Chess puzzle

[Quickenthetempo]

But Croydon's post above yours shows a black solution.

The more you look at this bloody thing the more impossible it seems. My thinking is you have to try to keep black in check so it cannot do any other moves.

You're right with your first move has to put black king in check, otherwise the black pawn at E5 can take white pawn at D6 to put you in check.

Ending any hope of the 2 moves.

[Firthy]

You're right with your first move has to put black king in check, otherwise the black pawn at E5 can take white pawn at D6 to put you in check.

Ending any hope of the 2 moves.

No it can't. White is playing up.

[Quickenthetempo]

No it can't. White is playing up.

Ha, I did say that board was making me dizzy.

[roperclaret]

R e5
B g3

[Hipper]

But Croydon's post above yours shows a black solution.

The more you look at this bloody thing the more impossible it seems. My thinking is you have to try to keep black in check so it cannot do any other moves.

Let's then try:

White Rg5 to g4 taking pawn Check.

Black must take Rook with his Rook - Rh4 to g4.

White now brings up pawn f2 to f3 Checkmate!

Is that it? No. It leaves pawn on e3 unprotected! F.. it!!!!

[houseboy]

But Croydon's post above yours shows a black solution.

The more you look at this bloody thing the more impossible it seems. My thinking is you have to try to keep black in check so it cannot do any other moves.

That’s the problem with chess puzzles. The more you look at them the harder they get.

[houseboy]

QxR. White threatens Qxp mate. If black plays pxp then Rxp mate. PxB and Qxp mate. Knd7 then Qxp mate. Kne6 then Rxp mate. Again I’m flitting back and forth but I think that’s it.

[boatshed bill]

I'm not very good at how to write it, but white bishop takes pawn, king has one square, then rook takes pawn= check mate...
I think

[houseboy]

The QxR move is I’m sure the one. Silly thing about this puzzle is there is a mate in one.

[houseboy]

I'm not very good at how to write it, but white bishop takes pawn, king has one square, then rook takes pawn= check mate...
I think

Sorry. Nd7 stops Rxp mate. It’s QxR.

[Croydon Claret]

QxR. White threatens Qxp mate. If black plays pxp then Rxp mate. PxB and Qxp mate. Knd7 then Qxp mate. Kne6 then Rxp mate. Again I’m flitting back and forth but I think that’s it.

I think this falls down as if Knight goes to E6 in response to QxR, then Knight can again move to F4 and block anything that the Rook and Queen are doing?

[Firthy]

The QxR move is I’m sure the one. Silly thing about this puzzle is there is a mate in one.

In one. Please explain

[houseboy]

Sorry. Looked at it wrong. No mate in one.

[houseboy]

I think this falls down as if Knight goes to E6 in response to QxR, then Knight can again move to F4 and block anything that the Rook and Queen are doing?

Kn only gets one move bud. White gets mate before black gets a second move.

[houseboy]

Actually my response to kne6 was Rxp mate. But that doesn’t work because yet again I was thinking the Rook was protected by the pawn but it isn’t. I’m gonna have to set this up cos jumping back and forth isn’t working for me.

[houseboy]

Black could move pawn to F2, meaning that King can escape the attack by then moving to E3

Just realised pxf2 doesnt save black cos now Rxp mate is okay. K can’t take e3 cos he’s in check on that file. And Rook is now protected by the bishop. Qg8 is the move.

Yeah!!! I think.

[Zooniverser]

QxR fails because Knxg6+. This forces white to make a move which doesn't end in mate, such as Bxg6+, Kd5

I think Bxg3 fails as follows

Bxg3, Kn d4,
what is mate then?

Qg8 is the answer from Cayman.
Knight either blocks on e6 leaving Qa8! or knight takes g6+ leaving Bxg6!
Anything else from black leaves Bd5!

[houseboy]

Love chess. Hate puzzles. There are people who are great at solving chess puzzles but not very good at chess itself. I consider myself to be a better than average player but I’m rubbish at puzzles. I’m also crap at speed chess.

[houseboy]

QxR fails because Knxg6+. This forces white to make a move which doesn't end in mate, such as Bxg6+, Kd5

I think Bxg3 fails as follows

Bxg3, Kn d4,
what is mate then?

Qg8 is the answer from Cayman.
Knight either blocks on e6 leaving Qa8! or knight takes g6+ leaving Bxg6!
Anything else from black leaves Bd5!

Pxf2 stops the Bishop mate but can’t stop Rxp mate.

[HunterST_BFC]

Loads of ways to do it in 3.

This is doing my head in.

King taking knight opens it up - (so loose queen?)

[Zooniverser]

Pxf2 stops the Bishop mate but can’t stop Rxp mate.

Aaaarggghh! Pxf2

King just takes rook from rxp

[Croydon Claret]

Kn only gets one move bud. White gets mate before black gets a second move.

That would just be check though, rather than mate.

Depends what the objective of the puzzle is. Are we just supposed to find the various ways to get check mate within 2 moves? There are multiple ways to do that if black is not smart enough.

So far there are looooads of ways to get mate but nothing that black couldn't play its way out of if it's first move is correct. Yet!

[CaymanClaret]

Been staring at this for a while. Still can't see any way my prior answer of Qg8 isn't mate in 2. No matter what black plays.

[Firthy]

Been staring at this for a while. Still can't see any way my prior answer of Qg8 isn't mate in 2. No matter what black plays.

Because it's dependant on the BKn at f8 moving.

If BPn on g3 takes Wpn on f2 then WB moves to d5 to put BK in check BK takes WPn on e3 because it's no longer protected.

[houseboy]

Aaaarggghh! Pxf2

King just takes rook from rxp

I. R is protected by B on h2. Pxh2 opens the line for that B.

[houseboy]

That would just be check though, rather than mate.

Depends what the objective of the puzzle is. Are we just supposed to find the various ways to get check mate within 2 moves? There are multiple ways to do that if black is not smart enough.

So far there are looooads of ways to get mate but nothing that black couldn't play its way out of if it's first move is correct. Yet!

The Qg8 move stated works. As stated by someone else. It threatens a mate with the B. Only the Kn can stop that but then Qa8 is mate. If black plays pxp on f2 removing the p on the e files cover then Rxp is mate because the K is unable to take that p and the R is protected by the B on h2 because pxp has opened its line.

[houseboy]

I. R is protected by B on h2. Pxh2 opens the line for that B.

Sorry meant p on f2. Typo.

[Elbarad]

Been staring at this for a while. Still can't see any way my prior answer of Qg8 isn't mate in 2. No matter what black plays.

OK, if you move Q to g8 there are only 3 black pieces that can move. Kn to E6, G6, D7 or H7, P to E6 and Rook can go 4 places up H. None of those stop mate if Q then goes to A8 and if The Knight doesn't move to allow that you can go B to D5.

What am I missing?

[CaymanClaret]

Because it's dependant on the BKn at f8 moving.

If BPn on g3 takes Wpn on f2 then WB moves to d5 to put BK in check BK takes WPn on e3 because it's no longer protected.

Rxe5 is mate if Bpn on g3 takes wpn on f2.

[CaymanClaret]

OK, if you move Q to g8 there are only 3 black pieces that can move. Kn to E6, G6, D7 or H7, P to E6 and Rook can go 4 places up H. None of those stop mate if Q then goes to A8 and if The Knight doesn't move to allow that you can go B to D5.

What am I missing?

Nothing. I still can't see how that's not the only answer.

Qg8 is unstoppable.

[Firthy]

Rxe5 is mate if Bpn on g3 takes wpn on f2.

No it's not because BK can take WR on E5 because it's not protected.

[Elbarad]

Nothing. I still can't see how that's not the only answer.

Qg8 is unstoppable.

Yeah, I was agreeing with you, I think you've got it. But I was asking what I was missing since I've missed things a couple of times already and now doubt myself.

[Firthy]

OK, if you move Q to g8 there are only 3 black pieces that can move. Kn to E6, G6, D7 or H7, P to E6 and Rook can go 4 places up H. None of those stop mate if Q then goes to A8 and if The Knight doesn't move to allow that you can go B to D5.

What am I missing?

They aren't the only moves if Q to g8. BP on g3 takes WP on f2 leaving WP on e4 unprotected. So if WB moves from f7 to d5 it only puts the BK in check because BK gets out of check by taking unprotected WP on e4.

[Firthy]

Yeah, I was agreeing with you, I think you've got it. But I was asking what I was missing since I've missed things a couple of times already and now doubt myself.

Read my reply to your previous post.

[Croydon Claret]

OK, if you move Q to g8 there are only 3 black pieces that can move. Kn to E6, G6, D7 or H7, P to E6 and Rook can go 4 places up H. None of those stop mate if Q then goes to A8 and if The Knight doesn't move to allow that you can go B to D5.

What am I missing?

I think you might be reading the board upside down? Black pawn to E6 would be moving it backwards. Also black pawn at G3 has a choice of f2, g2 and h2

If Q goes to G8 then black pawn can go from g3 to f2. I don't see anything that white can then do in one move to prevent the king from escaping to now unguarded e3. For example, moving the white rook to G4 forces check but king can go to e3

[CaymanClaret]

Rxe5 is mate if black takes the pawn.

[CaymanClaret]

No it's not because BK can take WR on E5 because it's not protected.

It's protected by the bishop you just opened up when g3 takes f2.

[CaymanClaret]

Yeah, I was agreeing with you, I think you've got it. But I was asking what I was missing since I've missed things a couple of times already and now doubt myself.

Same here. I do keep checking this thread to see if I've missed anything. I've already given 2 wrong answers on here before I cracked it!

[Firthy]

It's protected by the bishop you just opened up when g3 takes f2.

Damn I missed that. Looks like you're correct.

[Croydon Claret]

Rxe5 is mate if black takes the pawn.

There's been so many posts on here that I've lost track

What was your suggested white move prior to Rxe5?

[CaymanClaret]

So, It's

Qg8

Black:

If g3 x f2, then the rook g5 x e5 is mate
If f8 to e8 then Qa8 is mate
If e5 x d4 then f7 to d5 is mate

[Croydon Claret]

So, It's

Qg8

Black:

If g3 x f2, then the rook g5 x e5 is mate
If f8 to e8 then Qa8 is mate
If e5 x d4 then f7 to d5 is mate

Can't quite figure out what f8 to e8 relates to. Did you mean e6?

If so then the above three do force mate

However, what happens if black moves Rook from H4 to H5? That scuppers whites plan to force mate by moving Rook to E5

[CaymanClaret]

Sorry typo. Yep f8 to e6


If the rook moves then
F7 to d5 for mate.

[CaymanClaret]

Rook to e5 is only the answer if g3 x f2.

For most scenarios f7 to d5 works and have yet to fond something contrary.

[Croydon Claret]

Rook to e5 is only the answer if g3 x f2.

For most scenarios f7 to d5 works and have yet to fond something contrary.

I think you've sewn up every option

Thank Christ for that

[CaymanClaret]

If another thread starts with the title Chess Puzzle, I'm going to try pretty hard no to open it!

That was pretty frustrating!

[Nonayforever]

So what's the answer ?

If white queen moves to g8 then black Knight puts white in check, so more than two moves.

[Quickenthetempo]

Love chess. Hate puzzles. There are people who are great at solving chess puzzles but not very good at chess itself. I consider myself to be a better than average player but I’m rubbish at puzzles. I’m also crap at speed chess.

Do you have a rating for your online Chess?

I've recently started playing on Chess.com and they have given me a rating of 1400. Not sure how good that is?
I have beaten computer players with 2000 rating but have struggled to get anywhere against 2200 rated player.

[Claret Toni]

So what's the answer ?

If white queen moves to g8 then black Knight puts white in check, so more than two moves.

Bishop takes knight mate.

[Quickenthetempo]

So what's the answer ?

If white queen moves to g8 then black Knight puts white in check, so more than two moves.

There is no answer. All them pieces have been put in strange places to makesure it can't be done.