Wednesday Workout: A Mixed Bag

This week's Wednesday Workout features five problems for you to solve. Most Workouts have been focused on tactics or mates. This one... well, let's just say that you'll have to use more of your chess skills to solve all five. Solutions, as always, follow the diagrams!

Answers:

[pgn][Event "SPICE Cup Open 2020"] [Site "Chesterfield MO USA"] [Date "2020.10.25"] [Round "9"] [White "Burke, John M"] [Black "Colas, Joshua"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B10"] [WhiteElo "2538"] [BlackElo "2255"] [Annotator "Hartmann,John"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "4rb1r/p1qbpkpp/p1p5/6Q1/3R4/1P6/PB1P1PPP/4R1K1 w - - 0 20"] [PlyCount "3"] [EventDate "2020.10.20"] [EventType "swiss"] [EventRounds "9"] [EventCountry "USA"] [SourceTitle "The Week in Chess 1355"] [Source "Mark Crowther"] [SourceDate "2020.10.26"] [SourceVersion "2"] [SourceVersionDate "2020.10.27"] [SourceQuality "2"] {Here's a straightforward mate-in-three to start you off.} {[#]} 20. Rf4+ Kg8 21. Rxf8+ (21. Rxf8+ Kxf8 22. Qxg7#) 1-0 [/pgn]

[pgn][Event "SPICE Cup Open 2020"] [Site "Chesterfield MO USA"] [Date "2020.10.21"] [Round "3"] [White "Eckert, D..."] [Black "Ezra, Paul Chambers"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A67"] [WhiteElo "2170"] [BlackElo "2231"] [Annotator "Hartmann,John"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "2br4/2k5/p7/1pnPRBN1/2p4P/8/PP6/7K w - - 0 47"] [PlyCount "14"] [EventDate "2020.10.20"] [EventType "swiss"] [EventRounds "9"] [EventCountry "USA"] [SourceTitle "The Week in Chess 1355"] [Source "Mark Crowther"] [SourceDate "2020.10.26"] [SourceVersion "2"] [SourceVersionDate "2020.10.27"] [SourceQuality "2"] {White missed a nice shot here.} {[#]} 47. Bxc8 (47. d6+ $1 {wins the house, as the following variations show:} Kb6 (47... Kc6 48. Rxc5+ Kxc5 49. Bxc8 Rxc8 50. d7 Rd8 51. Ne6+) (47... Kxd6 48. Nf7+) (47... Kb8 48. Rxc5) 48. Rxc5 Kxc5 ( 48... Bb7+ 49. Be4 $1) 49. Bxc8 Rxc8 50. d7 Rd8 51. Ne6+ $18) 47... Rxc8 48. h5 Nd3 49. Re2 Nf4 50. Re7+ Kd6 51. Ra7 Nxh5 52. Ne4+ Kxd5 53. Rxa6 Kxe4 0-1 [/pgn]

[pgn][Event "Tegernsee Masters 2020"] [Site "Tegernsee GER"] [Date "2020.11.03"] [Round "4.1"] [White "Basso, Pier Luigi"] [Black "Fier, A..."] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "E83"] [WhiteElo "2570"] [BlackElo "2562"] [Annotator "Hartmann,John"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "2rq1rk1/4ppbp/pn1p2p1/3P4/1PP5/R3BP2/Q3B1PP/4K2R b K - 0 20"] [PlyCount "91"] [EventDate "2020.10.31"] [EventType "tourn"] [EventRounds "9"] [EventCountry "GER"] [EventCategory "13"] [SourceTitle "The Week in Chess 1357"] [Source "Mark Crowther"] [SourceDate "2020.11.09"] [SourceVersion "1"] [SourceVersionDate "2020.11.09"] [SourceQuality "2"] {How can Black stay in the game?} {[#]} 20... e6 $1 {Using the geometry of the board to his advantage.} 21. dxe6 (21. O-O exd5 22. cxd5 Re8 $11) 21... Nxc4 ({ If} 21... fxe6 $2 22. O-O {[%csl Ga6,Gb6,Gd6,Ge6] and all of Black's weaknesses can't be held together.}) 22. Bxc4 (22. exf7+ Rxf7 23. Bxc4 Qh4+ 24. Ke2 Qxc4+ 25. Qxc4 Rxc4 26. Rxa6 Rxb4 27. Rxd6 Re7 $11) 22... Qh4+ 23. Ke2 Qxc4+ 24. Qxc4 Rxc4 25. Rxa6 Rxb4 26. exf7+ Rxf7 27. Rxd6 $11 Re7 28. Kf2 Rb2+ 29. Rd2 Rxd2+ 30. Bxd2 Bd4+ 31. Kg3 Re2 32. Rd1 Bf2+ 33. Kg4 Be3 34. Bxe3 Rxe3 35. Rd7 Re2 36. Kg3 Ra2 37. Re7 Rb2 38. h3 g5 39. h4 gxh4+ 40. Kh3 Rf2 41. Re4 Kg7 42. Rg4+ Kf6 43. Kxh4 Rf1 44. Kh5 Rh1+ 45. Rh4 Rg1 46. Rf4+ Kg7 47. Rg4+ Kf6 48. g3 Rh1+ 49. Rh4 Rf1 50. f4 Kf5 51. Kh6 Rg1 52. Rh5+ Kf6 53. Rh3 Kf5 54. Kh5 Rg2 55. Kh4 Ra2 56. Rh1 Ra6 57. Kh5 Ra2 58. g4+ Kxf4 59. g5 Rf2 60. Kh6 Kf5 61. Rh3 Rf1 62. Rh4 Rf2 63. Rh5 Rg2 64. Kxh7 Rxg5 65. Rxg5+ Kxg5 1/2-1/2 [/pgn]

[pgn][Event "ch-USA 2020"] [Site "lichess.org INT"] [Date "2020.10.29"] [Round "10.1"] [White "Nakamura, Hikaru"] [Black "Swiercz, Dariusz"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "A00"] [WhiteElo "2736"] [BlackElo "2649"] [Annotator "Hartmann,John"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "8/5pk1/3P4/6p1/4P3/3K1P1p/2R5/7r b - - 0 48"] [PlyCount "44"] [EventDate "2020.10.26"] {Not all rook endings are drawn... especially not in time pressure!} {[#]} 48... Rd1+ $4 (48... h2 $1 49. Kc4 Kf6 50. d7 Ke7 51. Rd2 Kd8 {and the king can't hide from the check unless White is willing to give up the d-pawn}) 49. Ke3 Rxd6 $11 50. Kf2 h2 51. Kg2 Rh6 52. Kh1 Rh3 53. Rc5 Kg6 54. Rc6+ Kg7 55. Rc5 f6 56. e5 f5 57. e6 Rxf3 58. Re5 Kf8 59. e7+ Ke8 60. Kxh2 g4 61. Kg2 Rf4 62. Kg3 Re4 63. Rxf5 Kxe7 64. Ra5 Rb4 65. Rh5 Kf6 66. Ra5 Kg6 67. Rd5 Kf6 68. Ra5 Kg6 69. Rd5 Kf6 70. Ra5 1/2-1/2 [/pgn]

[pgn][Event "Tegernsee Masters 2020"] [Site "Tegernsee GER"] [Date "2020.11.04"] [Round "5.2"] [White "Donchenko, Alexa"] [Black "Mendonca, Leon Luke"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "A11"] [WhiteElo "2658"] [BlackElo "2499"] [Annotator "Hartmann,John"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "8/4Rp2/2k3p1/8/8/6P1/1P2KP2/2r5 b - - 0 33"] [PlyCount "100"] [EventDate "2020.10.31"] [EventType "tourn"] [EventRounds "9"] [EventCountry "GER"] [EventCategory "13"] [SourceTitle "The Week in Chess 1357"] [Source "Mark Crowther"] [SourceDate "2020.11.09"] [SourceVersion "1"] [SourceVersionDate "2020.11.09"] [SourceQuality "2"] {How should Black proceed?} {[#]} 33... Rc2+ $2 ({The best practical chance is } 33... f5 {with the idea} 34. Re6+ $2 (34. Kd3 $1 {is better, of course. White needs to avoid a few traps but should win after} Rd1+ 35. Kc3 Rf1 36. Re6+ Kd5 37. Re2 $18 (37. Rxg6 $2 Rxf2 $11)) 34... Kd5 35. Rxg6 Rc2+ 36. Ke3 Rxb2 $11) 34. Kf3 f5 35. Re2 $2 {This lets Black back into the game.} (35. b3 $1 {wins:} Rb2 36. Re6+ Kd5 (36... Kc5 37. Rxg6 Rxb3+ 38. Kf4 Rb2 39. Kxf5 Rxf2+ 40. Kg5 $18) 37. Rxg6 Rxb3+ 38. Kf4 $18) 35... Rc4 36. Re6+ Kd5 37. Rxg6 Rb4 38. Rg8 Rxb2 $11 {and the key difference is that White cannot attack the f-pawn with the king without abandoning his own f-pawn.} 39. Re8 Rb4 40. Ke3 Kd6 41. Ke2 Rb2+ 42. Kf3 Rb4 43. Ke3 Ra4 44. f3 Rb4 45. Kf2 Rb2+ 46. Ke3 Rb4 47. f4 Rb3+ 48. Kf2 Rb2+ 49. Kf3 Rb3+ 50. Kg2 Rb7 51. Re5 Rf7 52. Kf3 Rf8 53. Re3 Ra8 54. Kg2 Rb8 55. Re5 Rf8 56. Kf3 Kd7 57. g4 fxg4+ 58. Kxg4 Kd6 59. Re4 Kd5 60. Re7 Kd6 61. Re5 Rg8+ 62. Kf3 Rf8 63. Ke4 Ra8 64. Kf5 Rf8+ 65. Kg4 Rg8+ 66. Rg5 Ra8 67. Rg6+ Ke7 68. Kg5 Ra5+ 69. f5 Ra1 70. Rg7+ Kf8 71. Rb7 Ra6 72. Rc7 Rb6 73. Kf4 Rb4+ 74. Ke5 Rb6 75. Rd7 Ra6 76. Rd6 Rxd6 77. Kxd6 Kf7 78. Ke5 Ke7 79. f6+ Kf7 80. Kf5 Kf8 81. Kg6 Kg8 82. f7+ Kf8 83. Kf6 1/2-1/2 [/pgn]