Questions tagged [chess]
A puzzle related to the game of chess. Questions about chess which aren't puzzles are off-topic but can be asked on Chess Stack Exchange.
2
votes
1answer
31 views
A minimal stalemate with no possible illegal moves
Imagine that the main goal of the game of chess were to actually capture the opponent's king, not just checkmating him. So a stalemate would (usually) no longer be a draw, but a loss for the ...
1
vote
2answers
297 views
Placing rooks on a chessboard
We have a big chessboard with N rows and N columns (numbered 1 through N). Let's denote the square in row r and column c of the chessboard by (r,c). We want to place some rooks on the chessboard in ...
6
votes
2answers
327 views
Pawn Promotion Double Checks
In chess, it is possible to double check whilst giving promotion. An example of this would be a pawn promoting to a queen while a discovered attack from a rook behind the pawn checks the opponent’s ...
2
votes
2answers
94 views
Pawninos-44 Checks In A Row
Here’s a fun one! I call it Pawninos because the pawns, like dominos, all fall into a cycle!
Start with an 8x8 chess board. Give black his king on h4 and no other material. Give white all of his 8 ...
1
vote
0answers
203 views
What’s the most discovered checkmates in one in a position?
Just another puzzle for fun!
A discovered check is defined as “when a piece moves, while not giving check itself, as to let a piece behind deliver a check.”
What’s the highest possible number of ...
1
vote
1answer
96 views
Find Those Chews Notations! #6
Here be a hearty return to the original point of this series: retrograde analysis!
Number Of Moves: 12
Checkmater: White
Given Game:
? ?
? ?
? ?
? 0-0
? ?
? ?
? ?
Nf6+ Kh8
? ?
? ?
Nxf5 ?
Ng6#
...
2
votes
2answers
86 views
Find Those Notations #5!
Here’s another different one. You must find as many mates in 4 as possible. Include shorter ones if you want that you find, but at least one mate in four has to be included in your answer.
But no ...
6
votes
2answers
173 views
The Not So Knights Challenge
You have been imprisoned by your super duper cliché evil king named Tim Goldsteen for sneezing during his birthday party. Apparently he’s that evil. Anyhow, you found out Tim’s secret that he enjoys ...
3
votes
1answer
110 views
That Ain’t Right… #3
Here’s a simple challenge.
Wtih black to cooperate and move first, and white to checkmate, checkmate black in 6 plies (half-moves.) Only one illegal move may be made, and white makes only legal moves....
0
votes
2answers
95 views
Max pieces to cover a chess board [closed]
Number of individual chess pieces to cover all chess board
4
votes
1answer
128 views
The Fastest Way-A Special Positional Challenge
This is my first “find the fastest way to this position” chess puzzle” here on PSE. However, this is not for just some random position. Let me explain.
Tim Krabbe has said on his site (Journal Entry ...
13
votes
4answers
1k views
Tht Aain’t Right… #2
I already have another, probably very easy, for you all again!
Task: State the rule/s that you believe are being broken based on the position and/or what clues I have/you think are being given. You ...
4
votes
1answer
160 views
That Ain’t Rght… 1# (Definitely!)
Many chess problems are dedicated to legal games, and very few to illegal ones. So I’ve decided to start another series of the latter!
Every problem I make will have some offbeat thing about it that ...
5
votes
2answers
82 views
Find Those Chess Notations! #4
Yes, it’s back again! This one is going to be a little different however.
Number Of Moves: 11
Checkmater: White
Final Position:
Cryptic Clue #1: Not all is as it seems!
Cryptic Clue #2: Are ...
8
votes
3answers
279 views
What’s the most possible checkmates in one, but with no promoted pieces, in a position?
What is the most possible checkmates in one without promoted units in a position? It must all be legal, of course.
Consider this a part two of this question: How many total checkmates can you ...
5
votes
2answers
357 views
Build Me A Pawn Wall!
I have a very unique chess construction task for you all today: Build me a pawn wall!
I challenge you to construct a game that ends with both sides having 6 pawns on a file. This means that 6 white ...
2
votes
2answers
223 views
Mirror Checkmates
A mirrored game is a game where black makes the same moves as white. Doing this, find the fastest possible checkmates for:
A Regular Rook
A Promoted Rook
A Regular Bishop
A Promoted Bishop
A Regular ...
6
votes
2answers
748 views
Chess with symmetric move-square
Every move in chess involves moving a piece to a square. Let us call this square the "move-square" for that turn.
In the following, the move-square of the black player must be symmetrical (over the ...
12
votes
5answers
4k views
Copycat chess is back
This puzzle is inspired by and has similar rules to the series of puzzles by Sleafar.
Definition. A copycat chess opening is a sequence of moves starting from the conventional starting position, ...
3
votes
1answer
100 views
Find Those Chess Notations! #3
I’ve decided to do something a little different this time. I’m going to give you nearly all of the moves of one side, and must figure out the rest of the moves of the other side. Variations are ...
8
votes
1answer
426 views
Find My Mission For Me
I am a spy for the CIA. Since I am in a hostile territory, my next mission was given to me in a very coded manner.
Today, while playing chess in the local park a briefcase landed on my head. Feeling ...
6
votes
1answer
142 views
Find Those Chess Notations! #2.5
Yet again, just another small one that I created before the next big one sometime tomorrow!
Number Of Moves: 7
Checkmater: White
Given Game (Regular Chess Notation):
1. ? ?
? ?
? ?
? O-O
? g5
?+ ?
...
7
votes
1answer
127 views
Find Those Chess Notations! #2
Alrighty, it’s time for round two, as I promised! It’s a challenging one alright, I believe!
Number Of Moves: 17
Checkmater: Black
Given Game (Regular Chess Notation):
...
4
votes
1answer
251 views
Fantastic Foxhole Failures
I have decided to make a little bit of theme for this next chess question. And that theme is foxholes in war. Makes sense to me since chess is a technically a war-themed game.
I have two puzzles for ...
6
votes
1answer
71 views
Find Those Chess Notations! #1.5
This is this a small puzzle for you all until I come out with a big one for #2.
Number Of Moves: 6
Checkmater: White
Given Game (Regular Chess Notation):
? ?
? ?
bxa3 g6
? Ne7
? ?
Nh6#
Cryptic ...
7
votes
1answer
124 views
Find Those Chess Notations! #1 (Probably)
I’m hoping to begin a mini-series where you will have to figure it’s the entire notation list of a game being given a few moves, a few cryptic hints, and the number if if moves, and which side gets ...
0
votes
1answer
186 views
Fastest Way To 6 Pawns On the B To H Files
MASSIVE UPDATE: I decided to play around with this again today, and I found MAJOR improvmemts for the B to G file games. See if you can beat me! If not, give proof as to why my game is optimal (To ...
9
votes
1answer
405 views
How many total checkmates can you possibly make against the enemy king?
Just an interesting idea for a puzzle that I had
So, I decided to see how many possible checkmate I could theoretically make, in a legal position that can be legally reached.
Always assume that the ...
28
votes
2answers
2k views
There is only s̶i̶x̶t̶y one place he can be
This puzzle is not mine, although I don't have any reference as to where it originated from. I discovered it when I was a student, some fifteen years ago. It has been among my favourite chess puzzles ...
8
votes
2answers
502 views
Missing checkmates in one
Have you ever missed a one-move checkmate and immediately realized it after making your move? If you have, you just might have what it takes to crack this problem. Let's take an example:
g4 e5
...
5
votes
5answers
443 views
Backwards pawns
Part One: Reach the above position from the starting position
Part Two: Find the fastest way to get to this position.
Answering part one will get you an upvote, answering part two gets the ...
7
votes
1answer
555 views
Who attempted to betray the Boston King?
The Castle of Weshire recently declared war on the Castle of Boston. The two armies soon met, the Boston King and Weshire King giving out orders from behind their lines of soldiers, surround by their ...
4
votes
1answer
299 views
Chess Massacre Variants-Play Find The Fastest Way?
I have thought up several variations of massacre chess.
Massacre chess is a game where almost every single move is a capture.
The idea here is that only the chosen type of piece can capture. It ...
29
votes
5answers
3k views
“Murder!”, said the knight
It is the middle of a moonless night when the people of Birmingham are awakened by a scream coming from the streets. Someone has been murdered, they soon hear, but no body was found. Everyone gathers ...
15
votes
3answers
2k views
A Wacky, Wacky Chessboard (That Makes No Sense)
So yesterday I found this in the mail. A chessboard. But on the squares, things were written. Plaintext version:
...
19
votes
2answers
3k views
The Longest Chess Game
In honour of Stockfish and Leela Chess Zero just finishing the longest game in TCEC history at the Superfinal of the Top Chess Engines Championship Season 14, here's a simple problem related to chess ...
3
votes
2answers
247 views
Enumerate the ways of putting six armies of queens on a humongous chessboard
This is a sort of a sub-problem of the open puzzle Peaceful Encampments, for high numbers of armies.
Consider a chessboard with an astronomically large number of vanishingly small squares, on which ...
9
votes
2answers
326 views
Reverse Puzzling - Curious Chess
George rubbed his hands together. "What have you got for me today?" he asked.
I showed him the pieces set up on the chess board and told him the stipulation.
"That's a very strange one." He said. "...
6
votes
3answers
980 views
Knights Problem
There are 2 white knights and 2 black knights positioned at a (3 X 3) chess board. Find the minimum number of moves required to ...
6
votes
3answers
149 views
Discrete Peaceful Encampments: Player 4 has entered the game!
Here's a variation of Discrete Peaceful Encampments: Player 3 has entered the game! (which itself is a variation of Peaceful Encampments).
You have 3 white queens, 3 black queens, 3 red queens, and ...
5
votes
3answers
187 views
Discrete Peaceful Encampments: Player 3 has entered the game!
Here's a variation of Discrete Peaceful Encampments: 9 queens on a chessboard (which itself is a variation of Peaceful Encampments).
You have 4 white queens, 4 black queens, and 4 red queens. Place ...
15
votes
4answers
1k views
Discrete Peaceful Encampments: 9 queens on a chessboard
Here's a discrete variation of yesterday's puzzle Peaceful Encampments.
You have 8 white queens and 8 black queens. Place all these pieces onto a normal 8x8 chessboard in such a way that no white ...
15
votes
0answers
652 views
Peaceful Encampments
This math puzzle is due to Donald Knuth (as far as I know; maybe he got it from someone else) circa 2014.
Consider a plain represented by the unit square. On this plain we want to “peacefully ...
11
votes
3answers
337 views
You may remove pieces of your opponent's!
You are in a regular chess tournament, your opponent is Deepest Blue AI who considers every kind of possibilities and does not make any mistakes.
But you are given an opportunity to remove any pieces ...
13
votes
1answer
1k views
4x4 chessboard, bishops and knights are removed, 4 moves to checkmate
Four-by-four chessboard
Bishops and knights are removed
Four moves to checkmate
Minor spoiler:
Source: Me, I think this website needs more haiku :)
36
votes
11answers
8k views
A Very Illegal Position
It's been a while since I've done a chess puzzle, so here's one!
This position is illegal in quite a lot of ways:
It's illegal in at least 10 ways. The first one to find all of the ways this ...
8
votes
1answer
319 views
A chess game with odd moves?
A friend and I like to play chess regularly. Like me, he is a lover of a good puzzle, which is what drew us to the game. The thrill of finding a checkmate in a board riddled with pieces cannot be ...
6
votes
2answers
439 views
The Chessboard Exhibition
Why not, another entry in Fortnightly Topic Challenge #41: Short and Sweet
I just bought the newest, coolest chessboard! I think I'm going to share it to my five chess pieces at the National ...
4
votes
1answer
113 views
The Faerie Army is coming!
Well, we're all in trouble, yet again. The fabled Faerie Army has come to take over our dimension.
This is the battlefield:
However, their soldiers don't work quite like ours...
Their pawns ...
3
votes
3answers
516 views
Conway's Game of Life… Chess Edition
Here's a new interesting game.
Here's the starting position:
and here's how it works.
Before I even start explaining this, adjacent includes diagonally adjacent. Thank you.
White goes ...
