Puzzle 1: 2005
White: Levon Aronian Black: Valerij Popov
White to move
Answer:
1. Ng6+ fxg6 2. Re1+ Be6(2. Kf8 3. Qd6+ Kg8 [Kf7 4. Qxg6+ Kg8 5. Re8# 4. Re8+ Kh7 5. Qxg6# 3. Rxe6 Kf8 [Nxe6 4.Qxe6+ Kf8 5. Qd6+ Ke8 6.fxg6 and black is getting mated because Qd7+ followed by Qf7# and Qe6+ followed by Qd7# are both threatened and there is nothing black can do.] 4. Qd6+ Kg8 5. Bc4 Kh7 6. Re7 gxf5 7. Qf6 Rhg8 8. Qxg5 Popv resigned here, Qxh5+ is threatened and there’s not a good way to stop it 8. Qxc6 9. Be6… black is lost. 1. Re1 is also very strong for white but Ng6+ is more forceful.
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Puzzle 2: 2021
White: Wesley So Black: Alireza Firouzja
White to move
Answer:
1. Re7+ Bxe7 2. fxe7+ Kxe7 3. Re1+ Kd6 4. Ne5 (the threat of Nf7+ is too much for black to handle and there is not a good defense) Rh7 5. Nxd7 Qxd7 6. Qe5#… Firouzja chose to get mated instead of playing 5. Nxd7 and continue to suffer after Qxh7.
1. Nxg5+ hxg5 2. Re7+ Bxe7 3. fxe7+ Ke7 4. Qxg5+ Nf6 5. Qg7+ wins the Rook on h8 but Black has two Knights vs a Rook in that position, good for white because the Black King is weak but not as convincing as the game continuation.
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Puzzles 3: 1928
Endgame Study by Sergei Zhigis
White to move
Answer:
1. d6 c6 (cxd6 2. h6 b2 3.h7 b1=Q 4. h8=Q+ Qb8 5. Qh1+ leads to mate) [1. b2 2. dxc7 b1=Q 3. c8=Q+ Qb8 4. Qxb8 Kxb8 5. h6 wins] 2. h6 b2 3. h7 b1=Q 4. h7=Q+ (4. h7=R+ Qb8 5. Rd8 c5 6. Rxb8+ Kxb8 7. Kb5 or Ka5 is a draw) 5. Qd8 Qxd8… Stalemate if Black tries 5. c5 6.Qxd7 is forcing mate for white, 7. Qc6+ is impossible to prevent. If 1. h6 b2 2. h7 b1=Q 3. h8=Q+ Qb8 4. Qxb8+ Kxb8, black is winning the pawn ending… (4. Qd4 Qb7+ 5. Ka5 Qa7+ and black reaches a winning ending)
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Puzzle 4: 2009
White: Ian Nepomniachtchi Black: Aleksandr Alekseevich Kharitonov
White to move
Answer:
1. Ngxf7 Rxf7 2. Qh6+ Kg8 (Kxh6 Nf7+ will win back the Queen and leave white easily winning) 3. Nxf7 Kxf7 4. Rxc7 Qxc7 (4.Nxc7 5. Qxh7+ and white will take on b7 next turn) 5. Bxd5 Kg8 (5. Bxd5 6. Qxh7+) 6. Bxe6+ and Nepo went on to convert the two pawns and win. It should be noted that 4. Qxh7+ is an alternative for white and is also winning because of the same ideas played in the game.
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Puzzle 5: 2007
White: Robert Fontaine Black: Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Black to move
Answer:
1. Rh2+ Kg3 2. f1=N+ Kf4 3. Rh4+ Kg5 (3. Ke5 4. Bh2# or Bd4# if 3. Bg4 4. Rxg4 Kf3 [Ke5 5. Bh2#] 5. Nd2# ) 4. Be3+ Kxh4 5. g5+ Kh5 6. Ng3+ Fontaine Resigned here, 6. Kh6 7. g4#
