1. Joined
    04 Aug '09
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    0
    06 Aug '09 03:28
    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
  2. Joined
    29 Apr '05
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    827
    06 Aug '09 10:27
    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
    Just trying to make sure I understood it all correct, I'll fill the variables with random values (using " "😉. 2 players play a game, after "Whites" "20th" move, he announces that "Black" will be checkmate in "3" moves, no matter what he plays. All of "Blacks" legal moves will lead to checkmate. Except for one move (which you called the offensive move). That move will lead to "White" being checkmated in lets say "4" moves. Was that generally all correct?
  3. Joined
    17 Mar '08
    Moves
    1568
    07 Aug '09 23:51
    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!
  4. Joined
    17 Mar '08
    Moves
    1568
    08 Aug '09 01:43
    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)
  5. Subscribercoquette
    Already mated
    Omaha, Nebraska, USA
    Joined
    04 Jul '06
    Moves
    1114645
    08 Aug '09 04:29
    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
  6. Joined
    29 Apr '05
    Moves
    827
    08 Aug '09 21:54
    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.
  7. Standard memberSwissGambit
    Caninus Interruptus
    2014.05.01
    Joined
    11 Apr '07
    Moves
    92274
    09 Aug '09 01:16
    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.
  8. Standard memberSwissGambit
    Caninus Interruptus
    2014.05.01
    Joined
    11 Apr '07
    Moves
    92274
    09 Aug '09 01:26
    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.
  9. Standard memberAThousandYoung
    or different places
    tinyurl.com/2tp8tyx8
    Joined
    23 Aug '04
    Moves
    26660
    17 Aug '09 19:31
    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
    I'm glad you're not one of those idiots who makes a chess movie in which the chess makes no sense.
  10. Standard membercadwah
    ¯\_(^.^)_/¯
    Joined
    25 Sep '05
    Moves
    55289
    19 Aug '09 06:45
    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. 😀
  11. Joined
    29 Apr '05
    Moves
    827
    19 Aug '09 11:201 edit
    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.
    Haha, that reminds me of the Columbo episode where the world champion(!!) lost in a simultaneous match in 2 moves (f4, e6, g4, Qh4) because he was so nervous. Furthermore at the same time all other games had progressed to a lot more than 2 moves.
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