Puzzle 1: Sochi 2008
White: Levon Aronian Black: Boris Gelfand
White to move
Answer:
1. Qe5 (black resigned here), Rxd7; 2. Qe8+, Rxe8; 3. Rxe8++
or 1. Qe5, Qc3; 2. Qxd5 and white is up material and thus winning
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Puzzle 2: Keres Memorial 2001
White: Sergei Karjakin Black: Tauno Metsalu
White to move
Answer:
1. Qxh7+, Kxh7 ; 2. Rh3 ++ Anastasia's mate (knight and rook working together to checkmate a king mostly on a side file)
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Puzzles 3: Gibraltar Masters 2010
White: Daniel Fridman Black: Aleksandr Lenderman
Black to move
Answer:
1..., Qg4+; 2. Kh2, Nf3+; 3. Kh1, Qh3+!; 4. Bxh3, Rh2++ Arabian Mate
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Puzzle 4: 1957
White: Daniel Yanofsky Black: Samuel Reshevsky
White to move
Answer:
1. e8=Q+ (you could also promote to a bishop), Kxe8; 2. Qe6+, Kf8; 3. Bh6++
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For a study of the entire games from this month's puzzles, visit https://lichess.org/study/NBI8GJOn