MOST STUPID CHESS PUZZLE EVER

How can you define a ‘stupid’ chess puzzle?

How about those easy ‘mate in one’ chess puzzles that we solved when we first started chess. But that is basically ‘easy’, not necessarily ‘stupid’. In my quest to find the most stupid puzzle in the history of chess, I came across many entertaining puzzles but none of them were as stupid as this one.

Why do I call this puzzle stupid? Because this puzzle does not give you a remotest chance of finding anything other than the correct solution. You cannot find an incorrect solution even if you try.

Now that’s got to be stupid. Let’s have a look at the puzzle.

WHITE TO PLAY & MATE BLACK IN 06 MOVES

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POSITION SET UP FUN – 1

Setting up positions (more commonly known in chess circles as "Retrograde Analysis")  is one of the favourite & most addictive chess pastimes. All you have to do is set up a given position by moving pieces legally. In most instances exact number of moves is given. But as opposed to making it easier, this usually makes it even harder.

Let’s have a look at a basic position set up problem to understand the concept of retrograde analysis.

REACH THIS POSITION AFTER FOUR MOVES

Your task is to reach the above position by playing 04 moves each for both White & Black from the starting position. Mind you, those moves must be legitimate.

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STALEMATE STUNNER

WHITE TO PLAY & DRAW

White’s immediate prospects appear bleak with many threats hanging over his King. 1.Qc2+ fails due to 1. … Kb4+ (2.Kb1  Na3+ or 2.Qa2 Qe5+ 3.Kb1  Nxe2). So it seems that the only move to prolong the game is...

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THE KIDNAPPED KING

Chess literature is full of instructive games where a piece sacrifice is made in order to force the opposition King out of its protective shell. There are many sad stories of such Kings who went walkabout only to wonder aimlessly before being overpowered by enemy pieces but none more spectacular than this 1912 classic between Edward Lasker & G. Thomas.

1.    d4             f5

2.    e4             fxe4

3.    Nc3          Nf6

4.    Bg5          e6

5.    Nxe4        Be7

6.    Bxf6         Bxf6

7.    Nf3           O-O 

8.    Bd3           b6

9.    Ne5          Bb7

10.  Qh5

The threat is fairly obvious. White is going to play Nxf6 & Qxh7. So Black played......

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