SPOT ON CHESS PUZZLES For FRIDAY, May 26th of 2023: Magnus wins the SUPERBET BLITZ TOURNAMENT!

I have four puzzles for your solving pleasure today…

Magnus Carlsen took 1st place at the SUPERBET BLITZ tournament - a very nice tournament win indeed. Our first two puzzles are “easy”, puzzle three “easy-intermediate” and puzzle four “intermediate”. Happy solving chess sleuths!

THE GAMES:

Jan-Krzysztof Duda vs Anish Giri

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. f3 e6 4. e4 c5 5. d5 d6 6. Bd3 Bg7 7. Ne2 Nbd7 8. O-O Ne5 9. Nec3 exd5 10. cxd5 Nxd3 11. Qxd3 O-O 12. Bg5 h6 13. Bh4 g5 14. Bf2 Nh5 15. Nd2 Nf4 16. Qc2 b5 17. Nxb5 Rb8 18. a4 a6 19. Nc3 Rxb2 20. Qxb2 Bxc3 21. Qa2 Bxa1 22. Qxa1 a5 23. Be3 Ba6 24. Rb1 Bd3 25. Rb7 Ba6 26. Rb3 Nd3 27. Nf1 Nb4 28. Ng3 Bc8 29. Nh5 f6 30. Bd2 Nc2 31. Qb2 Nd4 32. Rb6 Qe8 33. Ng3 Qxa4 34. Bc3 Rd8 35. Ne2 f5 36. Bxd4 cxd4 37. Qxd4 Qxd4+ 38. Nxd4 fxe4 39. fxe4 Kf7 40. Kf2 a4 41. Ke3 a3 42. Rb3 Bd7 43. Rxa3 Rb8 44. Ra7 Ke8 45. Kd2 Rb2+ 46. Nc2 h5 47. Kc3 Rb1 48. Ne3 Rc1+ 49. Kd4 Kd8 50. e5 dxe5+ 51. Kxe5 Re1 52. Kd6 Rxe3 53. Rxd7+ Ke8 54. Rg7 g4 55. Rg5 Re2 56. Re5+ Resigns 1-0

Krill Shevchenko vs Levon Aronian

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Be7 6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O Nbd7 8. Qc2 c6 9. b3 b6 10. Nc3 Ba6 11. e4 dxc4 12. Rfe1 Qc8 13. h4 Re8 14. Bh3 Qb7 15. Rad1 Rac8 16. Qb1 Bb4 17. bxc4 Bxc3 18. Bxc3 Bxc4 19. Bb2 Qa6 20. Ne5 Red8 21. Nxc4 Qxc4 22. Bf1 Qb4 23. Re3 Qf8 24. a4 c5 25. Ba3 Rc7 26. Rc1 Rb8 27. Bb5 Qc8 28. Rec3 h6 29. Qd3 Ra8 30. Ba6 Qd8 31. Bb5 Rac8 32. dxc5 Nxc5 33. Qxd8+ Rxd8 34. Bxc5 Rxc5 35. Rxc5 bxc5 36. e5 Ne4 37. Bc6 Nd2 38. Rxc5 Rc8 39. Kg2 g5 40. hxg5 hxg5 41. Rc2 Kg7 42. Kh3 Nf3 43. Be4 Rxc2 44. Bxc2 Nxe5 45. f4 gxf4 46. gxf4 Nc6 47. Kg3 a5 48. Be4 Nb4 49. Kf2 Nd5 50. Kg3 Kf6 51. Kf3 Ke7 52. Bc2 Kd6 53. Bb3 Kc5 54. Ke4 Kb4 55. Bc2 f6 56. Bd3 Nc3+ 57. Kd4 Nxa4 58. f5 e5+ 59. Kd5 e4 60. Bf1 Nc5 61. Resigns 0-1

Wesley So vs Anish Giri

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ Nd7 4. d4 cxd4 5. Qxd4 a6 6. Be2 Ngf6 7. O-O e5 8. Qe3 Nc5 9. Nc3 Be7 10. a4 O-O 11. Nd2 Ng4 12. Bxg4 Bxg4 13. h3 Be6 14. b3 Rc8 15. Bb2 f5 16. Rfd1 f4 17. Qe2 Qe8 18. Nd5 Bxd5 19. exd5 Qg6 20. b4 Nxa4 21. Rxa4 Rxc2 22. Bc1 f3 23. Qf1 Bh4 24. g3 Bxg3 25. fxg3 e4 26. Ra3 Qxg3+ 27. Kh1 Rfc8 28. Qg1 Rxc1 29. Ra1 Qxh3+ 30. Qh2 Qxh2+ 31. Kxh2 Rxa1 32. Rxa1 Rc2 0-1

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave vs Bogdan-Daniel Deac

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. c3 d6 6. O-O a5 7. Re1 Ba7 8. Nbd2 O-O 9. Nf1 Ne7 10. h3 c6 11. Bb3 Ng6 12. Ng3 Re8 13. d4 h6 14. Bc2 b5 15. Be3 c5 16. Qd2 Kh7 17. Rad1 cxd4 18. cxd4 Qc7 19. Nf5 Bxf5 20. exf5 Nf8 21. a4 e4 22. Nh2 Qb7 23. Ng4 N8d7 24. Bb3 d5 25. Rc1 Bb8 26. Qe2 b4 27. Nxf6+ Nxf6 28. Rc5 Bd6 29. Qb5 Qe7 30. Rc6 Reb8 31. Qe2 Qd7 32. Rec1 Rc8 33. Qc2 Rg8 34. Kf1 Ra7 35. g4 g6 36. fxg6+ fxg6 37. Rc8 Rg7 38. Qc6 Qe6 39. Rd8 Rgd7 40. Qc8 Kg7 41. Rc6 Qe7 42. Rh8 g5 43. Bxd5 Rdc7 44. Rg8+ Nxg8 45. Qxg8+ Kf6 46. h4! Resigns 1-0

SOLUTION
46. h4 Rxc6
( 46... Qg7 47. Qe6# )
( 46... Qf8 47. Bxg5+ hxg5 48. Qxg5# )
( 46... Qh7 47. Bxg5+ hxg5 48. Qxg5# )
47. hxg5+ hxg5 48. Qxg5#