Mate in one December 25, 2002
Click "Stop" on your browser to stop the music and "Refresh" to start it.

Since the match Kramnik vs Deep Fritz in Bahrain, which got unprecedented press coverage, the number of people who regularly visit our web site has doubled (now over 20,000 unique visitors per day). We must assume that many of these are not part of the hard-core chess community. There will be quite a few who are not chess aficionados with respectable Elo ratings with experience in many areas of chess.

For this reason we will start our traditional Christmas puzzle week with some very simple tasks. As a warm-up we present a one-move chess problem. Could anything be possibly easier?

T. P. Madeley, Chess, December 1950

Mate in one move

There is only one move that leads to mate in the above position. Please tell us you solved this problem before the music stopped playing.

Pollmächer et.al. Illustrierte Zeitung, 1859

Mate in one move – how many solutions?

Normally chess problems should not have more than one solution. The above position makes a point of creating as many alternative solutions as possible. Try and count the exact number of mating moves that White can make.

Well, if you found these problems too easy, here's one with a slightly different point.

Dr. Karl Fabel, Rätselstunde, June 1952

White to play and not deliver mate.

To solve the above problem you need to be full of the Yuletide spirit and really, really want to help your fellow human beings. There is only one move that does not mate the black king.

Author unknown

White to play and win

We would offer that this is the easiest chess study ever composed. If you cannot solve it, then maybe chess is not your game. If you can try the following, once again with a new twist.

T. R. Dawson

White to play

In this position Black decided to resign. White, who was in check, said that his opponent should not give up so quickly. "But I am bound to lose, there is nothing I can do – or for that matter you," said Black. But White insisted: "I'll bet you $100 that I can lose this game!" So the two made the bet and White actually lost. How did he do that?

[No, it's nothing like resigning, losing on time, being disqualified, etc. White wagered he would lose, and he lost fair and square. The solution must cause you to smile, otherwise you haven't got it.]

The solutions to all the above problems, except for the last one, will be given tomorrow. The Dawson problem will become part of the special problem solving contest which we will stage at the end of the puzzle week. The prize will be a copy of Fritz, signed by one of the world's top players. Do not submit any solutions yet. You will have an opportunity to do so after January 1st 2003.

Frederic Friedel

Solutions