Chessapawn Puzzles

The following are board positions that might occur toward the end of a game of Chessapawn. Actually, they were generated with the help of Zillions. Solutions are given at the bottom of this page.

Puzzle #1

White to move and win in 4.
It's time to mount an assault on Black's connected Rooks.

Puzzle #2

Black to move and win in 3.
White was foolish enough to advance not just one, but both of his Rooks, leaving most of his home row unguarded. It is nearly impossible to build a successful defense against this many pieces without the Rooks on their home rank.

Puzzle #3

White to move and win in 4.
Material is equal, and Black's more highly-developed Pawns appear to have the upper hand, but White has a surprise attack.

Puzzle #4

White to move and win in 4.
As in #2, you must break the Rook-pair defense.

Puzzle #5

Black to move and win in 7.
This one is pretty tough.

Solutions

Solution #1

Answer: 1. Rook h1-h5. If Black takes the Rook, advancing 2. Queen e6-e8 Rook a1xe8  3. Pawn f7xe8 wins. Otherwise, 2. Rook h5xh8 Rook a8xh8 followed by 3. Queen e6-e8 Rook a8xe8 and 4. Pawn f7xe8 wins.

Solution #2

It's the Queen who will promote. But first:

Answer: 1. ... Rook a4xb4. This threatens ... Rook b4-b1, so White has to capture, paving the way for Black's Queen. The moves are 2. Pawn a3xb4 Queen d6xb4  3. ... Queen b4-b1

Solution #3

Answer: 1. Bishop d2-h6. Black's Rook can't capture because then 2. Bishop c4-g8 promotes. White 1 threatens the followup 2. Bishop h6-g7  3. Bishop g7xh8 and promotes. After White 1, Black has no useful move. He replies, e.g. 1. ... Bishop e7-b4. White continues 2. Bishop h6-g7 Rook h8-a8  3. Rook a1xa8 Again, Black has no useful move, and 4. Bishop g7-h8 wins.

Solution #4

Taking out a connected pair of rooks requires at least two pieces. The first piece captures one rook while protected by the second piece, who captures the second rook and promotes. More commonly, the attack will consist of three pieces. The first piece will take out a rook and be captured; then the second piece, protected by the third, can invade anywhere on the final rank. The third will then promote.

Here, the Bishop is the first, the advanced Pawn is the second, and the a1 Rook is the third.

Answer: 1. Bishop d4xf6. Black can't repel the attack.
1. ... Pawn h3xg2  2. Bishop f6xh8 Rook c8xh8  3. Pawn a7-a8 Rook h8xa8  4. Rook a1xa8 promote.

Solution #5

White Bishop a6-b7 threatens to break up Black's Rooks, and force the Rook on a1 behind the pawn. However, White's remaining Rook is paralyzed: If it advances, ... Queen d2-d1 wins. A direct assault on White's Rook is called for.

In this case, Black does well to break up his own rook pair. This is normally a terrible move, but in this case the Rook's offensive power is required.

Answer: 1. ... Rook a8xa6.

The other Rook is sufficient to prevent White's Queen from promoting for the moment, and White has insufficient influence to attack it anytime soon. Black's move threatens to capture the Pawn on d4, and then the paralyzed Rook. White replies 2. Pawn b2-b3 to protect against this attack. Black's reply is 2. ... Queen d2xf2. Now White is suffering from a serious move shortage. The g6 Pawn can't move; the a4 and b3 Pawns must stay but to prevent an attack on the Rook; the Rook is paralyzed, and the Queen can't move without being captured. So, White has to move the g2 Pawn: 3. Pawn g2-g3. Any neutral move will do, e.g. 3. ... Rook a6-a5  4. Pawn g3-g4 Pawn h5-g4. White has two unsavory moves which he must make in turn: 5. Pawn b3-b4 Rook a5xa4  6. Queen d7-d8 Rook h8xd8  7. Rook a1xa4 Queen f2-f1 promote.