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Chess
Posted: June 22nd, 2022, 9:00 pm
by cinelli
In this chess puzzle black’s king is surrounded and black’s only moves are b6 and g5. Can you find white’s sequence to mate in four moves?
Cinelli
Re: Chess
Posted: June 22nd, 2022, 9:18 pm
by GrahamPlatt
There seems to be a mate in one - nd3. So if you want to prolong the agony, just keep moving the king back and let that b pawn advance…
Oops, edit: playing in the wrong direction! Plainly nd3 and kxb. Sorry.
Nd3… kxb
Nd3-f2 ..pb6,
(If kg3, qg1 mate)
qh1 kg3
qh2 mate
Re: Chess
Posted: June 22nd, 2022, 9:50 pm
by GrahamPlatt
No. That does NOT work. N-f2 & pxn… damn. Oh, just ignore me!
Re: Chess
Posted: June 22nd, 2022, 9:54 pm
by GrahamPlatt
OK
Rc7 .. then a black pawn moves
Rc1 .. the other pawn moves.
Nd3.. kxb
Qg1 mate.
Re: Chess
Posted: June 23rd, 2022, 2:23 pm
by 9873210
GrahamPlatt wrote:OK
Rc7 .. then a black pawn moves
Rc1 .. the other pawn moves.
Nd3.. kxb
Qg1 mate.
... Kh3
Re: Chess
Posted: June 23rd, 2022, 3:12 pm
by mc2fool
Re: Chess
Posted: June 23rd, 2022, 5:08 pm
by GrahamPlatt
9873210 wrote:GrahamPlatt wrote:OK
Rc7 .. then a black pawn moves
Rc1 .. the other pawn moves.
Nd3.. kxb
Qg1 mate.
... Kh3
Bugger. I did say ignore me!
Re: Chess
Posted: June 23rd, 2022, 5:49 pm
by UncleEbenezer
GrahamPlatt wrote:
Bugger. I did say ignore me!
Did someone say something?
Couple of things to bear in mind with these problems:
- It ain't chess as in a game, it's chess as in a diabolical problem space.
- there's a gotcha (preferably several) with any obvious solution or promising line.
Re: Chess
Posted: June 23rd, 2022, 7:23 pm
by CryptoPlankton
From past experience of these, this doesn't feel right (doesn't use the rook) - so please point out why!
Spoiler:
1. Kb6 g5
2. Nd3 Kxg2
3. N(d3)f2 Kg3
4. Qg1#
Re: Chess
Posted: June 23rd, 2022, 8:04 pm
by 9873210
CryptoPlankton wrote:From past experience of these, this doesn't feel right (doesn't use the rook) - so please point out why!
Spoiler:
1. Kb6 g5
2. Nd3 Kxg2
3. N(d3)f2 Kg3
4. Qg1#
3 ... P(e3)xN(f2)
now what?
perhaps:
If this were chess there is a mate in 6 with the queen taking all the e,f, and g pawns ending on e3 mate.
1. Qa1 g5 (or b6)
2. Qxe5 b6
3. Ka6 b5
4. Qxg5 b4
5. Qxf4 b3
6. Qxe3 mate
Which suggests:
1. Qd8 g5 (or b6)
2. Rd7 b6
3. Rd2 p(e3)xR(d2)
4. Qd4 mate
Re: Chess
Posted: June 23rd, 2022, 8:27 pm
by CryptoPlankton
9873210 wrote:CryptoPlankton wrote:From past experience of these, this doesn't feel right (doesn't use the rook) - so please point out why!
Spoiler:
1. Kb6 g5
2. Nd3 Kxg2
3. N(d3)f2 Kg3
4. Qg1#
3 ... P(e3)xN(f2)
now what?
perhaps:
If this were chess there is a mate in 6 with the queen taking all the e,f, and g pawns ending on e3 mate.
1. Qa1 g5 (or b6)
2. Qxe5 b6
3. Ka6 b5
4. Qxg5 b4
5. Qxf4 b3
6. Qxe3 mate
Which suggests:
1. Qd8 g5 (or b6)
2. Rd7 b6
3. Rd2 p(e3)xR(d2)
4. Qd4 mate
Thank you! Not sure what all the "mate in six" preamble was about, but I like the solution.
I'll blame COVID (fifth day) this time!
CP
Re: Chess
Posted: June 23rd, 2022, 8:39 pm
by 9873210
CryptoPlankton wrote:9873210 wrote:CryptoPlankton wrote:From past experience of these, this doesn't feel right (doesn't use the rook) - so please point out why!
Spoiler:
1. Kb6 g5
2. Nd3 Kxg2
3. N(d3)f2 Kg3
4. Qg1#
3 ... P(e3)xN(f2)
now what?
perhaps:
If this were chess there is a mate in 6 with the queen taking all the e,f, and g pawns ending on e3 mate.
1. Qa1 g5 (or b6)
2. Qxe5 b6
3. Ka6 b5
4. Qxg5 b4
5. Qxf4 b3
6. Qxe3 mate
Which suggests:
1. Qd8 g5 (or b6)
2. Rd7 b6
3. Rd2 p(e3)xR(d2)
4. Qd4 mate
Thank you! Not sure what all the "mate in six" preamble was about, but I like the solution.
I'll blame COVID (fifth day) this time!
CP
It's how I would play this position in a real game, particularly if I had time trouble. When I wrote that I did not have the answer. The mate in 6 showed me how to use the queen and I stumbled into the mate in 4. Some people may be interested in the thought process rather than just the answer.
Re: Chess
Posted: June 23rd, 2022, 8:50 pm
by mc2fool
9873210 wrote:
Which suggests:
1. Qd8 g5 (or b6)
2. Rd7 b6
3. Rd2 p(e3)xR(d2)
4. Qd4 mate
Close, but
4. Qd4 e5xQ ! 
Re: Chess
Posted: June 23rd, 2022, 9:05 pm
by 9873210
mc2fool wrote:9873210 wrote:
Which suggests:
1. Qd8 g5 (or b6)
2. Rd7 b6
3. Rd2 p(e3)xR(d2)
4. Qd4 mate
Close, but
4. Qd4 e5xQ !
Rats,
4. Qxb6 mate mate in 6 was so much easier.
Re: Chess
Posted: June 23rd, 2022, 10:38 pm
by GoSeigen
Simplistic, but does this work?
Spoiler:
1. Rc7 ...
2. Rc1 ...
3. Nd3+ KxB
4. Qg1 mate
GS
Re: Chess
Posted: June 23rd, 2022, 11:05 pm
by mc2fool
GoSeigen wrote:Simplistic, but does this work?
Spoiler:
1. Rc7 ...
2. Rc1 ...
3. Nd3+ KxB
4. Qg1 mate
GS
Nope.
4. Qg1 Kxh3
Re: Chess
Posted: June 24th, 2022, 6:26 am
by GoSeigen
mc2fool wrote:GoSeigen wrote:Simplistic, but does this work?
Spoiler:
1. Rc7 ...
2. Rc1 ...
3. Nd3+ KxB
4. Qg1 mate
GS
Nope.
4. Qg1 Kxh3
Aargh. Cunning puzzle.
GS
Re: Chess
Posted: June 24th, 2022, 8:29 pm
by cinelli
The solution:
The prize goes to 9873210 for the correct solution:
1 Qd8! b6 or g5
2 Rd7! g5 or b6
3 Rd2! exd2
4 Qxb6 mate
I think the rook sacrifice is brilliant as it not only gives black a move, it also frees the diagonal from b3 to the king. This is a problem by Fritz Giegold.
Cinelli
Re: Chess
Posted: August 31st, 2022, 7:53 pm
by cinelli
Chess enthusiasts might be interested in the recent Radio 4 programme Reunion which brought together participants in the 1997 chess match between supercomputer Deep Blue and world champion Garry Kasparov.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001bkvtCinelli
Re: Chess
Posted: September 27th, 2022, 5:43 pm
by swill453
Snorvey wrote:How do you cheat in a face to face game? There have been suggestions (by Eon Musk!) of some sort of signalling device up his bum, with a mate elsewhere on a computer anal(!)ysing the game and sending him which moves to play. Neimann has offered to play naked and was actually scanned by security before taking his seat.
Sounds like something out of the pawn industry.
Scott.