There are many types of chess problems.  Most of these are to mate in a specific amount of moves.  Some of these can also be helpmates (both players work together to achieve checkmate) and selfmates (white tries to force black to checkmate white).

Fairy Problems include different rules, different boards, different pieces, and different goals.

Since this is the first one (that I saw) I'll make it an easy one.

This problem uses a cylinder board, which means the a and h files are connected.  The 1st and 8th ranks are not connected.  So for example, 1. b3 e5?? would be a mistake because white could just take the queen.  White's bishop goes from c1-b2-a3, then continues on to h4, g5, f6, e7, and finally at d8 where white takes the queen.

So now that you understand the rules, here's the problem (white to move and mate in 4, easy)

That doesn't make sense. I would never do that. What's stopping the king from taking the rook on h7? Nothing.

The bishop on c4 is protecting the rook on h7.  The problem is that I'm not seeing checkmate once the king moves to g8, simply drawing the rook back to any square on the h-file for checkmate by discovered check from the bishop doesn't work because of a6.

Set the board on End and pretend to wrap it around a tube without overlapping

the Bishop can move from c4 b5 a6 where it protects h7. Then when the rook moves backward after taking the knight the bishop on c4 protects g8 then mate.

It took me about 20 minutes to get the different geometry of the board into my head. Braingames has cylinder chess games.

But a6 defends against mate.

You are absolutely right. It does indeed

lol my mistake, didn't see that.  I'll have to fix that.

Alright, well, it's fixed.  I hope...

I'm not trying to complain but most compositions do not have checks or captures as first moves normally. Are you just trying to demonstrate a unique property of cylinder chess? BTW never seen one before.

This is just a simple demonstration of a fairy chess problem.  I may put more (better) puzzles in this thread.  I have not seen a problem of this type on chess.com (tell me the link if you have seen a puzzle like this on chess.com) so just wanted to start a thread on it.

There are a few good problem composition webites but they aren't associated with a chess.com. Here are some useful links. BTW Thank God you called it a problem and not a puzzle. I let children put together puzzles, but I like to solve problems.

http://jurajlorinc.tripod.com/chess/chess.htm

http://www.murdzia.republika.pl/

http://www.sci.fi/~stniekat/pccc/

http://www.janko.at/Retros/index.htm

You do know that white can get mate in 2 moves right? 3 moves tops. White moves Queen to H5 then if black moves bishob to f5 take it with pawn from e4 to f5, whatever move black does next is irrelevent as when white moves the queen to h7 next turn and takes out blacks knight its a checkmate.

What about 1. Rxh7+ 1... Kg8 2. Rh8+ 2... Kxh8 3. Qh5+?

If 3. Qh5, black would play 3... Ka7.

As I suspected :)

Eo, thanks for the links and the clarification.

Not a big fan of Fairy Puzzles. They seem so detached from real chess that you have to get your head around a load of new rules and ideas before you start doing anything meaningful. It took me a good 5 minutes to drum up a mate in 1:

Funny... I suppose that the solution is 1. Qa8# (double check?)

These fairy chess problems are kinda funky.

Nope, because 1.Qa8+? can be met with Qxa8

The answer is 1. Qc8#

Interesting example.

Here's another problem (also in cylinder chess).

How many moves mate in one, and what are the moves?