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Chess problems consist of a board position and a task. Most ask for a line of play that mates black in a set amount of moves, or a combination that results in a winning position. Many other types exist, including, but not limited to, construction tasks for various positions and proof games that have numerous goals, selfmates, helpmates, and retrograde analysis. Tournaments and championships exist for composing of original problems and for speed-solving.

1 vote

Another good chess problem

Nice one:
Noam D. Elkies's user avatar
2 votes

What kinds of unconventional chess problems exist?

Try also Burt Hochberg's Chess Braintwisters, which often require "thinking outside the box" to a move that is logical but illegal (like promoting to a King) and thus would never be found by an ordina …
Noam D. Elkies's user avatar
11 votes
Accepted

Position where neither player can force an *exact* outcome

Such a position must be a draw with best play. Here's one where either player can make a winning threat that can only be parried by giving checkmate: [Title "Neither player can force an exact outcome" …
Noam D. Elkies's user avatar
4 votes
Accepted

Chess challenge #3: Pinned knights

Attempting to answer the revised puzzle:
Noam D. Elkies's user avatar
9 votes

Is it possible to have a double self-smothered stalemate?

Here's a simpler mutual smothered stalemate (9 men on a side, no promoted pieces): [Title "Mutual smothered stalemate"] [fen "5brk/4p1pb/4P1p1/6P1/1p6/1P1p4/BP1P4/KRB5 w - - 0 1"]
Noam D. Elkies's user avatar
3 votes

Position with the most (or many) distinct refutations?

Squeezing yet another mate from Dag Oskar Madsen's construction, for a total of 19: [Title "Black to move"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "R6Q/6B1/2p3K1/8/8/3pN3/rb6/kq5R w - - 0 1"]
Noam D. Elkies's user avatar
2 votes

Position with the most (or many) distinct refutations?

... and yet another mate, for a total of 20, at the cost of a few more White units including a second Queen: [Title "Black to move (after Dag Oskar Madsen)"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "Q3Q2B/8/4P1K1/1P4 …
Noam D. Elkies's user avatar
29 votes

What moves solve this mate in 2?

White to play checkmates in 2 with 1 d4+! exd3 e.p. 2 Qbf4#. Black to play cannot checkmate in 2 but should win after Bxf7. 7r/1p3Q1p/2q5/3bk3/1Q2p3/2P5/r2P2PP/2KR4 w - - 0 1 1. d4+! exd3 2. Qbf4 …
Noam D. Elkies's user avatar
6 votes

Position with the most (or many) distinct refutations?

Jeremy Morse's Chess Problems: Tasks and Records, as I should have done before entering this fray. The specific task posed by I.J. … Kennedy is not addressed, but there are several problems that come close while pursuing some other goal. …
Noam D. Elkies's user avatar
8 votes

Selfmate problem

Neat: [FEN "8/7P/8/p2p4/P2p4/pB1p4/3P4/k2K4 w - - 0 1"] 1. Kc1 a2 2. Bc2 dxc2 3. h8=R! d3 4. Rb8 d4 5. Rb4 {And from here on, both sides' moves are legally forced.} axb4 6. a5 b3 7. a6 b2#
Noam D. Elkies's user avatar
1 vote
Accepted

Maximum futile material (in illegal position) neither winning nor forcing stalemate

If I count right we actually do a bit better than Hauke Reddmann's construction by giving White a pawn and the initiative: [FEN "kqqqqqqq/Pqqqqqqq/qqqqqqqq/qqqqqqqq/qqqqqqqq/qqqqqqqq/qqqqqqrb/qqqqqqbK …
Noam D. Elkies's user avatar
7 votes
Accepted

Is Behting Study Still Beating Computers?

For the record, the soundness of the Behting study has been under a cloud for some time because it is not easy to refute 1 Ng7+ Kg5 2 Nf3+ Kg4 3 Kf5 h3 4 Ke4 g1Q 5 Nxh6+ Kh5 6 Nxg1 h2 7 Nf3 h1Q 8 Nf5 …
Noam D. Elkies's user avatar
5 votes

Move forcing opponent to checkmate in response

See item #334 in Krabbé's Chess Diary https://timkr.home.xs4all.nl/chess2/diary17txt.htm for candidates for "the worst move possible", in the sense that you have many moves, all of which are mate in 1 …
Noam D. Elkies's user avatar
31 votes
Accepted

Zugzwang where the side to move must be mated in exactly 2 moves

As Laska suggested, I was able to find it in my 2001 files of correspondence with Richard Stanley: [Title "Whoever moves must get mated in 2 moves (NDE 2001)"] [FEN "BKQQ4/pPPP4/rbkp4/qrbp4/bp1p4/1p1P …
Noam D. Elkies's user avatar
2 votes
Accepted

What rearrangent of the starting position's pieces, in any manner, has the fastest stalemate?

Down another ply to 17 (stalemate after White's 9th move): [Result "1/2-1/2"] [FEN "brqnkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBRKBNQ w - - 0 1"] 1. h4 h5 2. g3 f6 3. Qxb7 Kf7 4. Qxc7 Be4 5. Qxd7 Rh6 6. Qx …
Noam D. Elkies's user avatar

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