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  #26  
Old 02-25-2008, 06:41 PM
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Default Re: Chess Puzzles

My solution below the fold.


In many ways, this was easier than your last, given the disparity in the reach of kings vs. queens. I knew that the kings had to be lined up a square away from the edge in some conformation, and the queens had to be opposite them on the other side of the board. From that reasoning, I was able to work out this very aesthetically attractive solution and confirm it thanks to your minattack program. :thankee:
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  #27  
Old 02-25-2008, 07:22 PM
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Default Re: Chess Puzzles

From the position below, it's Black to move and mate in 9. This is an exercise in forcing checkmate with minimal pieces. The bare minimum pieces needed for checkmate against a lone king are a king and queen; king and rook; king and two bishops; or king, knight, and bishop. The previous puzzle I created, featuring a type of checkmate called Stamma's Mate, with a knight and king only worked because the pawn was there, and on the same file as the king.

American master Frederick Rhine discovered a stalemate trap in this position below, which is another reason why I'm posting it. If Black plays 1. ... Nb6+?? then White can play 2. Kd8!, threatening the bishop. If Black allows the capture, then it's a draw since Black will have insufficient material to force mate. If Black moves the bishop out of danger, the king will have no legal moves left and it will be a draw by stalemate.




The FEN for the puzzle is:
2K1b3/8/3k4/8/2n5/8/8/8/8

If you take it to Chessup, you can work it out for yourself. Alternatively, you could do it here, but I'm not sure if it will stay there.

Last edited by Nullifidian; 02-26-2008 at 03:20 AM.
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  #28  
Old 02-27-2008, 08:27 AM
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Default Re: Chess Puzzles

Here's a beautiful mating attack. It's always so much nicer when you can win with sacrifices.

From the position below, it's white to move and mate in seven.




The FEN for this puzzle is:
1k1r3r/1ppq2pp/3bbpn1/1p6/3NP3/4B2P/2PN1PP1/R2Q1RK1

If you paste it into Chessup, you can work out the problem there.
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  #29  
Old 02-27-2008, 08:59 AM
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Default Re: Chess Puzzles

Here's a two-fer, because I just came across this startling blunder.

In the 1981 Uzbekistan Championship, White (Dekhanov) resigned to Black (K. Yusupov) in a won position after Yusupov played Qa6. Dekhanov thought that the risk of Qf1+ meant an exchange of queens would be forced, leading to a loss in about another thirty moves.

However, he missed a forced mate in four, from the board position given below.




The FEN for this puzzle is:
8/pp6/q5pp/1Q2Np1k/5P2/P5PK/1Pr4P/8

If you paste it into Chessup, you can work through the problem there.
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  #30  
Old 02-29-2008, 04:33 AM
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Default Re: Chess Puzzles

White to move and mate in ten from the position given below. This one is just for fun and not very realistic. However, it does continue the anti-stalemate theme.




The FEN for this board position is:
7K/P1p1p1p1/2P1P1Pk/6pP/3p2P1/1P6/3P4/8

If you take it to Chessup, you can work out the problem there.

Last edited by Nullifidian; 02-29-2008 at 07:40 PM.
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  #31  
Old 02-29-2008, 05:17 AM
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Default Re: Chess Puzzles

And now for something completely different. It's...

Monty Python's Flying Circus :foot:

A Stalemate Problem!

While I dislike stalemates occuring in won positions, sometimes a draw by agreement, perpetual check, or stalemate can be the saving grace of a lost position. Knowledge of how to force a draw is a useful part of the serious chess player's arsenal. This puzzle is derived from Kasparov vs. McDonald, simultaneous exhibition, Great Britain, 1986. On the 54th move, Kasparov threw away his winning advantage with Bxe4?? and McDonald seized his opportunity to force a stalemate.

In the position given below, it's Black to move and draw.




The FEN for the board position is:
8/4Q3/7k/2P5/3qB3/5rBK/8/8

If you take it to Chessup, you can work it out from there.

Last edited by Nullifidian; 02-29-2008 at 07:40 PM.
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  #32  
Old 02-29-2008, 08:54 AM
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Default Re: Chess Puzzles

Here's another of my compositions. It's Black to move and mate in four. I think this one is cute, and slightly challenging.




The FEN for this puzzle is:
1r4k1/6pp/8/8/4qP1P/6P1/7K/6R1

If copy and paste it at Chessup, you can work it out there.

Last edited by Nullifidian; 02-29-2008 at 04:56 PM.
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  #33  
Old 03-01-2008, 09:41 PM
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Default Re: Chess Puzzles

Here's yet another anti-stalemate problem of mine. White has an obvious material superiority, but has to play accurately to not lose pieces, cause a stalemate, nor checkmate inefficiently.

From the board position given, it's White to move and mate in two.




The FEN for the board position is:
3B4/8/2p5/2k5/p3KP2/P7/3RQ3/8

If you copy and paste it at Chessup, you can work it out there.
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  #34  
Old 03-03-2008, 05:28 AM
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Default Re: Chess Puzzles

Often the thing that makes checkmate puzzles so difficult is their counterintuitive nature. It's easy to make an inefficient mate in many cases, but the efficient solution often involves a move that looks plain wrong or unconstructive. The puzzle posted on the 29th is a good example of that. Here's another one that demonstrates the same principle.

From the position given below, it's Black to move and mate in three.




The FEN for this board position is:
8/8/1p6/8/r2p1k1K/3P4/1p6/8

If you copy and paste it at Chessup, you can work out the problem there.
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  #35  
Old 03-03-2008, 09:26 PM
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Default Re: Chess Puzzles

An important element of playing chess is not to give up until the position is well and truly lost. The following looks like unpromising for White, but with the correct next move, White can swindle a win.

From the position below, it's White to move and mate in fourteen.




The FEN for the board is:
1n4qk/Q2p4/3P2P1/6K1/8/8/7p/8

If you copy and paste it at Chessup, you can work out the problem there.

Last edited by Nullifidian; 03-03-2008 at 10:20 PM.
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  #36  
Old 03-05-2008, 04:42 AM
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Default Re: Chess Puzzles

Ilya Smirin vs. Alexander Beliavsky, USSR Championship 1989

From the position below, it's Black to move and mate in ten.




The FEN for the board position is:
7k/1bp3b1/p6p/1p1q4/2n3K1/2PN2N1/PP6/R1Q2R2

If you copy and paste it at Chessup, you can work out the problem there.
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  #37  
Old 03-07-2008, 06:25 AM
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Default Re: Chess Puzzles

On January 22nd, the Palestinians blew up 2/3rds of a border wall on the Egyptian border, which made them into a convenient, starvable captive population. Consider this a commemorative puzzle. :palestine:

The 'wall' of pawns can be breached at any point. The problem is finding the one move which will accomplish that breach.

From the board position below, it's White to move and mate in two.




The FEN for the puzzle is:
8/1B3Np1/Q2PNp2/4pk1P/3p4/R1p4K/Rp6/8

If you take it to Chessup, you can work out the problem there.
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  #38  
Old 03-08-2008, 03:01 AM
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Default Re: Chess Puzzles

Here's another composition of mine. This is a board position that couldn't arise in any real game of chess, but still makes for a fun checkmate.

From the position below, it's Black to move and mate in six.





The FEN for the board position is:
k3r3/pp5r/3BPB2/1q1PKP2/3BPB2/b7/2n3n1/5b2

If you copy and paste it to Chessup, you can work out the problem there.

Last edited by Nullifidian; 03-08-2008 at 05:50 AM.
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  #39  
Old 03-09-2008, 01:02 AM
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Default Re: Chess Puzzles

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nullifidian View Post
Black to move and mate in 4. This is from one of my own games, although from the layout given I mated in 3. Bonus points if you see why.

For this one, white can play 3. Ne7+ instead of 3. Ne5+ and I don't see how black can force a quick checkmate after that.

The solution given was
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  #40  
Old 03-09-2008, 05:31 AM
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Default Re: Chess Puzzles

Quote:
Originally Posted by Norak View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nullifidian View Post
Black to move and mate in 4. This is from one of my own games, although from the layout given I mated in 3. Bonus points if you see why.

For this one, white can play 3. Ne7+ instead of 3. Ne5+ and I don't see how black can force a quick checkmate after that.

The solution given was
Well, I must have been on a strong hallucinogen, because there's obviously nothing to capture on f7.

But, given a position on f7, whether or not it was a capture that landed us there, the knight cannot occupy e7 on the next move. Even if it could, that position wouldn't be check for a king sitting on square d7, and Rxe7 takes care of the knight in any case. Now the only pieces that can move would be the pawns, and they're not capable of stopping the checkmate.

The longest sequence of steps that I see is:


A solution involving Ne7, on the other hand, is only four moves long:


Last edited by Nullifidian; 03-09-2008 at 06:17 AM.
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  #41  
Old 03-09-2008, 06:10 AM
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Default Re: Chess Puzzles

I've noted before how checkmate problems are frequently counterintuitive, because they sometimes involve leaving a piece en prise. They're important to study, because things like this can come up in real life. Here's a recent case in point, from a game of mine:

From the position below, it's White to move and mate in four:




The FEN for the puzzle is:
r1k4r/ppp2Qp1/B1n4p/8/8/2P2N2/P4PPP/3R2K1

If you copy and paste it at Chessup, you can work out the problem there.

Last edited by Nullifidian; 03-09-2008 at 09:01 AM.
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  #42  
Old 03-10-2008, 03:45 AM
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Default Re: Chess Puzzles

Thanks for the chess puzzles
I love how they force you to think several moves ahead.
I used to just wing it but I think my game has improved as I've learned how to "see" ahead.
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Last edited by Artemis Entreri; 03-10-2008 at 05:06 AM.
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  #43  
Old 03-20-2008, 04:23 AM
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Default Re: Chess Puzzles

You're welcome! And congratulations on your own checkmate (I did see it, although the style of those glass pieces made it hard to distinguish what was what).

This is from H. Reinle vs. Lange, Murnau 1936

White to move and mate in three. The entire game was only eight moves long. Ouch!




The FEN for the puzzle is:
rnbqkbnr/pppp4/6Pp/7Q/4pP2/8/PPPP2PP/RNB1KBNR

If you copy and paste it at Chessup, you can work out the problem there.

Last edited by Nullifidian; 03-20-2008 at 11:18 AM.
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  #44  
Old 03-20-2008, 11:16 AM
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Default Re: Chess Puzzles

Um, Nullifidian, shouldn't that be

?
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  #45  
Old 03-20-2008, 11:18 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pan Narrans View Post
Um, Nullifidian, shouldn't that be

?
Indeed it should. Thanks! :thankee:
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  #46  
Old 03-20-2008, 11:27 AM
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Default Re: Chess Puzzles

Here's a composition by Z. Labai, from 1970.

White to move and mate in six.




The FEN for the puzzle is:
1K3b2/p1B1p1p1/2k1P1P1/P1p3R1/2P5/8/5P2/8

If you copy and paste it at Chessup, you can work out the problem there.
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  #47  
Old 03-23-2008, 08:48 AM
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Default Re: Chess Puzzles

This is the chess equivalent of that single-person travel game where you have to line up all the numbers in a sequential row. :hairpull:

Black to move and mate in five.




The FEN for this puzzle is:
qrnbbbnK/brbpb1nb/rnnbbrbb/bqbprrbb/prqbnbnb/nbnpnnnn/pbqbpnrr/kqbnbbbb

If you copy and paste it to Chessup, you can work it out there.

Last edited by Nullifidian; 03-23-2008 at 08:58 AM.
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  #48  
Old 03-23-2008, 06:48 PM
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Default Re: Chess Puzzles

BTW, this thread has gotten me sort of interested in chess again. I picked up a cheap portable chess for the Nintendo DS, and I've established that I still utterly suck. I enjoy puzzle-like things, but I can't play actual chess competently, as my tunnel-vision makes it too hard for me to see what I'm overlooking.

Assuming that chessmaster's ELO ratings are any good, I am probably a nice solid 620 or so...
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  #49  
Old 03-24-2008, 07:19 PM
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Default Re: Chess Puzzles

Here's an example of a double checkmate, two pieces attacking the king at the same time which allows the player to leave a piece en prise and still make the checkmate. This is from a game that is still ongoing, but effectively lost within 15 moves (13 if my opponent resigns in the current position). Unfortunately, there was some bad opening play which completely weakened the kingside and I took every advantage, including playing Nf2 to fork the queen at d1 and the rook at h1. However, it wouldn't have been lost until my opponent blundered by playing Qf1??. On looking at it again, as soon as I played Nf2, the game was lost. Qc2, which would have been the best continuation, would have lost to Bg4+, Kf1, Qf6, initiating a king hunt which would end in about a dozen more moves. Qf1?? just lost the game a bit faster.

From the position below, it's Black to move and mate in three:




The FEN for the puzzle is:
r1bqk2r/ppp2ppp/2n5/8/2BPp2P/2P1P1b1/P2BKn2/RN3QNR

If you take it to Chessup, you can work out the problem there.

Last edited by Nullifidian; 03-24-2008 at 07:59 PM.
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  #50  
Old 03-26-2008, 05:02 AM
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Default Re: Chess Puzzles

This puzzle was posted today at GameKnot, a correspondence chess site I play on, but not by me. It's a good example of a "king hunt" which is currently standing with seven votes each giving five stars, which means "very hard". I'm thinking Oh come on, it wasn't that difficult but I may be in the minority. Give it a try and see what you think.

White to move and mate in eight. Composed by Leonid Kubbel.




The FEN for the puzzle is:
1B5b/4pK1p/bk6/6Qp/Pp1p4/1P1qp3/8/6n1

If you copy and paste it at Chessup, you can work out the problem there.
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