Helpmate Problem.....

[Matt Mackenzie]

This is a problem I saw a while back in an old issue of "CHESS" (circa 1950)

White: Kh8, Bh7, Pe2&e5;

Black: Ka2, Rh2, Bb8, Pf6&b3.

Stipulation is - White to play and force Black to mate in 5 moves, Black making the longest possible move each time.

The most obvious is something like 1e3 Rb2, 2Bc2 Bxe5 - but then..........what??

I have been trying to solve this for ages now (there was no solution I could see mentioned in subsequent issues) and it is driving me a bit nutty! Any idea, anyone?

[IM Jack Rudd]

It looks as if the final move is going to be 5...Bxe5 mate, but it's going to be interesting making that the longest move. I mean, it's trivial to make it the bishop's longest possible move, but the rook's... You're probably going to have to force the rook to block a bishop check.

[Neill Cooper]

1 e4 Rb2
2 exf6 Bh2
3 e5 Rg2
4 f7 Rg8+
5 fxg8 =B Bxe5#

[Matt Mackenzie]

Excellent Neill! Hadn't expected a solution that quickly - seen it before?

(I had vague ideas of pushing the e5 pawn forward and under-promoting, just couldn't see how )

[Neill Cooper]

Excellent Neill! Hadn't expected a solution that quickly - seen it before?

It was new to me but I like helpmates and the mathematical part (longest move) appealed.