by Jeff Coakley Back Nine This column picks up where we left off last time, with nine more puzzles involving minor pieces. 10. Triple Loyd #37 Place the black king on the board so that: A. Black is in checkmate. B. Black is in stalemate. C. White has mate in one. 11. Triple Loyd #38 Place the black king on the board so that: A. Black is in checkmate. B. Black is in stalemate. C. White has mate in one. 12. Eight Minor Defensive Loop Place four bishops and four knights on the board so that each piece is defended exactly once and each piece defends exactly one other piece. Two of the bishops must be placed on light squares, the other two on dark. The … [Read more...]
The ChessCafe Puzzlers Cup
The ChessCafe Puzzlers Cup ChessCafe.com is pleased to announce our second annual puzzle composing competition. The contest is being held as part of The Puzzling Side of Chess, the popular column by Canadian master Jeff Coakley. Make up your own puzzles, send them in, and win prizes. Sounds like fun. Eligibility The ChessCafe Puzzlers Cup is an open contest. Anyone may enter. Entries must be original puzzles composed by the person submitting them, and must not have been published previously. Winners The winning puzzles will be published at the end of November 2014 on The Puzzling Side of Chess. Prizes Each winner will receive a "shop coupon" from … [Read more...]
Minor Niner
by Jeff Coakley This column features nine puzzles of various types, all involving four minor pieces (BBNN). Whenever applicable, the two bishops must be placed on opposite-coloured squares. 1. Triple Loyd #35 Place the black king on the board so that: A. Black is in checkmate. B. Black is in stalemate. C. White has mate in one. 2. Triple Loyd #36 Place the black king on the board so that: A. Black is in checkmate. B. Black is in stalemate. C. White has mate in one. 3. BBNN Defensive Loop Place two bishops and two knights on the board so that each piece is defended exactly once and each piece defends exactly one other piece. The bishops must be on opposite … [Read more...]
Chess Mazes: Toronto Style
Chess Mazes: Toronto Style by Jeff Coakley People have been making mazes since before history began. The monumental labyrinths of ancient Egypt and Crete date back over 4,000 years. Mazes come in all shapes and sizes. Some are just lines on a sheet of paper. Others are big enough to walk through. The hedge maze shown below is located in St. Louis, the chess capital of the United States. Mazes are constructed from all sorts of material. They can even be made with chess pieces! Here are the instructions for the puzzles in this column. Chess Mazes 1. The object is to capture the black king in the stipulated number of moves (the shortest path through the maze). 2. Only one … [Read more...]