Chess Puzzles

Jai Ganesh · 2007-11-02 03:39:34

1. On an empty chess board, place the knight on any one square. Cover all the remaining 63 squares in exactly 63 moves without moving to the square you've already been in.
(a) Can this be done?
(b) If so, how?

Clue: An easy way to try this is draw an 8X8 square on a paper, mark your starting place as 1, then 2, and 3 and so on. If you reach 64, you win

2. Place the King and 7 powers (Queen, 2 Rooks, 2 Bishops and 2 Knights) on an empty Chess board. All the other 57 squares should be under attact of the King or any of the other 7 powers. That is, the oppenent should not able to place a piece unattacked. Can this be done? If so, show how!

3. Place the 8 pawns on an empty Chess board in such a way that, treating each pawn as a Queen, one should not be in the line of attack of the other. Can this be done? If yes, give the solution.

4. How many moves is the shortest complete game of Chess?

ASSIGNED DIFFICULTY LEVEL FROM 1-LEAST DIFFICULT TO 10-MOST DIFFICULT:-

#1, #2, #3 :- DIFFICULTY LEVEL 6
#4 : DIFFICULTY LEVEL - 3

Devantè · 2007-11-02 04:49:00

Jai Ganesh · 2007-11-03 02:27:44

Devante`,
Wonderful. The first reply is the correct one, and that was what I was expecting. Its also called the fool's mate, I think!
I don't know if the rules of the game allow the alternative, ha! Thats assault, battery!
Well done, again!

JohnnyReinB · 2007-11-03 19:44:37

No 3:

There is a game like that in the internet. It is pretty hard!

In fact, it is said that there are 92 possible solutions...

But some of them are just rotated and mirror images of each other...

Plus, can anyone pls tell me how to use hidetags?

Last edited by JohnnyReinB (2007-11-03 19:50:25)

Jai Ganesh · 2007-11-03 20:16:36

Johnny,
You are absolutely right regarding what you said about problem #3. I got one right when I was about 12 or 13 years of age, and I just remember the numbers. I think I was very lucky, because I kept trying one way after the other, the method of exhaustion! Or trial and success as it is called!
From this primitive solution, many other solutions, which are either rearrangements or mirror images can be created. The primitve solution I remember is in the uploaded image. The second uploaded image tells you how to use the hide tag.

JohnnyReinB · 2007-11-03 20:59:56

Thanks Ganesh!

So it's like this?

Last edited by JohnnyReinB (2007-11-03 21:04:13)

Jai Ganesh · 2007-11-04 00:13:27

Exactly, Johnny! You have already put the titles in the tag!!!

#5. A game of chess is about to start. In how many different ways can the first move (by White, of course!) be made?

Difficulty Level : 3

#6 : What are the rules for queening of a pawn?

Difficulty level : 3

mathsyperson · 2007-11-04 09:46:38

Jai Ganesh · 2007-11-04 23:02:16

Excellent, mathsy!!! Both correct!!!!!
Keep up the good work!!!
But are there any other rules for queening?

Devantè · 2007-11-05 04:20:14

mathsyperson wrote:

I disagree.

Jai Ganesh · 2007-11-05 04:35:49

mathsy is right, Devante`!

I don't think there are any other rules.
However, there is no restriction that there should be no queen on the board by the player queening. That is, the queening is permitted even if there is already a queen on the board. Further, it is the player's choice. The pawn moving to the eight square can be selected from any other power too, like Bishop, Knight, Rook.

If you have any reason to disagree, please post what you think Devante`!

#7: How is castling written down in Chess?

Difficulty level : 3
#8 : Which country does GM V. Anand (full name Viswanathan Anand), the world's top ranked player currently, hail from?

Difficulty level : 3

JaneFairfax · 2007-11-05 11:52:26

Jai Ganesh · 2007-11-05 16:59:27

Very good, Jane Fairfax!
Both your answers are correct!!!!

#9. Of the two powers, Bishop and Knight, which would a master of the game prefer to have?

Difficulty level : 4

#10. Technically, what is a stalemate in chess?

Difficulty level : 3

JohnnyReinB · 2007-11-05 22:29:17

Hope that's right

JaneFairfax · 2007-11-05 23:01:22

Jai Ganesh · 2007-11-06 03:24:32

Replies to #9 :-
We are talking about a Master. This is a matter of opinion, but I remember being told when I was very young that a Bishop is marginally greater than 3 points, a knight is 3 points. You know which the master would choose.
JohnnyReinB and JaneFairfax,
it depends whether it is the end game or not.
You are right JanefairFax! In the endgame, the bishop is definitely a better piece.
My opinion : In the endgame : Bishop

I should say both of you are correct! I am no Master of the game. Since this is a matter of opinion, I am no judge. But I always prefer to have the Bishop with me. A Bishop covers all diagonal black squares or all diagonal whie squares. This is a slight advantage, I think!

#10. JohnnyReinB, your answer is all correct, but you have missed out an important point. A checkmate is victory to one player, loss to the other, a stalemate is technically a draw, the points are shared.

Jai Ganesh · 2007-11-06 03:28:08

#11. What is n'pass in Chess?

Difficult level : 3

#13. In which nation did the game of chess originate?

Difficulty level : 2

JaneFairfax · 2007-11-06 07:45:19

Whoa! Shouldnt #13 be #12?

mathsyperson · 2007-11-06 08:56:11

To Johnny: I would say that masters use piece value far less than newcomers.
New people need a rough guide to help them decide how valuable a piece is, whether sacrifices are worth it, etc.

Masters would know those things from experience. Besides, in some situations a pawn can become more valuable than a queen and so blindly using a point system that applies to everything doesn't really work.

As for Knight Vs. Bishop, my personal favourite is the knight. It's useful for jumping around all over the place, picking off lots of enemies in the early game. As the board becomes less cluttered, other pieces increase their area of attack and the knight has less safe places to move around, but near the start it can cause considerable damage.
I would agree that bishops are better near the endgame though.

Jai Ganesh · 2007-11-06 19:18:09

JaneFairfax wrote:

Whoa! Shouldnt #13 be #12?

Yes, JaneFairfax! Q#13 should be Q#12.

JaneFairfax,
Solution to #11,
Correct! Very well done! Keep up the Good work!

#12. No. You aren't right this time.

mathsyperson · 2007-11-07 01:46:02

Jai Ganesh · 2007-11-07 02:30:45

Solution to #12

mathsyperson,
You are right! Superlative performace!
It was called Chaturanga, later Shatranj in the early days!
The wikipedia has a lot of information on Chess. You may search the wiki for more info.
I think, the words Check and Mate originated from Persian though. The Persian words Shah (King) aur math

#14. In an end game, one player has only the King left, no powers, no pawns.The other player has a power or some powers. He may or may not have a pawn. Immediately after the King without any power or pawn is left, within how many player should the player with the King with the power checkmate the other player? Is there any limit on the number of moves or no?

Devantè · 2007-11-07 02:34:25

Last edited by Devantè (2007-11-07 02:34:57)

mathsyperson · 2007-11-07 02:48:13

Jai Ganesh · 2007-11-07 03:02:10

#14.
I concede, mathsyperson is correct!
Maybe, there wasn't sufficient information or I had failed to convey (what I had in my mind) in the Question correctly!
I agree its 50 moves though.

#15. Can a player with only a King and a Queen, with no other powers or paws checkmate the other player who has only the King left?

#16. Can a player with only a King and a Queen, with no other powers or paws checkmate the other player who has only the King left?

#17. When is a player allowed to Castle?

(#15, #16, #17 : Difficulty level : 2)

Math Is Fun Forum

#1 2007-11-02 03:39:34

Chess Puzzles

#2 2007-11-02 04:49:00

Re: Chess Puzzles

#3 2007-11-03 02:27:44

Re: Chess Puzzles

#4 2007-11-03 19:44:37

Re: Chess Puzzles

#5 2007-11-03 20:16:36

Re: Chess Puzzles

#6 2007-11-03 20:59:56

Re: Chess Puzzles

#7 2007-11-04 00:13:27

Re: Chess Puzzles

#8 2007-11-04 09:46:38

Re: Chess Puzzles

#9 2007-11-04 23:02:16

Re: Chess Puzzles

#10 2007-11-05 04:20:14

Re: Chess Puzzles

#11 2007-11-05 04:35:49

Re: Chess Puzzles

#12 2007-11-05 11:52:26

Re: Chess Puzzles

#13 2007-11-05 16:59:27

Re: Chess Puzzles

#14 2007-11-05 22:29:17

Re: Chess Puzzles

#15 2007-11-05 23:01:22

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#16 2007-11-06 03:24:32

Re: Chess Puzzles

#17 2007-11-06 03:28:08

Re: Chess Puzzles

#18 2007-11-06 07:45:19

Re: Chess Puzzles

#19 2007-11-06 08:56:11

Re: Chess Puzzles

#20 2007-11-06 19:18:09

Re: Chess Puzzles

#21 2007-11-07 01:46:02

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#22 2007-11-07 02:30:45

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#23 2007-11-07 02:34:25

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#24 2007-11-07 02:48:13

Re: Chess Puzzles

#25 2007-11-07 03:02:10

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