 ]

e)
White mates in 3.
Efim Geller vs Roberto Debarnot, Las Palmas, 1976
1k1r4/ppnr2pp/4p3/4Q3/1q6/6P1/PP3PBP/2RR2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Qxc7+ if Ka8 Qxd8+ ]

4b)
mate in 5
Efim Geller vs Heinz Liebert

Efim Geller puzzles, Part V.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Efim Geller vs Gudmundur Sigurjonsson, Wijk aan Zee, 1977
5rk1/1pq1rpnp/p3p1p1/4P3/8/1PN1QR2/P1P3PP/5R1K w - - 0 1
[ Ne4 if Kh8 Qh6 Rg8 Ng5 ]

b)
Efim Geller vs Igor Zaitsev, Erevan, 1982
5bk1/1brq1pp1/3p1n1p/R2Pp3/2P5/1r2BN1P/5PP1/Q3RBK1 w - - 0 1
[ Nd2 if Rb4 Qa3 ]

c)
Efim Geller vs Algirdas Bandza, USSR, 1983
3nr1kr/pb2bq1p/6nB/2R1P2N/1p1p2Q1/5N2/PP3PPP/4R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ e6 if Nxe6 Rf5 or Ne5 ]

d)
Efim Geller vs Pia Cramling, Reykjavik, 1984
6k1/1pr2p2/p2p3p/P2B1Q2/1PP1P3/4q2P/6P1/7K w - - 0 1
[ Qg6+ Kf8 Qxd6 Re7 Qd8+ Re8 Qf6 ]

e)
White mates in 4.
Efim Geller vs Herbert Bastian, Baden-Baden, 1985
4R3/2p2kpQ/3p3p/p2r2q1/8/1Pr2P2/P1P3PP/4R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rf8+ Kxf8 Qh8+ Kf7 Qe8+ ]

f)
Efim Geller vs Eric Knoppert, Berlin, 1991
2r1r2k/1p2p2p/3pQ1p1/q2P4/4pB2/1B5P/P1P2PP1/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Be5+ dxe5 Qxe5+ Kg8 d6+ ]

g)
Efim Geller vs Ratmir Kholmov, Moscow, 1992
3bq3/1pr3kp/p7/3R1Q2/8/6P1/PPP2P1P/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Qg4+ Kf7 Rf5+ Bf6 Rxf6+ Kxf6 Qf4+ ]

5f)
Efim Geller vs Eric Knoppert

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