Csaba Balogh

Greatest
551 puzzles
From practical games
of 2016

Chess
Evolution
Responsible editor
Csaba Balogh

Cover designer
Piotr Pielach

Typesetting
Piotr Pielach ‹www.i-press.pl›

First edition 2017 by Chess Evolution

Greatest 551 puzzles. From practical games of 2016

Copyright © 2017 Chess Evolution

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, photo-
copying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of the publisher.

ISBN: 978-83-945362-5-1

All sales or enquiries should be directed to Chess Evolution

2040 Budaors, Nyar utca 16, Hungary

e-mail: info@chess-evolution.com
website: www.chess-evolution.com

Printed in Hungary
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Key to symbols 5
Preface 7
Introduction 9

Easy 11
Solutions to Easy 67
Medium 91
Solutions to Medium 139
Hard 161
Solutions to Hard 199
 KEY TO SYMBOLS

= Equality or equal chances

 White has a slight advantage
 Black has a slight advantage
 White is better
 Black is better
+- White has a decisive advantage
-+ Black has a decisive advantage
 unclear
 with compensation
 with counterplay
 with initiative
 with an attack
 with the idea
 only move

N novelty
! a good move
!! an excellent move
? a weak move
?? a blunder
!? an interesing move
?! a dubious move
+ check
# mate
 PREFACE

As a professional chess player, I know exactly how important it is to perform

well in tactical calculations. We face them so often that after playing a great
game, we can simply blunder something and throw away a safe point, causing
ourself sleepless nights!

For most of the players and chess fans, the biggest pleasure in a chessgame is to
beat an opponent with a beautiful combination, of which we can be proud at.
However to live with all the given oportunities and not miss any of the chan-
ces, we must stay in sharp shape all the time, what we can reach only by prac-
ticing puzzlesolving.

Many puzzle books are based on artificial positions or selected only for their
beauty. The concept of my book is different. The highest priority is to “use the
practical side of the puzzles” and take the level of calculation to a comple-
tely new dimension.

All the puzzles have been selected from recent games, trying to put the reader
in the shoes of “the player”.

The difficulty of the different sections might also give you a right evaluation
of your current tactical skills and bring them further ahead.

I tried to mix three things in my book:

1. a lot of fun in solving the puzzles,
2. a lot of different tactical ideas,
3. and of course, the direct practical use for your future games.

A very important factor to keep in mind — all the practical motifs from the
book can definitely be used in your future games!

Enjoy!

Csaba Balogh
 INTRODUCTION

USEFUL INFORMATION FOR OUR DEAR READERS

This book is the continuation of the successful puzzle-book series, which star-
ted with the “Greatest 365 Puzzles” and “Greatest 501 Puzzles” from 2012.
It was followed by „Tactics, Tactics, Tactics!” Volumes 3 and 4 which covered
the best practical puzzles of 2013-2015.

The new book contains 551 puzzles divided into 3 chapters. You will find a huge
range of tactical ideas that you can use in your own games! All the puzzles
have been collected from practical games throughout 2016. In each section the
puzzles are sorted according to the date of the game.

The book consists of three chapters:

1. Easy (217 Puzzles)
2. Medium (188 Puzzles)
3. Hard (146 Puzzles)

All-in-all, 551 puzzles created by the greatest masters of our time, such as Carl-
sen, Caruana, Kramnik, Anand and many more.

I advise you to try to solve all the combinations in each chapter one-by-one,
because a less difficult solution from the „Easy” section might be even more
brilliant from the beauty point of view than a ‚nutcracker’ from the „Hard”
ones. Even if a puzzle can be easily solved, it sharpens your tactical skills and
makes it so much easier to find such solutions in a practical game, even under
difficult circumstances.

To be tactically sharp is one of the basic requirements for a successful chess

player!
— EASY —
12 Easy

(1) (2)
▷ E. Sveshnikov ▷ Y. Krupenski
▶ N. Vitiugov ▶ M. Matlakov
Keres memorial rapid, 2016.01.08 Keres memorial rapid, 2016.01.08

1... −+ 1... -+
8 -+r+-+k+ 8 -+-wq-+k+
7 +p+lvl-trp 7 +-+-+p+p

6 pwqn+p+-zp 6 -+-+-+p+

5 +-sNpzP-+- 5 +N+-+-+-

4 -zP-+-+-+ 4 -+pvl-+R+

3 zP-+Q+NzPP 3 +-+r+-zP-

2 -+R+LzP-+ 2 -zPQ+-zP-zP

1 +-+-mK-+R 1 +-+-+-mK-

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h

(3) (4)
▷ B. Gelfand ▷ V. Sveshnikov
▶ I. Zhuk ▶ N. Vitiugov
Keres memorial rapid, 2016.01.08 Keres memorial rapid, 2016.01.10

1. +- 1... -+
8 rsn-wq-trk+ 8 -+-+-trk+
7 zpl+-vlpzpp 7 +-+-+p+-
6 -zp-+p+-+ 6 l+-+p+-zp

5 +-zp-zP-+- 5 +-+-+-+r

4 -+P+-+n+ 4 -+-vlP+-+

3 +-sN-+NzP- 3 +-+-+R+-

2 PzPQ+-zPLzP 2 -zP-wQLsNPwq

1 tR-vL-mK-+R 1 +-+R+K+-

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h
 Greatest 551 puzzles 13

(5) (6)
▷ K. Miton ▷ D. Lintchevski
▶ T. Kantans ▶ E. Sutovsky
Keres memorial rapid, 2016.01.10 Keres memorial rapid, 2016.01.10

1. +- 1... -+
8 r+-+-wq-mk 8 -+-+-+-+
7 +-trl+-+p 7 +-+-+-+p

6 -+-sN-zpRwQ 6 -+-+-+p+

5 +p+P+P+- 5 +K+-+-+-

4 -zPp+-+-+ 4 PzP-zp-+PzP

3 +-tR-+-+- 3 +-+kvlP+-

2 -+-+-+PzP 2 -+-zp-+-+

1 +-+-+-mK- 1 +r+L+-+R

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h

(7) (8)
▷ M. Noble ▷ A. Czebe
▶ Ma Qun ▶ I. Popov
New Zealand rapid, 2016.01.11 Delhi Open, 2016.01.12

1... -+ 1... -+
8 -+-+-+k+ 8 -+-+r+k+
7 zpp+-+pzp- 7 zppzp-+r+n
6 -+-+-+r+ 6 -+nzp-+-zp

5 +-+pzPq+p 5 +-+N+qzp-

4 -+-+-zPr+ 4 -+P+pvLP+

3 +-+-+-+- 3 +-zP-+-+P

2 PzP-vL-tRL+ 2 PzP-+QzPK+

1 +-+Q+K+- 1 +-+R+R+-

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h
14 Easy

(9) (10)
▷ B. Adhiban ▷ K. Raghunandan
▶ N. Abasov ▶ V. Bernardskiy
Wijk aan Zee B, 2016.01.16 Chennai Open, 2016.01.19

1. +- 1... -+
8 rsnl+-+k+ 8 -+N+-tr-mk
7 zp-+-+pzpp 7 +p+-+-zp-

6 -zp-+-+-+ 6 -+-+-+qzp

5 +-zpP+-+- 5 +-+Pzpn+-

4 -+P+-+-+ 4 pzP-+-tr-+

3 zP-+-+P+- 3 zP-+-+-+-

2 -vL-wQrwq-zP 2 -+-+Q+PzP

1 +-mKR+-tR- 1 +-tR-+-tRK

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h

(11) (12)
▷ S. Sevian ▷ B. Adhiban
▶ B. Bok ▶ A. Dreev
Wijk aan Zee B, 2016.01.23 Wijk aan Zee B, 2016.01.23

1... = 1. +-
8 -+-wQ-+-+ 8 r+-+k+-tr
7 +-+-zPk+p 7 zp-wqn+pzpp
6 -+-+-+-+ 6 -zp-+-+-+

5 wq-+-+-+- 5 +-+R+-+-

4 -zp-+-+-+ 4 Q+L+P+-+

3 +KzP-+-tr- 3 vl-+-+N+-

2 -zP-+-+-+ 2 P+-+-zPPzP

1 +-+-+-+- 1 +-+-+-mK-

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h
 Greatest 551 puzzles 15

(13) (14)
▷ E. Nakar ▷ G. Jones
▶ D. Jakovenko ▶ P. Carlsson
Gibraltar Open, 2016.01.27 Gibraltar Open, 2016.01.27

1... -+ 1. +-
8 -+-tr-+k+ 8 -+-+-mk-+
7 +-+-vlp+p 7 +-+-trrvlQ

6 -wQ-+-+p+ 6 pwq-+p+-+

5 tr-+-wq-+- 5 +-+n+-+R

4 -zp-+P+R+ 4 -+-+-+-+

3 +P+L+P+- 3 zPP+-+-zP-

2 -+P+K+-zP 2 -vL-+RzP-+

1 +-+-+-+R 1 +-+-+-mK-

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h

(15) (16)
▷ M. Esserman ▷ F. Perez Ponsa
▶ E. Iturrizaga ▶ R. Wojtaszek
Gibraltar Open, 2016.01.27 Gibraltar Open, 2016.02.01

1... -+ 1... -+
8 -+-+rtrk+ 8 -+-+-+-+
7 +pwq-sn-vl- 7 +-vl-+p+-
6 -+p+p+-zp 6 -+-+-trRmk

5 sN-zPp+-+- 5 +-+-+-+p

4 PzP-zPl+n+ 4 -+-+-zp-mK

3 +-vL-+NzP- 3 +-+-+P+P

2 -+-+LzP-+ 2 -+-+-+-+

1 +-tRQ+RmK- 1 +-+-+-+-

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h
16 Easy

(17) (18)
▷ R. Padmini ▷ P. Harikrishna
▶ M. Al Sayed ▶ S. Vidit
Gibraltar Open, 2016.02.01 Gibraltar Open, 2016.02.02

1. +- 1. +-
8 -+-+rmk-+ 8 -+l+-+k+
7 +pzp-tRp+r 7 zpq+-+pvl-

6 p+-wq-zPp+ 6 -+-+-+-+

5 +-+-+-wQ- 5 sn-+-zpP+-

4 -+-+-+-+ 4 -+p+P+N+

3 +LzP-+-+- 3 +-zP-wQN+-

2 PzP-+-zP-+ 2 PtrL+-mKP+

1 +-+-+-mK- 1 +-+-+-+R

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h

(19) (20)
▷ R. Edouard ▷ A. Donchenko
▶ V. Gunina ▶ M. Esserman
Gibraltar Open, 2016.02.02 Gibraltar Open, 2016.02.03

1. +- 1. +-
8 r+-tr-+k+ 8 r+-+r+-+
7 +-+nvlpzpp 7 +pwq-mkp+-
6 pzplsNp+-+ 6 -+p+-zp-wQ

5 wq-+-sn-zP- 5 zp-+-zpP+-

4 -+P+-+-+ 4 P+-+-+-+

3 +-sN-vL-tR- 3 +L+-+-+P

2 PzPL+QzP-zP 2 -zPP+-zPP+

1 +-mKR+-+- 1 +-+-tR-mK-

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h
 Greatest 551 puzzles 17

(21) (22)
▷ A. Schenk ▷ B. Gelfand
▶ M. Bartel ▶ A. Morozevich
German league, 2016.02.06 Zurich, 2016.02.13

1... -+ 1. +-
8 -+-+-+-+ 8 -+-+-vl-+
7 +-+-+-mk- 7 +-+-+kzpp

6 L+-+-+p+ 6 -zppwq-zp-+

5 +-+-+p+- 5 +-+-+P+-

4 -+-+-+-+ 4 -+P+QzP-+

3 +-+-+-zPP 3 zP-+-+-zP-

2 -tr-+-snK+ 2 -+-+L+-zP

1 +-+-+-tR- 1 +-+-+-+K

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h

(23) (24)
▷ L. Aronian ▷ V. Anand
▶ A. Shirov ▶ H. Nakamura
Zurich blitz, 2016.02.15 Zurich blitz, 2016.02.15

1. +- 1. +-
8 -tr-tr-+k+ 8 r+-+-trk+
7 zp-+-vlpzpp 7 zpp+-snp+p
6 -+-+lsn-+ 6 -+p+-wQ-+

5 +-zp-zp-+- 5 +-+p+-+-

4 -+P+-+-+ 4 -+-zP-+qvl

3 +-sNqvL-zPP 3 +-zPL+-+-

2 PzP-+QzPL+ 2 PzP-+-+-zP

1 tR-+-tR-mK- 1 tR-vL-+R+K

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h