Questions tagged [chess]
A puzzle related to chess. Questions about chess which aren't puzzles are off-topic and should be asked on Chess Stack Exchange.
465
questions
8
votes
1answer
475 views
Doubly Pure Checkmate
A pure checkmate is a checkmate where for each square the king might go to, there’s exactly one reason it can’t. The famous Légal mate is one example, so is a KR vs K checkmate.
What’s the minimum ...
1
vote
1answer
97 views
Mirror Mirror On The Board
Mirror mirror in the board
Decipher the riddle of this horde
How many moves to it, please?
To put my brain at ease!
Both sides help, follow their paths
The solution you must craft
Oh, and there is but ...
7
votes
2answers
252 views
Black board attack
How should Black move as to attack all the squares that have no piece on them with only ten legal moves for black? Any unoccupied squares must be attacked. Start from the position above as shown.
4
votes
2answers
158 views
Maximum number of kings that can exit
N kings are placed on a chessboard, with at most one king on any square. Following standard rules of movement (one square in any direction), every king must be able to reach some edge of the board ...
0
votes
0answers
43 views
Most checkmate moves from a single position [duplicate]
What is the most number of ways to checkmate in one move from a single chess position?
5
votes
0answers
161 views
An intriguing game construction
I found that the book "Amusements In Chess," by Henry Ernest Dudney, has been put onto the web in the form of a website. In the section "Various Chess Puzzles, I came across this ...
3
votes
3answers
144 views
Footmen and Friends #4: Double Iced
It's time for Episode 4 after a long time off air! This, it's another unusual dazzle. It's a short, but succulent, sweet New Year's treat.
In the stating position, with no pieces other than the kings, ...
10
votes
1answer
190 views
Chess Construction Challenge #5: Can't pass-ant up the chance!
For the end of the year, here is a random challenge to boggle your brains!
Given that:
White has their king, a queen, two rooks, a knight, and seven pawns
Black has their king and seven pawns
...
6
votes
1answer
180 views
Running Out of Time
You are playing with the black pieces and you know you have about a second before you run out of time and lose the game.
There is no time added to the clock and white has plenty of time left. What ...
5
votes
1answer
133 views
Find the fastest stalemate for Black!
In the below position, how many moves will it take for Black to be stalemated? Black moves first, and both sides are working together. Black's pawns are moving down. Have fun solving!
Zdravko Maslar, ...
8
votes
2answers
274 views
Two Chess Problems To Kick Off The New Year
Here is a pair of chess problems to kick off the new year. Your task is to solve both problems and work out what they have in common.
Left: Both sides cooperate to reach the position shown after White’...
0
votes
1answer
91 views
Underpromoting in Chess [closed]
I can see how promoting a pawn to a knight can be beneficial if it can attack immediately in L-shape. However is it ever beneficial to promote a pawn to a bishop or a rook, instead of a queen in ...
11
votes
4answers
911 views
Consecutive captures on the same square
What is the most number of consecutive captures that you can have on the same square in a standard game of chess? Assume that black and white alternate in taking turns. Good luck!
1
vote
0answers
107 views
Selfmate In How Few? #2-Taking Flight
After my first one was solved so quickly, it's time for the next meal! It's another one that I created for the same mentioned site. Warning: this is a fairly long one, even with its simple strategy!
...
11
votes
2answers
596 views
Advantage, Black!
In chess, the white player makes the first move. It is generally understood that this gives white a minor advantage, with a win rate of 52-56%.
In this initial position, white actually has checkmate ...
1
vote
1answer
98 views
Selfmate In How Few? #1
Here's a new idea that I had. Instead of giving you the number of moves, you must find it yourself! Of course, the problems must be clear and concise. Now, let's get started!
For the first one, here ...
-1
votes
1answer
183 views
Knights versus bishops
Consider the following version of chess. The first player has a king and all bishops, while the second player has a king and all knights. The new pieces replace the normal pieces at the same location. ...
5
votes
4answers
411 views
Most Captures Chess
In Most Captures Chess puzzle, you will need to provide a legal game where it is Blacks to play and where they have the most different ways to capture a White piece.
For instance, the next game allows ...
3
votes
1answer
128 views
Day-in-the-sun chess
Inspired by this puzzle: Doubled Knights redux
Let's make the following change to the rules of chess. Every piece can once per game (on its day in the sun) make a double move.
Clarifications:
Things ...
4
votes
3answers
250 views
A tribute to “Most ways to uncheck the king”
Today, we had the great privilege to see @Paul Panzer's answer being ticked at @thesilican's absorbing puzzle.
I here propose a variant of his puzzle where it's not mandatory to use a legal chess game....
19
votes
4answers
2k views
Most ways to uncheck the king
Here's my attempt at a chess puzzle
Your task is to construct a legal chess position where:
It is black's turn to move
Black is in check
Black has the greatest number of different legal moves ...
4
votes
3answers
365 views
Doubled Knights redux
Consider this Martin Gardner/Raymond Smullyan puzzle just asked by Favst over on Chess.SE (Source: The Colossal Book of Puzzles and Games, problem A.12 "Doubled Knights"):
... Assume that a ...
5
votes
2answers
160 views
Switching Black and White
In this Chess puzzle, your aim is to switch black and white, with a legal game, and arrive at the final position:
This aim is likely unreachable. So you must try to get the maximum number of pieces ...
26
votes
6answers
3k views
Chess solitaire: The King's longest walk
Challenge: maximize the number of moves white needs for its king to reach a square of your choosing, adhering to the following rules:
Black does not move
Like normal: The king may not be in a ...
6
votes
2answers
319 views
Fastest draw from opening position in chess
When playing a normal game of chess, assuming the opponents are cooperating:
In how many moves can a draw be unavoidable, excluding voluntary draws or draws by repetition of moves?
1 While not ...
2
votes
0answers
75 views
Going back the the dance floor
Johnny, the White monarch, is homesick, and his friend Carla, the h1 rook, is away, using her time to help the lower citizens of the Black kingdom. They use to do such wonderful fun, but their ...
4
votes
1answer
185 views
Kings' Chess Harem
Pursueing these two related puzzles, Chess Bloodshed and Devouring Nobility I create for you Kings' Chess Harem where you have to find, with the minimum number of moves, a legal game where all pawns ...
10
votes
2answers
1k views
Chess Bloodshed
This puzzle is the idea of Dmitry Kamenetsky in a comment of my puzzle Devouring Nobility.
Find, with the minimum number of moves, a legal game where all pieces are captured except the two kings.
8
votes
2answers
510 views
Devouring Nobility
Provide, with the minimum number of moves, a legal chess game where all pieces are captured except the sixteen pawns and the two kings.
Example of final configuration:
Which is done in 21 moves:
1. ...
2
votes
3answers
431 views
Trapping fairy chess pieces
This puzzle is based on this wonderful puzzle.
A fairy chess piece is placed on an infinitely large chess board with no edges. It can only visit each square once. What is the smallest number of moves ...
-4
votes
1answer
105 views
Check and mate positions
Is there a position where your opponent puts you in check, but in your turn you deliver checkmate by getting out of check?
Don't forget to add your list of moves on how to get into the position.
BONUS:...
3
votes
1answer
186 views
Create the freest arrangement of white chess pieces on board by consequently moving your pieces
You start with this board. You're the White. Freedom Index of initial arrangment of your chess pieces is equal to 20 (each pawn has two moves, each knight has two moves)
Your goal is to have as much ...
5
votes
3answers
194 views
Swapping 6 queens in a 4x4 grid
What is the least number of moves required to swap black and white queens? Queens move using standard chess rules - any number of empty cells vertically, horizontally or diagonally in a straight line. ...
10
votes
1answer
732 views
Swapping 3 rooks in a 3x3 grid
This puzzle was inspired by this one: Swapping rooks in a 4x4 board
What is the least number of moves required to swap black and white rooks? Rooks move using standard chess rules - any number of ...
10
votes
1answer
301 views
No Numbers Sudoku: The Ball of Queens
Those are all of the numbers you need. No, I did not forget any.
Normal sudoku rules apply.
All numbers, except for 1's and 9's, are queens with respect to themselves.
E.g. 2's have the queen's ...
2
votes
0answers
112 views
Center board puzzle
The white pieces in the above position should maneuver themselves into the flipped starting position (i.e. king in e3). All pieces makes regular moves within the 4x4 center squares. By removing a pawn ...
12
votes
1answer
1k views
Chess Puns Don't Get Much Worse Than This
(1) How should the game end with best play on both sides?
(2) Use the clue to complete the bad pun!
10
votes
1answer
425 views
Playing with a chess cipher
Alice and Bob both love encryption, and Alice loves to play chess. Unfortunately, Bob isn't very good at chess, so he doesn't think it's very fair to have to play the game for real. So instead of ...
4
votes
0answers
301 views
A weird chess game
Hello everyone, and welcome back to one really crazy game that was played during the lunch break within a dutch prison. It's an inmate with the white pieces against ...
4
votes
1answer
119 views
A interesting and a bold chess puzzle
Here is a chess puzzle I have made . It needed a lot of thinking .
If you are white , how would you play in this position ? State your best moves !!
Please don't use Stockfish or Alphazero or any ...
8
votes
4answers
1k views
Chess-related puzzle
I'm working on a problem for this cyber security camp, and we're doing a CTF right now. I have one problem left, and I'm almost certain it relates to chess, so I've come here for advice!
Having ...
4
votes
2answers
215 views
Can you find the key move?
I've created this chess problem for today. it's White to move and their pawns move upward. Can you find the key move? Have fun, and no computers are allowed!
Checkmate In 5 Moves
9
votes
1answer
366 views
Mini 8 queens puzzle
On a 5x5 chessboard, place 5 black queens and 3 whites queens so that no queens are attacking those who are of different color. Furthermore, the numbers indicate how many queens are attacking the ...
8
votes
2answers
273 views
An Enigmatic Game
I have a fun-ky puzzle for everyone today.
Here is the position.
FEN-rnbq1rkb/ppp1pp2/5p2/8/8/4K3/PPPPNP1P/RNBQ1R2
It can be reached in one way in exactly 9.5 moves, or 10 White and 9 Black moves. ...
23
votes
1answer
946 views
7
votes
3answers
328 views
Knight Battle: The Face-off
Knight Puzzle
Imagine a chessboard like this:
You are the white knight and can move as a knight does in chess.
Example:
Your goal is to visit every square on the board using legal chess knight moves ...
1
vote
3answers
320 views
Class Chess Tournament
A class of 36 students are expecting to play in the chess tournament held by Math Department. When the schoolmaster arrived he said "Lets start the games but first we must setup all the chess ...
5
votes
1answer
321 views
The Fastest Clean Draw
Playing with regular moves, the position above should result in a draw without repeating
an exact position three times. By Helpmate or in this case a Helpdraw, players cooperate to end this game in a ...
4
votes
1answer
131 views
Kings on a chessboard
Let $n$ be a positive integer. You are given $4n^2$ kings and a $4n\times4n$ chessboard. You have to place the kings on the chessboard such that each row and column contains exactly $n$ kings, and no ...
9
votes
2answers
223 views
A knight chased by four knights
This is a follow up to A knight chased by three knights
Two players are playing a variant of chess on a 11x11 grid. The first player controls a white knight that starts in the centre square. The ...
