Chess positions wanted...

I’m a retired chess teacher, now just helping a few friends enjoy chess.
I like to use positions with literally just a few pieces on the board (as they are easier to analyse.)

Below is what I’ve already got with 4 pieces or less (all White to move.)
Have you got a minature position you could share with me? Thanks!

White: Kh5 pf7 Black: Kh7

1. f8=R

White: Kg6 ph5 Black: Kf8

drawn

White: Kb5 Ba7 pb6 Black: Kb7

drawn

White: Kd6 Bc6 pa7 Black: Kb6

1. a8=N

White: Kc5 Nb5 pa7 Black: Kb7

drawn

White: Kd6 Bc6 pa7 Black: Kb6

1. a8=N

White: Kg4 Bc4 ph4 Black: Kf8

drawn

White: Kc4 pe4 Black: Ke8 pe6

1. e5 (N.B. Without pe6 = draw)

White: Kb6 pc6 Black: Ka1 Rd5

1. c7

White: Kc3 Bh3 ph2 Black: Kf2

1. Bd7

Disclaimer: These are from the newspaper, probably the SF Chronicle, from around 1991. Author is given as Koltanowski. I had them stuffed in a chess book. I have three others as well, but with many pieces.
White: Ba4
Black: Kd1, Rb5, Bd5

The white king fell off the board. What square had it been on?
White: Ke6, BE7, Bg6
Black: Ke8

Is this mate legal? Why or why not?

No answers given for either. Still working on the first one myself. (I’m sure I solved it before, but I need to re-solve it.)

Thanks for those. :slight_smile:

The answer to the first one is:

[spoiler]K on c3 (after Black makes an en passant capture). The position was

White: Kb3, Ba4, pc2
Black: Kd1, Rb5, Bd5, pb4

White played c2-c4, then b4xc3 e.p. Kxc3 [/spoiler]

The second one baffles me (i.e. why it’s a problem. :smack:)
White’s last move could have been a capture on g6, or the Black King could have come from d8 or f8 (before that White played Be7+)

I don’t quite understand your penultimate position - is it White to play and draw, I can’t see how White wins? If 1. c7 then 1. …Rb5+ or 1. …Rc5 both seem to secure the draw by sacrificing the Rook in order to prevent the promotion.

I would like to suggest the Lucena position - beginners (or even intermediate players) are highly unlikely to be able to solve it, but as an intermediate player myself I could understand and appreciate the beauty of the solution.

The Black king is at a1, not a8. Either of your moves are met by 2. KxR and 3. c8=Q. :slight_smile:

Ah, that would explain it, yes! I was trying to do them all in my head rather than get out a board.

I have also just remembered that the Lucena postion (and its cousin the Philidor position) has 5 pieces, not 4, so I’m not doing too well today.

I’ll be moving on to 5 piece positions next, so both the Lucena and Philidor positions are worth consideration - thanks.

Black has removed his King from the board when he should not have done so. He volunteers to make his next move as White shall direct. White mates in three.

(empty board)

[spoiler]White was castling Queenside when Black picked up his King from b3, hence all three pieces were off the board simultaneously leaving it empty. White accepts Black’s offer and Black replaces his King on b3. Mate in 3:

  1. 0-0-0, Ka2 (as instructed); 2. Rd3, Ka1; 3. Ra3#[/spoiler]

Perhaps not germane to the thread, but interesting, I think:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSKtG-8TwI0

Try to solve these before watching.

It’s hard to beat that starting position - thanks. :slight_smile:

That’s an eclectic selection all right - much appreciated. :cool: