'Characteristic Puzzles in the Opening' series
Here are some chess puzzles from the games of 2005.
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) 
White mates in 2.
M Calzetta vs K White, Gibraltar, 2005
1k3r2/4R1Q1/p2q1r2/8/2p1Bb2/5R2/pP5P/K7 w - - 0 1
[ Re8+ ]
b) 
White mates in 3.
Ian Rogers vs St Bergsson, Gibraltar, 2005
b5r1/2r5/2pk4/2N1R1p1/1P4P1/4K2p/4P2P/R7 w - - 0 1
[ Re6+ Kd5 Kd3 ]
c) 
White mates in 3.
Viswanathan Anand vs Veselin Topalov, Monte Carlo, 2005
5b2/8/2p1b3/2p1Pp2/p1P2P2/k1B5/1NK5/8 w - - 0 1
[ Nd3 if Bxc4 Bb2+ ]
d) 
White mates in 3.
Joel Lautier vs Meelis Kanep, Goteborg, 2005
7k/2R5/pp1p1r1p/3B1P2/P1n3pN/2p5/1b5P/7K w - - 0 1
[ Ng6+ Rxg6 fxg6 ]
e) 
White mates in 3.
Viswanathan Anand vs Alexander Grischuk, Mainz, 2005
rn1r4/pp2p1b1/5kpp/q1PQ1b2/6n1/2N2N2/PPP3PP/R1B2RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Ne4+ Bxe4 Ng5+ Bf5 Nh7# ]
1c) 
mate in 3
Viswanathan Anand vs Veselin Topalov
2005 Puzzles, Part II.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
White mates in 4.
Throstur Thorhallsson vs Sylvain Leburgue, Cappelle la Grande, 2005
b4rk1/5Npp/p3B3/1p6/8/3R4/PP4nP/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Ne5+ Kh8 Ng6+ hxg6 Rh3+ ]
b) 
White mates in 4.
Luke McShane vs Arkadij Rotstein, France, 2005
7k/p1rr1q1p/4p1R1/1p3p2/3p3Q/3P1P2/PPP3RP/5K2 w - - 0 1
[ Qf6+ Qg7 Rxg7 Rxg7 Qd8+ Rg8 Rxg8# ]
c) 
White mates in 4.
Ilia Smirin vs Goran Dizdar, Sibenik, 2005
4rk1r/p2b1pp1/1q5p/3pR1n1/3N1p2/1P1Q1P2/PBP3PK/4R3 w - - 0 1
[ Rxe8+ Bxe8 Ba3+ ]
d) 
White mates in 5.
Murtas Kazhgaleyev vs Marie Sebag, France, 2005
1n5k/2r2prp/pqb2NpQ/3B4/8/2P2R1P/5PP1/4R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nxh7 if Kg8 Nf6+ Kf8 Qh8+ Rg8 Qxg8# ]
e) 
White mates in 5.
Sergey Karjakin vs Lenier Dominguez, Dos Hermanas, 2005
5q1k/7p/5b1P/p4P2/PrB2Q2/1P6/KP4R1/8 w - - 0 1
[ Qd6 if Be7 Qe5+ Bf6 Qxf6+ ]
2a) 
mate in 4
Throstur Thorhallsson vs Sylvain Leburgue
2005 Puzzles, Part III.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
White mates in 5.
Zhong Zhang vs Zurab Sturua, Dubai, 2005
4k2r/2p5/4P1P1/2p2KB1/r1P5/p7/R7/8 w - - 0 1
[ g7 Rg8 Rh2 Ra6 Rh8 Rxe6 Kxe6 Rxh8 gxh8/Q# ]
b) 
White mates in 5.
Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu vs Vlastimil Babula, Warsaw, 2005
5rk1/1p4pp/p1b1rP2/3N2R1/2q5/4BQ2/PP5P/4R2K w - - 0 1
[ Rxg7+ Kh8 Rxh7+ Kxh7 Qh5+ ]
c) 
White mates in 5.
Etienne Bacrot vs Evgenij Agrest, Corsico, 2005
2kr2r1/pb1nqp2/1p1Rn3/2p3p1/Q3P3/2P2PB1/P5P1/3RKB2 w - - 0 1
[ Rc6+ Nc7 Rxc7+ Kb8 Rxb7+ Kxb7 Ba6+ ]
d) 
White mates in 5.
Alexei Shirov vs David Navara, Prague, 2005
q2rrk2/1b4pp/p7/3pP3/1b3PQ1/3B3R/6PP/2R3K1 w - - 0 1
[ Qf5+ Kg8 Qxh7+ Kf8 Qf5+ if Kg8 Rh8+ or if Ke7 Rc7+ ]
e) 
V Kotronius vs A Skripchenko, Gibraltar, 2005
r5rk/1p3ppp/p1bp1n2/4pPQ1/2B1P3/P1N4R/2q3PP/4R2K w - - 0 1
[ Re2 if Nxe4 Rxh7+ mates ]
3c) 
mate in 5
Etienne Bacrot vs Evgenij Agrest
2005 Puzzles, Part IV.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
J Bellon Lopez vs A Bryn, Gibraltar, 2005
2rb4/1R1nr1kp/1p1q2p1/1R2p3/Q3B3/2P3P1/1P1N1PK1/8 w - - 0 1
[ Rd5 if Nc5 Rxd6 Nxa4 Rxd8 ]
b) 
A Hassan vs A Cardenas Romo, Gibraltar, 2005
2R2rk1/r1n1p2p/3pP1p1/1Q1P1p2/1p1b4/4B1P1/Pq3P1P/4RBK1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxf8+ Kxf8 Bh6+ if Kg8 Qb8+ mates or if Bg7 Qb8+ Ne8 Qxa7 ]
c) 
S Ernst vs A Stefanova, Wijk aan Zee, 2005
5r2/kqr5/p3Q3/4NBp1/1b1p1P2/8/PP2KPPP/3R4 b - - 0 1
[ ...Re7 if Qg6 gxf4 ]
d) 
Peter Wells vs S Estremera Panos, Gibraltar, 2005
5r1k/p1R1Brpp/1p2Qn2/1q3p2/3P4/1B6/P4PPP/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rc8 if Rxc8 Qxc8+ ]
e) 
D Gormally vs A Dreev, Gibraltar, 2005
2r3k1/R4p2/2r2Rb1/1Qpq2Pp/1P1p3P/6B1/6PK/8 w - - 0 1
[ Qb7 if Kg7 b5 ]
4a) 
J Bellon Lopez vs A Bryn
2005 Puzzles, Part V.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
A Shirov vs K Spraggett, Gibraltar, 2005
4rbk1/1b1n2pp/p7/q7/1p2pN2/1P1BQ3/PB4PP/2R3K1 w - - 0 1
[ Bc4+ if Kh8 Ng6+ mates ]
b) 
J Rubenstein vs I Golyak, Rochester, 2005
rnbqk2r/pp4pp/2pb1n2/3p1pN1/2PPp2P/BP2P3/P4PP1/RN1QKB1R b - - 0 1
[ ...Bxa3 Nxa3 Qa5+ ]
c) 
H Jonkman vs E Alekseev, Wijk aan Zee 'C', 2005
k1r5/1p3R2/p3p2p/P2bQ3/8/3q2PK/2p2P2/2R5 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qd1 if Qe1 Qh5# ]
d) 
Zoltan Gyimesi vs Alexei Fedorov, Sibenik, 2005
3q4/1p5k/r2pRbp1/2pP1r1p/P1P1NpQ1/7R/5PP1/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxh5+ if gxh5 Qxf5+ mates ]
e) 
M Coimbra vs L Jaime Montalvan, Gibraltar, 2005
3r2k1/3rn3/1p4pb/2p2p2/2P2P2/2N1Bq1P/P1Q2R1K/4R3 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rd2 if Rxd2 Bxf4+ if Bxf4 Qxf4+ or if Kg1 Bxe3+ ]
5a) 
A Shirov vs K Spraggett
2005 Puzzles, Part VI.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
B Macieja vs And Volokitin, Bermuda, 2005
2k1r3/ppp5/n2p4/2PQpb2/3P3B/2P2PP1/P2qNK2/4R2B b - - 0 1
[ ...Nxc5 if g4 Be6 or if Qf7 Nd3+ Kg2 Nxe1+ ]
b) 
Watu Kobese vs Oy Fossum, Gibraltar, 2005
r2r1k2/1p4bQ/4p2B/2P2p2/4q3/6P1/7P/1R4K1 w - - 0 1
[ Qh8+ Kf7 Rxb7+ if Qxb7 Qxg7+ ]
c) 
Jaan Ehlvest vs Valery Neverov, Aeroflot, 2005
5R2/1p4pk/1r2b3/p1pBP1pp/P1Pp3P/3P4/1P4P1/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Be4+ g6 Rf6 gxh4 Bxg6+ Kg7 Bf7 ]
d) 
Levon Aronian vs Valerij Popov, Aeroflot, 2005
r6r/6bk/1qPQR1p1/p4Pnp/P1BP4/8/1P4PP/7K w - - 0 1
[ Re7 gxf5 Qf6 Rhg8 Qxg5 Qxc6 Be6 ]
e) 
Igor Khenkin vs Gerlef Meins, Bad Wiessee, 2005
1q1r1k2/5p2/1r1bpp2/pB1p3Q/P2P4/6P1/1PR2P2/2R3K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rc8 if Rxc8 Qh8+ ]
6b) 
Watu Kobese vs Oy Fossum
2005 Puzzles, Part VII.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
Vugar Gashimov vs Nikoloz Managadze, Athens, 2005
7k/p3q2p/1p1Rp2Q/4rp2/2p4P/6P1/PPP4K/8 w - - 0 1
[ Rd7 ]
b) 
Vladimir Baklan vs Robert Ruck, Austria, 2005
rnb2r1k/1p3pb1/p2p4/3P2QN/3q4/1B5P/P1P3P1/R4R1K w - - 0 1
[ Rae1 if Nd7 Re4 or if Rg8 Nf6 ]
c) 
Arkadij Naiditsch vs Philipp Schlosser, France, 2005
2r5/1b3Q2/p1kp1R2/1p6/4P3/P7/KP2p3/3q3B w - - 0 1
[ e5+ if Qxh1 Rxd6+ mates or if Kc5 Qxb7 e1/Q Qxc8+
mates if Kb6 Qxb7+ mates ]
d) 
S Karjakin vs A Kosteniuk, Wijk aan Zee 'B', 2005
7k/p1p2rq1/4r1p1/2B1PbQP/8/8/2P2R2/5RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Rh2 if gxh5 Rxf5 w/Rxh5+ Qxg7+ & Rxf5 or if Kg8 Qd8+ ]
e) 
I Rogers vs D Gormally, Gibraltar, 2005
r6k/2p3pp/8/3Bp3/1p2n1PP/1P2P3/3P3R/4K3 b - - 0 1
[ ...Ra1+ Ke2 Nc3+ if dxc3 Ra3+ ]
7e) 
I Rogers vs D Gormally
2005 Puzzles, Part VIII.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
Vadim Milov vs Tatev Abrahamyan, Minneapolis, 2005
r2q1rk1/1b2bppp/p7/n2B4/8/5NB1/P4PPP/2RQ1RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Bxb7 Nxb7 Rc7 if Na5 Qe1 or if Nc5 Qxd8 ]
b) 
Gadir Guseinov vs Tony Molina, Dubai, 2005
6r1/1r3N1p/p7/1p1p4/5k2/P2B4/2P4P/2K1R3 w - - 0 1
[ Rf1+ if Ke3 Nd6 w/Nf5# or if Kg4 Nh6+ ]
c) 
Valerij Filippov vs Evgeny Romanov, Sochi, 2005
2r3k1/1p3p1p/p2PbR2/4B3/1P6/7P/6PK/8 w - - 0 1
[ Rxe6 fxe6 Bf6 ]
d) 
Sergey Volkov vs Alexander Khalifman, Sochi, 2005
2r1r1k1/1q3pbp/p1Np2p1/8/1PQ1n3/P3B2P/5PP1/2RR2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Ne7+ if Qxe7 Qxc8 Rxc8 Rxc8+ Bf8 Bh6 ]
e) 
Dusko Pavasovic vs Tapani Sammalvuo, Goteborg, 2005
2r1r1k1/pp3pp1/8/3P3p/1B6/3bNqPP/PP3P1K/Q2RR3 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxe3 if Rd2 Rxe1 Qxe1 Be4 Qf1 Rc1 ]
8e) 
Dusko Pavasovic vs Tapani Sammalvuo
2005 Puzzles, Part IX.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
Vladimir Kramnik vs Loek Van Wely, Monte Carlo, 2005
7k/1r5p/3Q4/pP2r3/2B1pqbp/2P1N3/8/4K2R w - - 0 1
[ Qd8+ Kg7 Qg8+ if Kh6 Rxh4+ or if Kf6 Nxg4+ Ke7 Qxh7+ ]
b) 
S Karjakin vs P Nikolic, Wijk aan Zee 'B', 2005
2r5/pk6/1p1r4/q7/2Qn2R1/2PN4/2PK4/5R2 w - - 0 1
[ Rg7+ Kb8 Rf8 ]
c) 
Vladimir Kramnik vs Veselin Topalov, Monte Carlo, 2005
4rb1k/3R1p2/p4P2/1p2P2p/1Pr2BR1/5P2/8/7K w - - 0 1
[ Rg5 if Kh7 Rxh5+ Kg6 Rg5+ Kh6 Be3 or if Rxf4 Rxh5+ Kg8 Rd1 ]
d) 
Viktor Bologan vs Sergei Movsesian, Sarajevo, 2005
r1b2rk1/2qnbpp1/pp5p/2p5/1nB1N3/1P3N2/PBQ2PPP/3R1RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxd7 if Qxd7 Qc3 Qg4 Nfg5 ]
e) 
Gata Kamsky vs David Pruess, Minneapolis, 2005
6k1/3n1p2/1q4pQ/p2pPp2/1p1p2N1/3P4/Prr4P/4RR1K w - - 0 1
[ e6 if Re2 exd7 fxg4 Rxe2 Rxe2 Rc1 ]
9e) 
Gata Kamsky vs David Pruess
2005 Puzzles, Part X.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
Zviad Izoria vs Sebastien Maze, Warsaw, 2005
5rk1/1pR2Np1/4p2p/p6B/P3b2P/6q1/1B4P1/5RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Nxh6+ if Kh7 Rxg7+ or if gxh6 Bf7+ Kh7 Bg6+ ]
b) 
Sergei Movsesian vs Artem Iljin, Warsaw, 2005
r7/p3bk2/1pp3q1/4P3/4bP2/4Q1P1/PPPRN2r/2K2R2 w - - 0 1
[ f5 if Bxf5 Qe4 ]
c) 
Alexander Graf vs Anton Shomoev, Warsaw, 2005
6k1/2r2pbp/2q3p1/1Q2p3/8/2P1B1P1/r3PP1P/1R3RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Qxc6 if Rxc6 Rb8+ mates ]
d) 
Alexander Moiseenko vs Viorel Iordachescu, Warsaw, 2005
6k1/1q3pp1/2N1p2p/pP1n4/3Q4/2r1P2P/5PP1/3R2K1 w - - 0 1
[ e4 if Qxb5 exd5 or if Nf4 Qd8+ Kh7 Ne7 ]
e) 
Sergei Tiviakov vs Tomi Nyback, Warsaw, 2005
1kr3r1/pp2qp2/1n5p/4b1p1/6P1/1Q3BN1/PP1R2P1/1K1R4 w - - 0 1
[ Rd7 ]
10c) 
Alexander Graf vs Anton Shomoev
2005 Puzzles, Part XI.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
Michal Krasenkow vs Mikheil Mchedlishvili, Warsaw, 2005
2kr4/p1n2q1p/2QRr3/5pP1/5B2/P7/7P/3K2R1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxd8+ Kxd8 Bxc7+ if Qxc7 Qxe6 ]
b) 
Boris Avrukh vs Martijn Dambacher, Amsterdam, 2005
2b1qrk1/r2n3p/pp1R2p1/4pN2/P3B3/2P2PQ1/2P3P1/1R5K w - - 0 1
[ Rxg6+ if Qxg6 Ne7+ or if hxg6 Bd5+ or if Kh8 Rg7 ]
c) 
Alexei Shirov vs Michelangelo Scalcione, Mainz, 2005
4r3/1p3r1k/p1p3bp/2Pp4/1P1N1Bp1/4P3/1P3KP1/4RB2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxf4 exf4 g3+ ]
d) 
Levon Aronian vs Pavel Tregubov, Mainz, 2005
r4rk1/4ppbp/3p2p1/q1pP4/2P5/2N1RnP1/P1Q2PKP/R1B5 b - - 0 1
[ ...Ne1+ Rxe1 Qxc3 ]
e) 
Alexander Graf vs Mika Karttunen, Goteborg, 2005
r6k/5pbp/1pN3p1/pPn5/8/4B2P/P2R1PP1/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Bxc5 bxc5 b6 ]
11a) 
Michal Krasenkow vs Mikheil Mchedlishvili
2005 Puzzles, Part XII.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
Konstantin Sakaev vs Yuri Yakovich, Kazan, 2005
2r1k1r1/4n1P1/3qpQ2/1P2Np2/2p5/3p2P1/1P3P1P/5RK1 w - - 0 1
[ b6 if Qxb6 Qf7+ Kd8 Qf8+ Kc7 Qxe7+ Kb8 Nd7+ ]
b) 
Teimour Radjabov vs Vlastimil Babula, Saint Vincent, 2005
1rq3k1/4b2p/pp1p2p1/3Pn1P1/P1PN1Q2/1P6/6B1/5R1K w - - 0 1
[ Nc6 if Nxc6 Qf7+ Kh8 dxc6 Bxg5 c7 or if Rb7 Nxe5 dxe5 Qf7+ Kh8 d6 ]
c) 
Boris Avrukh vs Gadir Guseinov, Goteborg, 2005
3R4/6kp/3pr3/3Qnp1q/4p3/1NP5/1P3PP1/5K2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Nd3 ]
d) 
Artashes Minasian vs Vassily Ivanchuk, Warsaw, 2005
r4rk1/p3Rp1p/3p2p1/2n5/3qP3/7P/P2N1PP1/3QR1K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qf6 Rc7 Qd8 ]
12d) 
Artashes Minasian vs Vassily Ivanchuk
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