Because I'm Bored...

[Coyote]

...and it's early in the morning, and I have to leave for work in a few minutes, and don't have time to dig up a decent puzzle.

This is the only >2-move direct-mate I ever managed to get published. It actually got awarded an honorable mention, but I think the judge just did that as an excuse to rant about the proliferation of 'shape' puzzles, which were in vogue at the time. The only point to the whole thing (besides the shape) is the motivation behind the first move.

Mate in Five Moves
Chess Board

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8/8/8/7P/6Pp/5P1K/6RP/7k

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This one shouldn't last long.

[ChienFou]

1Rg3 Pxg3? I never could do these. I don't think this works as the RP Queens one move too late for white

[Chuck]

Starting with a major sacrifice often works in chess puzzles but I don't see any way to make it work in this one.

[CrystyB]

What am i missing about Rg1 ?

hehe silly me. I was missing the fact that the white pawn advances UPWARDS

edit, but still wrong: Actually the sacrifice must be done or else the king is stalemated.



[This message has been edited by CrystyB (edited 04-21-2002 10:48 AM).]

[Infintessimal IQ]

Rook to A2
Pawn at H5 advances over 3 turns to H8, becoming a queen
Queen to A1 --> Mate

I really wish I knew chess notation, because this kind of solution looks awkward

[CrystyB]

rook to a2 makes a stalemate. Rook on G3 get me either mated or too late, rook to g1 lets the black king loose

Well it's no stalemate since h2 cannot attack g1.

i can't imagine why i can't think straight even AT DAY. I mean i understand having my mind elsewhere if the time would be 3 or 4 am, but now i'm perfectly awake

I-IQ and Mole are right.

[This message has been edited by CrystyB (edited 04-21-2002 10:49 AM).]

[mole]

1 Ra2
2 h6
3 h7
4 h8=Q
5 Qa1++

I'm not very good at chess puzzles, so please tell me where I'm wrong...

[ah, I notice IIQ has beaten me. Just consider this to be his solution using the correct notation until someone proves us wrong.]

[This message has been edited by mole (edited 04-21-2002 10:47 AM).]

[mathgrant]

F2 is safe for B K!

[CrystyB]

not with the rook on a2

[Infintessimal IQ]

I think the problem here is that noone is sure which way the board is oriented.
However, if it was oriented in the opposite direction, it would be mate in 1 move (Rook to G1)
I can't see a problem, it's a classic checkmate finish with the king being allowed only one row to move along until the other piece is in place.

[Antrax]

I got mate in six
Antrax

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I'm cool, really

[Infintessimal IQ]

Hey, can someone tell me how to draw chessboards, because there are a few problems I could put up

[Cadmium]

You can find it here: http://www.greylabyrinth.com/Forums/Forum9/HTML/000499.html?0

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Any similarities between what I say and what I mean are purely coincidental.

[Infintessimal IQ]

Yeah, but how can I set up pieces without working through an entire game?

[Cadmium]

You can see how Coyote did it by clicking on the edit button .

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Any similarities between what I say and what I mean are purely coincidental.

[robichelli]

For those of you who don't know chess notation, here's a crash course. Every piece has its own letter:
Pawn: (none)
Kinght: N (So it's not confused with the king)
Bishop: B
Rook: R
Queen: Q
King: K
The numbers and letters on the side of the chess board are like a coordinate plane. First the letter then the number.
So, if you wanted to say the white rook moves to G1, you'd write it like this:
1. Rg1
But if there were two rooks on the board, you'd just tell the position of the one you wanted to move, like this:
1. Rg2 Rg1
It's that simple. The pawn, on the other hand, has no letter in front of it. Becuse it can only move one direction, all I would have to do is write the space I'm moving it to.
If I wanted to say the pawn at g4 will move to g5 I'd just write:
1. g5
And immediatly everyone would know what piece I'm talking about and where. I think that's all right, and back to the problem.

[Infintessimal IQ]

Ok, I think I get the notation, so I'll put up a simple 3 move mate as a test.
White to play

Chess Board

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5n2/1q5p/2b5/5k2/8/6R1/nB2B2K/4Q3

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[Infintessimal IQ]

The board came up fine.
Now solve it.

[robichelli]

1. Be3
2. Kf4
3. Qf1

[cubestudent]

I think you had to mean Bd3, which black could counter with Be4.

[Infintessimal IQ]

If you want a hint, try taking chuck's advice

[Coyote]

That's not a hint, it's a dead give-away:

1.Rg5+! Kxg5 2.Qh4 Kxh4 3.Bf5#
1...Ke4 2.Bd1+ Kd3/Kf4 2.Qe2/e5#
1...Kf4 2.Qg3+ Ke4 3.Qf3#
1...Ke6 2.Bg4+ Kf7/Kd6 3.Rg7/Qe5#

Pretty good puzzle, Infintessimal...did you compose this one yourself?

[Coyote]

ooop, typo...that should be f6 in the first line, not f5

[CrystyB]

you keep forgetting cases
1.Rg5+! Kxg5 2.Qh4 Kg6 3.Qh5#
1...Ke6 2.Bg4++

[Infintessimal IQ]

no, it's an old one, I use it to demonstrate sacrifices because it forces the king into checkmate wherever he moves on his first and second moves.

There is no escape.....

[Infintessimal IQ]

One you missed, btw:
1. Rg5 / Kxg5 2.Qa5 / any move 3. Qe5 or Qh5 ++

I like this one, because there are so many ways of doing it.
I've put some up in the chess puzzles thread, When you see a simple one, It's probably made by me.