Puzzle of the Week

Below you will find the current puzzle of the week and submission form as well as the archive of previous puzzles which you can think about at your own leisure. Each week there will be a prize, randomly allocated to one (or more) of the correct submissions. Prizes range from access to exclusive simuls with rated players to fun chess trinkets which we’ll send to you in the post!

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Puzzle Seven – November 23rd

This position contains a mistake – can you spot what it is? Hint: why should it be impossible to reach this position if the correct rules are followed?

 

The Prize is free entry to our upcoming VIP simul! Scroll down to find the submission form.

Puzzle Six – November 16th

The challenge here is to find mate in two moves for white! White plays first, black replies and then white checkmates with their 2nd move.

 

The Prize is free entry to our upcoming VIP simul! Scroll down to find the submission form.

Puzzle Six – November 9th

The challenge here is to find mate in two moves for white!

 

The Prize is free entry to our upcoming VIP simul! Scroll down to find the submission form.

Puzzle Five – November 2nd

This puzzle is known as a Triple Loyd. ‘In a “Triple Loyd” have to place the black king in 3 different positions.

1) In checkmate

2) In stalemate

3) In a position where white can deliver checkmate in one move (and write down this move)!

 

The Prize is a a chess book called ‘Timman’s Titans’. Scroll down to find the submission form.

Puzzle Four – 26th October

This puzzle is known as a ‘helpmate’. Black has to make the worst possible move, helping white to deliver checkmate on his next move!

So where will black move, and what will be white’s reply?

 

Scroll down to find the submission form.

Puzzle Three – October 19th

This puzzle was created more than 1,000 years by Al-Adli – an Arab player and student of Shatranj, an ancient form of chess from Persia.

 

The task here is to checkmate black in three moves, white moves first, play continues as in normal chess.

 

The Prize is a large Isle of Lewis Stone Chessman, Scroll down to find the submission form.

Puzzle Two – October 12th

In retrograde puzzles we have to try and reconstruct the moves that led to the position in the diagram – they don’t have to be good moves, just legal ones!

The task here is to reach this position precisely after black’s 4th move.

 

Scroll down to find the submission form.

Puzzle One – October 5th

This puzzle is named after Sam Lloyd, an American chess player, chess composer, puzzle author, and recreational mathematician. Often cited as America’s greatest puzzle writer and populariser. In a “Triple Loyd” puzzle you will notice the black king is missing from the board. You have to place the black king in 3 different positions:
 
1) The black king is in checkmate
2) The black king is in stalemate
3) White can deliver checkmate in one move (and write down this move)!

SUBMISISON FORM (separate answers with a comma)