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White to Play

Games / Chess Puzzles /

Mating attack time. You might easily find the first move, but you have to find the second move as well to continue the attack.

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White to Play

Games / Chess Puzzles /

Take out a stopwatch! I played this finish in a five minute game on the ICC and had 51 seconds left in the given position. 30 seconds later, my opponent resigned. Can you match that by finding the winning continuation in 30 seconds? Don’t forget, Black will offer to trade queens at every opportunity.

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White to Play

Games / Chess Puzzles /

To say White pieces are awkwardly placed is an understatement; however, there is a way out to win.

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White to Play

Games / Chess Puzzles /

We go a nice response on the previous king and pawn ending that looked like a draw but wasn’t. Here’s another one. It looks like both kings need to hang around the kingside without one getting any advantage. It is, however, a win for White, which requires concrete calculation!

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White to Play

Games / Chess Puzzles /

I guess this is Rinck week. I love this position because it can be so instructional to beginners. They learn to race their pawns to queen first, but sometimes the race isn’t always to the swiftest. Some students might even conclude it’s a draw because the two kings will just shuttle back in forth on the same two squares and it will be a draw...

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White to Play

Games / Chess Puzzles /

It initially looks like Black can prevent both pawns from queening, but there is great mischief afoot by White.

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Black to Play

Games / Chess Puzzles /

Mate in Four! Have fun!

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Black to Play

Games / Chess Puzzles /

Mate in Four! Have fun!

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Black to Play

Games / Chess Puzzles /

This position demonstrates an ideal attacking position out of the Dutch Defense. White is ready to defend with Bf3, so Black must anticipate that.

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White to Play

Games / Chess Puzzles /

One of the nice things about king and pawn puzzles is that you can count them out. What does a straight pawn race starting out with 1.f5 tell you?

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White to Play

Games / Chess Puzzles /

This one looks easy, but be careful!

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White to Play

Games / Chess Puzzles /

How do you beat a world champion? Former champ Kramnik ran afoul of Saleh at the Airthings Masters in 2023. How was he finished off?

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White to Play

Games / Chess Puzzles /

I ran across this puzzle this morning and realized that I don’t think I’ve ever used this old classic. Black is threatening to queen a pawn and you, as White, want to checkmate Black. It’s a very logical solution and yet quite creative.

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White to Play

Games / Chess Puzzles /

White has to deal with an obvious threat: Black queening the c-pawn, so what do you do?

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White to Play

Games / Chess Puzzles /

Another opening trap you should know. This is from Inglis-Hickmott, UK, 2001.The game began with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 d6 4.d4 Bg4 5.dxe5 Nxe5 See Diagram

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Black to Play

Games / Chess Puzzles /

Here’s a game in the really sharp Schliemann Defense to the Ruy Lopez. Now you may see the first move, but be very careful on your follow ups. It started this way--1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.0–0 fxe4 6.Nxe5 Nf6 7.d3 Bd6 8.Nc4 See Diagram.

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White to Play

Games / Chess Puzzles /

Black can opt to lose material and then take a longer time to avoid mate, but what’s the straight-out mating line here?

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White to Play

Games / Chess Puzzles /

Here is a rough and tumble game from the 19th century. White played the Boden-Kieseritsky Gambit. Black did not defend well and then White overplayed his hand with his 7th move, but came back with a great 8th move. Your challenge is to find that 8th move and the continutation. The game started out with: 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nxe4 4.Nc3 Nxc3 5....

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White to Play

Games / Chess Puzzles /

Based on a brilliant win by Dr. Hartlaub in 1906.

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White to Play

Games / Chess Puzzles /

Care to guess which White soldier will deliver the mate?

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