F. Stamma, 1737, presented by Andreas
White to move and … No computer analysis please. This is a good one. Good luck in finding the solution.
8/8/p5r1/1p6/1P1R4/8/5K1p/7k w – – 0 1
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
271 year old chess puzzle
Doesn’t 1. Rd1+, Rg1 2. Rf1 even win for white?
I think so.
The story would be more interesting if the two kings replaced each other.
Let’s see … 1. Ra1+ Rg1; 2. Rf1! Rxf1+; 3. Kxf1, a5 (forced); 4. bxa5, b4; 5. a6, b3; 6. a7, b2; 7. a8(Q) mate?
Are we missing something?
Peter Harris
1. Rd1+ Rg1 2. Rf1 Rxf1+ 3. Kxf1 a5 4. bxa5 b4 5. a6 b3 6. a7 b2 7. a8Bishop++
Another possible line with the same idea could be:
1.Rd1+ Rg1
2.Rf1 a5
3.bxa5 b4
4.a6 b3
5.a7 Rxf1+
6.Kxf1 b2
7.a8Q#
Pharaoh
I am sorry, can you post puzzles that we can’t solve? They are so easy and insultingly easy. Please give it a thought, you are not teaching us by giving us easy work, you’re just wasting yours and ours time. Don’t get ofended, please by this dumb post.
Wow, very nice! And to think that it’s 271 years old. Incredible. Thank you Stamma, Andreas and of course, GM Susan.
Collin Madhavan
This is a pleasing & historically interesting puzzle! My opinion is diametrically opposite to that of Anonymous 6:42. More puzzles like this please! – Lambent
Lambent — I’m embarrassed that you beat me to the punch, but I’d like to tag along with your sentiment. Anon 6:42? Hey, he’s too cool for school.
Well I missed the solution, I wouldn’t call it insultingly easy.
For a more-subtle version of this theme, try this composition published in Chess Life & Review in 1972 when I was 12:
White: King e3, Rook g8, Pawns a2,b4,c3;
Black: King h2, Pawns b5,c4,g2,h4.
White to move and win.
For full marks you must also show how to beat 2…Kh1 on the 2nd move as Black.
This is a great teaching puzzle. I learned from it. Great puzzle more like this one.
This puzzle was way too easy! But I am a computer, so neh!
it took me like 5-10 secs…
I think the actual puzzle from Stamma was the mirror-image, with Black King on a1, etc.