Smorgasbord VIII: Mother's Day By Jeff Coakley Welcome to the Chess Cafe. Please sit wherever you like. A waiter will be right with you. This week's menu features triple loyd 44, inverted loyd 18, proof game 45, and goof 30. Free refills on all puzzles! The types of problems presented here have appeared before on The Puzzling Side of Chess. If you are unfamiliar with them, examples with more detailed explanations are available in the archives. 1. Triple Loyd 44 [FEN "8/8/R7/4B3/8/4N3/8/K6R"] 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. In an inverted loyd, the black king is already on the board, and … [Read more...]
Rook and Knight Pairs
Rook and Knight Pairs By Jeff Coakley This column presents seven puzzles of various types, all involving rooks and knights. The grand finale is a very challenging “eight pair loop”. 1. Triple Loyd 43 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. Inverted Loyd 16 Add two white rooks and two white knights so that White has mate in one. 3. Inverted Loyd 17 Add two white rooks and two white knights so that White has mate in one. 4. Construction Task 08 Construct a position with a white king, two rooks, and two knights against a lone black king so that White has the most … [Read more...]
Smorgasbord VII: The Ides of March
Smorgasbord VII: The Ides of March By Jeff Coakley Our mid-March smorgasbord features the usual assortment of chess puzzles. The special side dish this week is a collection of quotes that begin with the word I’d. The types of problems presented here have appeared previously on The Puzzling Side of Chess. If you are unfamiliar with them, examples with more detailed explanations are available in the archives. 1. Triple Loyd 42 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. The contraction I’d is short for either ‘I would’ or ‘I had’. Its most quotable usage is the former, normally followed by the … [Read more...]
Smorgasbord VI: Winter Games
Smorgasbord VI: Winter Games Another year behind us. The future just around the bend. Like a downhill racer, time keeps speeding by. And along the way, a few idle moments at the Chess Cafe. This smorgasbord features our usual fare: a varied selection of puzzles for your amusement and solving pleasure. Plus some random facts about my favourite "winter game". 1. Triple Loyd 41 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. Bobsleds originated in Switzerland during the 1860s. They were constructed by connecting two sleds and adding a steering mechanism. 2. Proof Game 41 (4.0 moves) This … [Read more...]
Smorgasbord V: December Sweets
Smorgasbord V: December Sweets This week our dessert menu features a selection of six puzzles with a variety of flavours. Try one, or try them all. We hope you find something to your taste. The types of problems presented in this column have appeared previously on The Puzzling Side of Chess. If you are unfamiliar with any of them, examples with more detailed explanations are available in the archives. 1. Triple Loyd #40 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. The holiday season means lots of travelling from point A to point B. And sometimes a late trip home. Take care. Take a cab. 2. Passing … [Read more...]
Minor Convenience
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...]
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...]