Chess Problem Terminology
This glossary of chess problems explains commonly used terms in chess problems, in alphabetical order. For a list of unorthodox pieces used in chess problems, see Fairy chess piece; for a list of terms used in chess is general, see Glossary of chess; for a list of chess-related games, see List of chess variants. A B C D E F G H I K L M N O P R S T U V W Z Notes References * * * * External links Problemesiscontains a glossary and list of themes {{Glossaries of sports Problems A problem is a difficulty which may be resolved by problem solving. Problem(s) or The Problem may also refer to: People * Pro ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Chess Problems
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, t ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Set Play
Phases of play are parts of a chess problem which happen, as it were, concurrently rather than consecutively. Each problem has at least one phase: the ''post-key play'' or ''actual play''; that is, the play after the key (the first move which leads to the problem's stipulation ("mate in two" or similar) being fulfilled). Other phases, which may or may not be present, are: *set play: play which would occur if it were the other side to move first in the diagram position (for instance, in a directmate, where it is usually White to move first, set play consists of lines where Black moves first) *try play: play after '' tries''; that is, moves which almost meet the stipulation, but which fail, normally to a single Black defence *solutions to twins: slight variations to the problem brought about by, for example, changing the position of a piece, or switching the position of two pieces *extra solutions: some problems intentionally have more than one solution; in this case, each is a dist ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Sam Loyd
Samuel Loyd (January 30, 1841 – April 10, 1911), was an American chess player, chess composer, puzzle author, and recreational mathematics, recreational mathematician. Loyd was born in Philadelphia but raised in New York City. As a chess composer, he authored a number of chess problems, often with interesting themes. At his peak, Loyd was one of the best chess players in the US, and was ranked 15th in the world, according to chessmetrics.com. He played in the strong Paris 1867 chess tournament (won by Ignatz von Kolisch) with little success, placing near the bottom of the field. Following his death, his book ''Cyclopedia of 5000 Puzzles'' was published (1914) by his son. His son, named after his father, dropped the "Jr" from his name and started publishing reprints of his father's puzzles. Loyd (senior) was inducted into the US Chess Hall of Fame in 1987. Reputation Loyd is widely acknowledged as one of America's great puzzle writers and popularizers, often mentioned as '' ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Cook
Cook or The Cook may refer to: Food preparation * Cooking, the preparation of food * Cook (domestic worker), a household staff member who prepares food * Cook (professional), an individual who prepares food for consumption in the food industry * Chef, a professional proficient in all aspects of food preparation Geography U.S. * Cook, Minnesota, a city * Cook, Nebraska, a village * Cook, Ohio, an unincorporated community * Cook Hill (other) * Cook Hollow, Oregon County, Missouri * Cook Inlet, off the Gulf of Alaska Australia * Cook, South Australia * Cook County, New South Wales * Cook, Australian Capital Territory Elsewhere * Cook Peninsula, Nunavut, Canada * Cook Strait, the strait separating the North and South Islands of New Zealand Companies * Cook Group, an American manufacturer of medical devices * Cook Records, an American record label * Cook Trading, a UK manufacturer and retailer of frozen ready meals * Thomas Cook Group, a defunct British travel company Fi ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Zepler Doubling
Zepler doubling is a manoeuvre in chess in which a piece moves along a certain line (rank, file or diagonal), then another friendly piece moves onto that same line, then the first piece moves again in the same direction as before. The term is effectively limited to the field of chess problems. The first problem to show the idea (shown to the right), by Erich Zepler himself, is a simple and clear demonstration of the manoeuvre. The straightforward doubling 1.Rgb2, threatening 2.Rb8#, fails to 1...Bxd6, so the more roundabout Zepler doubling is required: 1.Rb4 Bg7 (now 1...Bxd6 is no good because of 2.Rg8+) 2.Rgb2 any 3.Rb8#. Zepler doubling can be contrasted with another doubling manoeuvre, Turton doubling. References * David Hooper and Kenneth Whyld, "Erich Ernest Zepler" in ''The Oxford Companion to Chess ''The Oxford Companion to Chess'' is a reference book on the game of chess written by David Vincent Hooper and Kenneth Whyld. The book is written in an encyclopedia f ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Turton Doubling
Turton doubling is a manoeuvre in chess in which a piece moves along a line (rank, file or diagonal), then a similarly-moving piece moves onto the same line in front of it, then this second piece moves again along this line, in the opposite direction to that of the first. Use of the term is effectively limited to the field of chess problems, although it happens in real games a well (especially when White moves the bishop on d3 back to let the queen in front to threaten Qh7#, and analogous for Black). The idea can be understood in reference to the problem to the right, the first to demonstrate the manoeuvre, composed by its eponym, Henry Turton. A mate in three, the solution is 1.Bh8 (threatening 2.Qa3#) 1...b4 2.Qg7 Ra8 (defending against 3.Qa7#) 3.Qxb2#. The bishop moves along the diagonal a1-h8, then the queen moves onto that same diagonal, then the queen moves again in the opposite direction to the bishop. Specific types of Turton doubling are the Loyd-Turton, in which the fi ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Study (chess)
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 centur ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Domination (chess)
In chess, and particularly in endgame studies, domination occurs when a player controls all movement squares of an enemy piece. Examples This position occurred in the game Beliavsky– Korchnoi, György Marx Memorial, 2004. White blundered with 38.Kh2? allowing 38...Qd3 – this dominates the knight: despite having six squares available to it, its capture cannot be avoided. b2, d2, a5 and e5 are guarded by the black bishop, d6 by the black queen, and b6 by the pawn. Additionally, there is no way for the white queen to safely defend it, as every square she could defend it from is guarded by the black queen. The example here is a study by Henri Rinck first published in ''La Stratégie'' in 1920. It is White to play and win. Normally, Black would be able to sacrifice his rook for the white bishop, leaving a drawn position (sacrificing it for a knight would be no good, since it is possible to force mate with bishop and knight), but in this case it turns out that the rook is domin ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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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-file a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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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]   |
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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 Whit ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Torus
In geometry, a torus (plural tori, colloquially donut or doughnut) is a surface of revolution generated by revolving a circle in three-dimensional space about an axis that is coplanar with the circle. If the axis of revolution does not touch the circle, the surface has a ring shape and is called a torus of revolution. If the axis of revolution is tangent to the circle, the surface is a horn torus. If the axis of revolution passes twice through the circle, the surface is a spindle torus. If the axis of revolution passes through the center of the circle, the surface is a degenerate torus, a double-covered sphere. If the revolved curve is not a circle, the surface is called a ''toroid'', as in a square toroid. Real-world objects that approximate a torus of revolution include swim rings, inner tubes and ringette rings. Eyeglass lenses that combine spherical and cylindrical correction are toric lenses. A torus should not be confused with a '' solid torus'', which is formed by r ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |