Duplex Helpmates, a joke and Daft Knights

At the same time I picked up the book that blew up in my face (see previous blog)
I also picked up; ‘Test Your Positional Play.’ by Bellin and Ponzetto (pub 1985)


This is the opening sentence in the introduction; “We have written this book
with the intention of teaching, amusing, inspiring and even annoying the reader.”
This blog is run along similar lines except I’m teaching things you should know.
Any amusement is purely incidental and as for being annoying; 100% guilty!


Here I am reminded of a quote I found on Edward Winter’s ‘Chess Notes’ by
Irvine Chernev discussing Fred Reinfeld’s Book, ‘A Humans Side of Chess.'

“Reinfeld hated impartially! He hated Morphy, Alekhine and Capablanca most of all.
He hated all chessplayers – except those who bought his books. Those he despised.”

So just to annoy you despicable lot I am going to show you something that is of no
practical use at all (though a lot of you are experts at it.) It is of course. HELPMATES!

Whilst looking for something else I stumbled upon this by someone called ’Rocky64’


It is a Duplex Selfmate in two. Duplex means it is two puzzles in one.

Black moves first and helps White checkmate them.
Then White moves first and helps Black checkmate them

Reveal Hidden Content
Reveal Hidden Content

The first thing I noticed, what drew me to the position was that it was illegal.
No proof game could reconstruct that position. So I did my own with the same
idea. The White Knight mates in two A Black piece on the first rank mates in two.



I’ve no doubt a handful of you lot will complain that that was pathetic but it was
either this or a complete review with examples of ‘Test Your Positional Play.’
and that was never going to happen. I get sick whenever I see the word ‘positional.’


Three good puzzles this week. All with White to play. I’ll give a clue to each one.

If only those two a-pawns were not there.
Reveal Hidden Content


Mate in four, can we sac both Rooks and set up an Epaulette Mate.
Reveal Hidden Content


Skewer is the root of the idea. Mate if Black avoids the skewer. (solution next)



Next week it is Duplex Puzzles from RHP games. White or Black to move mates.
Hopefully I’ll find something better than this; funkydunky71 - Prefect RHP 2007


An RHP Duplex. White to play mates in two or Black to play and mate in one.
So next week instead of three puzzles you will in effect be getting six puzzles!



I walked into a bookshop, picked up a chess book and asked; ‘How much?’

“£45.00.” replied the bookshop owner.

I put it back on the shelf; ‘J’adoube!”


My reader 64squaresofpain has been in touch and showed me a position
from one of their OTB games where Black Knights ended up on a1 and h1..

They asked if there was an RHP game with something similar. I recalled
seeing a few so I did a search for this set up on Red Hot Pawn Database


There are over 600 games with Black Knights on a1 and h1.
But there is only one game on RHP (so far) with this set up.


alicat13 - dekardy RHP 2011

Obviously, or should I say hopefully, the first 14 moves have been agreed upon
so they can play their very own version of Freestyle Chess. Then they played on.

We end, mercifully, with another Nxh1, Nxa1 game, this one makes more sense.

Petrochess - PapaRusty RHP 2022


The thread accompanying this blog is Thread 202712