300 Years Old Brilliant Chess Puzzle

Join this channel to get access to perks:

The history of chess can be traced back nearly 1,500 years to its earliest known predecessor, called chaturanga, in India; its prehistory is the subject of speculation. From India it spread to Persia, following the Arab invasion and conquest of Persia, chess was taken up by the Muslim world and subsequently spread to Europe via Spain (Al Andalus) and Italy (Emirate of Sicily). The game evolved roughly into its current form by about 1500 CE.

Solving chess puzzles improve your chess tactics, pattern recognition and awareness.

Solving chess puzzles is crucial for improving chess skills as it enhances tactical vision, calculation abilities, and board awareness. By practicing puzzles, players develop problem-solving skills and learn to recognize common patterns, such as forks and pins, quickly during games. This practice also builds confidence and refines time management, essential for making strong moves under time pressure. Additionally, regular puzzle-solving strengthens mental stamina, helping players stay focused and sharp throughout long games. Overall, chess puzzles are an effective tool for honing various aspects of a player's game.

[Eirenarch]

Nitpicking but at 6:30 it is not a zugzwang because even if black is allowed to skip a move he would still be checkmated

[SpesRubra-lvmw]

Should be noted that in the position at 6:36, black has one last trick up his sleeve: Qf3+, because, if white takes with the queen, it is stalemate. Of course, white should take with the king and it is checkmate next move. Still, even when victory is clear ahead, white ahould still be careful.

[HVAC_Tips_Tricks_Calcs]

Also worth mentioning if Black went Qf3, and white is hasty and takes with queen it's stalemate. White must take with king.

[aleksandaraleksovski]

In last position need to mention the move Qf3+, followed by K:f3 (not Q:f3?, stalemate).

[baureihefreak]

A similar position is also showed in a book written by Jeremy Silman to show the queen against queen endgame systematically. So i could find the solution.

[dmasterify]

I think I solved this puzzle. At first I missed an idea because of lack of visualization.

My first thought was to use my king hunt down the two pawns. That's the only way I thought I could win. 1. Bf3+ (seems like the only move) 1... Kg1 2. Kd3 h1=Q 3. Kc4 Kg2 4. Kd5 Kf3 and black will win. It also turns out we cant triangulate black.

So I drank my cornmeal porridge and played a game on lichess. Which I lost. And came back to the puzzle. Then I realized an idea I missed. 1. Bf3+ Kg1(Anyother move and white will eventually win the h pawn) 2. Bh1!! Kxh1

Then I thought 3. Kf2 but then the black e comes quickly.

So 3. Kf1! d5 4. exd5 e4 5. d6 e3 6. d7 e2+ 7 Kxe2! K g2 8. d8=Q h1=Q 9. Qg8+ K h2 10. Kg3 and black can resign

[maximelaurier]

Good video and good channel. Thank you

[iankemp]

At 5:22; 1 Qg5+ Kh3 2 Qh5+ Kg2 (Kg3 loses Q) 3 Qg4+ Kh2 4 Kf2! Qf3+! 5 Kxf3! (not Qxf3 stalemate) Kh1 6 Qg1/g2/h3/h4/h5#. So 6 moves, though 2..Kg3 may last a little longer. Very nice puzzle with the B sacrifice but also an exception to the normal rule that Q v RP on 7th rank is a draw. A couple of points in the commentary where he says h2 when it should be g2.

[Bladieblah]

For the checkmate at the end I got this. White Queen G5, Black king has to go to H3 because H2 loses to white king F2, Queen H5, King goes back to G2 or black loses the queen. White queen to G4 now taking away the H3 square from the black king. The black king is forced to go to H2. After white king F2 putting the white queen anywhere on the H file on the next turn will be checkmate. The black king can't move and the black queen can't deliver a safe check. After black queen G2 you take the queen with your queen and win. 8 moves in total.

Honestly the only part of the puzzle I could really break down and think about. It's so hard to find the best counterplay for black if there are so many options

[kurtwpg]

Bishop to f3 check, Bishop to h1, he takes with King and you go King to f1, wait him out.

[xornxenophon]

Not sure about mate in two at the end, at 7:36. After Qf3+, white has to play KxQf3 and there is no mate in two anymore!

[kisslas]

In the final zugzwang position, as Black, I would try Qf3+ to give White an opportunity to blunder Qxf3 stalemate... although if they got this far they probably wouldn't fall for it. :) Also, why has g2 been renamed to h2 throughout?

[connorism]

Took a minute, but it's a beautiful sequence that reveals itself.

[AbouTaim-Lille]

Back to this game. I actually played it against a chess engine in the edit mode and after Bishop to F3 + the engine (stockfish 8 version) played king to H3 and it leads to a completely different variation. Where u have to take the queen with the king and then count the steps to stay in control of the oposition. And u have to keep the black king away of the critical d5 square. I managed to win this. But this variation is so hard as well.

[jusuftheeagle]

Why didn’t you checkmate at 6:47? Put white queen between the two kings?

[Steveross]

I have a question and then a few comments. Who composed this puzzle if we know and when exactly was it composed? As for my comments, firstly there are numerous older puzzles because 1000+ years ago the Arabs worked out all the positions when a king and rook can defeat a king and knight (since those three pieces were the same in medieval chess). As most viewers know king and rook and against king and knight is usually a draw but not always. And lastly in the position at 7:33 of the video Black is of course losing but can try the queen sacrifice ...Qf3+! hoping for Qxf3?? stalemate instead of Kxf3 with Qg2 mate coming on the following move.

[dascandy]

I'd have appreciated a detour into an attempted zugzwang by 2. Ke1.

[Chaturanger]

Zugzwang : a situation in which the obligation to make a move in one's turn is a serious, often decisive, disadvantage. Not the case at 7:33 because white on move also wins.

[arightscepter]

After a minute or so I think it's Qg5 and then Kf2 getting opposition needed to mate on rook file? Queen protect from any check where black might gain the initiative.

[Beery]

You remind me so much of Tom Pelphrey, the actor who plays the character of Ben Davis in Ozark.