Unusual and Challenging Chess Problems

Problems 025 to 036

25

What was the last move?

(Éric Angelini - Europe Echecs 433, Apr. 1995)

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It is not immediately apparent how the white king could have moved, since every adjacent square puts White in a seemingly impossible double check; on further examination it becomes apparent that if the white king moved from f5, then Black could have delivered the double check by playing f4xg3, capturing a white pawn on g4 en passant. Therefore, on the previous move, white must have played pawn g2-g4. But what did Black move before that? The white king on f5 was under check by the bishop on h3 and there was a white pawn on g2. The only possibility is that Black moved a knight from g4 to e5 with discovered check. Therefore, White's last move was king on f5 takes knight on e5. (The entire sequence of moves is 1...Ng4-e5+ (possibly capturing something on e5) 2.g2-g4 f4xg3+ e.p. 3.Kf5xe5.)

Date added: 16/11/2021

26

(White takes back his last move and mates immediately instead)

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The white pawn at g6, instead of capturing the the black bishop on h7 (no other piece could be at h7) must play g7 and mate

Date added: 13/12/2021

27

(Hieronymus Fischer - Deutsche Schachzeitung, Oct 1879 )

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Illegal position with 9 black pawns. Removing one pawn allows mate in 1

1.Qb6 [-a7]#

1.Nc6 [-b7]#

1.Qb4 [-c4]#

1.Qe4 [-d3]#

1.B×f2 [-e3]#

1.B×e3 [-f2]#

1.Ne6 [-f7]#

1.Rg4 [-g6]#

Date added: 2/6/2021

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