Puzzle for Alethia

Finally, what you've been waiting for: a problem that demands window dressing!


Add 6 Black pieces (including King) and 6 Black pawns so that Black is mated. Removing any Black piece or pawn spoils the mate.

Assuming Black's pawn is on d2,

Your ulterior motive has been noticed.

Originally posted by Alethia
Assuming Black's pawn is on d2,
[fen]2b3B1/3n3p/1pp4p/8/8/p7/kpnp3K/rr6 b[/fen]
Your ulterior motive has been noticed.

What, you think BigDogg has the hots for you? Sorry to break it to you, but I think he only likes you for your mind... 😵

EDIT: This position doesn't look possible...the white bishop couldn't have moved into position without delivering an unanswered check on the previous turn. Which means BigDogg may not like you at all. 😕

Removing any Black piece or pawn spoils the mate.
Removing any Black piece or pawn spoils the mate.
Removing any Black piece or pawn spoils the mate.

Yes dmnelson, I can read. I didn't remove a Black piece or pawn. Also, thank you PBE6, but BigDogg doesn't like me.

Originally posted by PBE6
What, you think BigDogg has the hots for you? Sorry to break it to you, but I think he only likes you for your mind... 😵

EDIT: This position doesn't look possible...the white bishop couldn't have moved into position without delivering an unanswered check on the previous turn. Which means BigDogg may not like you at all. 😕

I did look at that when creating, but decided it doesn't matter. But it does...

Interesting, though "spoils the mate" is a bit ambiguous - does that mean the resulting position is not a mate (i.e. the king may escape, or a piece may cover the check) or may it be interpreted as the resulting position after the removal of the piece/pawn is illegal?

Having a go, I'm not quite there yet, 11 of the 12 black men here missing would spoil the mate (the exception being the queen).

Actually come to think of it the rook isn't doing much good. I had a queen on d1 at one point.

Originally posted by Peakite
[fen]q1b3B1/1p1p4/8/8/8/p1p5/kprp3K/bn6[/fen]

Having a go, I'm not quite there yet, 11 of the 12 black men here missing would spoil the mate (the exception being the queen).

Actually come to think of it the rook isn't doing much good. I had a queen on d1 at one point.

Sorry but that is not mate 1...d5!

Originally posted by ilywrin
Sorry but that is not mate 1...d5!

I didn't like the pawns like that anyway, trying to shift them. And thinking out loud



That should be 11 of the men needed.

And I'm actually a pawn short too.

Make it ten

I was thinking something more in the line of:

Problem here, pawns at d7 and d2.

The rook on f5 here

Originally posted by Alethia
Assuming Black's pawn is on d2,
[fen]2b3B1/3n4/1pp4p/7p/8/p7/kpnp3K/rr6 b - - 0 1[/fen]
Your ulterior motive has been noticed.

Pb6, c6, h6, h5, d2, Nc2, and Bc8 can all be removed without spoiling the mate.

Originally posted by ilywrin
Interesting, though "spoils the mate" is a bit ambiguous - does that mean the resulting position is not a mate (i.e. the king may escape, or a piece may cover the check) or may it be interpreted as the resulting position after the removal of the piece/pawn is illegal?

Yes.