Chess Puzzles

Jai Ganesh · 2007-12-13 22:12:55

Same, me too! I play with my 12 year old nephew only these days...that too, not very often....
At one point of time, Chess was the first priority in my life...when I was 12-13 years of age....I tried to represent my state....just missed the bus....

Identity · 2007-12-13 22:26:41

Try googling Free Internet Chess Server (FICS), it's a great server, I often play on there.

JaneFairfax · 2007-12-13 23:40:55

I have a CD-ROM chess program. I set up my board positions on it, take a screenshot, and edit the image on MS Paint.

JaneFairfax · 2007-12-14 01:36:21

Well, I made another one.

#23. White to move. Find the fastest way to checkmate the Black king.

Difficulty level: 5

NullRoot · 2007-12-14 01:48:46

Jai Ganesh · 2007-12-14 02:09:41

NullRoot has given the answer for #23! Perfectlyu right, NullRoot!
Once, when I was 12 or 13, I did the same mistake in a different end game, Null Root,
in a tournament, and I earned 1/2 a point instead of 1 for a win!
All I had to do was instead of Queening, I should have taken a Rook for the queening pawn!
Good one, JaneFairfax!!! And well done, NullRoot!!!

NullRoot · 2007-12-14 02:27:57

Things like that are the most frustrating part of Chess; you drop into autopilot and before you know it your next move is suffixed with "??".

JaneFairfax · 2007-12-14 10:21:30

Excellent job again, NullRoot.

Yes. The careless (more like reckless) move 1. c8=Q?? will only send the game into stalemate. But there are also players who forget that they can choose a lesser piece than the queen to promote a pawn into so their move will be to move the White king aside before queening the pawn. This avoids stalemate but will take much longer to deliver checkmate. The key to speedy mate in this particular puzzle is underpromotion to rook.

Last edited by JaneFairfax (2007-12-14 10:22:13)

mathsyperson · 2007-12-14 11:37:21

I'm really bad for accidentally causing stalemate.
I play Chess with my sister occasionally, and I'm slightly better than her and so can get into a favourable endgame position around 70-80% of the time.

But of those cases, I only win about half the time because I capture everything except her king and then accidentally trap it from moving.
Lately I've started deliberately leaving one of her pawns so that she always has a move available.

Jai Ganesh · 2007-12-15 17:07:10

mathsy,
That also has an advanatge, there is no limitation of number of moves within which you have to checkmate her! Otherwise, with only the opponent King on the Board, I think the limit is 50 moves as per FIDE!

JaneFairfax · 2007-12-16 06:15:06

No. If the pawn doesnt move, the 50-move rule can still be claimed. In fact, the 50-move rule can be claimed any time in the game. Its just that when there are still a lot of pieces on the board, it's rare for both sides to make 50 moves without moving a pawn or capturing a piece.

Jai Ganesh · 2007-12-16 17:45:22

ganesh wrote:

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

Has everyone given up? Shall I post the solution?
Okay, another clue:- Start with the knight starting position on the queen side.

Jai Ganesh · 2007-12-24 03:08:24

Here is an attempt. I covered 63 squares.

Jai Ganesh · 2007-12-25 03:40:46

Okay, here's the solution.

JaneFairfax · 2007-12-30 21:38:03

24. How many ways can you put eight rooks on a chessboard such that no two rooks are attacking each other? (Difficulty rating: 5)

mathsyperson · 2007-12-31 05:38:58

JaneFairfax · 2007-12-31 09:55:28

Jai Ganesh · 2007-12-31 20:01:18

Answer to #24.

The least possible is 8 ways. I remember this question I was asked as a 10 year old. The only difference being 8 queens instead of 8 rooks. I still remember the magic number, although 18 years have elapsed. The magic number is 47531682. Now this is possible from any of the four directions, the reverse would hold good too. Hence, a minimum of 8 permutations is possible. If the questions was changed from queen to rook, more possiblitlies would arise.

ZHero · 2008-07-06 10:12:23

#25. What exactly does 'CheckMate' mean? -Ranking 3

#26. What is a 'Steinitz Knight' in chess? -Ranking 5

Last edited by ZHero (2008-07-06 10:17:42)

ZHero · 2008-07-06 23:59:03

Hmmm...
I'd like some volunteer to suggest me on 'how long should i wait for a reply before posting the correct answer?'

JohnnyReinB · 2008-07-07 01:23:06

The forums are not instant messaging, so replies might not appear until a few hours up to a few days (sometimes a few weeks!).

Don't look at me, I don't play chess.

ZHero · 2008-07-07 01:56:48

#27. Which two squares are considered to be the 'weakest' squares on a chess board initially (when the board is just setup)?
-difficulty level 3

#28. What is a 'Fianchetto' in chess?
-difficulty level 4

ZHero · 2008-07-17 07:00:57

No answers for weeks...?

Anyways.. Here are the answers...

Last edited by ZHero (2008-07-17 07:02:05)

ZHero · 2008-07-17 07:14:13

Brukewilliams · 2008-08-10 21:11:01

These are interactive problems based on positions from recent tournament games. In each case, click on the chess board and wait for the viewer to load, then make a move on the chess board by clicking and dragging a piece and wait for the computer to respond. If you get the whole sequence of moves right (if more than one move is needed to solve the problem), the computer will let you know that you succeeded. Hints are available. The problems range in difficulty from easy to fairly hard. This feature will appear periodically.

-------------------------
Brukewilliams
[Removed inappropriate link - RP]

Last edited by MathsIsFun (2008-08-10 21:27:04)

Math Is Fun Forum

#51 2007-12-13 22:12:55

Re: Chess Puzzles

#52 2007-12-13 22:26:41

Re: Chess Puzzles

#53 2007-12-13 23:40:55

Re: Chess Puzzles

#54 2007-12-14 01:36:21

Re: Chess Puzzles

#55 2007-12-14 01:48:46

Re: Chess Puzzles

#56 2007-12-14 02:09:41

Re: Chess Puzzles

#57 2007-12-14 02:27:57

Re: Chess Puzzles

#58 2007-12-14 10:21:30

Re: Chess Puzzles

#59 2007-12-14 11:37:21

Re: Chess Puzzles

#60 2007-12-15 17:07:10

Re: Chess Puzzles

#61 2007-12-16 06:15:06

Re: Chess Puzzles

#62 2007-12-16 17:45:22

Re: Chess Puzzles

#63 2007-12-24 03:08:24

Re: Chess Puzzles

#64 2007-12-25 03:40:46

Re: Chess Puzzles

#65 2007-12-30 21:38:03

Re: Chess Puzzles

#66 2007-12-31 05:38:58

Re: Chess Puzzles

#67 2007-12-31 09:55:28

Re: Chess Puzzles

#68 2007-12-31 20:01:18

Re: Chess Puzzles

#69 2008-07-06 10:12:23

Re: Chess Puzzles

#70 2008-07-06 23:59:03

Re: Chess Puzzles

#71 2008-07-07 01:23:06

Re: Chess Puzzles

#72 2008-07-07 01:56:48

Re: Chess Puzzles

#73 2008-07-17 07:00:57

Re: Chess Puzzles

#74 2008-07-17 07:14:13

Re: Chess Puzzles

#75 2008-08-10 21:11:01

Re: Chess Puzzles

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