Werner Keym: Problem Chess Art

by Frederic Friedel
10/8/2025 – You may have seen it before. In this very famous position, composed almost exactly a century ago, it is White to play and draw. Which do you think is the stupidest move White could make. Right, that is the solution – it is the only move that saves the game. Problem expert Werner Keym illustrates this in a book which he has made available, as an eBook, to everyone, free of charge. Here are some excerpts to give you a taste. You can play them out on the diagrams we provide.
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Werner Keym loves classical three-movers, moremovers and studies, especially with asymmetry, castling, pawn promotion. Another focus is off-beat problems: en-passant capture, rotation, adding pieces, retro puzzles, text problems, proof games, special stipulations, jokes, etc. "Such curiosities are entertaining, exciting, funny – and often even computer-defying," he says. His preferences are reflected in the 250 examples in his book Problem Chess Art, which is meant to entertain, rather than teach. 

Here are some examples of the problems you will find in his book.

From Problem Chess Art

You have a good chance of winning a bet, if you show the study of the Sarychev brothers to your chess friends and ask the question: Which is the stupidest white move? 

In Halberstadt’s pawnless study after 1.Be1! Black will not play 1…Qxc5? due to 2.Bf2 Qxf2 stalemate, but 1…Qe3! Will White now continue with 2.Bf2 or 2.Bg3?

You can enter moves on the diagrams above and try to hold the draws. The diagram will attack for Black. Click on the Notation button below the board to see your progress.

Favourite studies

Here are some studies selected for you to solve. They are our favourites. This time you must try to win against the diagram, which will defend tenaciously.

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The solutions to all the above problems will be posted in a week.

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Editor-in-Chief emeritus of the ChessBase News page. Studied Philosophy and Linguistics at the University of Hamburg and Oxford, graduating with a thesis on speech act theory and moral language. He started a university career but switched to science journalism, producing documentaries for German TV. In 1986 he co-founded ChessBase.
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