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.
4
votes
1answer
73 views
Normal Knight sees the Big Picture during his Countrywide Travels
Normal Knight is savvy, energy saving as he travels through Regular Country... Ride along and Document Details of his Journey
As this Knight (only chess move allowed) journeys through ,
he takes ...
5
votes
1answer
100 views
Prime Knight travels through Prime Country
Prime Knight travels through Prime Country... Ride along and Document Details of his Journey
As this Prime Knight (only chess move allowed) journeys through Prime land, he makes a pit stop at every ...
7
votes
3answers
199 views
Lead the way to this Literary Knight to its final “DESTINATION”
As this Literary Knight (only chess move allowed) hops along, picks up a letter each time to make it to final
$DESTINATION$
Starting from a cell containing right D, ride the Knight picking up each ...
0
votes
1answer
53 views
Where is the White King? [duplicate]
I recently stumbled upon this puzzle on a known video platform. Apparently it's from the cover of an old book named "The Chess Mysteries of the Arabian Knights".
The white king made himself ...
4
votes
5answers
271 views
A Humourous & Simple Selfmate In One
Here's simple and humourous chess puzzle that I created after a few non-consecutive hours. I had to prove the concept feasible while making it as economic as possible.
White To Move, And Selfmate In ...
5
votes
1answer
387 views
Something Large From Something Small
I have created a miniature chess puzzle that takes advantage of a piece of chess semantics that has some debate to it.
This is the puzzle:
Construct a legal (meaning that two opposite colored ...
1
vote
2answers
91 views
A Fairy-ly Odd Chess Identification Puzzle
I had a rather odd idea today. On my own, I came up with a mate in two scheme that uses a fairy chess piece, along with a new puzzle theme. The idea is that you must figure what fairy piece is going ...
2
votes
1answer
186 views
Place The Black King Legally-Two Solutions
Warning: If the wording seems cryptic to you, that’s because it is meant to be.
Here’s a puzzle for you: legally place the black king in the following diagram.
Additionally, assuming that all white ...
12
votes
3answers
1k views
Crossword gone overboard
This puzzle is part 24 of Gladys' journey across the globe. Each part can be solved independently. Nevertheless, if you are new to the series, feel free to start at the beginning: Introducing Gladys.
...
5
votes
3answers
213 views
A Multitude Of Mates In 5-An Original Chess Puzzle
Here’s a toughie for you-and no computers allowed!
I have created this unique chess puzzle which white mates black in many different ways, all in 5 moves, no matter what black does. Options do exist ...
2
votes
1answer
69 views
A minimal stalemate with no possible illegal moves [duplicate]
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
315 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
341 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
97 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
220 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
175 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
112 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
97 views
Max pieces to cover a chess board [closed]
Number of individual chess pieces to cover all chess board
4
votes
1answer
133 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
164 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 ...
6
votes
2answers
90 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 ...
9
votes
3answers
339 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
360 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
226 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
431 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
143 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
?+ ?
...
8
votes
1answer
131 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
2answers
284 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
72 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
126 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
188 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
413 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 ...
29
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
507 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
...
6
votes
5answers
446 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
565 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
303 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
248 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
985 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
151 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 ...
