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Part of the Fortnightly Topic Challenge #35: Restricted Title 1


"White to continue insisting this is a chess board"

https://i.sstatic.net/1kaos.jpg

When done, circle all squares black and white pieces moved to:

KNIPSGEA
RHUTNLSE
IFTPONME
ROBEOCNE
FEWIXTKL
EPTCHIOM
RANAEISY
LITUREED
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    $\begingroup$ (It would be friendlier to inline those images, rather than make people follow a link to them, no?) $\endgroup$
    – Rubio
    Commented May 30, 2018 at 6:19
  • $\begingroup$ "White to win ..." usually means that white must reach a winning position, not necessarily give mate in the specified number of moves. In that case in the second puzzle every move is a winning move. If you actually mean "White to mate ...", then the second puzzle is not solvable (didn't check the rest yet). $\endgroup$
    – Sleafar
    Commented May 30, 2018 at 16:16
  • $\begingroup$ @Sleafar It's "to mate" here, yet it's not supposed to be solvable under the usual chess rules. $\endgroup$ Commented May 30, 2018 at 17:30
  • $\begingroup$ Is image 3 lacking a white king on purpose? $\endgroup$ Commented May 30, 2018 at 18:01

1 Answer 1

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I successfully solved 7/8 problems and I believe the one left has a big flaw. Also, one solved has a minor flaw. I might be mistaken so the public (and the author) would probably correct me.

Now, as you noticed, the problems are unsolvable if you see them as chess problems. However, let's add a little tweak to chess rules:

If a group of figures is surrounded by enemy's figures from all sides (enemies hold a close chain, just like in Go game), then this group entirely burns in flames, leaving no trace. This takes place the same turn, before the turn's end.

If you read the previous spoiler I highly advice you to try to solve these problems once again. They're extraordinarily good.

Now let's get started:

One

enter image description here
I might have had to mention it - a burned king still counts as a mate. Next!

Two

enter image description here
The burn is used to clear a way for long-range fighters.

Three

enter image description here
Nothing new, really. Now we're in for two-turners.

Four

enter image description here
What's new here - the king can't go on the queen's place because that would burn him immediately (technically, a self-mate). That would be much more sacrificial than killing entire team, though.

Five

enter image description here
The best situation by far. Not only bishop sacrifices himself to clear the way, the king has to go up close to a rook to burn it. I even made you a meme about that (you still reading, huh?) enter image description here

I leave six for now. Seven.

enter image description here

And eight. Both are pretty self-explanatory.

enter image description here

Flaws (?)

The solution of six as I got it:

enter image description here
What I mean here is - the f2 pawn is a hippy and it tries to convince g2 knight to be hippy too, but he finally decides to not and they burn the king.
Also that pink spot means the spot where the king would die, burned by the rook.

Why did I make such a strange decision? Well, shoot, if you have a better one. This decision was provided by the letter hint. Here is the hint I got, with purple letters taken from the other puzzles, and red - from puzzle six with this particular solution.

enter image description here

Also, if I didn't assume hippies - this would be a two-turn mate with indefinite end, not a three-turner.

SO THE ANSWER SEEMS TO BE

KNIGHT TO BE ONE WITH NATURE

Coincidentially, that's exactly what the f2 pawn said to the g2 knight.

Also Flaws

In puzzle 4, the last turn could be rot13(Ep7), which would foil the final message. Probably, replace with a knight?

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