Problem 8

C. Gamnitzer, 1999

#5

Perhaps you could be a little less vague.

Originally posted by zakkwylder
Perhaps you could be a little less vague.

"#5" means "white to move and mate in 5".

It is a mate in 1 move.

You're right. There's a player in my local league who would undoubtedly play 1.Nxe7# in this position and probably get away with it.

Souds like you have a recent example Fat Lady - care to share -
new thread, don't want to hijack this one.

No-one's going to solve a mate in five anyway, most people here can't even count up to five if they've got their mittens on.

Here is one example of an Oxfordshire player taking his own piece:
http://streathambrixtonchess.blogspot.co.uk/2008/11/what-happened-next-vi_20.html

I was told that the mistake was only discovered when Marco was showing off his victory in the pub after the match. He tried to reconstruct the game from memory for a few minutes, then, having failed to do so, took the scoresheet from his pocket and played through the moves with an increasing sense of horror at what he had done! Marco is no beginner, he'd probably be around 1800 to 2000 if he played on this site.

However the player who is better known for this sort of thing relies on being very old (> 80) to get away with it. I was watching a game of his a couple of years ago and noticed him capture his own pawn with his king to avoid getting mated. His opponent saw what happened, but thought he still had a win and let him get away with. Needless to say, the game turned around and the victim, now staring defeat in the face, started complaining that his opponent had taken his own pawn some ten minutes and a dozen moves before. Confusion ensued and eventually a bad-tempered draw was agreed.

In all seriousness, chess would be awesome if you could take your own pieces.

Originally posted by SmittyTime
In all seriousness, chess would be awesome if you could take your own pieces.

Except for no more Philidor's Legacy!


5...Kxh7 0-1 🙁

But it does open a door to a whole new range of problems.


New Rules Chess. White to play and mate in 2.

New rules.
You can take your own pieces or pawns.
All other laws of chess must be obeyed.

Originally posted by greenpawn34
But it does open a door to a whole new range of problems.

[fen]6NR/8/7p/7k/R7/8/8/K7 b - - 0 1[/fen]
New Rules Chess. White to play and mate in 2.

New rules.
You can take your own pieces or pawns.
All other laws of chess must be obeyed.

This idea works in Old Rules Chess too:



But if that's the theme, there is no need for captures at all.

Originally posted by SwissGambit
C. Gamnitzer, 1999
[fen]4b3/2N1P1Bn/3p2pP/n2N1kP1/6R1/7B/7p/1Kb5[/fen]
#5

This was my very first thoughts on the moves to checkmate the Black king in 5 moves:



Even though I could not get this to work by experimenting with different moves and order of moves, I believed I must be on the right track because in the postion with the White bishop at d4 as below:



So the question is after the first move of 1.Bd4, can Black prevent a checkmate in four more moves? I don't think so. Therefore, 1.Bd4 looks like the key first move. Now the pressure is on Black to stop the plan shown above.

Moving the a5 knight does not help black with stopping the checkmate plan of White.

Moving the h7 knight just leads to a quicker mate. Ex: 1...Nf6 2.Bxf6 and 3.Rf4#

1f 1...Be3 to block the bishop from being able to deliver the final checkmate of 5.Bf2# Then 2.Nxe3#.

Moving 1...Bf7 to prevent 3.Ne6+, allows 2.e8=Q Bxe8 3.Ne7# or 2...Bxd5 3.Qc8+ Be6 4.Qxe6#.

Queening the h2 pawn doesn't change anything, but the best try is 1...h1=N which stops the final checkmate of 5.Bf2#. However, White can then play 2.Kxc1 planning 3.Ne4#. The only move to prevent checkmate is 2...Nb3+ or ...Nc4, but these only delays it.

So the solution to the Checkmate in 5 puzzle is as follows:



OR

Originally posted by RJHinds
This was my very first thoughts on the moves to checkmate the Black king in 5 moves:

[pgn]
[FEN "4b3/2N1P1Bn/3p2pP/n2N1kP1/6R1/7B/7p/1Kb5 w - - "]
1. Rf4+ Kxg5 2. Ne6+ Kh5 3. Bg4+ Kh4 4. Bf6+ {this would be checkmate if not for the Knight at h7. I don't have time for 4.Bd4 and 5.Bf2 checkmate because of 4...Bxf4}
[/pgn]

Even though I could not get ...[text shortened]... . Ne6+ Kh5 3. Bg4+ Kxh6 4. Bg7# {Checkmate and If 3...Kh4 then 4.Bf2 checkmate}
[/pgn]

... Kd3 ?

Originally posted by Kegge
... Kd3 ?

In which solution? In the first actual solution, the only one where the black king is next to d3 you should realize this is a hook mate from GPs blog. The rook covers d3.

Originally posted by Kegge
... Kd3 ?

On 5.Re3# the rook covers the e-file and the 3rd rank, which includes d3 so the king can not escape by 5...Kd3 because he is still in check.