Do you need a challenge ? Try to solve these unusual chess compositions / puzzles !

Where do these come from? Are they your own compositions, Your Excellency @Bishop1964 ?

@stumilowylas
Your solution to puzzle 2 which you posted in # 10 is correct. (Bf8 is of course Bc8)
Maybe I shouldn't have told everybody that it can be solved in 13 half moves ?

Unfortunately I am not the composer of these compositions. I only try to present them.
I will reveal the origin of these composition after puzzle 5.

Stay tuned. The next puzzle 3 is really challenging. I will post it later today.

@Bishop1964 1.puzzle d7-d5 was played last I think.

@QEDemonstrandum
Are you guessing the move d7-d5 ? Why did you refute f7-f5 ?

If the position of puzzle 1 were a normal study in which the composer could place the pieces wherever he wants, than it would be impossible to find out what black's last move was.
The position is symmetrical. A checkmate in 2 moves can only be achieved if white could play now cxd6 e.p. or gxf6 e.p. followed by mate on the next move.
Therefore black's last move was either d7-d5 or f7-f5. Both moves would have a 50% probability to be correct.
The solution of the puzzle were ambiguous and not satisfactory.

It is indeed possible to find out the correct solution if you can prove that this position can be reached in a game which starts from the normal standard chess position.
Try to find out how white's pawns came into these positions. How many captures were necessary ?

@Bishop1964 solution to puzzle 1
Assuming f7-f5 was the last move then: g*f5 en-passant, any blacks move, f7#
It also works if d7-d5 was last move. Take d5 en-passant

@couragecowardlycat
Referring to your posting # 15
d7-d5 and f7-f5 are the only candidate moves. But only one of these moves is correct.
@QEDemonstrandum in posting #13 guessed that d7-d5 is correct. Read my answer to him in posting #14.

It is really possible to figure out by analyzing the position which move is correct.

try this also www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcD-HFJnq8o

Puzzle 3 :
You can reach the following position in a game which starts from the standard chess position.
It doesn't matter which side has the next move now.

The question is the following : What was white's first bishop move ?


When I saw this position, my first thoughts were the following.
1. Damn. How is it possible to know where the c1 bishop moved first ? Bb2 or Ba3. Both is surely possible.
2. Then I thought twice. There must be a trick. Maybe the c1 bishop never moved. All of the missing white pieces between d1 and h1 could have been captured by a black knight.

I am sure that a lot of people will have the same thoughts. Both thoughts are of course wrong and lead to nothing.

If you analyse this position carefully than you can find a clear answer.

By the way it is helpful to understand the solutions for the puzzle 1 and 2.

Ok so black must have promoted to a light squared bishop, since he still has pawns on b7 and d7. The only way to do that is to promote the e pawn on b1. The new bishop has to escape from b1 via a2, so white can only play b3 after the black bishop is safe, that's important. Now the problem is black would have to make 5 captures ed dc cb ba ab=B. White can sac two knights, a rook and a pawn, that's only 4. Therefore, I have no idea. What's the solution?

@stumilowylas
Your solution regarding the problem with the light squared bishop on g6 is correct. Black promoted indeed the e pawn on b1 to a bishop. 5 captures is also ok.
But your analysis which pieces white sacrificed is incorrect.
There is a way that allows white to bring out more pieces. If you can solve this problem then you are very close to the solution.