'Tactics in the Sicilian' series
Here are some chess puzzles from the games of Ray Robson.
White to move and win except where noted.
Solutions are between the brackets under each puzzle.
Drag your cursor from one bracket to the other.
a) 
White mates in 4.
Ray Robson vs Rao Prasanna, Heraklio, 2004
2rqnk2/pp2p1b1/3pbpQR/4P1p1/2r3P1/1NN1BP2/PPP5/2K4R w - - 0 1
[ Rh8+ if Bg8 Rxg8+ Kxg8 e6 ]
b) 
White mates in 7.
Ray Robson vs Pieter Bierkens, Chicago, 2006
2r5/1bqkrQ2/pp1p4/4Pp2/2P4R/1NN5/PP4PP/7K w - - 0 1
[ e6+ Kc6 Nd4+ Kc5 Qxf5+ d5 Na4+ Kb4 a3+ ]
c) 
White mates in 4.
Ray Robson vs S Shankland, Peabody, 2007
5k1r/6p1/1Qq2p1p/2r1p3/2B3P1/1P6/1PP5/2K2R2 w - - 0 1
[ Qd8+ if Qe8 Rxf6+ gxf6 Qxf6+ ]
d) 
White mates in 4.
Ray Robson vs Eugene Perelshteyn, Peabody, 2007
r3k3/3b3R/1n1p1b1Q/1p1PpP1N/1P2P1P1/6K1/2B1q3/8 w - - 0 1
[ Rh8+ Bxf8 Qxf8+ Kf7 Qf6+ ]
e) 
Ray Robson vs David Vigorito, Chicago, 2007
1rrnb3/2k3p1/Pp3p1p/1R2pP2/N2pP3/3P4/1R1B2PP/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rc2+ if Nc6 Nxb6 Kd8 Rd5+ Ke7 Nxc8+ ]
1b) 
mate in 7
Ray Robson vs Pieter Bierkens
Ray Robson Puzzles, Part II.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
Black mates in 8.
Jay Bonin vs Ray Robson, Foxwoods, 2007
3r4/N4p2/1k2p3/p5r1/QbpPq2P/6P1/1P3P2/R5KR b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxg3+ if fxg3 Qxd4+ Kg2 Qe4+ Kf1 Qf3+ ]
b) 
Vojtech Plat vs Ray Robson, Kemer, 2007
1n1r1rk1/p3qpb1/bpp1p1pp/8/P1NPN3/1B2PQ2/1P3PPP/R4RK1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qb4 Ncd2 Bxf1 ]
c) 
David Howell vs Ray Robson, Puerto Madryn, 2009
1rb2rk1/6p1/2q1p2p/2PpPp2/1nnP1P1P/1p1B3R/1B1NK1P1/R1Q5 b - - 0 1
[ ...Nxd3 if Rxd3 Ba6 Qc3 Nxb2 ]
d) 
White mates in 4.
Michael Roiz vs Ray Robson, Caleta, 2011
3r3k/p4Bp1/1p3R1p/2p2Q2/2P2P2/1P3q1P/P4P1K/8 w - - 1 0
[ Rxh6+ gxh6 Qf6+ Kh7 Qg6+ ]
e) 
White mates in 2.
Ray Robson vs David Recuero Guerra, Saint Louis, 2014
rn3r1k/pb3p2/4p3/2p1PnQP/3p4/2PB1q2/2P2P2/R3K1R1 w Q - 1 0
[ Qf6+ Kh7 Qg7# ]
2a) 
mate in 8
Jay Bonin vs Ray Robson
Ray Robson Puzzles, Part III.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
Black mates in 4.
Yangyi Yu vs Ray Robson, Las Vegas, 2014
k1r3r1/1R2b3/p7/3R4/8/5Q2/2q3PP/7K b - - 0 1
[ ...Qxg2+ Qxg2 Rc1+ ]
b) 
Ray Robson vs Alexander Shabalov, Saint Louis, 2017
r4rk1/p5bp/bpp1p1q1/3pP1PN/8/3P1N1Q/P6R/5R1K w - - 1 0
[ Nf6+ if Kf7 Nd4 Bc8 Nxh7+ or if Bxf6 gxf6 Kh8 Rg1 Qf7 ]
c) 
Ray Robson vs S P Sethuraman, Saint Louis, 2018
3r2k1/2p2p1p/5qpQ/2B2N2/4p3/1PPB1bP1/7P/6K1 w - - 1 0
[ Ne7+ Kh8 Bd4 ]
d) 
Ray Robson vs Antoaneta Stefanova, Douglas, 2019
r2qr1k1/b4ppp/p2p4/1pp5/1n1Pn3/1Q2BN1P/PP3PP1/RB2R1K1 w - - 1 0
[ 1.a3 if 1...Nc6 2.Qd5 ]
3c) 
Ray Robson vs S P Sethuraman
US GMs
Back to the Index