Absolutely Loomis, good point. Puzzles should have only one solution.

nice puzzles, especially the last one.

Nice puzzles. Perhaps you could place the h2 pawn on h4 in the last puzzle. That takes away the possibility of 1.Nh4 and doesn't seem to interfere with the intended follow up.

TonightOnly, thanks for the analysis! It's clear to me now that the first puzzle is more complicated than I gave it credit for.

 

In the fourth puzzle, 1. Ne5 is clearly winning, but as a puzzle solution it is ambiguous because 1. Nh4 is also winning and against black's best defense leads to the same position (the knight will take on g6). 1. Ne5 is better in a practical sense because it allows black to make more mistakes and (as in the game) get checkmated on f7. 

Thanks for sharing Loomis. Good games, and enjoyable puzzles. If you'll allow me, I would like to make a couple comments.

 

In the first puzzle, 2.Be3 is obviously fruitless, but 2.Na4 seems reasonable. Black retains only a slight advantage after 2.Na4 Qd4  3.Qxd4 Bxd4  4.Rxd4 Nxh1  5.Be3. 1...Qc5 looks like black's best try.

 

Also, in your notes, you listed the possibility of 2.Bc7. This loses only the pawn to 2...Qxc7, but loses heavily to both 2...Bxc3 and 2...Qc5.

 

You called 1.Ne5, in the fourth puzzle, ambiguous but I don't see how. What do you mean it is ambiguous? It wins immediately against any defense. 

great puzzles

nice

benws, I've added some variations and annotation to the first puzzle. Of course it's possible I have overlooked something, let me know if there is a variation you were considering that isn't shown.

nice. however, for us lesser mortals, could you post some variations, especially for the first one?

Very nice topic, thanks for sharing!! nothing is more satisfying in chess than making great puzzles to tickle your brain!!