toughest mate in one puzzle

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Christopher Kreuzer
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Re: toughest mate in one puzzle

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Fri Jan 27, 2017 8:24 pm

Nick Grey wrote::D Joshua keep posting them - I have no idea how to, not techie enough to download - they are entertaining.

Perhaps my very old tactical training that double checks are usually very good & winning & then not looking for a better move because the clue was only one mate in one.
Um, the checkmating move is not a double-check. Maybe you have the wrong move, Nick? :?

Nick Grey
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Re: toughest mate in one puzzle

Post by Nick Grey » Fri Jan 27, 2017 9:10 pm

The first puzzle Leonid Kubbel
White to move, Mate in 1! | 1-0

Promote pawn to Queen on d8 with a rook on a7 is a double check. A queen on b6 defends d8.

I have only looked at first two puzzles so may look at the rest other than I'm watching derby v Leicester on the BBC.

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Christopher Kreuzer
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Re: toughest mate in one puzzle

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Fri Jan 27, 2017 9:25 pm

Heh. Let's give the position in a diagram:



The checks that fail to give mate in one:

1.Ng6+
2.Nc6+
3.Nf5+
4.Bf8+
5.Bg5+
6.Bd6+
7.Bh4+
8.Rxe5+
9.Qd8+
10.Qd6+
11.Qe6+
12.Qf6+
13.Qc5+
14.Qb4+
15.Qxe5+
16.Qg5+
17.dxc8=N++
18.dxc8=B/R/Q+

There is also the illegal move for White: d8=Q (not mate).

So it is the nineteenth check that delivers mate.

Nick Grey
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Re: toughest mate in one puzzle

Post by Nick Grey » Fri Jan 27, 2017 10:06 pm

That's a puzzler - I set up pieces with white king on h4. tw*t.

So it's Qa3

Joshua Gibbs

Re: toughest mate in one puzzle

Post by Joshua Gibbs » Fri Jan 27, 2017 10:41 pm


white to play

Roger Lancaster
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Re: toughest mate in one puzzle

Post by Roger Lancaster » Sat Jan 28, 2017 10:49 am

Familar theme to this last one but won't spoil it for others!

Andrew Bak
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Re: toughest mate in one puzzle

Post by Andrew Bak » Sat Jan 28, 2017 6:15 pm

Here's one that might leave you scratching your head a bit! White to play and mate in 1.



If you want to see the solution, you can find it out here

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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: toughest mate in one puzzle

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Sat Jan 28, 2017 6:21 pm

Clue - its a move which is no longer legal, but once was :)
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)

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Joey Stewart
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Re: toughest mate in one puzzle

Post by Joey Stewart » Sat Jan 28, 2017 9:11 pm

Old Adolf was a crafty one for thinking outside of the box....

P.S. This marks my 1000th post on the forum.
Lose one queen and it is a disaster, Lose 1000 queens and it is just a statistic.

Kevin Williamson
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Re: toughest mate in one puzzle

Post by Kevin Williamson » Sun Jan 29, 2017 12:05 pm

Andrew Bak wrote:Here's one that might leave you scratching your head a bit! White to play and mate in 1.



If you want to see the solution, you can find it out here
Not the official answer, but....White goes to pick up his knight on b4, but accidently knocks it to the floor. The diagram shows the board at that moment in time. White retrieves the dropped piece and places it on c6 with mate.

Barry Sandercock
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Re: toughest mate in one puzzle

Post by Barry Sandercock » Sun Jan 29, 2017 12:26 pm

The solution is an illegal move ! No wonder I couldn't get it.

Ian Thompson
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Re: toughest mate in one puzzle

Post by Ian Thompson » Sun Jan 29, 2017 12:33 pm

Kevin Williamson wrote:
Andrew Bak wrote:Here's one that might leave you scratching your head a bit! White to play and mate in 1.



If you want to see the solution, you can find it out here
Not the official answer, but....White goes to pick up his knight on b4, but accidently knocks it to the floor. The diagram shows the board at that moment in time. White retrieves the dropped piece and places it on c6 with mate.
So, in your starting position, with the knight on b4, it's White's move and Black is in check :shock:

Kevin Williamson
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Re: toughest mate in one puzzle

Post by Kevin Williamson » Sun Jan 29, 2017 12:58 pm

Ian Thompson wrote:
Kevin Williamson wrote:
Andrew Bak wrote:Here's one that might leave you scratching your head a bit! White to play and mate in 1.



If you want to see the solution, you can find it out here
Not the official answer, but....White goes to pick up his knight on b4, but accidently knocks it to the floor. The diagram shows the board at that moment in time. White retrieves the dropped piece and places it on c6 with mate.
So, in your starting position, with the knight on b4, it's White's move and Black is in check :shock:
Black isn't in check in the starting position ;-)

Nick Grey
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Re: toughest mate in one puzzle

Post by Nick Grey » Sun Jan 29, 2017 1:09 pm

I was going to make the b7-b8=black knight as a more inventive solution than white knight on b4 except it is on the floor.

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IM Jack Rudd
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Re: toughest mate in one puzzle

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Sun Jan 29, 2017 1:11 pm

Here's a fun one: it is possible to tell from the diagram that white has mate in two, but not what the mate in two is.