37
votes
Accepted
Is it possible to compose a checkmate with king and any three minor pieces against bare king in the center of the board?
It is indeed impossible to construct a mating net with king + 3 minor pieces against a lone king in the center of the board.
A mating net would require that all 9 squares in the 3x3 block which ...
- 2,511
15
votes
Position where promotion to bishop is the unique best move?
It's easy to come up with positions where promoting to knight leads to insufficient material but promoting to bishop doesn't. This one, for instance:
[FEN "N5q1/7P/8/8/8/7K/8/7k w - - 0 1"]
- 4,117
14
votes
Accepted
Term for checkmate where every participating piece attacks exactly one square around king
As a problemist, I can assure you that the term as such does not exist in problem language. Bohemian school did only know three concepts: pure mate, economic mate (all pieces - but not necessarily ...
- 17.3k
14
votes
Accepted
What is the longest checkmate problem a human has composed?
The longest known checkmate problem composed by a human is dependent on a few criteria that are generally used by chess composers. Namely, it is a question of whether or not you want the problem to ...
- 17.8k
11
votes
Accepted
Position where promotion to bishop is the unique best move?
There are numerous chess problems, whether a checkmating one or an endgame study, that feature certain promotions as a necessity to win. Stalemate is the long-known reason behind doing so.
This ...
- 17.8k
7
votes
Position where promotion to bishop is the unique best move?
Various problems requiring bishop promotions. White is to play in all cases.
1) Economy record for a study (also correct as #5!)
2) EDIT: another five-piece study (#14!)
3) Earlier cooked study from ...
- 13.6k
7
votes
Accepted
What is a “dual” in chess problems, such as the Babson task?
A dual is an alternate solution, other than the intended one, after the first move of a problem or study. If it happens on the first move, the problem or study is called cooked instead.
dual
...
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5
votes
Positions in which only a single long sequence of correct moves avoids forced checkmate sequences
The sequence can be arbitrarily long if we allow repeated moves, e.g.
[Title "Every other White move allows mate in 1"]
[FEN "2B5/8/R7/4rp2/2P5/1PkP4/2p6/2K6 w - - 0 0"]
1. Re6 ...
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5
votes
Positions in which only a single long sequence of correct moves avoids forced checkmate sequences
To start off, with such a requirement, the sequence would have to end in a draw. Well, more than most likely that is.
There is a similar concept from another question called the "Nunn Convention.&...
- 17.8k
3
votes
Have problems similar to this recent composition of mine been done before?
First I want to try to answer the top question: "Have problems similar to this recent composition of mine been done before?"
Generally, A Posteriori covers a spectrum from near-orthodox to ...
- 13.6k
3
votes
Position where promotion to bishop is the unique best move?
Another addendum. Very strictly speaking, none of the positions (except the "dead" utilization by Laska) fulfil the specifications of the OP, since promotion should be the only move. But ...
- 17.3k
3
votes
Position where promotion to bishop is the unique best move?
This answer brings two additions to the already existing answers:
One example to demonstrate another motivation for a bishop promotion : self-stalemating.
[FEN "1K6/PP1k4/2r5/1n6/r7/8/8/8 w - - ...
- 16.7k
3
votes
Accepted
Attempting to create a retraction problem
Could white have just played Bg4 from somewhere without capture? Black’s prior move was Ke5-e6. This can be fixed by a shifting wNg3 to e3 and wBd4 to g3 in its place. This stops other cooks where ...
- 13.6k
2
votes
Positions in which only a single long sequence of correct moves avoids forced checkmate sequences
The moves themselves are technically forced, so that might be the concept to which you are referring (forced moves).
- 131
2
votes
Positions in which only a single long sequence of correct moves avoids forced checkmate sequences
depth=2 (+1)
I found this position, White has to make two moves (e3, e4) to avoid getting checkmated by Blacks pawn promotion and then has to move to h6 to avoid a draw by stalemate. After these three ...
- 936
2
votes
Position where promotion to bishop is the unique best move?
I'm surprised that no one else has mentioned this example yet--it arose in a real game in 2022, and was widely reported at the time. In this position, GM Johann Hjartarson played 54. e7 and ...
- 318
2
votes
Position where promotion to bishop is the unique best move?
[fen "3n3k/1P2N3/6K1/8/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
1. b8=B Nc6 2. Nxc6 Kg8 3. Bd6 Kh8 4. Bf4 Kg8 5. Bh6 Kh8 6. Bg7+ Kg8 7. Ne7#
- 21
2
votes
Position where promotion to bishop is the unique best move?
I didn't look at existing answers yet; so maybe this was already posted.
I tried and fairly quickly came up with:
[FEN "1r5K/2P5/8/k1N5/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
My line of thought was: if ...
- 375
1
vote
Is there a mate-in-three position where the two first moves of the winning side must be quiet to not delay the mate?
Hauke has already shown the longest mates, let me try those with the least pieces.
This is the longest mate (all single and silent moves, except the mating move) which I have found for KQ vs K:
[Title ...
- 1,517
1
vote
Accepted
Is there a mate-in-three position where the two first moves of the winning side must be quiet to not delay the mate?
Three? I'm just too lazy to send you half of the SCHWALBE #3 originals! I bet the score can be pushed far higher.
Romeo Bedoni, Andre Cheron, Journal de Geneve 28/06/1975, #57
[Title "White to ...
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1
vote
Have problems similar to this recent composition of mine been done before?
As a result, the answer to the question is as follows.
1. Most likely, there have never been such tasks before, but you can never be 100 percent sure.
2. There are two good options for the name of a ...
- 509
1
vote
Position where promotion to bishop is the unique best move?
Here are two light problems involving bishop-promotion (and rook-promotion, too, to boot).
A. Kudryavtsev; Smena (Moscow), Mar 1999; PDB P1165938. #4. FEN 6B1/7P/5Pk1/8/6K1/8/8/8
[Title "A. ...
- 6,640
1
vote
Attempting to create a retraction problem
First attempt.
If the White bishop is removed then it is stalemate which suggests that Black had a piece on g4 and White's last move was Bxg4++. He could retract this and play hxg4 stalemate instead.
...
- 100k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible