'Tactics in the Sicilian' series



Here are some chess puzzles from the games of Michael Rohde.
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)
Timothy Taylor vs Michael Rohde, Lone Pine, 1976
2r3k1/6r1/p3p3/3bQp1p/2pP2q1/P1P5/2B1R1PP/5RK1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qxg2+ Rxg2 Rxg2+ Kh1 Rxc2+ ]

b)
Black mates in 2.
Malina Boskovic vs Michael Rohde, New York, 1979
3rk3/1p3p2/2p5/7P/1P1qpp1R/P5P1/2Q5/3BK3 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qg1+ ]

c)
Michael Rohde vs Stefan Mohr, Chicago, 1983
5b1r/2R5/p2r1k1p/5pp1/8/5B2/PP3P1P/4RK2 w - - 0 1
[ Bh5 if g4 h4 gxh3 f4 ]

d)
White mates in 3.
Michael Rohde vs Ian Findlay, Quebec, 1984
7r/R4R2/6pk/7p/6rP/6P1/5PK1/8 w - - 0 1
[ f4 ]

e)
Michael Rohde vs Marinus Kuijf, Beer-Sheva, 1987
3q1r1k/1p1b2pp/p4p2/2P2N2/2Q5/4R2P/1P3PP1/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nd6 if Be8 Rxe8 ]

1a)
Timothy Taylor vs Michael Rohde

Michael Rohde Puzzles, Part II.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Michael Rohde vs Jay Bonin, New York, 1989
4n2k/3p2np/p2P4/6p1/1qBQP3/6P1/1B4KP/8 w - - 0 1
[ Qe5 if Qb8 Bf7 ]

b)
Leslie Braun vs Michael Rohde, Long Island, 1989
4rbk1/1q4p1/7p/3n4/NpNBn3/1P3Q2/P5KP/3R4 b - - 0 1
[ ...Ng5 if Qg3 Ne3+ ]

c)
Joshua Riddell vs Michael Rohde, Philadelphia, 1990
2rq1rk1/5pbp/3pp1p1/4n3/1N6/1PB2P2/PQ4PP/R4R1K b - - 0 1
[ ...Nd3 Nxd3 Bxc3 ]

d)
Black mates in 4.
Lubomir Ftacnik vs Michael Rohde, Los Angeles, 1991
r1r3k1/3NQppp/q3p3/8/8/P1B1P1P1/1P1R1PbP/3K4 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qf1+ Kc2 Be4+ Rd3 Qxd3+ ]

e)
White mates in 4.
Michael Rohde vs 'Fidelity Mach 4', Cambridge, 1991
5b1r/pp3B2/6pp/2p4k/Q1P4P/5RP1/P3PPK1/1q6 w - - 0 1
[ Qd7 Qe4 Kh3 ]

f)
Michael Rohde vs Alex Yermolinsky, Los Angeles, 1991
4rrk1/pp3ppp/n2p4/2qP1P2/2nB1R2/6P1/PP1Q2BP/4R2K w - - 0 1
[ Bxc5 Nxd2 Be3 ]

2d)
mate in 4
Lubomir Ftacnik vs Michael Rohde

Michael Rohde Puzzles, Part III.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Michael Rohde vs 'Stalker', Boston, 1992
1R2n1k1/3q1ppp/4p3/r2p4/3P1P2/4P3/2Q2PBP/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Qc7 if Ra1+ Bf1 Qa4 Qa5 ]

b)
"Mephisto" vs Michael Rohde, Boston, 1992
2r1q1k1/Q2p2pp/4pb2/p7/5P2/B2p4/PP4KP/3R1R2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qg6+ if Kh1 Qe4+ w/...Bd4+ or if Kf2 Rc2+ mates ]

c)
White mates in 5.
Michael Rohde vs Alexander Ivanov, Washington, 1998
r1bR1bk1/ppQ1rp1p/2p3p1/2q5/8/2BB3P/PP4P1/2K2R2 w - - 0 1
[ Rxf8+ Kxf8 Qd8+ Re8 Rxf7+ ]

d)
Michael Rohde vs Gary De Fotis, Philadelphia, 2001
2rr2k1/pp1bpp1p/2qp1bp1/3N1P2/1PP1P3/8/P3B1PP/R2Q1R1K w - - 0 1
[ fxg6 if hxg6 Rxf6 or if Kg7 Nxe7 ]

e)
Jay Bonin vs Michael Rohde, Philadelphia, 2002
r3r1k1/4qpbp/p2p2p1/B7/P3nP2/2NQ2PP/2P5/3R1RK1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qa7+ Kh2 Nxc3 Bxc3 Re3 ]

f)
White mates in 4.
Michael Rohde vs Roger Pedersen, Parsippany, 2004
3rr3/pb1q1p2/1p2R1pp/3pB3/2P2P2/1P4Pk/P1B4P/4R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Bf5+ gxf5 Rxh6+ Kg4 Re3 ]

3e)
Jay Bonin vs Michael Rohde

Other US GMs
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