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General discussionBest. Chess. Problem. Ever.(63 posts)(63 posts)
(63 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted June 11, 2018
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ZFR: Ke6 is the correct solution for the easy part (a).

Now, what about part b?

(Also, would I call this the best problem ever, if the solution was anything this simple? ;))
I wish I had a chessboard available. It's hard for me just to look at these :D
Posted June 11, 2018
And if black's last move was g7-g5, then white wins with h5-g6 en passant.
Posted June 11, 2018
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Lifthrasil: And if black's last move was g7-g5, then white wins with h5-g6 en passant.
But if black's move wasn't? It's an incomplete problem. What if g5 got there in a two moves?
Posted June 11, 2018
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Lifthrasil: And if black's last move was g7-g5, then white wins with h5-g6 en passant.
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blotunga: But if black's move wasn't? It's an incomplete problem. What if g5 got there in a two moves?
Ou! I just noticed something! If castling is possible, neither King not Rook may have moved. So the only piece that moved for black is the pawn. But it took me some moments to realize, that the pawn could not have come from g6, but HAS to have come from g7.

I won't say why yet. Look at the board and turn it back one move. Then you will see.
Posted June 11, 2018
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blotunga: But if black's move wasn't? It's an incomplete problem. What if g5 got there in a two moves?
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Lifthrasil: Ou! I just noticed something! If castling is possible, neither King not Rook may have moved. So the only piece that moved for black is the pawn. But it took me some moments to realize, that the pawn could not have come from g6, but HAS to have come from g7.

I won't say why yet. Look at the board and turn it back one move. Then you will see.
You got the solution!

I'm impressed. It took me an hour or so.
Posted June 11, 2018
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blotunga: But if black's move wasn't? It's an incomplete problem. What if g5 got there in a two moves?
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Lifthrasil: Ou! I just noticed something! If castling is possible, neither King not Rook may have moved. So the only piece that moved for black is the pawn. But it took me some moments to realize, that the pawn could not have come from g6, but HAS to have come from g7.

I won't say why yet. Look at the board and turn it back one move. Then you will see.
Liberals win again!
Posted June 11, 2018
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Lifthrasil: Ou! I just noticed something! If castling is possible, neither King not Rook may have moved. So the only piece that moved for black is the pawn. But it took me some moments to realize, that the pawn could not have come from g6, but HAS to have come from g7.

I won't say why yet. Look at the board and turn it back one move. Then you will see.
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ZFR: You got the solution!

I'm impressed. It took me an hour or so.
Great puzzle! :-D
Posted June 11, 2018
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Lifthrasil: And if black's last move was g7-g5, then white wins with h5-g6 en passant.
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blotunga: But if black's move wasn't? It's an incomplete problem. What if g5 got there in a two moves?
It's complete. Think why it's not possible for the pawn to get there in 2 moves.
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ZFR: You got the solution!

I'm impressed. It took me an hour or so.
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Lifthrasil: Great puzzle! :-D
Best ever. And I'm not saying this lightly. I've been solving chess puzzles since times immemorial.
Post edited June 11, 2018 by ZFR
Posted June 11, 2018
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ZFR: It's complete. Think why it's not possible for the pawn to get there in 2 moves.
Best ever. And I'm not saying this lightly. I've been solving puzzles since times immemorial.
Ah, because the king wouldn't be on f5 you mean? The setup still might have occurred at some earlier point.
What if the king just moved to f5 after g5? But then it would be blacks turn. Yepp you're right afterall.
Post edited June 11, 2018 by blotunga
Posted June 11, 2018
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ZFR: It's complete. Think why it's not possible for the pawn to get there in 2 moves.
Best ever. And I'm not saying this lightly. I've been solving puzzles since times immemorial.
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blotunga: Ah, because the king wouldn't be on f5 you mean? The setup still might have occurred at some earlier point.
What if the king just moved to f5 after g5?
No. If the pawn was on g6, the king either was in check (and would have had to move away) or he moved into check, which is illegal. So black's last move can't have been g6-g5 because the pawn can't have been on g6.
Posted June 11, 2018
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Lifthrasil: No. If the pawn was on g6, the king either was in check (and would have had to move away) or he moved into check, which is illegal. So black's last move can't have been g6-g5 because the pawn can't have been on g6.
Yea, I figured later and edited my answer.
Posted June 11, 2018
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ZFR: Also, did anyone by any chance come across this before and knows who the author is. The guy must have been a genius.
I've lost the book, but it looks like one of the problems I saw in Vladimir Nabokov's poem anthology, which he ended with a couple dozen chess puzzles like that. I'll try to find it and see if my memory is correct, but even if I am wrong, since you said you like those sorts of puzzles, you should check it out.
EDIT: Oops. InkPanthers link included the source, sorry. Still, might be worth it to check out the book. It's called Poems And Problems.
Post edited June 11, 2018 by OneFiercePuppy
Posted June 11, 2018
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OneFiercePuppy: EDIT: Oops. InkPanthers link included the source, sorry. Still, might be worth it to check out the book. It's called Poems And Problems.
Sounds good. I like chess problems and I like poetry. I'll check it out.
... or maybe not.
https://www.amazon.de/Poems-and-problems/dp/0070457247/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1528727821&sr=8-1&keywords=poems+and+problems
Post edited June 11, 2018 by Lifthrasil
Posted June 11, 2018
SPOILER
Mm.. this didn't seem that difficult, I think:
- white king to E6
- black king to F8 (if black moves the tower, loses anyway)
- white tower to D8
- check mate
SPOILER END

I try these puzzles once in a while, but I'm often not sure (maybe not in this example):
- what are the black&white players' sides and so what's the allowed direction for pawns.
- who is moving first? If it says "White mates in 2" it always means that it's his turn, right?
- if special rules like the castling are still possible (e.g: is the king still in the its original place?)


SPOILER2
Ah lol, castling was possible here.
Would the king end up in G8 and the tower in F8?
SPOILER END
Post edited June 11, 2018 by phaolo
Posted June 11, 2018
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phaolo: SPOILER
Mm.. this didn't seem that difficult, I think:
- white king to 6E
- black king to 8F (if black moves the tower, loses anyway)
- white tower to 8D
- check mate
SPOILER END

I try these puzzles once in a while, but I'm often not sure (maybe not in this example):
- what are the black&white players' sides and so what's the allowed direction for pawns.
- who is moving first? If it says "White mates in 2" it always means that it's his turn, right?
- if special rules like the castling are still possible (e.g: is the king still in the its original place?)
Yep. That's the straightforward answer. The tricky part was to figure out what to do if castling is still allowed for black. Because then Ke6 doesn't work:

white: Ke6
black: castles
--> checkmate in 2 averted.
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General discussionBest. Chess. Problem. Ever.(63 posts)(63 posts)
(63 posts)