“How nice to have both of you in my class today,” said ProfessorPando to his two prize students, Zephyr and Lucian. --- “Perhaps you can put your heads together and tackle a fairly difficult problem. Sometimes, though not all the time, two heads ...
“A while back,” Professor Pando began, “I came upon the following interesting position. Oh, by the way, it was created by a very famous chess player, who was best known for the puzzles he made. His name was Sam Loyd.” --- “It’s a curious pos...
“I’ve been thinking a lot about knights recently,” said Professor Pando to an attentive Zephyr. --- “The other day I came upon an interesting problem in a math book. It asked the reader to calculate the number...
“You’re doing very well,” Professor Pando said to Lucian. “Come grading time, I may even give you an E for excellent!” --- “But first you must “play detective.” Consider the following position, with the pieces outlining a capital E, which is the l...
“Occasionally,” Professor Pando began, “I lighten up and pose easy problems anyone can solve, even a novice. Cast your eyes on the following position.” ---- ---- White to move ---- Question: How can White checkmate Black in six moves?” ---...
“I’m going to take you far away in time and place,” Professor Pando began. “There and then, chess is called Checker Chess, and the following bizarre position is legal.” ---- White to move ---- “Do not ask how the following position aro...
ChessKids did you know that September 15 is the official Opposite Day? Well we're celebrating this weekend with ProfessorPando's puzzler! Check it out: ---- “Checkmate is fun, but it’s even more fun if you make the opponent mate himself. Examine t...
“Some situations seem so innocent,” Professor Pando observed. ---- “Yet even the simplest positions can hide a clever tactic.” ---- “Take a look at the following position, with White to move.” ---- ---- Question: How can White win a rook by...
ChessKids: Have you ever heard your parents talk about clothing being "retro"? It means "in the past." Well today we have a "retrograde" problem - you have to think into the past instead of into the future! Professor Pandolfini put forward the fo...
The fourth article from ProfessorPando has a big trick in it. Take your time and see if you can spot the trap - don't rush in to this one! ---- “Lucian,” Professor Pandolfini intoned, “please look at the next setup.” ---- “Let’s assume the fol...
On today's show the great majority of questions involved getting better at chess, and most involved openings (with a smattering of endgames thrown in). I think many players have this "improvement model" in their head where they memorize an opening...
Here we go again ChessKids! It's back to planet Zugzwang with ProfessorPando. Did you solve his crazy first and second puzzles? Now try this one: “I know you love the impossible,” Professor Pandolfini said to Zephyr. Let’s see what you can do wit...
Here we go again ChessKids! You've already solved a position from ProfessorPando where you had to find the worst move, now see if you can checkmate a whole army of Black kings in this zany puzzle! ------ Professor Pandolfini gave Lucian an unusual...
National Master Bruce Pandolfini is an acclaimed Chess Book Author, Teacher and Coach. Lessons in his "Pandolfini's Puzzler" column for ChessKid.com are fictional stories based on true events from his own lessons. "In chess, you look for the best...
Here are several “nuggets” that might be gold or might be rabbit pellets. You decide. member AnlamK asked: In your books THE AMATEUR’S MIND and HOW TO REASSESS YOUR CHESS 4th edition, you write about the importance of ignoring the opponents’ (ph...
In the recent TCEC computer chess tournament, defending champion Houdini was eliminated in the semi-finals; the engines playing the final match were Stockfish and Komodo. After the finals, the loser Stockfish (an open source program) graciously ma...
