'Characteristic Puzzles in the Opening' series



Here are some chess puzzles from the games of Brandon Jacobson.
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 6.
Brandon Jacobson vs Justin Wang, Saint Louis, 2018
5rk1/5qpR/1pP5/p7/1b1rB1Q1/6P1/PP3P1P/6K1 w - - 1 0
[ Rh8+ Kxh8 Qh3+ Qh5 Qxh5+ Kg8 Bh7+ ]

b)
White mates in 4.
Brandon Jacobson vs Dezheng Kong, Philadelphia, 2018
2r1qk2/pQ1R2Rp/5p2/6n1/2p2pP1/7P/P5B1/6bK w - - 1 0
[ Bd5 ]

c)
Raven Sturt vs Brandon Jacobson, New York, 2018
3r4/1R3pkp/2n3p1/1N1n4/p1N5/5PP1/3KP2P/8 b - - 0 1
[ ...Nb6+ Ncd6 Nc4+ ]

d)
Tianqi Wang vs Brandon Jacobson, Charlotte, 2018
r1bqk2r/p1pp1ppp/1p6/3Pn3/1b2P3/4B3/PP1N2PP/R2QKBNR b KQkq - 0 1
[ ...Qh4+ if g3 Qxe4 or if Ke2 Ba6+ mates ]

e)
White mates in 4.
Brandon Jacobson vs Vincent Tsay, Greensboro, 2019
5q2/2k4P/pp4Q1/2p1p3/P1PpB1P1/4b2P/1P4K1/8 w - - 1 0
[ Qc6+ Kd8 Bf5 ]

1a)
mate in 6
Brandon Jacobson vs Justin Wang

Brandon Jacobson puzzles, pt. ii.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
White mates in 2.
Brandon Jacobson vs Aaron Grabinsky, Charlotte, 2020
r5r1/5pkN/1q1p4/1p2NB2/1P2P3/7Q/P6P/1K5R w - - 1 0
[ Qg4+ ]

b)
White mates in 3.
Brandon Jacobson vs Mikhail Molodyk, Internet, 2020
6rk/pp2Q1pp/r5P1/3p4/3B4/1P4K1/7P/8 w - - 1 0
[ Bxg7+ Rxg7 Qf8+ ]

c)
Brandon Jacobson vs Volodar Murzin, Internet, 2020
3r2k1/5p1p/p2qbQp1/4p3/4P3/7P/P3BPP1/5RK1 w - - 1 0
[ Rd1 ]

d)
Brandon Jacobson vs Silvio Eduardo Oliveira, Internet, 2020
2rqnr2/1p3kbQ/3p2p1/p1nPpp2/2P5/2N1BPN1/PP6/2KR3R w - - 1 0
[ Rh6 if Qf6 Nh5 ]

e)
Brandon Jacobson vs Praveen Balakrishnan, Charlotte, 2020
6R1/5p2/p3pP1p/1qk1P3/2p3P1/1rBn1Q2/KP5P/8 w - - 1 0
[ Rc8+ Kb6 Rb8+ ]

2b)
mate in 3
Brandon Jacobson vs Mikhail Molodyk

Brandon Jacobson puzzles, pt. iii.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Black mates in 4.
Craig Hilby vs Brandon Jacobson, Charlotte, 2020
5rk1/3b2q1/3p2B1/p1pPb1Bp/PpP4P/1P4P1/2QN2RK/5r2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Bxg3+ Rxg3 R8f2+ Rg2 Qe5+ ]

b)
Brandon Jacobson vs Baadur Jobava, Internet, 2021
2k3rr/pp1n1p2/2p1p2n/3pP2p/PP1P2p1/2PB2Pq/5P1N/R2Q1R1K w - - 1 0
[ Rg1 ]

c)
White mates in 4.
Brandon Jacobson vs Emin Ohanyan, lichess.org, 2021
5r1r/p1p2ppp/4b3/2p5/P1k1P3/1N6/1PP3PP/R2R2K1 w - - 1 0
[ Na5+ Kb4 Nc6+ Kc4 Ra3 ]

d)
White mates in 4.
Brandon Jacobson vs Barnabas Kovacsy, chess.com, 2021
8/4p1kp/r2q2p1/4R3/7P/5QP1/r4PK1/4R3 w - - 1 0
[ Rxe7+ if Kh6 Qe3+ ]

e)
White mates in 2.
Brandon Jacobson vs S P Sethuraman, chess.com, 2021
3rb2k/R5p1/1p1qpN1p/8/p2P1Q2/4P2P/5PP1/6K1 w - - 1 0
[ Qxh6+ ]

3c)
mate in 4
Brandon Jacobson vs Emin Ohanyan

Brandon Jacobson puzzles, pt. iv.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
White mates in 2.
Brandon Jacobson vs Alexander Moskalenko, chess.com, 2021
4r3/pr6/3p4/3P3R/3k4/1P1p4/1P1QqPP1/1K5R w - - 1 0
[ Qc3+ ]

b)
White mates in 3.
Brandon Jacobson vs Ryo Chen, chess.com, 2021
5r2/7R/p5p1/3NRb2/2P3k1/6P1/1r3PKP/8 w - - 1 0
[ h3+ Kg5 h4+ ]

c)
Brandon Jacobson vs Christopher Yoo, chess.com, 2021
2rr2kB/1b2q2p/p4Rp1/2p5/8/1P2n1N1/P5PP/Q1R3K1 w - - 1 0
[ Re6 if Qf7 Rxe3 ]

d)
White mates in 4.
Brandon Jacobson vs Thomas Bartell, Sturbridge, 2021
5rk1/5p2/p1r3p1/1p2R1b1/8/1P6/PB1q1Q1P/K4R2 w - - 1 0
[ Qxf7+ if Rxf7 Re8+ ]

e)
Black mates in 4.
Ryo Chen vs Brandon Jacobson, chess.com, 2021
R7/5ppk/3p3p/1pb1nN1q/4P3/3r3P/2Q3PK/5R2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Ng4+ Kh1 Rxh3+ ]

f)
Black mates in 2.
Christopher Yoo vs Brandon Jacobson, Saint Louis, 2021
1r2r2k/p5p1/2P4p/5p2/2Q5/2P1RR2/P2K1P2/6q1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rb2+ ]

4d)
mate in 4
Brandon Jacobson vs Thomas Bartell


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