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!
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.)
[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.
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: