toughest mate in one puzzle

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Joshua Gibbs

toughest mate in one puzzle

Post by Joshua Gibbs » Wed Jan 25, 2017 11:38 pm

Does anyone know a trickier mate in one than this?

https://www.chess.com/blog/Giorno/crazy ... -in-1-nr17

NickFaulks
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Re: toughest mate in one puzzle

Post by NickFaulks » Wed Jan 25, 2017 11:59 pm

Nice, it was the last move I considered.
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Joshua Gibbs

Re: toughest mate in one puzzle

Post by Joshua Gibbs » Thu Jan 26, 2017 12:05 am



is another favourite, white to play

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Christopher Kreuzer
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Re: toughest mate in one puzzle

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Thu Jan 26, 2017 12:05 am

(Referring to the first puzzle in this thread.)

There are quite a few red herrings! The total number of checks that seem possible (i.e. including the ones by pieces that you only realise later are pinned) is 19 if I am counting right. Strangely, none of them seem to be checkmate... :?

Oh, I see it now. Managed to see all the checks except the one that delivers mate. :oops:

Re: the second puzzle (above), is that not just mate in two? (Admittedly I have now found three different ways to mate in two.)

Joshua Gibbs

Re: toughest mate in one puzzle

Post by Joshua Gibbs » Thu Jan 26, 2017 12:15 am

Christopher Kreuzer wrote:(Referring to the first puzzle in this thread.)

There are quite a few red herrings! The total number of checks that seem possible (i.e. including the ones by pieces that you only realise later are pinned) is 19 if I am counting right. Strangely, none of them seem to be checkmate... :?

Oh, I see it now. Managed to see all the checks except the one that delivers mate. :oops:

Re: the second puzzle (above), is that not just mate in two? (Admittedly I have now found three different ways to mate in two.)
no its mate in one :P

If you PM me ill tell you the answer

NickFaulks
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Re: toughest mate in one puzzle

Post by NickFaulks » Thu Jan 26, 2017 12:19 am

Joshua Gibbs wrote: is another favourite, white to play
Don't get it.
If you want a picture of the future, imagine a QR code stamped on a human face — forever.

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Christopher Kreuzer
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Re: toughest mate in one puzzle

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Thu Jan 26, 2017 12:26 am

Oh, doh! Yeah, it could be mate in one, but it depends what Black's last move was. (Sorry, that probably gives it away! The puzzle is presumably presented as "mate in one - say what Black's last move was".)

Ian Thompson
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Re: toughest mate in one puzzle

Post by Ian Thompson » Thu Jan 26, 2017 12:39 am

Christopher Kreuzer wrote:Oh, doh! Yeah, it could be mate in one, but it depends what Black's last move was.
Problems of this type (White has mate in 1 if Black's move was "something") have a requirement that Black's last move could only have been "something", so the solver's task is to prove that Black's last move was "something". For this problem, there is an obvious last Black move that would give White mate in 1, but it doesn't appear to be the only possible move Black could have just made.

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Christopher Kreuzer
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Re: toughest mate in one puzzle

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Thu Jan 26, 2017 1:13 am

Ian Thompson wrote:
Christopher Kreuzer wrote:Oh, doh! Yeah, it could be mate in one, but it depends what Black's last move was.
Problems of this type (White has mate in 1 if Black's move was "something") have a requirement that Black's last move could only have been "something", so the solver's task is to prove that Black's last move was "something". For this problem, there is an obvious last Black move that would give White mate in 1, but it doesn't appear to be the only possible move Black could have just made.
Yeah, retrograde chess problems. I have read a few books of those. :D

That was kind of my point, that the problem can't be presented as "prove what Black's last move was", so it has to be presented another way.

Joshua Gibbs

Re: toughest mate in one puzzle

Post by Joshua Gibbs » Thu Jan 26, 2017 2:30 am

NickFaulks wrote:
Joshua Gibbs wrote: is another favourite, white to play
Don't get it.

PM me if you like

Stewart Reuben
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Re: toughest mate in one puzzle

Post by Stewart Reuben » Thu Jan 26, 2017 11:31 am

I think the second problem would have had to be worded: What was Black's last move for White to have mate in 1?

I devised a problem for the ECF Cerificate of Merit. 'What is White's WORST move. All but one option was chackmate and the solution was stalemate.

Nick Grey
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Re: toughest mate in one puzzle

Post by Nick Grey » Thu Jan 26, 2017 9:55 pm

I think the first puzzle was the easiest mate in one in the world - half a second. 1st move I considered.

Nick Grey
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Re: toughest mate in one puzzle

Post by Nick Grey » Thu Jan 26, 2017 10:08 pm

I agree with Stewart & Ian & Chris on second puzzle as very inaccurately worded. If last move was e6-e5 there is no mate in one.

Joshua Gibbs

Re: toughest mate in one puzzle

Post by Joshua Gibbs » Fri Jan 27, 2017 4:01 am

Nick Grey wrote:I think the first puzzle was the easiest mate in one in the world - half a second. 1st move I considered.
post a harder one then ;)

Roger Lancaster
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Re: toughest mate in one puzzle

Post by Roger Lancaster » Fri Jan 27, 2017 5:51 am

First problem, admittedly tricky in improbable position, 30-40 seconds to solve. Second, 5-10 seconds.