"Tactics in the Queen's Gambit" by wtharvey.com
Here are some chess puzzles from the games of Almira Skripchenko.
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.
Almira Skripchenko vs Ralph Zimmer, Bad Mondorf, 1991
5r1k/p2n1p1p/5P1N/1p1p4/2pP3P/8/PP4RK/8 w - - 0 1
[ Rg8+ Rxg8 Nxf7# ]
b) 
Hway Oei vs Almira Skripchenko, Bad Mondorf, 1991
1n6/R1p3qk/1p1p3p/3Pp2P/1PP1Pr2/4QRp1/P2B2r1/2K5 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxf3 if Qxf3 Rf2 ]
c) 
Black mates in 2.
Cristina Iosif vs Almira Skripchenko, Rumania, 1992
4r1k1/pQ3pp1/7p/4q3/4r3/P7/1P2nPPP/2BR1R1K b - - 0 1
[ ...Qxh2+ Kxh2 Rh4# ]
d) 
White mates in 6.
Almira Skripchenko vs Anita Licina, Moscow, 1994
4k2r/Q2bP3/p1B2pp1/1p5p/7P/8/P1Pq1PP1/4R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Bxd7+ Qxd7 Qb8+ Kf7 Qxh8 Qxe7 Qh7+ Kf8 Rxe7 b4 Qf7# ]
e) 
Ortrun Goschl vs Almira Skripchenko, Matinhos, 1994
3q1rk1/pp3ppp/4p3/2PpP1PP/2n1b3/P3BN1R/1P3P2/2Q1K3 b - - 0 1
[ ...Bxf3 Rxf3 Nxe5 if Qd1 Nxf3+ or if Rg3 Nd3 ]
1e) 
Ortrun Goschl vs Almira Skripchenko
Almira Skripchenko puzzles, pt. ii.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
Black mates in 9.
Ana Benderac vs Almira Skripchenko, Matinhos, 1994
r7/2rb2k1/1b1p2pp/1p1Pp3/1P2PpPP/qB1R1P2/N3Q3/1KR5 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxc1+ Nxc1 Qa1+ Kc2 Rc8+ Rc3 Rxc3+ ]
b) 
Black mates in 3.
Elena Fatalibekove vs Almira Skripchenko, Moscow, 1994
7k/1p6/p2p4/2pN1b2/P1P5/2N2nr1/1P6/R6K b - - 0 1
[ ...Bh3 Ne3 Bg2+ Nxg2 Rh3# ]
c) 
Almira Skripchenko vs Maia Lomineishvili, Kishinev, 1995
3r1r1k/1bq2pp1/pp2pn1p/4N3/2P5/4Q1R1/PP3PPP/1B3RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxg7 Kxg7 Qg3+ Kh8 Ng6+ fxg6 Qxc7 ]
d) 
White mates in 5.
Almira Skripchenko vs P Krupkova, Yerevan, 1996
8/1P4p1/6P1/7p/7P/2K5/p7/k7 w - - 0 1
[ Kd3 Kb2 b8/Q+ if Kc1 Qb3 a1/N Qa2 Nb3 Qc2# or if Ka3 Kc4 a1/N Kc3 ]
e) 
Tatiana Shumiakina vs Almira Skripchenko, Budva, 1996
1k5r/pp1n1rb1/7q/2p5/3p2Rp/P4P1B/1P3QPP/2NR3K b - - 0 1
[ ...Nf6 ]
2b) 
mate in 3
Elena Fatalibekove vs Almira Skripchenko
Almira Skripchenko puzzles, pt. iii.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
Mark Van der Werf vs Almira Skripchenko, Cannes, 1997
6k1/5pp1/p4q2/1pN1p3/2b1P2p/P2B1P1P/1P2nQPK/8 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qf4+ Kh1 Ng3+ Kg1 Qc1+ Bf1 Nxf1 ]
b) 
White mates in 3.
Almira Skripchenko vs Rosa Te-Llalemand, Paris, 1999
r2r2k1/p3bppp/3p4/q2p3n/3QP3/1P4R1/PB3PPP/R5K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxg7+ if Kf8 Rg8+ ]
c) 
Almira Skripchenko vs Iulia Mashinskaya, Halle, 2000
2b2rk1/p3brpp/4p3/1Bp1B3/2P1n1P1/1q2N2P/1P2QP2/3RR1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rd3 if Qb4 Nc2 Qa5 Qxe4 ]
d) 
White mates in 3.
Almira Skripchenko vs Angela Khegai, Istanbul, 2000
2r1n1k1/1q1r1p1p/pp1ppBp1/8/P1P2PP1/1P1R3Q/7P/5RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Qxh7+ ]
e) 
White mates in 5.
Almira Skripchenko vs Claudia Amura, Shenyang, 2000
6k1/3R2pp/2p1bp2/p1q1pN2/4P3/Pr6/5PPP/2Q3K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxg7+ Kh8 Rxh7+ Kg8 Rg7+ ]
3c) 
Almira Skripchenko vs Iulia Mashinskaya
Almira Skripchenko puzzles, pt. iv.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
Ildiko Madl vs Almira Skripchenko, Germany, 2001
3r1r1k/3q2pp/5n2/1N2n3/P1Ppp3/1Q6/5PPP/3BRR1K b - - 0 1
[ ...Nd3 if Re2 Nc1 ]
b) 
Marta Zielinska vs Almira Skripchenko, Moscow, 2001
r7/1p2nkpQ/3qpp2/3p2p1/1PnP2P1/P4N1P/4RP2/2B2K2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Ng6 ]
c) 
Black mates in 3.
Ngan Phan-Koshnitsky vs Almira Skripchenko, Moscow, 2001
8/6pk/4Q3/p3P1Pp/1p3P1K/8/1P4q1/8 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qh2+ Qh3 Qxf4+ ]
d) 
Malina Nicoara vs Almira Skripchenko, France, 2004
6k1/1qr2pb1/6p1/4p3/4Nn2/2BrRQ1P/1P4P1/5R1K b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxe3 Qxe3 Rc4 Re1 f5 ]
e) 
Anne Muller vs Almira Skripchenko, France, 2004
3r2k1/2p2qp1/1p4r1/p3Q3/5p1n/1NPP3P/PP3PPK/3R2R1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxg2+ if Rxg2 Nf3+ or if Kh1 Rh2+ ]
4d) 
Malina Nicoara vs Almira Skripchenko
Almira Skripchenko puzzles, pt. v.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
Zsuzsa Veroci vs Almira Skripchenko, Internet, 2004
1r1r3k/1p4pp/p1b1Qn2/2q5/2P5/1PN3PB/P4R1P/3R2K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxd1+ Nxd1 Re8 Qf5 Re1+ Bf1 Qxf5 w/Rxd1 ]
b) 
Black mates in 3.
Ekaterini Fakhiridou vs Almira Skripchenko, Aghia Pelagia, 2004
6k1/5rb1/p7/1p4Q1/3q4/P3p3/1PP3R1/4K3 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rf1+ if Ke2 Qd2+ Kxf1 Qd1# ]
c) 
Rosa Te-Llalemand vs Almira Skripchenko, Val d'Isere, 2004
k1nr3r/p2q4/Qpn2R1p/3p2p1/3P4/B1PP2N1/6PP/5RK1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Nb8 ]
d) 
Almira Skripchenko vs Joanna Dworakowska, Warsaw, 2004
4k3/1p1n1p2/p1rp2r1/4pQB1/2q1P3/2P2RP1/1P1R3P/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rd5 if Rg7 Bh6 ]
e) 
Cyril Humeau vs Almira Skripchenko, Corsico, 2005
8/p4pkp/3p2p1/1rpBb3/1q6/1P1P4/P1Q1RPPP/6K1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qd4 if Bf3 Qa1+ mates ]
5a) 
Zsuzsa Veroci vs Almira Skripchenko
Almira Skripchenko puzzles, pt. vi.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
White mates in 3.
Almira Skripchenko vs Khye Theng Wan, Turin, 2006
8/1q3p1k/2r1p1pP/3pP3/1p1P1Q2/1P1B2P1/2P2PK1/8 w - - 1 0
[ Qf6 ]
b) 
Black mates in 5.
Eva Repkova vs Almira Skripchenko, Plovdiv, 2008
6k1/pq5p/6p1/4Qp2/1p2b3/1P6/P1r4P/1K2R1R1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Re2+ if Ka1 Rxa2+ Kxa2 Qa6+ ]
c) 
White mates in 4.
Almira Skripchenko vs Emma Richard, France, 2010
8/6kp/p3Q1p1/3Bp1b1/q2nP3/1R5P/P4PP1/6K1 w - - 1 0
[ Rb7+ Kh6 Rxh7+ ]
d) 
Almira Skripchenko vs Valerie Batteau, France, 2010
r4rk1/pq1n1pbp/1pn1p1p1/2p5/Q3PB1P/2P2NP1/PP3P2/3RKB1R w K - 1 0
[ Ba6 if b5 Bxb7 bxa4 Bxc6 ]
e) 
White mates in 5.
Almira Skripchenko vs Nana Dzagnidze, Antakya, 2010
r2q2r1/1p5Q/p2bR2p/3p1Bk1/3P4/1PP2b2/5PP1/R5K1 w - - 1 0
[ Rg6+ if Kf4 Bd3 or if Kxf5 Qf7+ ]
6b) 
mate in 5
Eva Repkova vs Almira Skripchenko
Almira Skripchenko puzzles, pt. vii.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
Irina Krush vs Almira Skripchenko, Moscow, 2010
8/5bkp/1pp2pp1/3n4/P1PP2P1/q2N1B1P/3Q2K1/8 b - - 0 1
[ ...Qxd3 Qxd3 Nf4+ ]
b) 
Black mates in 4.
Constanze Jahn vs Almira Skripchenko, Plovdiv, 2010
6k1/1p3pp1/2p4p/p4P2/P3n3/2P1qB2/1QPr2PP/5R1K b - - 0 1
[ ...Nf2+ if Kg1 Nh3+ ]
c) 
Eugenia Di Primio vs Almira Skripchenko, Plovdiv, 2010
2rqk1nr/1b2ppbp/pn1p2p1/QppP4/4P3/4BP2/PPP1B1PP/1NKR2NR b k - 0 1
[ ...Bxb2+ Kxb2 Nc4+ Bxc4 Qxa5 ]
d) 
White mates in 3.
Almira Skripchenko vs Nezihe Ezgi Menzi, Rogaska Slatina, 2011
1n1qr1k1/pp3Rb1/2r5/2p1p2Q/P3N3/1P1P4/2n1N2P/2B2R1K w - - 1 0
[ Rxg7+ ]
e) 
Almira Skripchenko vs Mathieu Barbaras, Belfort, 2012
6k1/1pq2nbp/p3Q1p1/P2P2P1/8/1P6/6K1/5R2 w - - 1 0
[ d6 if Qc6+ Rf3 ]
7c) 
Eugenia Di Primio vs Almira Skripchenko
Almira Skripchenko puzzles, pt. viii.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
Almira Skripchenko vs Sophie Milliet, Pau, 2012
3r3n/1p3Qpk/pqp2p1p/4p3/1PB1P3/2PR2PP/5P2/6K1 w - - 1 0
[ Qe7 if Rxd3 Qe8 ]
b) 
Almira Skripchenko and Andreea Bollengier, Pau, 2012
6k1/2N2ppp/3rbn2/2R5/8/nN4P1/5PBP/6K1 w - - 1 0
[ Ra5 ]
c) 
White mates in 3.
Almira Skripchenko vs Didier Leroy, Haguenau, 2013
1nb5/r1q1r1kp/pp2p1pb/4p1N1/2P1N2Q/4BR2/PP4PP/5RK1 w - - 1 0
[ Rf8 if Rf7 Nxe6+ ]
d) 
Eugenia Di Primio vs Almira Skripchenko, Rhodes, 2013
3r1rk1/pp3pp1/2p4p/5b1q/N1Bb1Pn1/2P3Q1/PP1BR1PP/4R2K b - - 0 1
[ ...Bf6 if h3 Bh4 hxg4 Bxg4 or if Nc5 Bh4 Qh3 Nf2+ ]
e) 
White mates in 5.
Almira Skripchenko vs Jorge Santamaria, Saint-Quentin, 2014
4b1r1/2R2p1k/p3pQp1/4B2p/1p1P1P2/7P/PP4PK/5q2 w - - 1 0
[ Rxf7+ Bxf7 Qxf7+ ]
8c) 
mate in 3
Almira Skripchenko vs Didier Leroy
More French GMs
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