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January 2020 Chess Puzzle Answer Key

Puzzle 1: 2019 World Blitz Championship

White: Baadur Jobava         Black: Magnus Carlsen

Black to move

 

Answer: 47. ..., Bb4!; 48. Nc3, a2; 49. Nxa2, Be1 now whites pawns drop but lets just see how Magnus converts the rest of the game: 50. Kc4, Bxg3; 51. Nb4+, Kd6; 52. Kd3, Bxh4; 53. e4, fxe4+; 54, Kxe4, Bg3; 55. f5, h4; 56. Nd5 , h3

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Puzzle 2: Biel SKA 1996

White: Lajos Portisch          Black: Anatoly Karpov

Black to move

 

Answer: 19. ..., Rxb5; 20. Bxb5, Rg4 and here white gave up as he is losing material either on h1 or h4

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Puzzle 3: Candidates Tournament 1950

White: Alexander Kotov         Black: Paul Keres

White to move

 

Answer: 16. Nf4, gxh4; 17. Nxg6, Re8; 18. Nh8 with a crushing attack but here is the rest of the game to see how white finished, Re7; 19. Qh7+, Kf8; 20. f4, Nxc4; 21. f5, exf5; 22. 0-0, Bc8; 23. Bxf5, Bxf5; 24. Rxf5, Ke8; 25. Rxf7, Kd7; 26. Qf5+, Kc6; 27. Qf6+, Kd7; 28. e6+, Kc6; 29. Rxe7, Qxh8; 30. Rxc7+, Kb5; 31. Qe7, a5; 32. Qd7+, Ka6; 33. Rb1, Nxa3; 34. Rxb6+, Kxb6; 35. Qc6++

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Puzzle 4: FIDE Chess.com Grand Swiss

White: Hao Wang          Black: Xiangzhi Bu

White to move

 

Answer: 17. c4! (Ng5 is a close second but not as crushing as c4), Qd6 (17. ..., Nxc4; 18. Bxc4, Qxc4; 19. Rc1); 18. Ng5, Bxe2; 19. Qxe2