I'm working on a novel and the protagonist is obsessed with chess, to the point of it serving as an obsessive compulsive disorder.
I designed this end game that I thought she could've come up with. I was hoping someone could set it up and make sure that it works the way I imagine, and that it's not too easy. I don't expect it to be impossible … I'm not good enough for that hahah (and neither is the character ... she's not a genius, just crazy) but I don't want it to be solvable in like two seconds. If you do have time to set it up and solve it, please let me know approximately how long it takes you to solve and what you did, and also if you found any alternative solutions or moves for black that would undermine my idea, or if you have any more suggestions such as false leads to bury in the puzzle.
Hope y'all dig it.
It's a mate in two for white. The first move belongs to white.
The pieces are arranged as follows:
WHITE:
K – b3
N – b6
p – c6
p – c7
Q – e5
p – e6
R – h3
BLACK:
Q – a1
R – a7
B – a8
N – e3
K – e8
p – g2
Thanks for your help.
-Sr. Nexus
- Joined
- 26 Apr 03
- Moves
- 26771
Originally posted by PlexusNexusIs this right?
I'm working on a novel and the protagonist is obsessed with chess, to the point of it serving as an obsessive compulsive disorder.
I designed this end game that I thought she could've come up with. I was hoping someone could set it up and make sure that it works the way I imagine, and that it's not too easy. I don't expect it to be impossible … I'm not K:
Q – a1
R – a7
B – a8
N – e3
K – e8
p – g2
Thanks for your help.
-Sr. Nexus
If so, it is much too simple for someone obsessed with chess to pose, and has multiple solutions and redundant pieces, something that chess puzzle composers compulsively avoid.
Here are some different mates that are possible:
a) White checks black with his rook and then delivers mate with c8=N (knights his pawn to deliver mate)
b) White checks black with his rook and delivers mate with Nc8
c) White queens his pawn and delivers mate with RH7
That is, unless it is "white to mate in 1", in which case it is a very good problem because I can't see the answer at all in one move for white, black can mate in one though.
Sorry, it is much easier to criticize someone else's problem that come up with a good one myself
If you post your query and the "kind of problem" you were thinking of in the chess forum here I'm sure someone will design a nice tricky one for you. Make sure you tell them that it needs to be original or they might just google a good one up.
WHITE:
K – b3
N – b6
p – c6
p – c7
Q – e5
p – e6
R – h3
BLACK:
Q – a1
R – a7
B – a8
N – e3
K – e8
p – g2
No problem about criticizing it, man ... I posted it on here expecting it to get torn apart hahah ... it is, after all, a work in progress, it's my first problem, and it's always difficult writing a character that is smarter than I am.
The answer I envisioned was A. Perhaps I can work at it to eliminate the other mates as possibilities.
Thanks for giving it a shot. Hope you at least found a few moments of pleasure in it.
-Zach
It's a great idea to have the pawn promoted to a knight as a less than obvious finish.
Have you read "The Yiddish Policeman's Union" as this contained a similar problem in which the solution ultimately led to the detective solving the murder - well worth a read.
Additionally a really nice problem that may or may not be of use to you?
http://blog.chess.com/Etienne/amazing-nabokov-chess-problem
Originally posted by PlexusNexusHere's a problem that gives only solution A), although IMO it's far too easy to solve.
No problem about criticizing it, man ... I posted it on here expecting it to get torn apart hahah ... it is, after all, a work in progress, it's my first problem, and it's always difficult writing a character that is smarter than I am.
The answer I envisioned was A. Perhaps I can work at it to eliminate the other mates as possibilities.
Thanks for giving it a shot. Hope you at least found a few moments of pleasure in it.
-Zach
White mates in 2
Sol: 1.Rh8+ Ke7 2.c8=N mate