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Motif (chess Composition)
In chess composition, a motif is basic element of a move in the consideration why the piece moves and how it supports the fulfillment of a stipulation. Any move may and often does contain multiple motifs. Some composition schools put specific emphasis on motivation in chess problems, especially strategical school and Slovak school. A composition where a maximum number of a certain motif occurrences is shown is called a task, even if the term task is more general. Classification of motifs Motifs may be classified according to various viewpoints. In the usual twomovers they might be: * Positive - those working towards the accomplishment of the stipulation ** Attacking - positive motifs of white moves ** Weakening - negative motifs of white moves * Negative - those tending to hinder the accomplishment of the stipulation ** Defensive - negative motifs of black moves ** Harmful - positive motifs of black moves Similar classification is valid for all directmates, selfmates, re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chess Composition
A chess problem, also called a chess composition, is a puzzle set by the composer using chess pieces on a chess board, which presents the solver with a particular task. For instance, a position may be given with the instruction that White is to move first, and checkmate Black in two moves against any possible defence. A chess problem fundamentally differs from over-the-board play in that the latter involves a struggle between black and white, whereas the former involves a competition between the composer and the solver. Most positions which occur in a chess problem are 'unrealistic' in the sense that they are very unlikely to occur in over-the-board play. There is a good deal of specialized jargon used in connection with chess problems; see glossary of chess problems for a list. Definition The term "chess problem" is not sharply defined: there is no clear demarcation between chess compositions on the one hand and puzzles or tactical exercises on the other. In practice, however, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Reflexmate
The problem to the right is a fairly recent example, successful in the World Chess Composing Tournament despite only a single phase of play present. It is by Štefan Sovík and is a reflexmate in two moves. The key is 1.Qh5! and White threatens 2.Nbxc3, after which black is compelled by additional condition to mate by Rxc3#, with triple pin of Rc4, Bd4 and Ne4. There are three thematical variations with unpinnings of three pieces, but every time Black has to mate by switchback after selfpin of unpinned piece on c3: * 1...Qxa4 2.Rxc3 Qb5# (white move: rook unpinned by queen move selfpins) * 1...Rxc8 2.Bxc3 Rd8# (white move: bishop unpinned by rook move selfpins) * 1...Bxh5 2.Nexc3 Bg6# (white move: knight unpinned by bishop move selfpins) Another three variations result in unpinnings of white pieces, but the mates are not by switchback: * 1...Qd7 2.Rc6 Qxd4# (white move: unpinned rook unguards d4 and unpins queen) * 1...Nd5 2.Bxe3 Nf4# (white move: unpinned bishop opens d- f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Endgame Study
In the game of chess, an endgame study, or just study, is a composed position—that is, one that has been made up rather than played in an actual game—presented as a sort of puzzle, in which the aim of the solver is to find the essentially unique way for one side (usually White) to win or draw, as stipulated, against any moves the other side plays. If the study does not end in a mate or stalemate, it should be obvious that the game is either won or drawn, and White can have a selection of many different moves. There is no limit to the number of moves which are allowed to achieve the win; this distinguishes studies from the genre of direct mate problems (e.g. "mate in 2"). Such problems also differ qualitatively from the very common genre of tactical puzzles based around the middlegame, often based on an actual game, where a decisive tactic must be found. Composed studies Composed studies predate the modern form of chess. Shatranj studies exist in manuscripts from the 9th cent ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Patrol Chess
Patrol chess is a chess variant in which captures can be made and checks given only if the capturing or checking piece is guarded (or ''patrolled'') by a friendly unit. Non-capturing and non-checking moves are played as normal. The variant was invented by Frederik Hendrik von Meyenfeldt who published a chess problem using the rules in ''The Problemist'' (the magazine of the British Chess Problem Society) in 1975. Patrol chess has often been used as a condition in chess problems. It is also possible to play complete games under Patrol chess rules. Example The diagram position shows some of the peculiarities of Patrol chess. The white king cannot take the black knight because it is not guarded by a friendly piece. Similarly, the black rook is not giving check, and neither is the white knight on f7. If White were to play Nbd8, however, this would be check, as the knights would patrol one another. Black could reply ...Ke4, with checkmate: the king patrols the rook on e3 giving check ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grasshopper (chess)
The grasshopper is a fairy chess piece that moves along , , and (as a queen) but only by hopping over another piece. The piece to be hopped may be any distance away, but the grasshopper must land on the square immediately behind it in the same direction. If there is no piece to hop over, it cannot move. If the square beyond a piece is occupied by a piece of the opposite color, the grasshopper can capture that piece. The grasshopper may jump over pieces of either color; the piece being jumped over is unaffected. The grasshopper was introduced by T. R. Dawson in 1913 in problems published in the ''Cheltenham Examiner'' newspaper. It is one of the most popular fairy pieces used in chess problems. In this article, the grasshopper is shown as an inverted queen with notation ''G''. Movement In the diagram to the right, the white grasshopper on d4 can move to the squares marked with crosses (b2, d1, d7, and h8) or capture the black pawn on a7. It cannot move to g4, as there are two ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Exchange Sacrifice
In chess, the exchange is a situation in which one player exchanges a (i.e. a bishop or knight) for a rook. The side which wins the rook is said to have ''won the exchange'', while the other player has ''lost the exchange'', since the rook is usually more valuable. Alternatively, the side having a rook for a minor piece is said to be ''up the exchange'', and the other player is ''down the exchange''. The opposing captures often happen on consecutive moves, although this is not strictly necessary. It is generally detrimental to lose the exchange, although occasionally one may find reason to purposely do so; the result is an ''exchange sacrifice'' (see below). The ''minor exchange'' is an uncommon term for the exchange of a bishop and knight. "The exchange" differs from the more general "exchange" or "an exchange", which refers to the loss and subsequent gain of arbitrary pieces, for example to "exchange queens" would mean that each side's queen is . Value of the exchange ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fairy Chess
Fairy chess is the area of chess composition in which there are some changes to the rules of chess. The term was introduced by Henry Tate in 1914. Thomas R. Dawson (1889–1951), the "father of fairy chess", invented many fairy pieces and new conditions. He was also problem editor of '' Fairy Chess Review'' (1930–1951). Although the term "fairy chess" is sometimes used for games, it is more usually applied to problems where the board, pieces, or rules are changed to express an idea or theme impossible in orthodox chess. Variations on chess intended to create complete, playable games are more typically referred to as chess variants. Types of fairy chess problems Types of changed rules in fairy chess problems include: * ''New stipulations:'' Probably the most-used alterations are new stipulations about mate instead of a direct mate stipulation. Many of them were invented and some became established. Selfmates and helpmates are nowadays often considered to be orthodox (not ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Helpmate
A helpmate is a type of chess problem in which both sides cooperate in order to achieve the goal of checkmating Black. In a helpmate in ''n'' moves, Black moves first, then White, each side moving ''n'' times, to culminate in White's ''nth'' move checkmating Black. (In a helpmate in 2 for example, sometimes abbreviated ''h#2'', the solution consists of a Black move, a White move, a second Black move, then a second White move, giving checkmate.) Although the two sides cooperate, all moves must be legal according to the rules of chess. The example problem illustrated is a helpmate in 8 (or ''h#8'') by Z. Maslar, published in '' Die Schwalbe'' in 1981. The solution is (''recall that in helpmate solutions, Black's move is given first''): :1. Kf3 Kd3 2. Bb3 Kc3 3. Ke4+ Kd2 4. Kd4 Ke2 5. Kc3 Nb4 6. Kb2 Kd2 7. Ka1 Kc1 8. Ba2 Nc2 History The first helpmate problem was by the German chess master Max Lange, published in '' Deutsche Schachzeitung'', December 1854. The problem had Wh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Selfmate
A selfmate is a chess problem in which White, moving first, must force Black to deliver checkmate within a specified number of moves against their will. Selfmates were once known as sui-mates. Example The problem shown is a relatively simple example. It is a selfmate in two by Wolfgang Pauly from ''The Theory of Pawn Promotion'', 1912: White moves first and compels Black to deliver checkmate on or before Black's second move. If White can leave Black with no option but to play Bxg2#, the problem is solved. * White might try moving the bishop, but this is no good, as it will allow Black to play a non-capturing bishop move himself, delaying the mate beyond move two; * moving the knight allows the king to move; * 1.e6 allows 1...exf6 and 2...f5; * 1.f7 or 1.fxe7 allows 1...Kxg7; * 1.g8=Q or 1.g8=R are no good after 1...Bxg2+ 2.Q/Rxg2; * 1.g8=N# checkmates Black, which is entirely wrong; * 1.g8=B is also no good, since after 1...exf6 2.exf6 Bxg2+ the bishop can interpose with 3.Bd5. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chess Composer
A chess composer is a person who creates endgame studies or chess problems. Chess composers usually specialize in a particular genre, e.g. endgame studies, twomovers, threemovers, moremovers, helpmates, selfmates, fairy problems, or retrograde analysis. Moreover, composers have their own preferred style of composing, allowing their sorting according to composition schools. Some chess composers produce huge numbers of chess compositions, while others try to achieve as much quality as possible and present new works only rarely. It is possible for chess composers to gain official FIDE titles, usually for a given number of problems published in FIDE Albums. For example, Milan Vukcevich was an International Grandmaster of Chess Composition, as well as an International Master player. The WFCC (World Federation for Chess Composition), formerly known as PCCC, is a branch of FIDE regulating the awarding of titles such as International Grandmaster, International master, Master FIDE ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Twomover
A chess problem, also called a chess composition, is a puzzle set by the composer using chess pieces on a chess board, which presents the solver with a particular task. For instance, a position may be given with the instruction that White is to move first, and checkmate Black in two moves against any possible defence. A chess problem fundamentally differs from over-the-board play in that the latter involves a struggle between black and white, whereas the former involves a competition between the composer and the solver. Most positions which occur in a chess problem are 'unrealistic' in the sense that they are very unlikely to occur in over-the-board play. There is a good deal of specialized jargon used in connection with chess problems; see glossary of chess problems for a list. Definition The term "chess problem" is not sharply defined: there is no clear demarcation between chess compositions on the one hand and puzzles or tactical exercises on the other. In practice, however, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Allumwandlung
Allumwandlung (German for "complete promotion", sometimes abbreviated AUW) is a chess problem theme where, at some stage in the solution, a pawn (or sometimes pawns) is promoted variously to a queen, rook, bishop, and knight. Allumwandlung's main requirement is promotion, either a white pawn or a black pawn. A Babson task may appear if both pawns are spotted in an individual problem, corresponding one another. Example The diagram shows a chess problem with Allumwandlung composed by Niels Høeg and first published in 1905. White to move and ''mate in three''. The key move (White's first move) is 1.f7, and depending on how Black defends, White promotes to either a queen, a rook, a bishop or a knight on move two. The lines are: * 1... e4 2. f8=Q any 3. Qe7/Qf6# * 1... Kd6 2. f8=Q Kc6 3. Qc5# * 1... exf4 2. f8=R Kd6 3. Rf6# * 1... exd4 2. f8=B Kf6 3. Ra6# * 1... Kf6 2. f8=N exd4 3. Rf7# The importance of White's underpromotions can be understood by considering what happens if Whit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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