7/3/2020 – This is the second part of Stuart Rachels' constructed puzzles which include all four solutions from the first part. Checkmate in six moves! took off with over 50 analyses, ideas, approaches and solutions in the comment section so far. Jonathan Speelman for example made a live stream with all of his constructed solutions and was even able to "cook" one of the puzzles by half a move!
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Chess puzzles by Stuart Rachels part two
Let us dive into the fun right away and set up the newest chess puzzles by Stuart Rachels. This time we start with a mate in seven moves and end the series with a mate in ten moves.
Construct a chess game that ends in...
(5) Stuart Rachels
7. … Rxc1 mate with White’s king on d2
(6) Stuart Rachels
8. … Rf2 mate with White’s king on c1
As you know you can move the pieces on each of the diagram boards and try to construct games that end in the way specified.
Grandmaster Jonathan Speelman, who is a good friend of Stuart Rachels, took a strong interest in these creative puzzles. He admitted that it took him days to solve the very first puzzle. Rachels and Speelman exchanged their studies and checked plenty of variations. By doing so, Jonathan "cooked" one of Stuart's puzzles. This means he found a combination reaching the desired result even faster than the original solution!
Jonathan Speelman's Twitch stream about the puzzles was very informative and interesting! He explains how to tackle and approach these kinds of puzzles.
All of Jon Speelman's constructed mate approaches and analysis for replaying:
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Please, wait...
1.c41.d3b62.Kd2Ba63.c33.Nc33...Bxd34.Qe1Bxb11.d4b61...d62.Kd22.c3Bf53.Kd2Bxb12...Bg43.c4Bxe24.Nc3Bxd15.Nce21...b52.c42.c3Bb73.Qa43.Kd2Be44.Qe1Bxb13...Be44.Kd2Bxb12...Bb73.Kd22.Kd2Ba63.Nc3Bxe21.Nc3d52.Nxd52.Ne4dxe43.d3exd34.Kd2dxc2+5.Kxc2Qxd1+6.Kb1Bf5+2...Bf52...Qxd53.c3Qxd2+4.Kxd2Bg45.Kc2Bxe26.Kb13.d4Bxc24.Kd21.Na3b51...d52.Nc4dxc43.c33.d3cxd34.Kd2dxc2+5.Kxc23...Qxd2+4.Kxd22.Nc4bxc43.d3cxd34.Kd2dxc25.Kxc2Bb76.Kb11.c3b61...d62.Qb32.d4Bf53.Kd2Bxb14.Qb3Bxa25.Kc22...Bf53.Kd1Bxb11...Nf62.Qb3Ne43.Qxb7Nxd24.Kd1Nxb15.Kc2Bxb76.Kxb1Be4# 0-1 Black wins by checkmate. 2.Qb3Ba63.d3Bxd34.Kd1Bxb11...b51...d52.cxd5Qxd52.d42.Nc3b42...Bb73.Qa4b44.Kd1bxc35.Kc2Na66.Kb1Qb83.Qa4bxc34.Kd1cxd25.Kc2Bb76.Kb12.d3bxc43.Kd2cxd34.Qe1dxe25.Kc2Bb72...bxc42...b43.Kd2Bb74.Nc3bxc3+5.Kc23.Kd2c3+4.Kc2Bb75.Nd2cxd26.Kb1Be4+
Construction tasks 24/06/20: Stuart Rachels 6...Be4 mate v Kb1
7...Bxg7 mate v Kb2
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2020
A00
Clutch Chess Showdown Int
2
8...Kxc8 mate v Kd1
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2020
A00
Clutch Chess Showdown Int
2
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A04
Construction tasks 24/06/20: Half a move faster than the previous
9 Ka3 mate v Kh8
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2020
A40
Clutch Chess Showdown Int
2
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A02
Construction tasks 24/06/20: Rh6 mate with wasted move
Please, wait...
We warned you how hard the puzzles are. If you were really able to find a solution, the satisfaction must have been immense. Furthermore, you will have experienced the creative beauty of the puzzles and how much work Rachels put into them.
Solution one:
c4 Nf6
Qb3 Ne4
Qxb7 Bxb7
Kd1 Nxd2
Kc2 Nxb1
Kxb1 Be4 mate
Note, White was also able to play c3 in the first move.
What stands out is that the white king wasn't even touched in the first three moves. The black bishop maneouver to b7 was necessary.
The other solution of the puzzle is in Jonathan Speelman's replayer analysis.
Solution two:
d3 e5
Kd2 e4
Kc3 exd3
b4 dxc2
Qd4 cxb1(Q)
Qxg7 Qd3+
Kb2 Bxg7 mate
Rachels points out that the solution may also begin 1. d4 e5 2. Kd2 exd4 3. b4 d3 4. Kc3
The problem is solved, thanks to Black's stunning excelsior pawn walk. All solutions without the pawn fail, because the white king simply cannot make illegal moves and walk through a check.
Solution three:
d4 d5
Bd2 Nc6
Na3 Nxd4
Bb4 Nb3
Qxd5 e6
Qxb7 Kd7
Kd1 Bxb4
Qxc8+ Kxc8 mate
Rachels and Speelman collaborated on this puzzle for a while and came to the conclusion that, if the black and white pieces are switched, the position can be reached half a move earlier.
Both chess masters are fine gentlemen and it seems nobody wanted to take credit of whom found the quicker solution.
Quicker Solution three:
Nf3 Nc6
Ne5 Nd4
Nxd7 Nxe2
Nb6 Qxd2
Kxd2 Bh3
g4 Nxc1
Bb5+ Kd8
Kxc1#
It is simply fantastic how different both solutions look in the end. Both have the same manoeuvre with the King moving in front of the queen, but the biggest difference are the knight moves. Of course the black and white pieces have been switched.
A further analysis is viewable in the replayer.
Solution four:
e3 e5
Na3 Bxa3
Qh5 Bxb2
Bxb2 Ne7
0-0-0 0-0
Qxf7+ Kh8
Ba1 e4
Kb2 g6
Ka3
Stuart Rachels:
I see only two possible final positions; Black can also play … g5 (instead of … g6). Of course, White can also play Qf3 instead of Qh5.
Unique castling on both sides led to this outcome.
We are looking forward for your analysis, ideas and approaches in the comment section.
Arne KaehlerArne Kaehler, a creative mind who is passionate about board games in general, was born in Hamburg and learned to play chess at a young age. By teaching chess to youth teams and creating chess-related videos on YouTube, Arne was able to expand this passion and has even created an online course for anyone who wants to learn how to play chess. Arne writes for the English and German news sites, but focuses mainly on content for the ChessBase media channels.
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