Chess Magic

Chess Magic Magician
Magic Carpet Sign Knight
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NORTH BY NORTH-WEST DOUBLE SHOCK

White to play and win
The solution is at the bottom of the page
in Solution Box A.

White to play and draw
The solution is at the bottom of the page
in Solution Box B.

JACOB'S LADDER DOWN ESCALATOR

Jacobs Ladder

White (in check) to play and win
The solution is at the bottom of the page
in Solution Box C.

White to play and draw
The solution is at the bottom of the page
in Solution Box D.

Impy
Devilishly difficult!

Impy says 'You must know which square (c7 or c8) to move the Black king' - Would you play 1. ... Kc7 or ... Kc8.

One-Move
Black to play
(Solution in Box E - below) **************************
* BRILLIANCY ZONE *
**************************

White to play.

Emma Guo as White, Greece 2004

How did Emma finish the game?

the solution is at the bottom of the page in Box F

ODDITIES
Oddity 1Oddity 2

It is WHITE to play: What was WHITE's last move? On which square was the White Queen captured?

Oddity1
the solution is at the bottom of the page in Box G Oddity2
the solution is at the bottom of the page in Box H

Solutions

A

1. Kg6! Ka6 (to maintain long 2. Kg7! Ka7 distance opposition) 3. Kg8! Ka8 4. c5 1-0
B

1. e5! fxe5 2. Kg1! DRAWN

C

1. Ke5! Rg5+ 6. Kc4 Rg4+ 2. Ke4 Rg4+ 7. Kc5 Rg5+ 3. Ke3 Rg3+ 8. Kc6 Rg6+ 4. Kd2 Rg2+ 9. Kc7 1-0 5. Kc3 Rg3+
D

1. Kc8! Kc6 2. Kb8! Kb5 3. Kb7 Kxa5 4. Kc6 DRAWN

E

1. ... Kc7! In this and similar endings you must move the king onto the square of the same colour as that occupied by the White knight.
F

1. Qxe7+! Qxe7 2. Nc6+! bxc6 3. Rxb8+ Kd7 4. Rxe7+ Kxe7 5. Rxh8 and White wins easily.

G

(ODDITY 1) Black's last move must have been with the king from a7 to a8. Therefore the only move that White could have played last was ... N(from b6) to a8+.
H

(ODDITY 2) Observations ... Since the two White bishops where captured on their home squares, the White queen and one knight must have been captured on the e6 and h6 squares. For the White queen to have been liberated, the pawn must have captured at b3 first. The piece thus captured must have been the light-squared bishop. Therefore, the capture at e6 must have preceded the capture at h6 in order for Black's light-squared bishop to have been liberated. Therefore... the knight was captured on e6 and, the White queen was captured at h6.

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NORTH BY NORTH-WEST	DOUBLE SHOCK
White to play and win The solution is at the bottom of the page in Solution Box A.	White to play and draw The solution is at the bottom of the page in Solution Box B.
JACOB'S LADDER	DOWN ESCALATOR
White (in check) to play and win The solution is at the bottom of the page in Solution Box C.	White to play and draw The solution is at the bottom of the page in Solution Box D.

ODDITIES *Oddity 1Oddity 2***
It is WHITE to play: What was WHITE's last move?	On which square was the White Queen captured?
the solution is at the bottom of the page in Box G	the solution is at the bottom of the page in Box H

*Solutions*
A 1. Kg6! Ka6 (to maintain long 2. Kg7! Ka7 distance opposition) 3. Kg8! Ka8 4. c5 1-0	B 1. e5! fxe5 2. Kg1! DRAWN
C 1. Ke5! Rg5+ 6. Kc4 Rg4+ 2. Ke4 Rg4+ 7. Kc5 Rg5+ 3. Ke3 Rg3+ 8. Kc6 Rg6+ 4. Kd2 Rg2+ 9. Kc7 1-0 5. Kc3 Rg3+	D 1. Kc8! Kc6 2. Kb8! Kb5 3. Kb7 Kxa5 4. Kc6 DRAWN
E 1. ... Kc7! In this and similar endings you must move the king onto the square of the same colour as that occupied by the White knight.	F 1. Qxe7+! Qxe7 2. Nc6+! bxc6 3. Rxb8+ Kd7 4. Rxe7+ Kxe7 5. Rxh8 and White wins easily.
G (ODDITY 1) Black's last move must have been with the king from a7 to a8. Therefore the only move that White could have played last was ... N(from b6) to a8+.	H (ODDITY 2) Observations ... Since the two White bishops where captured on their home squares, the White queen and one knight must have been captured on the e6 and h6 squares. For the White queen to have been liberated, the pawn must have captured at b3 first. The piece thus captured must have been the light-squared bishop. Therefore, the capture at e6 must have preceded the capture at h6 in order for Black's light-squared bishop to have been liberated. Therefore... the knight was captured on e6 and, the White queen was captured at h6.