King-pawn Opening Series



Here are some chess puzzles from the games of Johann Hjartarson.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.

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

a)
White mates in 4.
Johann Hjartarson vs Adam Kuligowski, Lone Pine, 1981
5k2/4q1p1/3Np1Qp/2p1B2P/1p6/1P1P2PK/5r2/8 w - - 0 1
[ Bxg7+ if Kg8 Bf6+ Kf8 Qxh6+ ]

b)
Antonio Frois vs Johann Hjartarson, Groningen, 1981
r4rk1/p5pp/2p1q3/8/2PQ2n1/2N1B1P1/PP3P1P/4R1K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Ne5 if Qd1 Nf3+ ]

c)
Jon Arnason vs Johann Hjartarson, Reykjavik, 1982
r5k1/5p2/Np1R2pp/1B6/P4qP1/2P1b3/4Q1P1/7K b - - 0 1
[ ...Qg3 ]

d)
Johann Hjartarson vs Miroljub Markovic, Bela Crkva, 1983
1R1r4/4q3/p1pr2k1/P1p1pp2/2P2npQ/8/1P3PPP/3R2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxd6+ if Rxd6 Rg8+ Kf7 Rg7+ ]

e)
White mates in 3.
Johann Hjartarson vs Timo Pirttimaki, Oslo, 1983
rr6/p1n4k/1p1NqBp1/2p1P2p/4P3/6R1/bP1Q2PP/4R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxg6 if Kxg6 Qg5+ ]

1d)
Johann Hjartarson vs Miroljub Markovic

Johann Hjartarson puzzles, pt. ii.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Black mates in 7.
Bozidar Brujic vs Johann Hjartarson, Bela Crkva, 1983
8/R3B1pk/4p2p/4P3/7K/1P4P1/P2r2b1/8 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rd4+ g4 Rd3 g5 Rh3+ Kg4 h5+ ]

b)
White mates in 3.
Johann Hjartarson vs John Van Der Wiel, Salonika, 1984
n7/pk3pp1/1rR3p1/QP1pq3/4n3/6PB/4PP1P/2R3K1 w - - 0 1
[ Qa6+ ]

c)
Wayne Trosclair vs Johann Hjartarson, New York, 1984
6B1/1p4N1/1p1k2bp/4n3/6P1/PP1pK2P/2rR4/8 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rc8 if Be6 Rc7 or if Bc4 Rxc4 ]

d)
Black mates in 8.
Bernard Zuckerman vs Johann Hjartarson, New York, 1984
r5r1/4k3/p1p2p2/1p2pK1p/P3Pn1P/2P2P2/1PB2P2/R2R4 b - - 0 1
[ ...Ng6 if Rd7+ Kxd7 Kxf6 Raf8+ Kg4 Nf4+ ]

e)
Black mates in 4.
Fridrik Olafsson vs Johann Hjartarson, Reykjavik, 1984
8/b4ppk/7p/8/5Pn1/2N3Pq/1B2Q2P/7K b - - 0 1
[ ...Nf2+ if Kg1 Ne4+ ]

2a)
mate in 7
Bozidar Brujic vs Johann Hjartarson

Johann Hjartarson puzzles, pt. iii.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Johann Hjartarson vs Johnny Hansen, Gjovik, 1985
r4k1r/ppq1p3/3p1p2/3QnB2/8/1P2R3/1PP3PP/5R1K w - - 0 1
[ Rxe5 if dxe5 Bg6 ]

b)
B Karlsson vs Johann Hjartarson, Westmann Islands, 1985
1k4r1/1b3p1Q/1q2pP1b/pN2p3/1p6/1N6/PPP4P/1K1R4 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rg1 if Qd3 e4 Qe2 Qxb5 ]

c)
White mates in 6.
Johann Hjartarson vs Gudmundur Sigurjonsson, Gausdal, 1987
3Q4/b4ppk/2B1p2p/p3P3/4N3/1q3NP1/r4PKP/8 w - - 0 1
[ Neg5+ if Kg6 Be4+ Kh5 Kh3 mates or if hxg5 Be4+ g6 Nxg5+ mates ]

d)
Johann Hjartarson vs Ennio Arlandi, Novi Sad, 1990
4rr1k/p1B3pp/1p4n1/2bB1p2/2R5/q3P1QP/P5P1/3R3K w - - 0 1
[ Qxg6 ]

e)
Black mates in 4.
Ljubomir Ljubojevic vs Johann Hjartarson, Amsterdam, 1991
3r3k/1R4p1/4Q2p/P3P3/5q2/2p3PP/5n1K/8 b - - 0 1
[ ...Ng4+ if hxg4 Rd2+ Kh3 Qf1+ or if Qxg4 Rd2+ Kg1 Qf2+ ]

3b)
B Karlsson vs Johann Hjartarson

Johann Hjartarson puzzles, pt.iv.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Black mates in 4.
Sigurdur Sigfusson vs Johann Hjartarson, Gardabaer, 1991
8/5r1p/R3pk2/2NR1np1/2P2r2/1P5K/P6P/8 b - - 0 1
[ ...g4+ Kg2 Ne3+ ]

b)
Throstur Thorhallsson vs Johann Hjartarson, Gardabaer, 1991
1rb2rk1/p5p1/1np2q1p/3pR2Q/2P2p2/1P6/P1BN1PPP/1K1R4 b - - 0 1
[ ...Bg4 ]

c)
White mates in 4.
Johann Hjartarson vs Igor Novikov, Tilburg, 1992
1r4nQ/p3kb1R/5pp1/8/5N2/4r1P1/Pq2B3/3R1K2 w - - 0 1
[ Rxf7+ Kxf7 Qh7+ Kf8 Nxg6+ ]

d)
Miguel Gomez vs Johann Hjartarson, Oviedo, 1992
1b2rrk1/7p/6p1/p1NN2Bn/2P2Pq1/PP3QP1/6K1/3R4 b - - 0 1
[ ...Re2+ ]

e)
Johann Hjartarson vs Throstur Thorhallsson, Reykjavik, 1994
2k2r1r/p1q1npp1/1p2p3/n2pP1Np/b1pP3P/B1P3PB/2P2P2/1R1QK2R w K - 0 1
[ Nxf7 if Rxf7 Bxe6+ ]

4a)
mate in 4
Sigurdur Sigfusson vs Johann Hjartarson

Johann Hjartarson puzzles, pt. v.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Benjamin Finegold vs Johann Hjartarson, New York, 1994
6k1/5pp1/4nn2/NPr1p3/4q2p/N2Q2P1/4PP1P/3R2K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rd5 if Qxe4 Rxd1+ ]

b)
White mates in 3.
Johann Hjartarson vs Ribeiro Gonzalez Bolivar, Linares, 1995
4r2k/4Q1bp/4B1p1/1q2n3/4pN2/P1B3P1/4pP1P/4R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nxg6+ hxg6 Qh4+ ]

c)
Julius Fridjonsson vs Johann Hjartarson, Reykjavik, 1995
2k1r3/2p5/pp2r1p1/2p1n3/2Pb3p/1P3P1P/P1R1R1P1/2B1KN2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Nd3+ if Kd1 Rxe2 Rxe2 Rxe2 Kxe2 Nxc1+ or if Kd2 Re2+ Kxd3 Re1 Nh2 Rd1+ ]

d)
Johann Hjartarson vs Jon Gunnarsson, Gardabaer, 1996
2r3k1/6p1/2p3B1/1n3RP1/ppp2PK1/8/PPP5/8 w - - 0 1
[ Bf7+ if Kf8 Be6+ or if Kh8 or Kh7 g6(+) mates ]

e)
Johann Hjartarson vs R Backlund, Gausdal, 1996
r7/pr3pk1/2R1bq1p/2Pp4/1P1N4/2Q5/4B1PP/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nf5+ Kg6 Bh5+ Kxf5 g4+ if Ke4 Qxf6 or if Kg5 h4+ ]

5b)
mate in 3
Johann Hjartarson vs Ribeiro Gonzalez Bolivar

Johann Hjartarson puzzles, pt. vi.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Black mates in 4.
John Yoos vs Johann Hjartarson, Reykjavik, 1996
3k4/1pp3b1/4b2p/1p3qp1/3Pn3/2P1RN2/r5P1/1Q2R1K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxg2+ if Kf1 Qh3 or if Kxg2 Qh3+ ]

b)
Black mates in 5.
Richard Forster vs Johann Hjartarson, Winterthur, 1996
r5k1/6pp/2b1P3/1p3r1N/3P1p1Q/1Pq4P/2P3P1/7K b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxh5 if Qxf4 Qxh3+ ]

c)
Johann Hjartarson vs Bjorn Thorsteinsson, Iceland, 1997
8/2qb1pk1/2Bb1np1/2pPp2p/QpN1P3/1P5P/3N1PP1/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Bxd7 Nxd7 Qc6 ]

d)
Black mates in 6.
Gylfi Thorhallsson vs Johann Hjartarson, Akureyri, 1997
6k1/5ppp/1qpprP2/6P1/2pP3P/pP6/P1P2Q2/1K2R3 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qxd4 ]

e)
Andres Merario Alarcon vs Johann Hjartarson, Gibraltar, 2019
r5k1/5pp1/2p3qp/2Pb4/1P6/2B4P/3Q2P1/5RK1 b - - 0 1
[ 1...Ra2 2.Bb2 Bxg2 ]

f)
Black mates in 5.
Jani Ahvenjarvi vs Johann Hjartarson, Tallinn, 2019
2r3k1/8/1p5R/8/1B1bBppP/1n6/6P1/7K b - - 0 1
[ 1...Rc1+ 2.Kh2 Bg1+ 3.Kh1 Bf2+ ]

6f)
mate in 5
Jani Ahvenjarvi vs Johann Hjartarson


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