Scholastic Chess

Steve Goldberg

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Junior Puzzles

This month, we present fifteen "White to move" or "Black to move" puzzles, all from the games of juniors aged twenty or under. The positions are taken from the games of Wesley So, Anish Giri, Robert Hess, Hou Yifan, and Ray Robson.

Everyman Quiz of the Month

Each month Everyman Chess sponsors our Everyman Quiz of the Month, offering a free chess book to three respondents with correct answers. This month, winners of our quiz will receive the book How to Play against 1 e4, by Neil McDonald.

We will accept all contest answers for two weeks following the appearance of this column, then randomly select our three winners from this group. In order to meet the two-week deadline, please e-mail your responses to me by February 22, 2012. Send your answers to scholasticchess@chesscafe.com. Good luck!

Problem #1

[FEN "r5r1/p3kpP1/b1pNB2p/2p5/P6n/
2P2P2/P5PP/R4RK1 w - - 0 1"]

White to move.

Problem #2

[FEN "2b1k2r/1p1p1ppp/r2B4/q1P1p3/8/
1pPQ2P1/P2KPPBP/R7 b - - 0 1"]

Black to move.

Tactics Time

Grade nationals are over, and spring nationals are coming up in a couple months. During this slight "lull" in scholastic action, I thought it might be fun to look at some tactical puzzles from the games of some of the top junior players. These positions come courtesy of the puzzle website www.wtharvey.com.

Solutions are provided at the end of the column, so you might want to write down your solutions as you go along, before checking the answers. Enjoy!

Wesley So – Viktor Laznicka, New Delhi 2011

[FEN "3b2rk/p6p/4br1Q/qp2N3/2p1PNP1/
3p3P/PP6/1K1R3R w - - 0 1"]

White to move

Vladimir Burmakin – Wesley So, Bad Wiessee 2006

[FEN "4r1k1/pp1n1pp1/2p2np1/3p4/PP1P1qP1/
1NP1rP2/4RRKP/2Q2B2 b - - 0 1"]

Black to move

Chan Wei-Xuan – Wesley So, Singapore 2007

[FEN "8/6k1/3p1rp1/3Bp1p1/1pP1P1K1/
4bPR1/P5Q1/4q3 b - - 0 1"]

Black to move

Anish Giri – Marcel Schroer, Hilversum 2008

[FEN "1r4k1/2R2pp1/3p1b1p/3Q4/8/
1q3NPP/5PK1/8 w - - 0 1"]

White to move

Anish Giri – Romain Picard, Bussum 2009

[FEN "5rk1/pp2Rppp/nqp5/8/5Q2/
6PB/PPP2P1P/6K1 w - - 0 1"]

White to move

Anish Giri – Hans Groffen, Utrecht 2009

[FEN "r3r1k1/2qn1ppp/p1p1pn2/2Pp1b2/3P4/
1NN1PP2/P3B1PP/R2Q1RK1 w - - 0 1"]

White to move

Robert Hess – Nelson Castaneda, Stratton 2004

[FEN "5kn1/pp6/4b1p1/3p1q2/5Q2/
1B6/PPP1N3/6K1 w - - 0 1"]

White to move

Robert Hess – Effim Treger, New York 2007

[FEN "1R4nr/p1k1ppb1/2p4p/4Pp2/
3N1P1B/8/q1P3PP/3Q2K1 w - - 0 1"]

White to move

Robert Hess – Niclas Huschenbeth, Belfort 2005

[FEN "3qkb1r/Q2b1p2/p2pp2p/1p1Np3/2r5/
5N2/PPP2PPP/2KRR3 w k - 0 1"]

White to move

Hou Yifan – Sun Xinyue, Xiapu 2005

[FEN "3k2r1/1b5p/p1rbp3/2n2pN1/1p1B1P2/
3P4/PP2N2P/K1R2R2 w - - 0 1"]

White to move

Hou Yifan – Siranush Andriasian, Jinan 2005

[FEN "6k1/2r4p/3p2p1/1n1P1p2/P7/
1BnK3P/6P1/2R5 w - - 0 1"]

White to move

Hou Yifan – Tatjana Vasilevich, Beijing 2008

[FEN "r2r2k1/1p3ppp/p7/q2n4/8/5B2/
PQ3PPP/R2R2K1 w - - 0 1"]

White to move

Ray Robson – Rao Prasanna, Heraklio 2004

[FEN "2rqnk2/pp2p1b1/3pbpQR/4P1p1/2r3P1/
1NN1BP2/PPP5/2K4R w - - 0 1"]

White to move

Vojtech Plat – Ray Robson, Kemer 2007

[FEN "1n1r1rk1/p3qpb1/bpp1p1pp/8/P1NPN3/
1B2PQ2/1P3PPP/R4RK1 b - - 0 1"]

Black to move

Ray Robson – Pieter Bierkens, Chicago 2006

[FEN "2r5/1bqkrQ2/pp1p4/4Pp2/2P4R/
1NN5/PP4PP/7K w - - 0 1"]

White to move

Ready to check your answers? Here are the solutions:

Wesley So – Viktor Laznicka: 1.Nxe6. If 1…Rxh6, 2.Nf7#.

Vladimir Burmakin – Wesley So: 1...Nxg4 2.fxg4 Qxg4+ 3.Kh1 Rxe2.

Chan Wei-Xuan – Wesley So: 1...Rf4+ 2.Kxg5 Bb6, followed by 3…Bd8.

Anish Giri – Marcel Schroer: 1.Rc8+ Kh7 (1…Rxc8 2.Qxb3) 2.Qf5+ g6 3.Rxb8.

Anish Giri – Romain Picard: 1.Qxf7+ Rxf7 2.Re8+ Rf8 3.Be6+ Kh8 4.Rxf8#.

Anish Giri – Hans Groffen: 1.g4 Bg6 2.g5 Nh5 3.f4.

Robert Hess – Nelson Castaneda: 1.Nd4.

Robert Hess – Effim Treger: 1.Ne6+ Kxb8 2.Qd8+ Kb7 3.Nc5#.

Robert Hess – Niclas Huschenbeth: 1.Nxe5 dxe5 (1...exd5 2.Nc6+) 2.Nf6+.

Hou Yifan – Sun Xinyue: 1.Bxc5 Bxc5 2.Rxc5, followed by 3.Nxe6+.

Hou Yifan – Siranush Andriasian: 1.Rc6.

Hou Yifan – Tatjana Vasilevich: 1.Qe5.

Ray Robson – Rao Prasanna: 1.Rh8+ Bg8 (1…Bxh8 2.Rxh8+ Bg8 3.Qxg8#) 2.Rxg8+ Kxg8 3.e6, followed by 4.Qf7#.

Vojtech Plat – Ray Robson: 1…Qb4 2.Ned2 (2.Ncd2 Bxf1) Bxc4.

Ray Robson – Pieter Bierkens: 1.e6+ Kc6 2.Nd4+ Kc5 3.Qxf5+ d5 (3…Kxc4 4.Nc6#; 3…Kb4 4.Nc2#) 4.Na4+ Kb4 (4…Kd6 5.Qf4#; 4…Kxc4 5.Qf1+ Kb4 6.Nc6#) 5.a3+ Ka5 (5…Kxc4 6.Qc2#; 5…Kxa4 6.Qc2+ Ka5 7.b4#.

Answers to Last Month’s Quiz

Problem #1

[FEN "b3q1r1/3k1Np1/2nBp1Qp/1pP5/
2p5/2P5/5PPP/R5K1 w - - 0 1"]

White to move.

Answer: 1.Ne5+ immediately wins. If 1…Nxe5, 2.Ra7+ Kd8 (if 2…Kc6, 3.Qe4#) 3.Rxa8+ Kd7 4.Rxe8 Nxg6 5.Rxg8. From Alekhine-Bogoljubow, World Championship (1), 1929.

Problem #2

[FEN "6k1/4brpp/r1p1pp1B/p3q3p/2P1N3/
PP4Q1/2n3PP/3R1R1K w - - 0 1"]

White to move.

Answer: 1.Nxf6+ Bxf6 2.Qxe5 1-0 (if 2…Bxe5, 3.Rd8+ Rf8 4.Rfxf8#. From Cornette-Warman, 2011 London Classic (1.6).

© 2012 Steve Goldberg. All Rights Reserved.

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