Requesting Aid

Hello,
My name is Andrew Waddoups, and I am a student in the video technology department at North Lake College in Irving, Texas. I am writing a script about two chess players, and would like to request some aid from your members. The story is fairly simple. Two players are playing chess. After some fast paced action, one player announces that they will have checkmate in "x" number of moves. The second player then goes through all the different defensive moves they could make, only to find that none of them would make a difference, only delay the inevitable. Then, the second player notices a pice that has some offensive power, and that taking the offensive would allow them to achieve checkmate in less moves then the originally announced number from the first player. The aid I am requesting is this. While I do love to play chess, I am not a great chess player. I need help coming up with a move list that would lead to the setup I am looking for. What I would need is a move list containing the moves up to the announcement of "Checkmate in 'x' moves." The many defensive variations that lead to no change in the outcome, and the offensive moves that win the game for the other player. I will give credit to the person who comes up with the list, as well as thank your site should you decide that this is a good challenge and are able to provide the required move list. Thank you for your time, and your assistance in this endeavor.
Andrew Waddoups

Originally posted by Andrew Waddoups
Hello,
My name is Andrew Waddoups, and I am a student in the video technology department at North Lake College in Irving, Texas. I am writing a script about two chess players, and would like to request some aid from your members. The story is fairly simple. Two players are playing chess. After some fast paced action, one player announces that they w ...[text shortened]... move list. Thank you for your time, and your assistance in this endeavor.
Andrew Waddoups

So in fact the player announing mate first miscasculated ?
In order to make this interesting, the saving (and winning) move has to be a very surprising one, one that can easily have been overlooked...(else the first player would look really stupid)

I think it could be a position involving an uderpromotion to a knight, a move that occurs extremely rarely in practice, and which many amateurs don't even know it's possible!

Or simply a very surprising sacrifice turns the tables and mates...
If someone has the tactics book by maxim blokh, it's full of such positions (where both sides have a forced mate, and whoever plays first wins)

I think that you are really describing two high school amateurs of moderate ability. Announcing mate in X number of moves only occurs in friendly matches between uneven players. There's nothing wrong with this for a fictional story line.

You didn't mention if you are writing an essay, a short story, a novella, or a novel. That makes a big difference.

An essay, say for a class assignment, could be about the writing, itself, with the chess and the events just serving as props. If this is the case, you can use a real game and write the fictional depiction around it. That would be fun and interesting. Just don't publish it without identifying the game.

A short story is about something that happens, and not the characters. A short story requires a "hook," as mentioned in previous threads. You need to have a good line up of moves with the right elements. Still, you could find a real game, or just a good chess puzzle and use the theme, or even modify it slightly and you have what you need.

A novel is about the characters. It doesn't actually matter so much that the chess moves be accurate or that the theme of the "puzzle" be that deep. It's the interplay and tension between the characters that will count. Work on them and let the chess moves just be moves.

Disclaimer: the author of this advice has no idea what she's talking about. caveat emptor

I made a position with the required parameters (from what I understood) picking up on that knight promotion idea. However I don't have my FEN proggie anymore and don't remember its name. So I'll post it oldfashioned style. If someone has a tool, feel free to post a diagram.

White: Ka2, Rc1, Rg7, Bb1, Be5, Nd7, a3, d3, d4, f4
Black: Kh8, Rh2, Be1, b2, c6, d5, f5
Black to move. All moves will lead to forced mate for White. Except for one move (not so hard to find anymore 😀) which will lead to mate for Black.

If you can use this position I can come up with a game from starting position to this position. Shouldn't be so difficult.

Originally posted by crazyblue
I made a position with the required parameters (from what I understood) picking up on that knight promotion idea. However I don't have my FEN proggie anymore and don't remember its name. So I'll post it oldfashioned style. If someone has a tool, feel free to post a diagram.

White: Ka2, Rc1, Rg7, Bb1, Be5, Nd7, a3, d3, d4, f4
Black: Kh8, Rh2, Be1, b2, c ...[text shortened]... can come up with a game from starting position to this position. Shouldn't be so difficult.

Here's a 'total reversal' situation from a classic game. Although there is no mate in X involved, the idea of a shocking reversal of fortune is well presented:


Black had the move and saw no way to save his pinned Bishop, so he resigned. Unfortunately for him, he missed 1...Bg1!! which turns the tables.

Originally posted by Andrew Waddoups
Hello,
My name is Andrew Waddoups, and I am a student in the video technology department at North Lake College in Irving, Texas. I am writing a script about two chess players, and would like to request some aid from your members. The story is fairly simple. Two players are playing chess. After some fast paced action, one player announces that they w ...[text shortened]... move list. Thank you for your time, and your assistance in this endeavor.
Andrew Waddoups

You may get more responses by putting this in the Chess forum, I'm sure there are lots of games available which would meet your specifications, i'm pretty sure you could go further and specify a certain opening.
Good luck with the project and don't forget to link it on youtube for us all. 😀

Originally posted by AThousandYoung
I'm glad you're not one of those idiots who makes a chess movie in which the chess makes no sense.