3 testpositions..... 1 pretty for humans too! :-)

[Edsel Apostol]

Kf3 then.

[Marc Lacrosse]

Kf3 then.

No

1.Kf3 Bd4! and the mate is still far, far away ...

[Edsel Apostol]

Ok. I quit. I just don't have enough talent to solve these puzzles. That's why I wrote a chess engine to compensate for my weaknesses.

But to those two positions I can manage to win them, though it would take more moves.

[smirobth]

Ok. I quit. I just don't have enough talent to solve these puzzles.

It isn't really so much a matter of talent as knowing where to start. The trick with chess problems is to start looking at the most silly looking, counter intuitive moves first. "Normal" looking moves are never the solution.

[telmo]

This is for humans.
White to play and mate in 3 moves.

I don't know why are those pawns there. My solution is 1.Be8 Kg8 2.Ke6 Kh7 3. Kf5 Kg8 4. Ra8 Kh7 5. Rb8 Kg8 6. Bd7+ and mate next move. So those little pawns look irrelevant. I guess there is another solution.

Telmo

White to play and mate in 3 moves.

Well, I never was fond of "mate in X" problems- now it seems that I'm not fond of correctly reading sentences as well...

[bob]

Very nice.
I was lucky enough to see the solution quickly.
For those who need help : why are there pawns on b2 and b3?

Another nice one for humans only (#4) :

[d]8/8/8/8/6N1/6p1/4K1p1/R3B1bk w - - 0 1

Marc

Ra5!

1.Ra5 ? Bc5! and then the g pawn queens ...

cute smothered mate position... took a couple of minutes to figure it out myself.