CHESS SOLVING CHALLENGES

Note: In these solutions, those moves that were required are given in bold type. All else is given for the sake of completeness and for the interest of solvers. The symbol 'S' is used for knight and threats are given in parentheses.

1) Alexei Studenetsky

Shakhmaty v SSSR, 1958

Mate in 2

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1.Qh6! ()

1..Ke1  2.Qc1#
1..Kxg2 2.Qh3#
1..Rxg2 2.Qc1#
1..Rh1  2.Qxh1#

2) Ervin Goldschmidt

1/2 Prize, The Australasian, 1928

Mate in 2

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1.Bxf6!  ()

1...Rxh5+ 2.Bh4#
1...Rxf6  2.Rxf6#
1...Rg6   2.Bd7#
1...Rh7   2.Bg7#
1...Rh8   2.Bxh8#

3) Johan Seilberger

2nd HM., Good Companions (February), 1920

Mate in 2

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1.Qh3! ()

1...c3  2.Qd3#
1...S~  2.c3#
1...Sc3 2.e3#
1...Se3 2.Qh8#

4) Cor Goldschmeding

Problemist Dalnego Vostoka, 1966

Mate in 2

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1.Bxe6! (2.Qc4#)

1...Kb5  2.Qc4#
1...Bb6  2.Qa4#
1...d5   2.Bd7#
1...b5   2.Qc1#

5) George Walcott

1st Prize, Manchester Weekly Times, 1892

Mate in 2

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1.Qb2!  (2.Rf3#)

1...Kd4+ 2.Rg3#
1...Kf6+ 2.Rc7#
1...Kf4  2.Sg6#
1...e3   2.Rc4#

6) Erich Brunner

Geneva Solving Ty., 1926

Mate in 2

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1.Re1!                 ()

1...Kxa4                2.Qa6#
1...B~                  2.Qd7#
1...Bc6                 2.Qa6#
1...Qh5,Qh1,Qf8,Qg8     2.Sxc3#
1...Qd4,Qe5,Qf6,Qg7,Qh3 2.Qxe8#
1...Qh2,Qh4,Qh6,Qh7     2.Sxc3,Qxe8#
1...c4                  2.Qxc4#

7) Touw Hian Bwee

2nd HM., The Problemist, 1969

Mate in 2

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1.Sf6!         (2.Qe4#)

1...Ke3         2.Qxc5#
1...Kc4         2.Qa4#
1...Ke5         2.Qd6#
1...Re2,Re3,Sf2 2.Qd5#

8) Thomas and Joseph Warton

Source?

Mate in 3

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1.Ba7!

1...Kxb2 2.Bd3 Kxa1 3.Bd4#
1...Kxd2 2.Rf8 Kc2  3.Rf2#

9) William Shinkman

Caissa’s Ghost, 1890

Mate in 3

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1.Ra6!

1...bxa6 2.Rb4 Kd2     3.Rb1#
1...b6   2.Bb4 Kb1,Kb2 3.Bd2#

10) Aleksandr Manvelyan

Source?, 1980

Mate in 4

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1.Rc1!

1...axb3 2.a3+ Ka4  3.Rc3  b2  4.Sxb2#
1...a3   2.Sb2 axb2 3.Rc4+ Ka3 4.Ra4#

11) Zdravko Maslar

4th HM., feenschach, 1987

Helpmate in 2; 2 solutions

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1.Bg2 Be6 2.Rd6 Rb8#
1.Bd6 Re2 2.Rg2 Bf5#

12) Zdravko Maslar

3rd Comm., diagrammes, 1990

Helpmate in 3; 2 solutions

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1.Be4 Rh8 2.Bh7 Bf3+ 3.Kh3 Rxh7#
1.Bc8 Ba8 2.Bb7 Rh4+ 3.Kf3 Bxb7#