Dead Reckoning

Originally posted by greenpawn34
Right. Never mind having Knight on f7. This looks better.

Blacks last move was a5-a4 we take that back and rather clumsily do this.

[pgn]
[FEN "Bb2kb2/bKp1p1p1/1pP1P1P1/pP6/6P1/P7/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
1. Ka6 Kd8 2. Bb7 Ke8 3. Bc8 Kd8 4. Kb7 Ke8 5. Ka8 Kd8 6. Ba6 Ke8 7. Bb7
Kd8 8. Bc8 Ke8 9. Bd7+ Kd8 10. Be8 Kc8 11. Bf7 Kd8 12. Bg8 Ke8 13. Kb7 Kd8
14. g5 Ke8 15. Kc8 a4 16. Bf7 {mate}[/pgn]

SOLV'D.

It's very clumsy, to be sure, but (explaining this for the rest of the audience) the last move has to be ...a5-a4 because if it was ...Ke8(x)d8 the position would have been dead before the diagram, and no further moves would have been permitted.

Originally posted by WanderingKing
Sorry -- I really don't get this. So the first clue is that we have to check if the position on the diagram is dead or alive. If it's dead though then it's the end of the game. But it's "white to move", so it's not the end of the game. So the position is alive.

Should I be worrying about this or is it not important?

Ahh, I can see how the stipulation might be confusing. The diagram position is indeed dead, because the checkmate posted by greenpawn34 does not work without the tempo move ...a5-a4.

The stipulation 'white to move' only means that black has made the last move. It doesn't necessarily mean that white can move.

Yahoo!

Of course it can be tidied up (by quite a bit I would imagine).
What you got was me with the final mating pattern in mind shuggling
about on Chesspad till I got it.

Do another....this time with a clear explanation. 😉

Originally posted by greenpawn34
Yahoo!

Of course it can be tidied up (by quite a bit I would imagine).
What you got was me with the final mating pattern in mind shuggling
about on Chesspad till I got it.

Do another....this time with a clear explanation. 😉

A. Buchanan

Dead Reckoning
Who moved last?

"Dead Reckoning" means that the FIDE rule of dead positions will be applied, as in the previous problem.

Originally posted by SwissGambit
A. Buchanan
[fen]k7/8/2K5/8/8/8/8/8[/fen]
Dead Reckoning
Who moved last?

"Dead Reckoning" means that the FIDE rule of dead positions will be applied, as in the previous problem.

So I take my chance for an embarrasing post: (and I am still counting down edits)

Black can't have taken one of the heavy pieces, since he would have been in check previously by them.
Same is true for the pawn which would have been promoted. (Last edit I promise) and of course the black King would have stood at the place of the theoretical pawn if not in check (ridicoulous but I want to be complete 😉 )

The last move can't have taken a bishop or a Knight (since the position would have been dead then)

So white took blacks' last figure.

Originally posted by SwissGambit
A. Buchanan
[fen]k7/8/2K5/8/8/8/8/8[/fen]
Dead Reckoning
Who moved last?

"Dead Reckoning" means that the FIDE rule of dead positions will be applied, as in the previous problem.

Couldn't either player have just taken their opponent's Q or R?

Hi SG.

""Dead Reckoning" means that the FIDE rule of dead positions will be applied."

Does this mean the position was dead before the last move?

Originally posted by greenpawn34
Hi SG.

""Dead Reckoning" means that the FIDE rule of dead positions will be applied."

Does this mean the position was dead before the last move?

No - it means the opposite. There can be only one 'dead' position in a game.

Originally posted by wolfgang59
Couldn't either player have just taken their opponent's Q or R?

The answer - surprisingly - is No.

These 'Dead Reckoning' puzzles are nearly as bad as your Retro puzzles.

I reckon I'll be dead before I solve this one.

(The solution will proably be White played King takes 3 Rooks en passant.)

Originally posted by SwissGambit
The answer - surprisingly - is No.

Well obviously that wouldn't be the answer - but why not?
I don't understand the constraints!
A bit more explanation please.

Originally posted by SwissGambit


Dead Reckoning
Who moved last?

"Dead Reckoning" means that the FIDE rule of dead positions will be applied, as in the previous problem.

black plays QxQ, white plays KxQ
and we end up with the required position
😕

I won't comment on SG's last position in case I spoil the fun, but it may help some to consider a simpler example first just to help clarify the concept here.



Was the last move a pawn move or a king move (assume no captures)? This isn't even a puzzle; just an example to reinforce the idea.

Originally posted by wolfgang59
[fen]k7/1q6/2Q5/3K4/8/8/8/8[/fen]

black plays QxQ, white plays KxQ
and we end up with the required position
😕

Sure - that's one valid possibility.

Originally posted by wolfgang59
Well obviously that wouldn't be the answer - but why not?
I don't understand the constraints!
A bit more explanation please.

Playing forward, once a dead position [no possible checkmate] is reached, there can be no further moves. The game is drawn.

This is all you need to solve it.