Unusual and Challenging Chess Problems

Problems 013 to 024

13

White to play and mate Black in 20 moves

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1. Qb7+ Rcc6
2. Qa5+ R4c5
3. Qb3+ Rdc4
4. Qd2+ Red4
5. Qf3+ Ree4
6. Qg5+ e5
7. Qf7+ Re6
8. Qd8+ Rcd6
9. Qb7+ Rcc6
10.Qa5+ R4c5
11. Qb3+ Rdc4
12. Qd2+ Red4
13. Qf3+ e4
14. Qg5+ Re5
15. Qf7+ Rde6
16. Qd8+ Rcd6
17. Qb7+ Rcc6
18. Qa5+ R4c5
19. Qb3+ Rdc4
20. Qd2#

Date added: 2/2/2021

14

It’s White to play and mate in 1.
The puzzle pre-dates the publication of FIDE’s official rules of the game.
The solution is a VERY unusual move, that is no longer strictly within the bounds of the rules of the game.

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  1. b8=N (black) and check mate!

Date added: 2/2/2021

15

White to play and mate in 11 moves

(Werner Speckmann - Die Schwalbe 1st Prize, 30 Dec 1943)

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  1. Rb1 - a4

  2. R×b2 - b4

  3. Rc2 - c4

  4. Rd2 - d4

  5. Re2 - e4

  6. Rf2 - f4

  7. Rg2 - g4

  8. Rh2 - h4

  9. R×h4 - Ka6

  10. Rh5 ~ any move

  11. Ra5#


Date added: 5/2/2021

16

Black to play and mate in 3

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1. Nxb5 - Rb1

2. Nxd6 - Rb2

3. Nxf7#


Date added: 5/2/2021

17

The ten king problem

White to play and mate all ten Kings at once, in 1 move
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  1. Ne5##########


Date added: 13/4/2021

18

(White to play and mate in 1 move)

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  1. Qd3#

(chessboard is upside-down white moves top to buttom)

Date added: 10/5/2021

19

(Capture the Black Knight in 7 moves.)

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  1. Ra3 Nc4

  2. Ra4 Ne3

  3. Rb5 Nd1

  4. Rb3 Nf2

  5. Rf3 Nd1

  6. Ra2 Nf2

  7. Rxf2


Date added: 17/5/2021

20

(Capture the Black Knight - there is no black king)

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  1. Kc6
    1... Nb6 2. Kxb6
    1... Nc7 2. Kxc7

Date added: 17/5/2021

21

(Black to play. Avoid mate in one - 1928)

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  1. ... - Rg1


Date added: 31/5/2021

22

White to play and mate in 2 moves for 4 diffent setups
a. the chessboard at left
b. Move bishop from c8 to f8
c. Move bishop from c8 to h8
d. Move bishop from c8 to f7

(Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Azhusin - «64» Special HM, 1971)

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a)
1.b8=B! ~ 2.Rh6#
b)
1.b8=N+! Kb6 2.Bc5#
c)
1.b8=R! Kd6 2.Rb6#
d)
1.b8=Q! ~
2.Bd5#
2.Be8#
1...Kd7 2.Bd5#

Date added: 14/6/2021

23

Mate in 2, white to move
rotate the board by 180° and Mate in 1, white to move

(Abraham Jacob Bogdanove - The Chess Problemist, 1920)

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a) Mate in 2

1.Ne2! ~
2.Nxc1#
2.Nf4#
1...Ra1 2.Nf4#
1...Rb1 2.Nf4#
1...Rc2 2.Nf4#
1...Rd1 2.Nf4#
1...Ng2 2.Nxc1#
1...cxd2 2.Nf4#
1...Kxd2 2.Nf4#

b) Mate in 1

1.exf8=N

Date added: 7/72021

24

(Samuel R. Barrett - The Dubuque Chess Journal, 1874)

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1.Qc3 Kb1
2.Qd3+ Ka1
3.Qd4 Kb1
4.Qe4+ Ka1
5.Qe5 Kb1
6.Qf5+ Ka1
7.Qf6 Kb1
8.Qg6+ Ka1
9.Qg7 Kb1
10.Qh7+ Ka1
11.Qh8 Kb1
12.Qh1#


Date added: 9/8/2021