Questions tagged [puzzles]
Often, a puzzle type of problem in which a tactical or positional solution is required, like White/Black to move and win”, in what is often a middlegame or endgame-esqe position. But a puzzle can also be a chess riddle, chess math, or any other non-normal chess problem. Questions about solving puzzles, puzzle apps and websites, how to understand the idea behind a puzzle, etc. are also on-topic.
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How does Chess.com calculate puzzle rating?
How does chess.com calculate puzzle rating? I am curious because today, I managed to gain rating while incorrectly solving a puzzle. Could someone help me out? (Also on puzzles that are already rated, ...
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Best move in algebraic notation
I have no experience in chess, and I tried my best to answer this question myself but am finding difficulties. What is the answer? It's for another game.
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Only Rook endgame!
Is it possible to win (black or white) in this position?
[fen "2k5/5R2/8/4K3/r7/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
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Is there a real version of the chess puzzle from The Yiddish Policeman's Union? If not - can it be made?
I will preface this by saying that the following contains a spoiler for Michael Chabon's The Yiddish Policeman's Union, so tread carefully.
Chess features heavily in the book and a major plot point is ...
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Castling on King side [closed]
This is a quiz from a chess website. The challenge is to castle on King Side. White to play. How can we do this ?
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Is there any program which I can use to train custom tactics puzzles?
Essentially, I would like to have the following features/workflow:
I obtain a .pgn file with (puzzle) positions and moves (the solutions)
I load that .pgn into the program and then solve (...
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Searching games by chess positions
I have a somewhat weird question that is only indirectly related to chess. I am trying to solve a chess-related puzzle in which I have to find games played by Soviet chess players based on positions. ...
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Examples of interactive exercises to play chess with nullmoves
I am looking for interactive exercises that involve playing chess against computer which makes nullmoves allowing the learner to attack without thinking of defense. I know of one platform which allows ...
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Why would white play Qf5
I was playing the following puzzle on lichess playing the black pieces and found the move Bf5, expecting either Qe2 or Qe3, resulting in me taking the white bishop on c2 and completing the puzzle.
The ...
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Do "white to lose in X" puzzles exist?
The most common form of chess puzzle is white/black to win in X.
I'm curious whether a form of "white to lose in X" exists. For instance, a position that seems winning for white, but if they ...
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Good chess puzzle that involves queen running around the board?
Basically title. Ideally not too difficult or too many steps, but if you have any good puzzles where the queen traverses across the board.
Thanks in advance!
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White to play and win - only moving the rook once
[Title "White to play and win - only moving the rook once"]
[fen "k7/8/8/8/8/8/8/K1R5 w - - 0 1"]
This is an exercise in using the opposition and outflanking from John Hawkins' ...
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Shatranj puzzle by Aladdin - white to play and win
[Title "White to play and win"]
[fen "3qrb2/4k3/2p1NpRp/P3pPpP/2Pp2r1/BP1R1pP1/2Qnpr2/5B1K w - - 0 1"]
This is attributed to Ala'Addin (aka Aladdin).
Reminder, the rules of ...
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Can a castling checkmate be engineered from this position?
I get the following position pretty often in online bullet as White. It's mate in a few (for instance, 9. Bf4+ Kc5 10. Qd5+ Kb6 11.Qb5#). Needless to say, the setup is dubious.
This looks like a prime ...
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Hexagonal Chess Puzzle - Black to play and win
Published in Hex Press 4 - September 1977 and taken from the game Armstrong vs Springgay
Reminder of the rules here.
Hint 1: If black could lure the white queen to g7 then Ne5+ would discover an ...
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Anti-Tactics Chess Puzzles?
Many websites (such as chess.com) provide chess tactic puzzles and I am wondering about the value of "anti-tactic" puzzles. By anti-tactic, I mean a position where if I make a careless move, ...
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Black to play and win but why was the move played a blunder?
In the position below Minic just had to play one move to reach the time control and, in those days, the adjournment which would have given his team a chance to find the win. Unfortunately he blundered ...
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White to play and win
A really tough one to start the New Year from national master Nelson Lopez
[title "White to move and win"]
[fen "1rkb4/pNp5/8/2N4p/8/5B2/4K3/8 w - - 0 1"]
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Help understanding lichess puzzle 274165037
Link to puzzle:
https://lichess.org/training/274165037
I got the correct solution first try, but I don't understand what it accomplishes. Seems the king can escape via f2 and rook h1 should deal with ...
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Why is this puzzle solved [closed]
I did the following puzzle on chess.com:
And it shows solved with the following configuration:
I do not see why this is a solution. Black can take the Rook, and I don't see how to punish it.
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Chess middle game puzzle online for free
Recently, I was looking for a website where I can find only middle game puzzles. I found the website, I had solved most of the puzzles in less than a minute (If I get enough time, I can solve any ...
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Are randomly created Queen's Quadrille and Hippodrome puzzles always solvable?
I found two chess puzzles on chessvariants.com, Queens's Quadrille and Hippodrome.
I'm thinking of creating random Queen's Quadrille and Hippodrome puzzles with a computer program.
My question is can ...
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Minority Breakthrough
Consider the following well-known motif:
[FEN "8/1k6/5pp1/7p/7P/6P1/8/7K b - - 0 1"]
Black wins even with Ka8, but being true Patzer:
1...g5?? 2.g4! Kmoch's crosslever, 1-0.
Now in the ...
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Why do chess puzzles need a unique solution?
Why do chess puzzles need a unique solution?
This is different from real games, where such situations do occur, but more frequently, there are multiple avenues to success. Contrary to what one might ...
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Why trade rook for bishop and knight in this puzzle?
The puzzle https://lichess.org/training/kFzbF has position
[Title "Black to move"]
[FEN "r3rnk1/1bq2pp1/1ppb1n1p/p2p4/3P1B2/P2B1N1P/1PPQNPP1/3RR1K1 b - - 1 16"]
and the solution ...
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How can I mate the black king in 4 moves or less (helpmate)
In this helpmate puzzle, it is White to move.
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What is the idea of this rook move in this puzzle?
https://www.chess.com/puzzles/problem/1000668
(Also if anyone knows how to start the PGN player with a black move, please let me know)
[Event "Juan Martinez Sola Open A"]
[Site "Almeria ...
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Why does Stockfish recommend this queen sacrifice in this puzzle?
[Variant "From Position"]
[FEN "r1b1r1k1/pp3ppp/2p5/2Ppn1q1/1P1Q2B1/4P1N1/P4PPP/R4RK1 w - - 9 18"]
[Title ""]
1. Bxc8 Raxc8 2. f4
https://lichess.org/training/fRzq3
The ...
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Where can I find exercises where the best move isn't always a tactical one?
I know solving a lot of tactics problems has its benefits, but also its limitations. In a real game there is no way to know if a tactic is present — maybe the best move is defensive. I am seeking ...
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Non-Tactical Puzzles
Its surprisingly hard to find chess puzzles where the solution is not necessarily tactic resulting in checkmate or a heavy win of material. The problem with these tactical puzzles is that they do not ...
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Looking for a webpage with chess puzzles in which you had to mentally play a couple moves before an interesting position arised
As per the title; instead of the typical chess puzzle in which a side has to play and find the best move, you were given a couple moves and then were asked about the resulting position.
I guess I ...
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How do you analyze this position holistically?
So I was solving a puzzle, and I got it wrong in my first attempt, so I checked with the engine and understood the solution. But I think that I am missing some aspects of the puzzle as I'm able to get ...
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Most different mate-in-N depending on black's move
The puzzle (this may have a known answer) is to construct a position such that:
If Black makes move A, it's mate in 1 for white.
If Black makes move B, it's mate in 2 for white.
...
If Black makes ...
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Find a forced checkmate on dark squares only
In a recent Youtube video, the black player reaches the following position
[White "NN"]
[Black "Chess Simp"]
[FEN "r2r4/ppp2p1k/2n4P/4p3/P3n3/B1P1P2P/P1qPK2P/R6R b - - 0 1&...
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Which legal positions with White to move are also legal with Black to move (if colours and board are flipped)?
For every reachable position, is the equivalent position for black also reachable?
If so, can you prove it?
If not, which reachable positions for white are not reachable for black and why?
Definitions:...
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How does white win/get an advantage here?
In the board below, I'm not entirely sure who is winning, black's rook looks dangerous at the moment.
Its white to move
How does white have an advantage?
4rk2/5p1p/2p3pP/8/p7/PqP1Q3/1P1R1P2/1K6 w - - ...
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How does Black win this position?
I recently ran across notes I made from a book on endgames (I don't remember the book). According to my notes, Black wins this position regardless of whose move it is. I don't see it, and Stockfish ...
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How to place certain pieces on a 4x4 chess board without any of them attacking each other?
How to place 2 bishops and 7 knights on a 4x4 chessboard without any of them attacking other pieces?
There are no other restrictions.
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How can I place certain pieces on a 5x5 chess board without any of them attacking each other?
How can I place one queen, two bishops, two knights, and two rooks, on a 5×5 chessboard without any of them attacking other pieces?
After placing just queen and rooks, I can't make room for the other ...
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Explanation of Hard Puzzle #34
Wikipedia defines a chess tactic as:
In chess, a tactic refers to a sequence of moves that limits the opponent's options and may result in tangible gain.
I'm having a hard time understanding a ...
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Why can the bishop just take the knight in this Lichess puzzle?
In this Lichess puzzle, after the initial moves
[title "Black to move"]
[fen ""]
[Startply "17"]
[StartFlipped "1"]
1. c4 b5 2. cxb5 Bb7 3. Nf3 g5 4. Nxg5 Bg7 ...
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Why do these convergent lines evaluate differently?
I recently analyzed alternative lines for this puzzle on chess.com.
[Event "French Championship"]
[Site "Val d'Isere FRA"]
[Date "2002.08.23"]
[Round "5"]
[...
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Chess.com daily puzzle question (Gruenfeld's endgame magic)
In today's chess.com daily puzzle, I have no idea why the first move of the solution makes sense.
[fen "8/8/8/pp6/P7/7K/1k6/R7 w - - 0 1"]
The first step in the suggested solution is Ra3.
I ...
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2P winning against Q
Inspiration
BCLC guessed (see link) that even only 2P can win against Q, even if the Q side has the move, if they are advanced far enough. I quickly checked a few promising position candidates in a ...
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Why did I fail this puzzle?
I just failed a puzzle at chess.com, despite being 2 moves away from check mate. I am quite sure that there is no move I could have made to get check mate in 1 move, so I am wondering how I failed.
I ...
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On an 8-by-∞ board, who wins between an infinite number of pawns and a rook?
I've had this puzzle rattling around in my brain for the past few days and I want to know what you all make of it.
Imagine chess played on a board with eight ranks and an infinite number of files. ...
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What checkmating move takes the most moves to set up?
An extension of this question.
What checkmating move requires the greatest number of moves to be played in a game?
A move is distinguished by:
what colour is moving [unlike the previous question]
...
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How long could a player last with all their possible moves written out in advance?
In this scenario:
Black plays normally (and optimally).
White has prepared a long list of possible moves for each turn before the game starts, then movement is automatic. Each turn, each move for that ...
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What move requires the greatest number of moves before it could be played in a game?
The move e2e4 could be played on move 1. (One half-move)
The move e7xd6 could be played no earlier than by black on move 3 (6 half-moves).
What move(s) has the latest "earliest possible move it ...
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Why doesn't greek gift work in Pozsonyi vs Pataki 2005? Or does it?
original game. i'm asking about move 21.
[Event "Ch Hungary (team) 2005/06"]
[Site "HUN"]
[Date "2005.12.04"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Istvan Pozsonyi"]
[...
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