Whites to mate in four moves.
Sort:
Haven't really looked at the puzzle yet but Ke1 is not legal even if the knight is pinned.
Can you show the coordinates? Which way are the pawns going?
There is no four-move win for white here. The computer proposes several mating paths, but none shorter than six moves, such as:
oinquarki wrote:
Can you show the coordinates? Which way are the pawns going?
To make it simple looking at the board whites move upwards.
This is a very nice puzzle based on zugzwang. I spent a almost half an hour looking for the solution, and I found it 
Computer analyses are especially weak when it comes to solving chess puzzles, particularly those which take advantage of zugzwang.
Nice analysis lcy...clearly I didn't spend as much time with the problem as I should have. Though it should be pointed out that 2...Ne3 delays the mate until move five: 3 Bd7+ Ng4 4 Bxg4+ Kxg4 5 Qf5#
Yeah, I did see that. I didn't have a better solution though. Still looking!
Apr 17, 2009
0
#9
iccy, looks good, but that's not right...
after g3, you go Bb5. The pawn can simply take the queen at f2.
I agree with urgettingsleepee the pawn can take the qween after Bb5. So icy you haven't got the solution.
Both urgettingsleepee and chesschomp must be suffering from severe Chess Block, as after the pawn takes the queen (gxf2??) Bd7#.
Don't worry guys, you'll see mate-in-1s some day!
actj22 wrote:
Haven't really looked at the puzzle yet but Ke1 is not legal even if the knight is pinned.
The way I approach questions like that is "What would happen if that were played in bughouse?". If it loses, then it's not legal.
dmeng wrote:
actj22 wrote:
Haven't really looked at the puzzle yet but Ke1 is not legal even if the knight is pinned.
The way I approach questions like that is "What would happen if that were played in bughouse?". If it loses, then it's not legal.
Alternatively, just adhere to the rule that your king can't move into check no matter what the circumstance...
I have confirmed that no mate in 4 exists. All possible combinations lead to a mate in 5 or more, which probably means that the diagram was copied incorrectly.
Apr 19, 2009
0
#15
Nytik wrote:
Both urgettingsleepee and chesschomp must be suffering from severe Chess Block, as after the pawn takes the queen (gxf2??) Bd7#.
Don't worry guys, you'll see mate-in-1s some day!
Ah yes, very true... This one was definitely a stumper though!
very nice!
Very nice puzzle. Good example of Zugzwang.
In the diagram given here, Black misses a pawn on h6, and that is why no mate in four is possible - this pawn will block a possible escaping square for the Black King. Composed by Charles Planck, British Chess Magazine 1885.
Ah. In this case, I believe the mate begins with 1. Qa7.
