Die Schwalbe

22 problem(s) found in 3049 milliseconds (displaying 22 problem(s)). [COMMENTDATE>=20200919 AND NOT K='Hilfsrückzüger' AND G='2#' AND K='Scherzaufgabe'] [download as LaTeX]

1 - P0008793
Andrej N. Kornilow
Shakhmaty v SSSR 1978
P0008793
(15+8)
#1.5
a) 1. "Ta1-d1+?" ... Td4 2. Txd4# (Completing the illegal castling!)
b) 1. "xc5ep+?" ... Tb5 2. Txb5# (Completing the illegal e.p.!)
c) 1. "xe8=S+?" ... e6 2. Sf6# (Completing the illegal promotion!)

0) 1. Sxe7+! Lxe7 2. f8=B# (Truncating the promotion move!)
play all play one stop play next play all
n in directmate stipulation #n means that White has n moves to do the job. With n=1.5, therefore, one of the White moves is fractional, so we know we are in the realm of jokes, ho ho!

If White's first move is the fractional one, there are three retro tries which attempt to complete: castling, ep & promotion. However all are illegal:
castling: 8 white pawns, so wTa5 came from h1, dislodging wK.
ep: retracting sBc5 to c7 means wLb8 is promoted, but 8 white pawns.
promotion: white made 7 pawn captures, while sBgh were waylaid.

So we consider that White's second move was the fractional one, by omitting the replacement of wBf8 by an officer.
Henrik Juel: Completing the key isn't legal, 1.'Rd1'/'-bPc5'/'e8S'+, but omitting the promotion in the mating move is, 1.Sxe7+ Bxe7 2.'f8'#. Excellent joke. (2003-09-19)
James Malcom: A very witty joke Valladao! (2020-09-24)
A.Buchanan: Really like this joke (2020-09-25)
Henrik Juel: To see the illegality of completing 1.fxe8=S+?, note the captures:
Black captured fxDe, so [Pg7,h7] were captured on their files, while the other six missing black men were captured by white pawns
The illegality of completing 1.0-0-0,bxc6ep? is rather obvious (2020-09-26)
James Malcom: And for those you don't find it obvious: If the White king hasn't moved, then where did wRa5, and wBb8 if bPb5 has just done a double-step, come from? Neither can be promoted pieces, as White still has all eight pawns. Trying to finish castling and en passant therefore both produce illegal positions and thus cannot be the solution. (2020-09-26)
Henrik Juel: Continuing beating the dead horse...
How does the white player actually perform an entire move?
1.0-0-0+: Ke1-c1 and Ta1-d1
1.bxc6ep+: Pb5-c6 and remove sPc5
1.fxe8=S+: remove sYe8 and Pf7-e8 and replace wPe8 with wSe8 (three fractional actions)
2.f8=Y#: Pf7-f8 and replace wPf8 with wYf8
So a marginally better stipulation might be: 'White to move mates in less than 2 moves' (2020-09-26)
A.Buchanan: Hurray I've got the animation working! I agree with Henrik's stipulation. There is a dummy pawn on f8, but not by the Dummy Pawn rule. Instead it's the joke that does it. If Dummy Rule applied, the move would be full length! :) (2022-02-09)
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comment
Keywords: En passant, Start a move but do not finish it, Castling, Promotion (S,B), Valladao Task (half!), Joke (End move, Start move), Dummy Pawn (not! Start move), Complete an unfinished move, waylaid (sBgh)
Genre: Retro, 2#
FEN: 1B1N1bB1/p2ppP2/2P5/R1pk1N2/1r2p3/1P2P1P1/4PP1P/R1K5
Reprints: (III) Quartz 4 1997
Input: Gerd Wilts, 1997-06-21
Last update: A.Buchanan, 2023-04-08 more...
2 - P1135717
Knud H. Hannemann
Skakbladet 1972
P1135717
(2+1)
#2
1. ... Ka7 2. b8=D+ Ka6 3. Db6#
1. b8=D#? BTM
play all play one stop play next play all
BUD20 AS-2
A.Buchanan: While it's true that there is no legal last move for Black, does this make the problem a "Retro"? The reasoning is hyper-trivial. Was this intended as a joke? Or is there some context for the composition? If only I knew a Danish person who might have some knowledge of the culture at the time... :) (2021-10-07)
Henrik Juel: Ha-ha, here goes
Knud Hannemann was the best danish composer in his prime, but this is surely a joke
Possibly the try 1.g8=D#?? was intended
Skakbladet 1972 is not available for me, but it might throw some light on the problem (2021-10-07)
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comment
Keywords: Miniature Collection (0013220), No legal last move for Black (check), Joke, Kindergarten Problem, Minimal, Miniature
Genre: 2#
FEN: k7/1PK5/8/8/8/8/8/8
Input: Felber, Volker, 2010-09-11
Last update: A.Buchanan, 2023-12-05 more...
3 - P1146960
Benjamin Glover Laws
No. 3 The Pleasure Hour , p. 362, 02/1901
P1146960
(4+2)
#2
1. Kc1! (0-0-0) c6 2. Ta3#
play all play one stop play next play all
Weiß hat den Damenturm vorgegeben und ist berechtigt, ohne den Turm mit Ke1-c1 zu rochieren. Der auf a1 stehende Turm ist vom Königsflügel herübergekommen.
James Malcom: Wrong source and author!

C. Planck merely got it from a friend and it was reprinted in The British Chess Magazine in his letter to the editor in the March 23, 1901 issue-https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_British_Chess_Magazine/mZlJAAAAYAAJ?hl

Quote: "This afternoon the following curiosity was submitted for my examination. I unfortunately omitted to learn where my friend got it from."

The 1910 books, is indeed in there, gives the wrong information0https://www.google.com/books/edition/150_Schachkuriosit%C3%A4ten/NVzzAAAAMAAJ?hl

Luckily, in a short afternote on May 7, Planck mentions that the solution has recently been given in The Pleasure Hour. It can be found here-https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015068398471

I found the solution on page 544 in April, not surprising that it was mentioned in May due the the "slowness" of the day. It gives the solutions for the February problems.

Jumping back to page 362, it appears as an original problem by B. G. Laws.

Mystery resolved! (2021-01-02)
comment
Keywords: Miniature Collection (0019086), Joke, Odds game, Castling, Miniature, Minimal
Genre: 2#
FEN: 8/2p5/8/2Q5/2P5/1k6/8/R3K3
Reprints: British Chess Magazine , p. 196, 23/03/1901
117 150 Schachkuriositäten 1910
Input: Felber, Volker, 2010-09-11
Last update: James Malcom, 2021-07-17 more...
4 - P1182118
Frank J. Marshall
Marshall's Chess "Swindles" , p. 129, 1914
P1182118
(6+3) C+
#2 mit dem Sg6
1. f7 Kxg6 2. f8=S#
play all play one stop play next play all
Der gerade geschlagene wSg6 kommt durch die UW wieder aufs Brett und setzt matt; deshalb auch der wSb1.
Originalforderung: White mates in two - with the Knight at KKt6.
Motto: "A La Napier"
A.Buchanan: It's easy to make a miniature ideal mate version of this cheeky problem, e.g. 8/6pk/3N1PN1/6P1/7K/8/8/8 but the charm of Marshall's original is the apparently pointless wSb1 (2020-10-21)
comment
Keywords: Joke, Constrained problem, Joke promotion (recycle wS), Phoenix
Genre: 2#
Computer test: Popeye v4.85. The only #2 happens to satisfy the constraint
FEN: 8/6pk/4KPN1/6Pp/7P/8/8/1N6
Input: Mario Richter, 2010-12-11
Last update: Rainer Staudte, 2022-09-01 more...
5 - P1217768
John Frederick Keeble
3084 British Chess Magazine 07/1932
P1217768
(6+5)
#2
1. Dc4-g8!
play all play one stop play next play all
Mario Richter: Cook: Schwarz hat keinen legalen letzten Zug (2014-05-25)
A.Buchanan: This is not a retro problem. If we grant Black first move, then 0. ... Txb7! refutes. It's just a technical oversight. I can find no correction in PDB or WinChloe. Observe that sBb6 serves no purpose. If we remove it, then wLb5 serves little purpose. Removing both units, and shifting wD to e1,e5,e6,g6 or h5 retains soundness, but gives Black a last move. All variations persist, including the minor dual after 1. ... Lxb7, where both mates are separately forced. I prefer wDe6, because the key defending Sc8 is otherwise too strong. Also note the try 1. Dg8? In summary therefore: correction krN5/pN6/b2KQ3/8/8/8/R7/8 #2. (2021-10-09)
A.Buchanan: WinChloe gives a different original source, Wiener Schach Zeitung, with the same year 1932, towards the end of Keeble's chess problem career. (2021-10-09)
Mario Richter: My guess is, that the publication in 'Wiener Schach-Zeitung' is only a reprint as part of what I call "a real solving competition" (since amongst the problems to be solved there were also [intentionally] some with severals cooks or with seemingly or real illegal positions):
"Aus dem diesjährigen internationalen Lösungswettkampf.
Diesem Turnier ... lagen zum Teil sehr knifflige Probleme zugrunde. Es sei für unsere Löser vorausgeschickt, daß die Aufgaben zum Teil mehrfach nebenlösig sind, mitunter eine partieunmögliche Stellung vortäuschen oder auch haben. Die Illegalität der Stellung ist zu beweisen." (2021-10-09)
A.Buchanan: Wow, thanks Mario! This is a great example then of how one can't understand a problem sometimes, without knowing the context in which it's composed. How should we classify this one here in PDB? (2021-10-09)
A.Buchanan: Since illegality is the intention, it's not cooked. And it's a joke. bBb6 is a weasel. So much is clear, but I am uncertain whether to use the descriptive keyword "illegal position" or "no legal last move for black" or something else. The latter is actually a retro-stalemate (defined as a one-sided illegal position). However, 'retro-stalemate' as a keyword it has the sense more of applying to retro compositions where a retro-stalemate is sought in the history of the game, not Article 15 cases where the diagram is already one-sidedly illegal. So I think we should keep the keyword 'no legal last move for black'. (2021-10-10)
comment
Keywords: No legal last move for Black (illegal), Joke
Genre: 2#
FEN: krN5/pN6/bp1K4/1B6/2Q5/8/R7/8
Reprints: 2196 Wiener Schach-Zeitung 15 08/1932
26 Deutsche Zeitung (Celje, Dravabanat) 23/10/1932
Input: Felber, Volker, 2011-11-08
Last update: A.Buchanan, 2023-12-05 more...
6 - P1340386
Georges Emile Barbier
Recreationist 06/1873
P1340386
(6+8)
#2
1) R: 1. ... 0-0, dann 1. Kxd8 Lf6+ 2. Ke8 De4#,bxc8=D/T
1. ... bxc8=D/T+ 2. Kxc8 Da8#
2) R: 1. ... 0-0, dann 1. Tg8,Tf8 De4+ 2. Kxd8 De7#
play all play one stop play next play all
Heft 7 (08/1873) S.91: The position being one occuring in actual play with White to move, the question is 'What was Black's last move?'. Clearly not a pawn or bishop. Neither could it have been the Kt, for it must have moved from B4 or Kt5, and from either square it would have checked the White K, which must consequently have moved, and therefore could not occupy K 3, as given on the diagram. Nor could the Rook have moved from K square for a similiar reason, the check requiring one of the white pieces to cover it, or the King to move. Then the Black King must have moved - but from where? Not from B or R squares, which are guarded by two pieces. It must have moved therefore from K square, which necessitates the placing of the Rook on its square. Black therefore Castled on his last move, which by the Chess law was an illegal move, and he must pay the penalty by replacing the King and Rook on their original squares, and move one of the pieces touched.
Originalforderung: How is it possible for White to effect mate in two moves by strict chess?

'Recreationist': "A CHESS PUZZLE. We give below an interesting position which is to be looked upon as an end game occuring in actual play. It is calculated to test the ingenuity of those of our subscribers who delight in unravelling mysteries."

Erinnert von der Machart her an P1323153 und ähnlich gelagerte Probleme.

Interessanter Leserbrief von F. Dunne Okt. 1873 S.121: "It appears to me (albeit I amone of the solvers), that Mr. Barber's 'logical' solution of his Chess Puzzle is 'il'-logical, and I believe the following will clearly prove it so. Mr. Barbier says, 'What was Black's last move? Clearly not a pawn or bishop'; and he proceeds to prove that Black 'must' have made a false move with his King, 'because' he could not legally have moved it or any other piece into the position it or they now occupy.
Now surely that is not 'logically' proving that he 'must' have moved his King! For by the same 'logic' I can prove that he must have made a false move with, say, the Knight or any other piece.
'What was Black's last move? Clearly not the King, for all the squares from he could have reached the one he now occupies, are already occupied, either by his own, or by his opponet's pieces, or under the range of the latter's pieces; and he could not have Castled, as the square over which he would have to pass is commanded by one of the adverse pieces.
It is quite evident the pawns have not been moved, and, therefore also, not the bishop. The Rook cannot have been move last, or the White King would not occupy the square he now does. The he 'must' have moved the Kt, and as he could not legally have moved this piece to the square it now occupies, he must have made a false move with it.
Now, one conclusion is as logically arrived at as the other, and by parity of reasoning any other of Black's pieces can be proved to be te one last moved, as Castling across check is no more strict Chess, than wrongly moving a piece."

Gedanken dieser Art haben vermutlich Roberto Osorio & Co. zur Einführung des Begriffs MDR (Minimum Deviation from the Rules) inspiriert (s. Hinweis P0005584)

Antwort vom Autor im 'Recreationist 12/1873 S.154: "In reply to Mr. Dunne's letter in No.9 I beg to say that the solution of the Puzzle cannot be taken apart from the conditions attached to it. Any solution means the solution of something or other, and must be taken inconnection with that something.
The question is to find a way in which White mates in two moves. I agree that if, saying nothing about a mate in two moves as a condition, I endeavoured merely to prove Black's last move, Mr. Dunne's argument would be perfectly sound. But the fact of Black's castling is not an absolute fact; it is only relative. He castled because thereby I can mate him in two moves which Mr. Dunne's move does not do, and which is the very thing that is required to be done.
Henrik Juel: So even if one accepts the dubious retro reasoning intended, the problem is cooked by 0... Kxd8 1.bxc8=DT,Lf6+ (2017-09-30)
A.Buchanan: Dubious or not, retract-and-replay *is* one of the canonical chess problem jokes that our great-great-grandparents must have split their sides laughing over. I am pretty sure there is a typo in the diagram. sLc8 should be b8. This restores soundness and adds a retro try. wBb7 is still necessary to cover c8. (2017-09-30)
A.Buchanan: Have pushed sLc8 to b8, to remove the obvious typo. (2018-10-06)
A.Buchanan: I would classify these problems as jokes, not because the positions are illegal, but because imprecise reasoning is required to determine the illegal move. This is a particularly nice example though. Any thoughts? (2018-10-06)
SP: Your "obvious typo" is imaginary; the intended solution after Kd8: is
explicitly stated to be 1.bc8:=Q+ Kc8: 2.Qa8# (p. 91, viii/1873), quite
impossible with a bBb8. Please correct the position. (2023-02-18)
A.Buchanan: Hi SP. thanks for your research. Have you got a link to this material - that would be very helpful for checking similar situations. Otherwise our discussions here are often speculative. Bad news for the composer though: what I had thought was a typo turns out to be a cook. It would be good to know the version of the touch move rules applying in 1873, as the rook penalty move is clearly thematic. (2023-04-03)
A.Buchanan: The stuff about bS having just made an illegal move is basically Dawson & Hundsdorfer's distinction between plausibility & implausibility. This is an implausible composition, and having said that, one need agonize no longer, and just enjoy it for the best it can be at this silly idea (2023-04-03)
comment
Keywords: Illegal position, Joke, Retract illegal move (castling), Touch Move, Castling
Genre: Retro, 2#
FEN: 2bN1rk1/1Ppp1pBp/6Nn/8/8/4K3/8/7Q
Reprints: 617 Dubuque Chess Journal 08/1873
Input: Mario Richter, 2017-09-30
Last update: A.Buchanan, 2023-04-03 more...
7 - P1375286
Andrew Buchanan
James Malcom

PDB Website 30/4/2020
P1375286
(6+3)
#2
(-:
1. dxc7ep! b4 2. c8=D,T#

R: 1. ... c8-c6?! and earlier c8=sB?!
play all play one stop play next play all
Supersession of P1380851

Superseded by P1380851

The 2018 FIDE laws state: "3.7.2 on its first move the pawn may move as in 3.7.1 or alternatively it may advance two squares along the same file, provided that both squares are unoccupied."

Hence Black's newborn 8th rank pawn, which has never been moved before, reserves the right to commence a double-step on its first move, and likewise White receives the right to capture it en passant as they do with a 7th rank pawn.
Henrik Juel: This un-dummy-pawn is like a pawn created on c8 by the Einstein condition
The retroplay looks wrong, what about 1... d8-d6!? 2.d7-d8=sB!? c6xYb5 (2020-04-30)
James Malcom: That makes much more sense Henrik. I have edited it accordingly. (2020-04-30)
A.Buchanan: You don't like Adrian's (: haha? What about :) then? In heraldic terms, it would be described as "regardant". See 270 on https://www.heraldica.org/cgi-bin/atlas.pl?12. I don't know the word for "non-regardant", which is the default direction for the head, e.g. most of the others on that page.
We could replace wBa6a7 with wSa6, but alas having the 3rd knight is non-thematic & distracting. The other thing I would've liked to do is empty b2 so the promotion is forced to be to D. Such a tiny problem should have precision promotion. Needs more thinking. (2020-05-01)
James Malcom: UPDATE: The position has been edited to have one less piece and a precise queen promotion. (2020-10-12)
A.Buchanan: There is dialogue here which is now orphaned by a change of diagram with new matrix. Suggest we revert to the older diagram and mark it superseded by a new PDB entry here (2020-10-12)
James Malcom: I agree-it is now done. (2020-10-12)
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Keywords: En passant as key, Joke, Joke promotion (b), Tolerated dual promotion (D/T), Promotion (D/T), Superseded by (P1380851)
Genre: 2#, Retro
FEN: k7/PN1N4/PKpP4/1p6/8/8/8/8
Input: James Malcom, 2020-04-30
Last update: A.Buchanan, 2022-09-18 more...
8 - P1378168

chessproblem.net 26/4/2008
P1378168
(7+4)
#2
Chess960
1. c8=T! ... 2. 0-0-0#! (wTc8->d1)
play all play one stop play next play all
Reprint+History Of The Idea-https://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=10857&p=246851#p246851
https://www.chessproblem.net/viewtopic.php?t=232

Created by the user mrmip

https://www.chessproblem.net/viewtopic.php?t=232

It still seems that there are castling loopholes in chess variants.

The rules for castling in Fischerrandom or 960-chess are:

" Castling, as in Orthodox chess, is an exceptional move involving both the King and Rook. Castling is a valid move under these circumstances:
Neither King nor Rook has moved.
The King is not in check before or after castling.
All squares between the castling King's initial and final squares (including the final square), and all of the squares between the castling Rook's initial and final squares (including the final square), must be vacant except for the King and Rook.
No square through which the King moves is under enemy attack.

The movement of the King and Rook during castling should be easily understood by players of Orthodox Chess:
When castling on the h-side (White's right side), the King ends on g1 (g8), and the rook on f1 (f8), just like the O-O move in Orthodox chess.
When castling on the a-side (White's left side), the King ends on c1 (c8), and the rook on d1 (d8), just like the O-O-O move in Orthodox chess.
Sometimes the King will not need to move; sometimes the Rook will not need to move. That's OK."

Now reading those rules as Devil reads the Bible the following seems possible:

(diagram)

Fischerrandom Chess, mate in 2. White king has not moved.
Solution 1.c8=R any 2.0-0-0 #

[White rook just moves to d1,all squares in the path c8-c1-d1 are free except for wK. The castling rook has not moved before ;)]
James Malcom: This is not Staugaard castling! It is another, far less known form of joke castling. I wrote about it here: https://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=10857

See also P1378161, P1378167, P1373226, P1378169, and P1378170 (2021-11-02)
comment
Keywords: Joke, Castling, Chess960, Promotion (T), Promotion key (T)
Genre: 2#, Fairies
FEN: 8/2P5/3N4/1p6/1P6/3k1p1r/1P3P2/2K1R3
Input: James Malcom, 2020-07-23
Last update: James Malcom, 2021-11-02 more...
9 - P1378636
James Malcom
Facebook 22/07/2020
P1378636
(9+5)
Promotion to king or queen, depending on location (-:
#2
1. h8=DK!
1. ... Lxc3 2. DKxf6xd4xb2#
1. ... Lc5, L~ 2. Lxe5#
play all play one stop play next play all
A.Buchanan: Hi James, tiny point. Does 1. ... La7 allow both 2. GKxf6xd4# and 2. Lxe5# ? Can this be fixed by shifting wBc7 to b8? (2023-07-01)
comment
Keywords: Draughts / Checkers (Englisch), Joke, Joke promotion (draughts king)
Pieces: ku = Draughts King (DK)
Genre: 2#, Fairies
FEN: 8/2B3pP/6P1/4p3/3b4/2P1p2P/4P1Bk/5K1N
Reprints: MatPlus.net Forum 22/07/2020
Input: A.Buchanan, 2020-07-31
Last update: A.Buchanan, 2023-08-11 more...
10 - P1380941
Doug Brown
Chess Life and Review 8/1976
P1380941
(6+1)
#2
1. Tc7! Ke7 2. d8=sS#!
play all play one stop play next play all
Here's an illegitimate 2-mover for all you illegitimate problem lovers. Submitted by Doug Brown, Moorestown, NJ. Solution below.

(diagram)


(Incidentally, Doug, your mate position on 3 ranks does not need the King. Try again.)
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Keywords: Joke, Joke promotion, Miniature, Rex solus (s)
Genre: 2#
FEN: 3k4/3P3N/N7/4K3/B7/8/8/2R5
Input: James Malcom, 2020-10-15
Last update: Alfred Pfeiffer, 2020-10-15 more...
11 - P1381271
I. I. Lyon
No. 9 American Chess Review Vol. 1, p. 27, 8/1886
P1381271
(6+4)
#2
1. exf6ep! droht 2. Sc6,Se6#
1. ... Sd6,gxf4 2. Se6#
1. ... Sc7,Sxf6,Sg7 2. Sc6#
play all play one stop play next play all
https://books.google.com/books?id=y6uBo98GjoUC
Henrik Juel: The ep key is unjustified (2020-10-24)
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comment
Keywords: En passant, En passant as key, Joke
Genre: 2#
FEN: 3kn3/8/1N6/4PppB/3N1B2/8/3K4/8
Input: James Malcom, 2020-10-24
Last update: A.Buchanan, 2020-10-25 more...
12 - P1381499
James Malcom
chess.stackexchange.com 12/8/2020
P1381499
(6+5) C+
#2
Bosma
1. 0-0+!
1. ... Shxf1 2. Dg4#
1. ... Sgxf1 2. Df2#
1. ... Lxf1 2. Tf2#
play all play one stop play next play all
https://chess.stackexchange.com/a/29992/15543
A.Buchanan: Nice way to combine an orthodox theme with Bosma castling (2020-11-13)
James Malcom: Thanks, Andrew. Castling with check is the easiest way to achieve it of course, not to mention the flight taking. I'll try out a version without check, here soon. (2020-11-13)
comment
Keywords: Joke, Bosma, Castling key, Checking key, x pieces capture on one square, Flight taking
Genre: 2#, Fairies
Computer test: C+ WinChloe 3.51
FEN: 8/8/8/5B2/5p1Q/5kn1/2NRb2n/4K2R
Input: James Malcom, 2020-11-03
Last update: A.Buchanan, 2024-02-01 more...
13 - P1381850
Josef Cumpe
Deutsche Schachzeitung , p. 371, 12/1915
P1381850
(5+2)
#2
A nice range of tries, but a dual:
1. e8=T!
1. ... Kxc2 2. 0-0-0-0-0-0#
1. ... bxc2 2. Dd5,De4#
1. ... Kd4 2. De4#

1. De4+? Kxe4!
1. e8=D? Kxc2!
1. Tc4? Kxc4!
1. Tc3+? Kd4!
play all play one stop play next play all
'DSZ': "Diese Aufgabe regt den Gedanken an, daß die itaienische freie Rochade noch viel besser hätte ausgenützt werden können, als es (ehedem) tatsächlich der Fall war."

ähnelt stark der P1277302
A.Buchanan: @Henrik how should the dual here impact C+ status we assign? What's the general principle we curators should apply, to avoid us having to make subjective judgements? (2021-01-07)
A.Buchanan: My own simple-minded aesthetic says this is a major dual, because one mate achieves no individual expression elsewhere (2021-01-07)
Henrik Juel: The easiest principle is to say that C+ means completely correct: no cooks and no duals
I would permit short mates, because they occur as a result of suboptimal defense, and double threats, if they do not materialize as duals
But it seems fair also to permit minor duals, including promotion mate duals like TD og LD
So I would not label this problem C+ (2021-01-08)
A.Buchanan: Thank you Henrik, for your thoughtful response. A lot is bundled into one bit of information: the value of the C+? flag. I went back to the Codex to learn more. I think C+ should mean (1) it's been tested & (2) it is sound. Sound (which we don't have in PDB yet) for an antagonistic problem (i.e. d# or s#) means three things: (1) there is a solution (2) there's no cook & (3) there's a defence which forces the specified number of moves. Legality doesn't impact soundness, and for antagonistic problems, neither do duals.

The Codex says there is a lot of judgement involved in assessing the impact of duals in a d#. "C+?" is a result of computer analysis, and I don't think there should be any curator subjectivity in determining its value. I think the answer is to have "duals" as a new separate field so that your valuable analyses aren't lost in conversation, and people can understand the spectrum of quality. In the end, maybe people will be able to set up in their profile their personal preference for dual tolerance, but that's probably some way ahead. I think there are naturally core fields (like cooked?, legal?, tested?) and derived fields (like sound? C+?, HC+?) whose values depend on the core ones. I've sent some notes to Gerd along these lines to see what he thinks. Any thoughts yourself? (2021-01-08)
comment
Keywords: Staugaard castling, under-promotion key (T), Castling as mating move, Miniature, Joke, Minimal, Rokagogo
Genre: 2#, Fairies
Computer test: WinChloe rokagogo is sufficient to test soundness, although there is a dual
FEN: 8/4P3/8/8/8/1p1k4/1PR5/4K2Q
Input: Mario Richter, 2020-11-13
Last update: A.Buchanan, 2024-01-18 more...
14 - P1384929
John Augustus Miles
Sussex Chess Magazine 28/02/1883
P1384929
(10+4)
White to move, s#2
Black to move, Remis
a) 1. gxh8=sS! Sf7 2. Se5+ Sxe5#

b) 1. ... Dc8+ 2. Sf5 Dxf5+ 3. Kg3 Dxh3+ 4. Kf2 Df1+ 5. Kg3 Dh3+ Remis
play all play one stop play next play all
Originalforderung:
This Problem's thus enunciated;
And in the statement is no flaw:
White, with first move, can get checkmated;
Black, moving first, can only draw.

Das 'Sussex Chess Magazine' merkt dazu an: "There is a touch of brimstone about this. Strict disciplinarians had better not try it, if they value their peace of mind."
Und da keine Lösungen eingingen, wurde in der Ausgabe vom 14.03.1883 ergänzt: "... we will hint that, in the first part, White takes advantage of the lax wording of the law of promotion by claiming a black piece, and thus 'qui perd gagne'. The second part is plain sailing ..."
more ...
comment
Keywords: Joke, Joke promotion, under-promotion (s), under-promotion key (s)
Genre: 2#
FEN: 7q/6Pp/6kP/8/4rRKR/5NNP/2B5/7Q
Input: James Malcom, 2021-01-03
Last update: James Malcom, 2021-07-17 more...
15 - P1389110
Bedrich Formanek
Breyer Gedenkturnier 31/12/1973
1. Preis
P1389110
(3+4)
#2
wDU,sDU=Grashüpfer

Solution and comments by the author: 1.Ga8Q! (turning the grasshopper symbol 180 degrees) Zugzwang 1. - Gg1 2.Qa8G#, 1. - Ga7Q 2.Qh1#, 1. - f5 Qh8# - The turning of a unit on its own has not provoked any objection. This problem even gave so much pleasure that it found its way into the FIDE Album (1971-1973); so far, the only joke composition to have done so.
Henrik Juel: good joke (2021-04-30)
comment
Keywords: Joke, Miniature
Pieces: du = Grasshopper (G)
Genre: 2#, Fairies
FEN: *2Q7/*2q7/5p2/8/8/8/p1K2P2/k7
Reprints: FIDE Album 1971-1973
Input: A.Buchanan, 2021-04-30
Last update: Alfred Pfeiffer, 2021-07-28 more...
16 - P1399436
Clara E. Cameron
21 Los Angeles Times , p. 17, 01/04/1928
P1399436
(5+3) C+
#2 "with the same N standing on N6"
1. f7! Kxg6 2. f8=S#
play all play one stop play next play all
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25177250/chess-by-clif-sherwood/
'Los Angeles Times': "This being April Fool's Day the column is devoted pretty much to the fair-enuf sex; for the female of the species reads more readily than the male."

Zur Autorin, die auch eine aktive und erfolgreiche Löserin war, heißt es: "Clara Cameron, Pomona, Cal.", und zur Aufgabe: "A variation of Napier's setting."

vgl. Marshall's Chess "Swindle" P1182118
more ...
comment
Keywords: Joke, Promotion (S), Phoenix
Genre: 2#
Computer test: Popeye 4.61
FEN: 8/6pk/4KPN1/5N1p/7P/8/8/8
Input: James Malcom, 2022-02-25
Last update: Rainer Staudte, 2022-09-01 more...
17 - P1404281
Mikhail Mikhaylov
3 Shakhmatna Misl , p. 160, 10/1956
P1404281
(8+6) cooked
#2
1. d8=sS! droht 2. g8=S#
1. ... Sb7 2. Sd7#
1. ... Sc6 2. Te6#
1. ... Se6 2. Se4#
1. ... Sf7 2. Sg4#
play all play one stop play next play all
Cook: (found by Henrik Juel, 2022-09-12)
1. d8=sL! droht 2. g8=S#
1. ... Lc7 2. Sd7#
Henrik Juel: Popeye 4.61 finds no solution (2022-09-11)
Henrik Juel: Joke problem
1.d8=sL?? thr. 2.g8=S#
1... Lc7 2.Sd7# (2022-09-12)
Mario Richter: Does Henrik's answer show that the problem is cooked? (2022-09-12)
Henrik Juel: Yes, Mario (2022-09-12)
A.Buchanan: Could it be that bRb6 is meant to be on a6? (2022-09-13)
A.Buchanan: The point being that with bRa6, 1. d8=sL? La5! (not Lc7/Lb6 2. Sd7#/Te6#) So bishop promotion becomes a thematic try. (2022-09-13)
Mario Richter: I have access to the original issue of 'Shakhmatna Misl', so I can confirm that the black rooks are on a7 and b6. I checked some of the following issues to see, if there was a mentioning a of the cook and/or a correction, but without success.
Changing the cook 1. d8=sL! into a try would be nice, but I think the purpose of black Tb6 is to prevent the defense 1. ... Db3!, so unless I'm missing something, Andrew's suggestion doesn't work. (2022-09-13)
A.Buchanan: Thanks Mario - I didn't check enough. If further one swaps bQb8 with bRa7, and pushes wK to h2 further out of harms way, then I think the =S solution & =L try are sound: 1r6/q2Pp1P1/r4k1N/2N3R1/5p1P/8/4R2K/8 (2022-09-13)
James Malcom: Nice find, Mario; sweet fix, Andrew. (2022-09-14)
A.Buchanan: Thanks James. r7/q2Pp1P1/r4k1N/2N3R1/7P/8/8/4RK2 further saves a pawn and has better positions for the remote units. I suggest attribution is MM correction HJ,MR,AB. (2022-09-15)
A.Buchanan: Alternatively r7/q2Pp1P1/r4k1N/2N3R1/5p1K/8/8/4R3 economizes a wP rather than a bP. I don't know which version my esteemed co-creators would prefer to record this momentous achievement for posterity. I don't see a way to reach Meredith (2022-09-17)
comment
Keywords: Joke promotion, Joke, Superseded by (P1404422)
Genre: 2#
FEN: 1q6/r2Pp1P1/1r3k1N/2N3R1/5p1P/8/4RK2/8
Input: Mario Richter, 2022-09-11
Last update: A.Buchanan, 2022-09-18 more...
18 - P1404282
Mikhail Mikhaylov
2 Shakhmatna Misl , p. 160, 10/1956
P1404282
(6+1)
#2
1. a8=sS (Zugzwang)
1. ... Sc7 2. Sb8#
1. ... Sb6 2. Tc5#
play all play one stop play next play all
Henrik Juel: Popeye 4.61 finds no solution (2022-09-11)
SCHRECKE: 1. a8=sS!
1. ... Sb6 2. Tc5#
1. ... Sc7 2. Sb8# (2022-09-12)
Henrik Juel: A joke problem, I see... (2022-09-12)
Mario Richter: Sorry, Henrik, I thought you've learned from the past that I sometimes can't resist to present a little trap. I was sure you would detect that popeye finds no solution to this seemingy simple position, but I expected that you - knowing me - would conclude that there must be something more about it (even more, since I presented it at Weekend). So I hope you can forgive me my little joke ... :-) (2022-09-12)
Henrik Juel: No problem, Mario
And Michael saw the trick (2022-09-12)
comment
Keywords: Rex solus (s), Joke promotion, Miniature, Joke
Genre: 2#
FEN: 2B5/PN6/N1k5/1R6/1K6/8/8/8
Input: Mario Richter, 2022-09-11
Last update: A.Buchanan, 2022-09-13 more...
19 - P1404283
Mikhail Mikhaylov
1 Shakhmatna Misl , p. 160, 10/1956
P1404283
(4+5)
#2
1. Tf7 droht 2. gxh8=sT#
1. ... e1=D 2. gxh8=sT#
1. ... Se7,Sf6 2. g8=sS#
play all play one stop play next play all
Henrik Juel: Popeye 4.61 finds no solution (2022-09-11)
Henrik Juel: A third joke problem with two fake mates
No zugzwang, but the threat 2.gxh8=sT??# (2022-09-12)
more ...
comment
Keywords: Joke promotion, Joke
Genre: 2#
FEN: 6nr/R5Pk/7p/7P/8/8/K3p3/8
Input: Mario Richter, 2022-09-11
Last update: A.Buchanan, 2022-09-14 more...
20 - P1404422
Mikhail Mikhaylov
Henrik Juel
Mario Richter
Andrew Buchanan

PDB Website 17/09/2022
MM, correction HJ, MR & AB
P1404422
(7+6) C+
#2v (-:
1. d8=sL? droht 2. g8=S#
1. ... Lc7 2. Sd7#
1. ... Lb6 2. Te6#
but 1. ... La5!

1. d8=sS! droht 2. g8=S#
1. ... Sb7 2. Sd7#
1. ... Sc6 2. Te6#
1. ... Se6 2. Se4#
1. ... Sf7 2. Sg4#
play all play one stop play next play all
Henrik Juel: Try 1.d8=sL? thr. 2.g8=S#, 1... Lc7/Lb6 2.Sd7/Te6#, but 1... La5!
Solution 1.d8=sS thr. 2.g8=S#, 1... Sa7/Sc6/Se6/Sf7 2.Sd7/Te6/Se4/Sg4#
Thanks for your efforts, Andrew (2022-09-18)
comment
Keywords: Joke, Joke promotion (sl)
Genre: 2#
Computer test: C+ Popeye v4.87, using PostKeyPlay option to simulate promotion to foreign officers
FEN: r7/q2Pp1P1/r4k1N/2N3R1/5p1K/8/8/4R3
Input: A.Buchanan, 2022-09-18
Last update: A.Buchanan, 2023-05-21 more...
21 - P1407481
ChatGPT
Andrew Buchanan

Discord Chess Problems & Studies Server 29/01/2023
P1407481
(2+2)
#2
1. bxa3+ Kd4 2. Kb2#
play all play one stop play next play all
Chess problem by AI program ChatGPT

Q: Can you give an example of a chess retrograde analysis problem?

A: A retrograde analysis problem in chess is a problem where the goal is to determine the sequence of moves that led to a given position. For example:

White to move and mate in 2
[FEN "8/8/1p6/1P6/3k4/8/8/K7 w - - 0 1"]

In this problem, the goal is to determine the two moves (one for white and one for black) that led to the position shown. The solution is 1. bxa3+ Kd4 2. Kb2#
Henrik Juel: I do not understand this at all
It seems that ChatGPT is worthless for retro problems (2023-01-29)
A.Buchanan: Generally ChatGPT is amazing. We have entered a new age. Interacting with it reminds me of the first time I sent emails, or used a browser: we have crossed a frontier into engage with a function that will soon be commonplace. I already use it as a work tool for the last week. However it has limited skills and I was surprised it even attempted to construct a chess problem. It’s failure is humorous and kind of dreamlike (2023-01-30)
Henrik Juel: Thanks for your clarification, Andrew
ChatGPT is so amazing that it will give you a grade of B on some university exams; using it is obviously cheating, but do you enforce it?
In my youth calculators were developing fast; initially I banned the use of calculators in my OR exam, but the students were unhappy about it, saying that they were allowed in high school; I was forced to allow calculators, but then the poor students pointed out that the rich students had an unfair advantage; I then bought a few hundred cheap calculators and let the students borrow one for the exam (the rich students were still mad, but had to accept their lot in the social-democratic society of Danmark) (2023-01-30)
comment
Keywords: Joke, Kindergarten Problem, Minimal, Miniature
Genre: 2#, Retro
FEN: 8/8/1p6/1P6/3k4/8/8/K7
Reprints: Facebook 05/07/2023
Input: A.Buchanan, 2023-01-29
Last update: A.Buchanan, 2023-07-05 more...
22 - P1408044
Edgar D. Holladay
Jose Benardete

Chess Life , p. 2, 20/10/1949
The Law's Flaw
P1408044
(10+2)
#2
1. a8=T!
1. ... Kxd6 2. Td8#
1. ... Kxd4 2. 0-0-0#!(Ta8->d1)
play all play one stop play next play all
http://uscf1-nyc1.aodhosting.com/CL-AND-CR-ALL/CL-ALL/1949/1949_10_2.pdf
https://www.chesshistory.com/winter/winter130.html#CN_9300
Henrik Juel: a mate after 1... Kd4 needs moving Ta8 to d1, not d8 (2023-03-05)
James Malcom: Fixed. (2023-03-05)
Henrik Juel: Thanks, James (2023-03-05)
comment
Keywords: Joke, Castling, Minimal (b)
Genre: 2#
FEN: 8/P7/1P1N1P2/3k1p2/1P1N1P2/8/1P3P2/4K3
Input: James Malcom, 2023-03-05
Last update: Gunter Jordan, 2023-03-05 more...
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The problems of this query have been registered by the following contributors:

Gerd Wilts (1)
Felber, Volker (3)
Mario Richter (6)
James Malcom (8)
A.Buchanan (4)