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Around two months ago, I made a study I thought was pretty cool and decided to submit it into a tournament. As it turns out, the main idea had been anticipated and the earlier incarnation(s) were "more powerful" (according to Google Translate's translation). How can you find out if something has been foreseen? Is there a well-known resource for this type of thing?

For anyone interested, the following book is out: http://www.schach-agentur.de/Shop/AGB/Neue_Bucher/neue_bucher.html

Hey That probably means you are new to solving chess problems as well. Be sure to start solving composed problems yourself on a regular basis. There are many Internet sites that offer collections of composed problems for free. I'm not sure if I am allowed to link to them here. You should also consider subscribing to a problem magazine -- eventually, you should be sending in your own good compositions to them anyway. Solve the published compositions there and try to see "what's going on". They're always happy with more people (just like your local chess club) If you are composing selfmates, it may be a good idea to look at many selfmate problems first, to see what ingredients make a selfmate interesting for problemists, and what makes them interesting for you. I'm not sure if I phrased that well, so I'll refer to SirDavid's #2 with 1. Bg7. It is sound, but it seems to me that David himself hasn't solved all too many #2s. In some way... the problem lacks content. It's not that a composed problem should be extremely difficult to solve by definition; it should just be constructed properly and display some nice idea. (no offense intended; by making sound #2s you are already proving yourself a better composer than 99,99 % (9,999 out of 10,000 indeed) of the chess playing population. ;-) It is difficult to start off indeed, the required level is quite high. The most important thing when composing is that you have a clear idea of what (piece movements) you want to show, then pour it in the right mould.... if the idea is good, the problem eventually should become good as well. Heinzie (who isn't too hot a problemist either)

I've posted this on the main chess.com forum, but I figured I'd port it over here too. What is the smallest number of moves White can mate in? Of course, it's really a question of whether White can castle or en passant to mate in one. The board is oriented with a1 at the bottom left.

Here's another easy one. Somebody has probably composed this elsewhere (it's so simple and has so few pieces, after all), but oh well.

While composing a study (White to move and win), I have a very unclear position at some point. The main idea and all its variations are working just fine, but I also need any other line (try) by white to fail (black to hold the draw). After about 30 moves into the line, some variations reveal the following position, or similar (I get a lot of positions with bK at the edge, rooks somewhere on the f and g files, wP at b7, bP at a4 or a5 and bQ in the middle of the board): Now, if the black pawn were missing, Nalimov sais that it's a draw by a very fine thread (which is just fine for me). But I am very concerned whether the black pawn doesn't actually interfere with the perpetual check attempts by the black queen. For instance, diagram2, 1...Qa1 2.Rf1! is a draw or not? Any ideas how to analyse this? Does any of you have access to 7-men database (I know it's huge)?

An interesting article The Key: The key is the first move of the solution of a chess composition. The key is a move by the white in all kinds of problems (Orthodox problems, Selfmate problems, Studies, etc.), except in the Helpmate problems where the key is a move by the black. The key must be a move which can be found with difficulty, in order to justify the determination “chess problem”. The key must be the unique move that solves the problem. If there is other move, (which the composer is not aware of), which move also solves the problem, then the problem is considered useless and is called cooked. The exception here is those problems that deliberately have more than one solution, as it is usual in Helpmate, where one solution complements the other in a prominent way (solutions with same strategic, omostrategic solutions). In all types of problems, as key is allowed any normal move or taking of piece or promotion of pawn, but specially: (1) castling is allowed (king’s side castling 0-0 or queen’s side castling 0-0-0), except if it can be shown with Proof analysis that the king or the relevant rook has made a move, (thus castling is not allowed). (2) en passant (e.p.) pawn taking is not allowed, except if it can be shown with Proof analysis that this pawn has moved with two steps exactly in the previous move. We will see soon when a key is considered good or not, by examining some characteristics of the keys. Originality and Economy The position of a chess problem must be original. If there is a prior similar position, then the problem is considered useless and is called anticipated. There is an optimal placement of the chessmen, which presents the beauty of the idea of the composer, (who patiently might work even thirty years on it!). The position must possess beautiful aesthetics. The aesthetics is a personal matter, thus each problemist prefers certain kinds of problems. The position must be characterized by economy. Generally, the economy is an asset in a chess composition. The exact description of the element which must be economical is a matter of discussion. All aspects of economy are considered important: (1) the economy of material or the economy of forces (Only the absolutely essential pieces are used. Every piece in a position is there for a reason. If something can be accompliced with a bishop, we do not use a queen in its place), (2) the economy of space (All the chessboard is used. The pieces are not tightened in a corner), (3) the economy of motivation (The variations are limited to those related with the theme of the problem), (4) the economy of moves (The theme is developed with the minimum necessary moves. If something can be shown with a two-mover, we do not make it a more-mover). Charachteristics of good keys: Characteristic 1 : The key sacrifices a very strong piece, especially on a square where more black pieces can take it. Characteristic 2 : The key allows black to develop more power by promoting his pawn. Characteristic 3 : The key exposes the white king to check. Characteristic 4 : The key unpins black pieces, especially those that can give check or take white pieces. Characteristic 5 : The key closes lines of white pieces or opens lines of black pieces. Characteristic 6 : The key gives flights to the black king. Characteristic 7 : The key destroys a “white battery”, or activates a “black battery”. Characteristic 8 : The key brings in zugzwang the opponent, or sustains this zz situation. Characteristic 9 : The key is an underpromotion. Characteristic 10 : The key is an obscure waiting move, which forces the black to play and create some weakness in his formation, (like self-blocking of the king, self-interference of the linear pieces, opening of a white line, closing of a black line), thus giving a tactical advantage to white. Characteristic 11 : The key is give-and-take. Usually we give flights and take equal number of flights, but let us see here a replacement of the sacrificed piece. Characteristic 12 : The particularity. It is not readily seen what the key is.

While looking for some long mates in Nalimov, came across this interesting position. I couldnt believe White has only one move that wins, another that draws, everything else actually loses. Can you find the correct continuation, (without peeking)? [EDIT] The more I think about this, the more I am certain I would have lost this in a game : (

Ok, I have this mate in 4. I like the key move, and in Black's best defense there is quite a clever little maneuvre. But, Black has other defenses, and the solution becomes too easy, and in fact allow mate in shorter than the stipulation. I'll post it here, see if you can solve it, and do you have a plan to improve the secondary lines?

There are a lot of strange concepts, words, terms in composing. If you come accross any, please feel free to post them here, with examples if you can find them. First, some basics. Direct mate, help mate, self mate. Direct mate: A normal chess position, White to play and mate Black in x number of moves. Help mate: A helpmate is a kind of chess problem in which both sides cooperate in order to achieve the goal of checkmating Black. In a helpmate in n moves, Black moves first, then White, each side moving n times, to culminate in White's nth move checkmating Black. In a helpmate in two (sometimes abbreviated to h#2), for example, the solution consists of a black move, a white move, a black move, and then another white move, giving checkmate. Although the two sides are cooperating, all moves must be legal according to the rules of chess. (wiki) Example h#2 Self Mate: White moves 1st, and forces Black to mate in x number of moves. Example s#2

Found this position, White mates in 88, with a unique solution, every other move draws.... Can someone find a longer mate?

Probably easier than the 3 pawns one: Compose a direct mate (mate in #) problem where the key move is 1 Ba1-h8. I've been playing with this for a while, and have a working prototype, but it's not very elegant.

Here is the second study that I composed. This one is somewhat easier than Constrictor, in the sense that there is only one point at which computers misevaluate the position, and go for the quick draw instead of the long slow win. Enjoy!

Kind of a weird one... I don't remember how it works, I made it a while ago, but Fritz does claim mate in nine, only one solution...

OK, we have some work to do getting everything running. First is forum organization. If I'm not mistaken, you can divide forums into subforums. It seems appropriate to have Two-movers, Three-movers, Moremovers, Helpmates, Selfmates, To-play-and-wins, and To-play-and-draws. The other thing is making an advertisement in the forums. I don't think I have the time to make a rough draft right now, though. Any thoughts?

Never got around to posting this problem before. Somehow it seemed flawed to me. White to play and mate in four moves: