Very hard puzzle - first solver gets a trophy!

3 years ago · Quote · #1
IM Kacparov

This puzzle was shown me by my coach yesterday. The position in the diagram appeared after 4 white moves and 4 black moves. It's now white to play his 5th move. All the moves played were legal. How did the players get to this position?

Note: this is a very hard puzzle. There is an anectode that it took the USSR national team 20 minutes to solve, and it had such great players as Tal, Polugaevsky, Petrosian etc.! It took me (with help of my brother) almost 1 hour to solve. Please don't answer if you have already seen it :-)
3 years ago · Quote · #2
andropov

Should the moves make sense, or is it allowed to do moves that would not be good if you would try to win the game?
3 years ago · Quote · #3
SimonSeirup

Yeah, i know that one ;)

IM Klaus Berg showed that one, and one more at the same kind, at a chesscamp this summer :) Klaus told us, that his friend GM Nigel Short showed him them.

This is a very beautiful puzzle!
3 years ago · Quote · #4
khpa21

The only way is if Black is giving d-pawn odds.

EDIT: manymercsmike has it. What a sick crux.
3 years ago · Quote · #5
Mathematicus

i figured it out after some experimenting
3 years ago · Quote · #6
heinzie

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/more-puzzles/4-move-debut
3 years ago · Quote · #7
SimonSeirup

manymercsmike wrote:

Is this it? It works, but it's weird even playing it out.

1. e4 e6

2. Bb5 Ke7

3. Bxd7 c6

4. Be8 Kxe8

We have a winner!
3 years ago · Quote · #8
birdboy1
3 years ago · Quote · #9
psulax6

AWESOME Puzzle!!!!!!!! I got hung up on trying to triangulate the king with a bishop capture to "waste" the move.
3 years ago · Quote · #10
vowles_23

Haha, I'm going to show that to someone, some day.. :D
3 years ago · Quote · #11
grantchamp
3 years ago · Quote · #12
grantchamp

Why doesn't that work?
3 years ago · Quote · #13
Sangwin

ok now I feel stupid, lol sweet puzzle!
3 years ago · Quote · #14
Balachandar

I know I'm wrong. I did it in 5 moves

1. e4 d5

2. Bc4 e6

3. Bxd5 Qxd5

4. Nf3 Qd8

5. Ng8 c6
3 years ago · Quote · #15
SimonSeirup

grantchamp wrote:

Why doesn't that work?

Because black 4th move have to be done to. In your way, black has only done 3 moves.
As Kacparov said: "It's now white to play his 5th move"
3 years ago · Quote · #16
IM Kacparov

That's a quick answer! And sorry, I didn't see that topic...
3 years ago · Quote · #17
ll931110_again

Hey mate, how could I find such puzzles like this? They are quite interesting!
3 years ago · Quote · #18
heinzie

Try

http://www.janko.at/Retros/Shorties/01.htm

and

http://anselan.com/CHE.html

and

http://abrobecker.free.fr/chess/IntroductionToPGs.pdf
3 years ago · Quote · #19
IM Kacparov

You need a coach who knows many puzzles :)
3 years ago · Quote · #20
NickYoung5

A semi reversed bongcloud opening ?