Orthodox, More or Less

1.
B1n1n1KR/1r5B/6R1/2b1p1p1/2P1k1P1/1p2P2p/1P2P2P/3N1N2
http://www.ee.unb.ca/cgi-bin/tervo/fen.pl?select=B1n1n1KR%2F1r5B
%2F6R1%2F2b1p1p1%2F2P1k1P1%2F1p2P2p%2F1P2P2P%2F3N1N2
White to move and not mate

2.
8/5B2/6p1/5N1k/6p1/6R1/4K3/8
White adds a pawn, then mates in 2
(addwhitepawn movewhite moveblack movewhite-mate)

3.
1B6/2N1P3/4pQ2/R3nrp1/2Rnk3/1P3p2/2P2P2/6K1
White mates in 2
A: Diagram
B: White queen becomes Black queen

4.
4B3/2PP4/4k3/8/3K2P1/8/8/8
White mates in 3
A: Diagram
B: White king on e3 instead of d4

5.
2K5/2PP3R/5k1B/8/1N3P2/5PP1/1P2P3/1B6
White mates in 2
A: Diagram
B: Rotate the board clockwise
C: Rotate the board clockwise again
D: Rotate the board clockwise again

6.
3K2B1/5PP1/8/2PPk3/1P6/2PPN1R1/7P/8
White mates in 2
A: Diagram
B: Remove two White men
B: Remove two more White men
B: Remove two more White men

7.
8/8/8/5B2/2p5/2B2kPp/2P2P1P/5K1R
White mates in 2
A: Diagram
B: After key move of A (White plays the first move of A, then White get another
turn and mates in 2)

8.
2b5/Bk1p4/pP6/2P5/7p/6bK/8/5B2
White to play. Who is mated?
1 Bg2+ d5
2 cxd6+ e.p
Is this a valid argument: "The Black pawn never acatually reaches d5 (ep removes it
on d6), so 1...d5 does not defend against the check and 1 Bg2+ is actually mate"

Constructive Constructions
9.
8/1b6/p1N5/P1r5/p3KPr1/QBk1NRP1/P2R1P2/4B3
White to move
This position is a record construction task. You should have no trouble figuring
out what's going on.

10.
4N1r1/P2PK2P/8/1P1kBQ2/2R5/1B1N4/4P3/3R4
White mates in 1
This record position demonstrates the maximum number of possible checkmates in one
move. How many are there?

11.
KR6/R7/8/4PP2/2pP2Pp/2P2B2/3B2Q1/4N3
Another record: there are 47 squares on which the Black king would stand legally
mated. Disregarding the squares with pieces on them already, that means there are
three squares on which the king would not be legally mated. Which three?

12.
Construct a position using all eight White pieces in which the pieces have the
maximum total moves. The theoretical maximum is 105 moves, with the queen in the
center having 27 moves, the rooks 14 each, the bishops 13 each, the knights 8 each,
and the king 8. But this cannot be achieved because the pieces get in one another's
way. What's the best you can do?

13.
What is the maximum number of men that can be placed on the board in a legal
position so that no man guards or attacks any other?

14.
4R3/3B1N2/2BR1RN1/8/2B1N1Q1/3BrB2/4N3/8
Make a single move with each piece to create a position in which no piece is
guarding any other

15.
8/8/8/3k4/8/8/8/8
Place four White rooks on the board one at a time, giving check with each of them
and checkmate with the fourth. Black moves normally.

16.
6B1/8/8/8/8/8/3p3K/8
Add six Black pieces (including the king) and six Black pawns so that Black is
mated, removing any Black piece or pawn spoils the mate

17.
8/8/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR
Place the black king on the board, then White mates in 3

18.
8/8/8/8/k7/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR
Construct the shortest game to reach this position

19.
rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR
White moves first. Black mirrors White's moves exactly, and White mates on the
fourth move. What are the moves?

20.
Using only a White king, two White rooks, and a Black king, construct a position in
which White can mate Black in four different ways

21.
8/8/8/3BB3/8/8/5q2/8
Place the two kings and White mates in 1

22.
3k2N1/5K2/8/8/5Q2/8/8/8
Add one square to the board and White mates in 2

Let's Work It Out Together

23.
4k2r/8/8/8/2Q4p/8/8/4K2R
Helpmate in 2; set
(black white black white-mate)
(set play: white black white-mate)

24.
From the starting position, play a game in which the sixth and final move is both
an en passant capture and a discovered mate. White moves first and the two sides
collaborate.

25.
From the starting position, play a game ending with the move 6 gxf8=N mate.

26.
rnbq2kr/ppppppb1/8/6p1/4P3/8/PPPP1PPP/RNB1KBNR
A: Reach this position in 4 moves
B: Reach this position in 4.75 moves

27.
8/8/8/5N2/8/5Q2/3PPRrk/5K2
White to play and force Black to give mate in 29 moves

28.
8/8/8/8/8/4N3/2p1K3/Q4N1k
Series helpmate in 3; two solutions
(black black black white-mate)

29.
8/6p1/6P1/k5p1/2K1p3/1P2P3/8/8
Series helpmate in 19

30.
2k1NRBN/2P1PKpP/P1PPP1Pb/6p1/6p1/8/5p2/8
White moves; helpnotmate in 3

Take That Back!

31.
4k3/8/8/7K/8/8/8/8
White retracts a move, then Black retracts a move and plays a different move, then
White mates in 1

32.
8/4P3/4kP2/8/2K5/8/8/8
White retracts his last move and mates in 1
33.
8/8/8/1p6/1Pp5/2N5/3N4/k1K5
White retracts his last move and then mates in 2

34.
bK1BR2r/3p1p2/2N5/8/1p2Bkp1/6pn/8/8
White retracts his last move and mates in 1
A: Diagram
B: Black knight on c3 instead of h3

35.
1qR1rQ2/2R1r3/3k4/3p1K2/8/8/8/8
White retracts his last move and mates in 1

36.
k3K3/4PP2/3Pn3/2P5/b7/1P6/8/7B
The last player retracts his move: Who wins?
A: Diagram
B: White pawn on e5 instead of c5

37.
4k2r/1pp2p2/p3pP1p/8/1P6/2pR2pP/2PP1PP1/2KR4
White retracts his last move, then mates in 3

Remembrance of Things Past

Castling is always legal unless proved illegal; en passant captures are always
illegal unless proved legal.

38.
4k2r/1R5p/6P1/8/8/8/8/5RK1
White mates in 2
A: Diagram
B: Black pawn on h6 instead of h7

39.
(page 41)