The Chess Problems Thread

[Kyng]

Just had this position in one of my training games.

White to play... what is the best move here?

Solution

I played 1. Qxd6+!

Yes, I know I just gave up my queen for a bishop . But, 1...Kxd6, I had 2. Bb4+, skewering Black's queen!

[Kyng]

And another one from one of my training games.

White to move, mate in 2:



I found the solution in the game... can you?

Solution

Sacrifice your rook with 1. Re8!!

Here, you're threatening to take Black's rook with checkmate. And if they take your rook, then 2. Bf6# is checkmate. Nasty!

[Kyng]

Here's a sticky situation I found myself in in one of my training games:



My queen and rook got skewered ! But fortunately, I found a way to save both pieces... can you find it?

Solution

I played 1. Qf2!.

Now, 1...Bxd1?? doesn't work, because then 2. Ne6+ is a pork, which wins Black's queen.

Fortunately for me, the bot fell for this, and I won .

[Kyng]

Another one from one of my training games against a bot:



I'm a pawn down, and my pawn structure is a mess. Fortunately, my pieces are much more active than Black's - and I found a way to seize the advantage. What was it?

Solution

I sacrificed my rook: 1. Rxe6!!.

Now, after 1...bxc6, I have 2. Nxc6, forking the queen and the rook on b8. But the queen can't really move to protect that rook with 2...Qc7 or 2...Qd6, because then 3. Rxe8# would be checkmate! And if the queen simply slides out of danger with 2...Qd7, then I get the rook on b8 for free .

In the actual game, the bot played 2...Rxe1, allowing me to take the queen with 3. Nxd8 (because giving up a queen for a rook isn't as bad as giving up a rook for free: losing 9 points for 5 is better than losing 5 points for 0 ). It still wasn't a good trade, though - and I won the game a few moves later.

[Kyng]

Now, a tricky mate-in-2 problem:



I managed to solve it in the end, but it took me a while.

Spoiler

Most of my attempts failed because of Ra1... the main issue was figuring out how to stop that, or render it non-threatening !

[Kyng]

Here's one that I just solved:



White has just taken our knight with 1. Rxd5. So, we're down a knight for a pawn. How do we proceed?

Solution

Well, we have four different ways of capturing the rook: 1...exd5, 1...Nxd5, 1...Bxd5, and 1...Rxd5.

Out of those. 1...Nxd5?? can be dismissed immediately, because that allows 2. Qxf7#. But, which of the other three is correct?

Well, after we take the rook, White's next move will likely be 2. Bxf6 (and then after 2...Bxf6 3. Qxf6, material will be equal: White will have a knight and a bishop for a rook and a pawn). So, do any of those three rook captures give us an alternative second move, that gives us an advantage?

Well, 1...exd5 and 1...Bxd5 don't really give us anything. But 1...Rxd5! does! The point is that, after 2. Bxf6, we now have 2...Rd4!, threatening the queen. The only way for the queen to maintain the defence of the bishop is 3. Qg5 - but then, after 3...h6, the queen is forced to move away, allowing 4...Bxf6.

So, did you see the correct move - and why it was the correct move?

[Kyng]

Here's one, adapted from a game I just played:



You're playing as Black - and, oh no, your knight and bishop just got skewered! Can you save both pieces - and, if so, how?

I'll give you guys a few days to solve it, before I post the solution .

[JHG]

…g5+

[Kyng]

…g5+

That is possible - but, White can take en passant, and then the passed pawn on g6 is so strong that White has the advantage, even if Black finds a way to save both pieces!

So, good guess, but try again .

[JHG]

…g5+

That is possible - but, White can take en passant, and then the passed pawn on g6 is so strong that White has the advantage, even if Black finds a way to save both pieces!

So, good guess, but try again .

My alternate was b5.