'Characteristic Puzzles in the Opening' series
Here are some chess puzzles from the games of David Smerdon.
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) 
Levan Aroshidze vs David Smerdon, Cala Galdana, 1996
4r1k1/pp3ppp/3p4/3b2P1/3P3P/4B1K1/PPrR1P2/6R1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxe3+ ]
b) 
Black mates in 3.
Gareth Charles vs David Smerdon, Hervey Bay, 1999
r4rk1/p3R3/2pp3p/4n1p1/P1P1Q1n1/B4NPq/4P3/R5KB b - - 0 1
[ ...Nxf3+ if Qxf3 Qh2+ Kf1 Qxh1# ]
c) 
David Smerdon vs Moshe Khatena, Internet, 2000
4r3/p1q3kp/2p2bp1/5p2/1PQ5/2N3P1/PB3P1P/6K1 w - - 1 0
[ Nd5 if Re4 Bxf6+ Kf7 Qxe4 ]
d) 
White mates in 4.
David Smerdon vs Svetozar Stojic, Canberra, 2001
rq4kr/5bpp/p1p2pN1/2Q1p3/2P5/1P5P/P2R1PP1/3R2K1 w - - 1 0
[ Rd8+ Qxd8 Rxd8+ Rxd8 Qf8+ ]
e) 
David Smerdon vs Pano Skiotis, Canberra, 2002
r2qr1k1/pp2nppp/1b6/3pn2b/8/1NPBBN1P/PP3PP1/R2QR1K1 w - - 1 0
[ Bxb6 if Nxf3+ Qxf3 ]
1d) 
mate in 4
David Smerdon vs Svetozar Stojic
David Smerdon puzzles, pt. ii.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
David Smerdon vs John Paul Wallace, Penrith, 2003
r1b2r2/4Npbk/p2Qp1p1/qp5p/n3P2P/2N1BP2/1PP3P1/R3K2R w KQ - 1 0
[ Nc6 if Bxc3+ Kf2 ]
b) 
Laura Moylan vs David Smerdon, Sydney, 2003
6k1/ppp3pp/8/Q1Pq3n/4r3/5P2/PP3P1P/2R2RK1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Nf4 Kh1 Re1 Qc3 Qg5 ]
c) 
Black mates in 3.
George Xie vs David Smerdon, Melbourne, 2004
5rk1/1pp1Q3/p3p1p1/1P1q1rNp/7P/1R4P1/P3Rb1K/8 b - - 0 1
[ ...Bg1+ Kxg1 Rf1+ ]
d) 
David Smerdon vs Tomek Rej, Gold Coast, 2009
r1b4R/p1p1k3/2p3p1/5p1p/2B1pP1n/2N1P3/PPP4P/2K5 w - - 1 0
[ Ba6 if Bb7 Rh7+ ]
e) 
Anya Corke vs David Smerdon, Queenstown, 2009
q3kb1r/1b1n1ppp/4pn2/1pP5/8/5NP1/1PQ1PPBP/1NB1K2R b Kk - 0 1
[ ...Be4 ]
2b) 
Laura Moylan vs David Smerdon
David Smerdon puzzles, pt. iii.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
Paul Anthony Garbett vs David Smerdon, Gold Coast, 2009
r1bqk2r/1p1nbp2/2n1p3/p3P2p/Q2N2p1/2NB4/PP3PPP/R1B1R1K1 b kq - 0 1
[ ...Nc5 if Nxc6 bxc6 ]
b) 
Black mates in 3.
Jens Kristiansen vs David Smerdon, Helsingor, 2013
5k2/5p2/4b1pp/1p6/3bN3/K7/1P2RPPP/2r1N3 b - - 0 1
[ ...Ra1+ Kb4 Ra4+ Kxb5 Bd7# ]
c) 
Alan Merry vs David Smerdon, Daventry, 2013
1k5r/ppp2Q1p/8/n2n4/3B4/Pq3P2/1Pr1BP1P/3RK2R b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxe2+ Kxe2 Nc3+ Bxc3 Qxf7 ]
d) 
White mates in 3.
David Smerdon vs Nicolas Croad, England, 2013
q2n2k1/p3rp2/1p2p1p1/3b3R/3P1Q2/P1r4P/1P3PP1/1B1R2K1 w - - 1 0
[ Qh6 if gxh5 Qh7+ ]
e) 
David Smerdon vs Simon Williams, Amsterdam, 2014
7r/2b3p1/1pq2k1p/1R1ppB2/r7/2P4Q/5PPP/3R2K1 w - - 1 0
[ Bd7 Qd6 Rbxd5 Qxd5 Qf5+ Ke7 Bxa4 if Qe6 Rd7+ ]
f) 
David Smerdon vs William Van Rensselaer, Tromsoe, 2014
r1b2rk1/pp3ppp/3bp3/8/3n4/2qB1N2/P4PPP/1RBQR1K1 w - - 1 0
[ Nxd4 if Qxd4 Bxh7+ ]
3c) 
Alan Merry vs David Smerdon
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