'Tactics in the Sicilian' series
Here are some chess puzzles taken from the games of Mark Taimanov.
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 3.
Mark Taimanov vs Grigory Goldberg, Leningrad, 1947
1r1b1n2/1pk3p1/4P2p/3pP3/3N4/1p2B3/6PP/R5K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nb5+ Kc6 Na7+ ]
b) 
Mark Taimanov vs Tigran Petrosian, Zurich, 1953
r1n1q1k1/5rpp/4b3/p2pPp2/2pP1P1Q/B1P2R2/2B3PP/R5K1 w - - 0 1
[ Ba4 ]
c) 
White mates in 4.
Mark Taimanov vs Osvaldo Bazan, Buenos Aires, 1960
R4rk1/4r1p1/1q2p1Qp/1pb5/1n5R/5NB1/1P3PPP/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Ng5 if hxg5 Rxf8+ ]
d) 
White mates in 2.
Mark Taimanov vs Erich Eliskases, Buenos Aires, 1960
5b2/1p3rpk/p1b3Rp/4B1RQ/3P1p1P/7q/5P2/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxh6+ ]
e) 
Mark Taimanov vs Yuri Sakharov, Leningrad, 1960
r7/5qk1/r3p1pp/p1Rn3P/Pp1P1p1B/8/1PQ2PP1/4R1K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxd5 if exd5 Re7 ]
1a) 
mate in 3
Mark Taimanov vs Grigory Goldberg
Mark Taimanov Puzzles, Part II.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
White mates in 6.
Mark Taimanov vs Viktor Korchnoi, Tallinn, 1965
3r4/2Rb4/1Rn3rp/3kp3/4NPP1/2PP3P/7K/8 w - - 0 1
[ f5 if Bxf5 gxf5 ]
b) 
Mark Taimanov vs Vladas Mikenas, Tallinn, 1965
3k4/4nR2/pq1b4/5BQ1/3P3P/2r3P1/5PK1/8 w - - 0 1
[ Rxe7 if Bxe7 Qg8+ mates ]
c) 
White mates in 6.
Mark Taimanov vs Svend Hamann, Kislovodsk, 1966
r1b2r2/pp4k1/5Np1/6Pp/3B3Q/P2q1P2/4RK1P/8 w - - 0 1
[ Re7+ Rf7 Nd7+ Qxd4+ Qxd4+ Kg8 Re8+ ]
d) 
White mates in 4.
Mark Taimanov vs Eldis Cobo Arteaga, Habana, 1967
3q1r2/2n5/p4pkp/3PrN1p/1pP2Q2/1P4BP/P4PP1/R5K1 w - - 0 1
[ Qxh6+ if Kxf5 Qh7+ or if Kf7 Qxh5+ ]
e) 
White mates in 6.
Mark Taimanov vs Antonio Medina-Garcia, Venice, 1969
8/1R6/3r2pk/3pN2p/1Q2nP2/4q2P/6PK/8 w - - 0 1
[ Nf7+ Kh7 Ng5+ Kg8 Rb8+ ]
2c) 
mate in 6
Mark Taimanov vs Svend Hamann
Mark Taimanov Puzzles, Part III.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
Mark Taimanov vs Lubomir Neckar, Brno, 1975
3r1nk1/p1r3p1/2p1p3/N1PpPnNP/bP5q/P2B2R1/3Q2K1/4R3 w - - 0 1
[ Bxf5 if exf5 Rh1 ]
b) 
White mates in 6.
Mark Taimanov vs Juan Bellon Lopez, Bucharest, 1979
4r1k1/1p5p/5RpP/1q1P4/r3n3/P6P/1B1Q2K1/5R2 w - - 0 1
[ Rxg6+ hxg6 h7+ Kxh7 Rf7+ ]
c) 
Mark Taimanov vs Aivars Gipslis, URS, 1980
k3r3/qp1N3p/p1n1p3/b4p2/2Q1p3/1N2P3/1P3PPP/3R2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Nxa5 if Nxa5 Qc7 Nc6 Nb6+ ]
d) 
Mark Taimanov vs Klaus Kolnsberg, Bad Woerishofen, 1992
r1b2rk1/1pq1ppbp/p2p2p1/8/2PQ2n1/1PN3P1/PB2PPBP/2R2RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Qxg7+ Kxg7 Nd5+ ]
e) 
Mark Taimanov vs German Kochetkov, Minsk, 1995
7k/1pq3rp/p1p1r3/2P1Np2/1P3P2/2Q4P/P6K/3R4 w - - 0 1
[ Rd8+ Qxd8 Nf7+ ]
3e) 
Mark Taimanov vs German Kochetkov
Mark Taimanov Puzzles, Part IV.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
White mates in 7.
Mark Taimanov vs Jorgen Dalmau, Stockholm, 1995
2b2rk1/r5b1/pq2P1R1/3P1R2/2p1N3/PP2p3/1B2Q1K1/8 w - - 0 1
[ Bxg7 Rxf5 Nf6+ Rxf6 Bxf6+ Kf8 e7+ Ke8 Qh5+ Kd7 e8/N# ! ]
b) 
White mates in 3.
Mark Taimanov vs Vladimir Onoprienko, Vienna, 1995
8/1p2N1k1/p5NR/P1Q5/2P1b1P1/5pP1/1q3P1K/3r4 w - - 0 1
[ Nf5+ if Kf7 Qe7+ or if Bxf5 Qf8# ]
Thx to Gideon
c) 
Mark Taimanov vs Heikki Lehtinen, Stockholm, 2000
r5k1/1p2q2p/2p2pp1/4p1n1/1PP5/P3Q1P1/1r3P1P/R2R1BK1 w - - 0 1
[ h4 if Nf7 Qc3 ]
4a) 
mate in 7
Mark Taimanov vs Jorgen Dalmau
More Russian GMs
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