Csaba Balogh

Greatest
525 puzzles
From practical games
of 2018

Chess
Evolution
Responsible editor
Csaba Balogh

Cover designer
Piotr Pielach

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

First edition 2019 by Chess Evolution

Greatest 525 puzzles. From practical games of 2018

Copyright © 2019 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: 978-615-5793-11-0

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 81
Medium 113
Solutions to Medium 163
Hard 189
Solutions to Hard 205
 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

First of all, I would like to say thank you to my good friend GM Adam Horvath,
who helped me to collect and select the greatest puzzles of 2018.

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 the prac-
tical games of 2012. It was followed by „Tactics, Tactics, Tactics!” Volume 3
and Volume 4 which covered the best practical puzzles of 2013–2015. The next
one of the series was the „Greatest 551 Puzzles” with the combinations of 2016
which was followed by the „Greatest 550 puzzles” from 2017.

The new book contains 525 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 2018. In each section,
the puzzles are sorted according to the date of the game.

The book consists of three chapters:

1. Easy (275 Puzzles)
2. Medium (190 Puzzles)
3. Hard (60 Puzzles)

All in all 525 puzzles created by the greatest masters of our time, such as Carl-
sen, Caruana, Aronian, 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 solutions in a practical game, even under dif-
ficult circumstances.

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

player!
— EASY —
12 Easy

1 2
▷ H. Nakamura ▷ T. Hillarp Persson
▶ M. Carlsen ▶ K. Alekseenko
Internet blitz, 03.01.2018 Rilton Cup Stockholm, 03.01.2018

1...–+ 1...–+
8 -+-+L+-+ 8 -mkrtr-+-+
7 +-+-+-+p 7 zp-+-+-zpp

6 -zp-mkpzpp+ 6 -zp-+-zp-+

5 +-+n+-+- 5 +Nsn-zpl+-

4 P+-zP-zP-+ 4 -tR-+-+-+

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

2 -+-mK-+-+ 2 P+-+PzPLzP

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

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

3 4
▷ M. Carlsen ▷ M. Antipov
▶ H. Nakamura ▶ J. Santos Latasa
Internet blitz, 03.01.2018 Rilton Cup Stockholm, 04.01.2018

1.+– 1.+–
8 -+-+-+-+ 8 -+-+-+-+
7 zpp+-+ptrk 7snl+-+k+p
6 -+-+r+qzp 6 -zp-+r+p+

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

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

3 +P+-+Q+P 3 +-+-+PzP-

2 -+-tR-+P+ 2 -vL-+-+-zP

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

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h
 Greatest 525 puzzles 13

5 6
▷ F. Urkedal ▷ K. Lie
▶ S. Agdestein ▶ F. Urkedal
Norwegian Champ. blitz, 05.01.2018 Norwegian Champ. rapid, 07.01.2018

1...–+ 1.+–
8 -+r+-+k+ 8 -+-+-+-+
7 +-wq-+pzp- 7 zp-+-zp-+k

6 p+-+l+-zp 6 -sn-+Nvlp+

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

4 -zPrsNn+-+ 4 -+qzP-+-+

3 zP-+QzP-+P 3 +-+Q+LzPP

2 -+-+NzPP+ 2 -+-+-zPK+

1 +-tR-+RmK- 1 +-+-+-+-

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

7 8
▷ V. Potkin ▷ D. Paravyan
▶ A. Morozevich ▶ S. Sjugirov
Starodubtsev Mem. rapid, 08.01.2018 Vladimir Dvorkovich rapid, 13.01.2018

1.+– 1...–+
8 r+-+r+k+ 8 k+-+r+-+
7 +p+-+pzpp 7zp-+-+-zp-
6 pwq-zp-sn-+ 6 -wqR+-zp-+

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

4 -+-+-+-wQ 4 -wQ-zP-+-zP

3 zP-+L+-+- 3 +N+-tr-+-

2 -zPP+-+PzP 2 -zP-+-+P+

1 tR-+-+R+K 1 +KtR-+-+-

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

9 10
▷ D. Kadric ▷ A. Sarana
▶ A. Gorovets ▶ A. Goganov
Charlotte GM, 13.01.2018 Vladimir Dvorkovich rapid, 14.01.2018

1.+– 1...–+
8 -+-tr-tr-mk 8 -+r+-+-mk
7 +psnl+pzpp 7 +-+-+p+-

6 p+-+q+-+ 6 -+-+p+-+

5 +-+NzP-+- 5 +-+-zPq+p

4 -+-+-+-wQ 4 -+-zp-+-+

3 +N+-+-+- 3 +-+NvlP+-

2 PzP-+-+PzP 2 PzP-+Q+RzP

1 +-+-tRRmK- 1 +-+-+-+K

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

11 12
▷ M. Sadler ▷ V. Potkin
▶ D. Alsina Leal ▶ A. Aleksandrov
British league, 14.01.2018 Paul Keres Memorial rapid, 14.01.2018

1.+– 1...–+
8 r+r+-+-+ 8 -+-+-+k+
7 +p+lmk-+p 7 wq-+-+-zp-
6 p+-zp-snp+ 6 -+n+r+-+

5 +-+Pzpp+- 5 +R+pzPp+-

4 P+n+-+-vL 4 -+pzP-zPnzp

3 +LsN-zPP+- 3 tr-vL-+-+-

2 -+-+K+PzP 2 -+-wQ-+PzP

1 +RtR-+-+- 1 +-+NtR-mK-

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h
 Greatest 525 puzzles 15

13 14
▷ J. Burke ▷ Y. Wei
▶ A. Gorovets ▶ W. So
Charlotte GM, 14.01.2018 Wijk aan Zee, 19.01.2018

1.+– 1...–+
8 r+l+k+-tr 8 -+r+k+-wq
7 zpp+-zppvlp 7 +-+-+p+-

6 -+p+-snp+ 6 P+n+p+p+

5 +-+-+-sN- 5 +Q+-+-+-

4 -+-+-+-+ 4 -+-tR-+-+

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

2 PvLPzPLzPP+ 2 -+-zP-zP-+

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

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

15 16
▷ D. Maghalashvili ▷ Y. Quesada Perez
▶ M. Mchedlishvili ▶ A. Lenderman
Georgian Championship, 21.01.2018 Internet rapid, 25.01.2018

1.+– 1...–+
8 -+-tr-tr-+ 8 r+-+k+-tr
7 +l+-wqpmkp 7 +-wqnvlpzp-
6 pzp-sN-+p+ 6 -zp-+p+-zp

5 +-+-zp-+- 5 +Q+pzP-+-

4 -+PsnP+-+ 4 -+nzP-sN-zP

3 wQP+-+-zP- 3 zP-+-+N+-

2 P+-+-zPLzP 2 -zP-+-zPP+

1 +-+RtR-mK- 1 tR-vL-mK-+R

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

17 18
▷ T. Gareev ▷ N. Vitiugov
▶ I. Rozum ▶ B. Gledura
Chennai open, 25.01.2018 Gibraltar Masters, 30.01.2018

1.+– 1.+–
8 r+r+-+-+ 8 -+-+r+k+
7 zp-+k+lzp- 7 +l+-wq-zPp

6 -zpn+-+-zp 6 p+-zp-+-+

5 +-+pzPp+P 5 +pzp-+-+-

4 -zP-+-zP-+ 4 -+-+-+-+

3 zP-tR-vLN+- 3 +P+-tr-wQP

2 -+-+-mKP+ 2 PvL-+-tRPsN

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

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

19 20
▷ K. Lagno ▷ R. Pruijssers
▶ N. Grandelius ▶ M. Carlsen
Gibraltar Masters, 30.01.2018 Internet rapid, 31.01.2018
1...–+
1...–+
8 -+-+-+-+
8 -+-+-trk+ 7 tR-+-+-+-
7 +-+-+qzp- 6 p+-+kzp-+
6 p+-+-+-+
5 tr-+-+-+p
5 +pwQ-+-+p
4 -+Nsn-+-mK
4 -+-+p+-zP
3 +-+-+-+P
3 +-+-zPrzP-
2 -+-+-+P+
2 PzP-+-zP-+
1 +-+-+-+-
1 tR-vL-+RmK-
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
 Greatest 525 puzzles 17

21 22
▷ Z. Izoria ▷ B. Gledura
▶ C. Holt ▶ R. Praggnanandhaa
Internet rapid, 31.01.2018 Gibraltar Masters, 01.02.2018

1.+– 1.+–
8 -+qtr-+k+ 8 r+-wq-trk+
7 +n+-+pzp- 7 zplzpn+pvlp

6 -zp-zP-+-zp 6 -zp-+psnp+

5 +-+-+-+- 5 +-+psN-vL-

4 -+-+-zP-+ 4 -+PzP-+-+

3 +-+-+QzP- 3 +-sN-+-zP-

2 -+-+LzP-+ 2 PzP-+PzPLzP

1 +-+R+-mK- 1 tR-+Q+RmK-

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

23 24
▷ E. Miroshnichenko ▷ E. Hansen
▶ A. Lenderman ▶ S. Mamedyarov
Internet rapid, 03.02.2018 Internet rapid, 03.02.2018

1.+– 1...–+
8 -+ltr-+k+ 8 -+-+-+k+
7 +p+-+-zpp 7+-zp-+pvlp
6 -+-+-+-+ 6 p+l+-wq-+

5 +P+-+psN- 5 +-zP-+-+-

4 -+Pzp-+-+ 4 -+-zp-+psn

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

2 r+-+qzPLzP 2 PsNQvL-zPPzP

1 +R+-wQ-mK- 1 +-+-sN-mK-

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