300 Years Old Brilliant Chess Puzzle

[@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

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

Oh, you are right, my mistake

[@SpesRubra-lv2mw]

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.

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

Yes, I forgot to add that last nasty trip

[@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.

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

yes... I forgot to add that little trap

[@baureihe218freak2]

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.

[@dmaster20ify]

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

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

It was more tricky than it looks. You still had a great visualization, I am glad you put it in the engine and see if you are right or not, most people wouldn't go that far.

[@aleksandaraleksovski2423]

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

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

Yea, I forgot to add that little trap at the end

[@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

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

Congrats on your finding. After the promotion, white would have an easy checkmate in my opinion, he has 3 or 4 different ways to deliver checkmate, some in 5 moves, some in 7, but most of them are a force sequence. The hardest part after promotion was the Kf2 move.

[@kurtwpg]

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

[@kurtwpg]

5:15 Queen to g5 and walk him down

[@kurtwpg]

Final move is King to f2 and his queen is useless

[@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.

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

Usually engine suggest the move that would the most moves to avoid checkmates, but I agree, king to H3 would be a different whole puzzle. I still think the variation I saw is the most challenging one, especially because of the bishop, while the H3 variation, white would take black pawn pretty easy

[@AbouTaim-Lille]

@@ChessCrafters-lk4dv It is really more challenging indeed. But if I wanna try this variation I have to start the game from the point after king to G1 and then use the engine.

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

@@AbouTaim-Lille maybe I would try to make another video about it, I would run in through the engine as well

[@pauldekker1515]

isn't queen f3 a stalemste?

[@HELKEPET]

If Bf3 Kh3 the Kf2 And easy win To White.

[@connorism69]

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

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

Congrats on finding it

[@dascandy]

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

[@iankemp1131]

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.

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

I am glad you like the puzzle, yea I saw that I messed up some annotation afterward, I am still new at this youtube thing.

[@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?

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

You would be surprised how many times people blunder at the end

[@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.

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

You are right, I used the word wrong

[@SteveTolhurst]

Blacks first move could be Kg3 not Kg1 thus avoiding getting trapped

[@maximelaurier6902]

Good video and good channel. Thank you

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

I am glad you found my video useful!

[@CERFIN_brokers]

The Beatles... YEAH!!!

[@Steveross2851]

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.

[@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.

[@danalawrence4473]

G2, not H2, but still good.

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

yea, I messed up some squares name :D, I am still new to youtube

[@danalawrence4473]

@@ChessCrafters-lk4dv not to worry. It was a very good and interesting clip to watch.

[@GNU_Linux_for_good]

04:18 He meant _'He's got Kg2'_

[@iankemp1131]

And in 2 or 3 other places as well

[@thejamman2]

I knew I needed to get max tempo so chose the right king move. I then worked it for while not getting anywhere. I needed the sacrifice hint. After the sacrifice I queened first but still took me a lit of tries before I found the combination of moves. I finally started to realize I needed a king move. Thats when it clicked. It’s comforting to know I suck at chess 😮😢😂

[@Dwalin1989]

Levon Aronian had a game like this with Shirov. Pure magic

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

Recent game?

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

Recent game?

[@kimbirch1202]

This is a great puzzle, with lots to think about. Nice one !

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

Glad you like it!

[@Beery1962]

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

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

It's the first time someone compare him with me

[@xornxenophon3652]

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!

[@rainerwahnsinn9585]

...Qf3 Kxf3 Kh1 Qg2/1 #

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

as @rainerwahnsinn9585 said

[@rhysbyt]

@@ChessCrafters-lk4dv What about Qe1+ instead of Qf3+ ?

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

@@rhysbyt you are right, that is a mate in 3, my bad

[@DogbiteW]

What happens if Qf2 is followed by Qf1+? Looks like a draw to me.

[@andreimcallister1365]

Then you take with the king and black goes Kh1 and mate in one

[@petersiegfriedkrug]

No, man. This is too easy! Immediatly I saw Bh1.

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

You have a great visualization

[@iankemp1131]

But did you see the rest? Normally Q v RP on the 7th rank is a draw. So not a solution unless you worked out what happens after both pawns queen - and indeed that you have to play Kf1 not Kf2.

[@BennyKleykens]

So easy!

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

Congrats on solving it !

[@Zhopan]

1:00 i thought that breaking the rules

[@wa1ufo]

Excellent!

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

I am glad you liked it!

[@gniewomircioek6845]

I managed to enjoy the puzzle.

[@eduardoluissantos1359]

Why not E1 instead of the sacrifice?

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

Because black would promote and you would trade the bishop for the new queen. And you can't win the game now, the best result would be a draw, because you won't be able to promote your pawn

[@perfectionbox]

black pawn: i got to be queen... for a day 😪

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

when you lie in your resume and got caught

[@josepherhardt164]

How many here actually understand your "queen for a day" allusion? (Was THAT ever what we would today call a "cringe" show. Also super cheap, even for the era.)

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

​@@josepherhardt164 oh, I didn't even know it was from a show

[@josepherhardt164]

@@ChessCrafters-lk4dv _Queen for a Day_ was a half-hour program, late 50's, maybe early 60's, where three women would stand before an audience and tell their tale of woe, trying to be the saddest. After their spiels, the host would hold a hand over their heads, and the audience would applaud, and a meter would show, giving the contestant a rating. After the three would be rated, the highest-rated woman (and it was ALWAYS women) would win. The prizes for winning were, IMO, meagre--maybe a washer and dryer, maybe a fridge. It was a cheap show. Not sure embarrassing yourself in front of a national audience for something like that was worth it. OTOH, we don't know that these weren't paid actors. It was also the time of the game show scandals. Hmmm. Apparently the wiki of pedia has quite a detailed article on the show that even includes a list of winners. Worth a look if you're into time travel.

[@perfectionbox]

@@josepherhardt164 I never knew there was a show called Queen for a Day.

[@ivorscrotumic3556]

You look SO different on the thumbnail for this vid. It's amazing what a shave & shampoo can do.

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

And a bounty

[@adnanghaleb2196]

Thanks

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

I am glad you like it

[@jusuftheeagle6772]

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

[@stewiegriffin6503]

your puzles are to ezzy

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

Maybe you are too good

[@Money-Fast-Plan-a]

*"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no help at all."* __Dale Carnegie

[@mncdssctn9110]

If king goes G1 after the bishop check I saw the rest of the puzzle, but the black king doesn’t have to go there. Why not running up the board instead with the king for black instead, and I don’t really see how to make progress. Black won’t arrive in a scenario where they have to push the d6-pawn. At least not anytime soon.

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

If kings go up the board, white idea is to go after black pawns so for example after Bf3+ Kg3 Ke3 Kh3 Kf2 Kh4 Kg2 and white manage to win the H pawn so it would have an easy draw

[@rainerwahnsinn9585]

@@ChessCrafters-lk4dv but white want to win or not??

[@WRLO56]

1. Bf3+ Kh3 2.Bh1 - then what? Black's h pawn is blockaded, the g2 square is guarded, the e pawn is protected, and white can pick off Black's d and e pawns at leisure. Haven't analused it in depth but it looks like a win for white.

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

@@rainerwahnsinn9585 i said draw cuz it was the easiest outcome, I didn't calculated until the end, but this look winning for white, black cannot the white pawn because of the bishop and if black goes after the bishop, white king would have time to capture both of black pawns and be able to promote his pawn

[@ezequielsanchez5722]

1st comment! New sub! Keep it going bro!

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

Thanks for the sub! I am glad you liked the video

[@njerzynek]

@4:15 h2???

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

SOOOOOORY

[@Longtack55]

Yes.

[@chirilas5217]

Excellent problem. I found the winning move.👍

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

Congrats on finding the moves!

[@HollyMartins]

This was playable and human. I think I would have made it but there is also a fat chance that I've made a mistake 🙂

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

I think if you had enough time on your clock, you can find all the moves, but if you are in a time scrumble....

[@HollyMartins]

@@ChessCrafters-lk4dv Yes, Thank you. I hope you're right, but you now how it is ( and this is a typical situation ) One tiny wrong move and it's lost. Therefore I like this puzzle. One must Move the King to the right square.

[@hendriksuwantotanjung1220]

Amazing

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@kevinmatthews7180]

Zugzwang is correctly pronounce - tsook-tswang

[@connorism69]

Isn't it tsook-tsvung?

[@wolfgangwiesinger9502]

Whats the big deal, B to h1 and wins

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

Congrats on finding the right move, some people had problem finding the right one here

[@iankemp1131]

The big deal is that you also need to find Kf1 rather than Kf2 and also why Q v RP on 7th rank in this position is not the usual draw.

[@wolfgangwiesinger9502]

@@iankemp1131 ok i try to do this without a board, bh1 kh1, kf1 d5, ed e4, d6 e3, d7 e2+, Ke2 Kg1, d8Q h1Q, Qg5+ Kh2, Kf2 and this is the known position when the Black Queen has no good move ?

[@iankemp1131]

@@wolfgangwiesinger9502 Yes, except that Black has Kh3 instead on Kh2 so there are a couple of extra moves. Good that you know that position, most players don't.

[@aleksandaraleksovski2423]

After 15-20s of watching this video, my answer is Bh1. Why? Because this is only move that lead to win for white with checkmate!

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

Congrats on spotting the right mvoe

[@remycruz5935]

WoW 😮😮😮😮😮

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

I am glad you found the video interesting

[@ejhchess]

Once or twice you said h when you meant g

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

I know, sorry for the misspronunciation, I am still new to this

[@josepherhardt164]

I solved this before even listening to the video. The solution is EVIL! :)

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

Congrats! One of the most satisfying end I ever saw in a puzzle

[@AbouTaim-Lille]

You are showing a very fancy class of Chess ! I am a mathematician and i genuinely love that ! It is world class. For me this is by far much more elevated and classy than watching a chess match that has limited time which is full of blunders.

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

Thank you for your kind words. I am glad you liked the video

[@CheckmateSurvivor]

If you love maths please check out Mathematichess, my insane chess variant. I would really appreciate some feedback from a mathematician.

[@rogergeyer9851]

Slow chess is beautiful too, when played by strong players (i.e. not making lots of blunders). To me, the best part of the game is the endgame, because it's about knowledge and calculation based on PRINCIPLES, not finding some wild tactical shot, etc. in the middle game. And given many endgames, there's lots of math involved with K+P endgames, and the ability to enter such endgames at an advantageous time. And best of all, there's practical endgames vs. theoretical endgames, where you have to work things out for similar positions to "known" results.

[@AbouTaim-Lille]

@@rogergeyer9851 Yeah. I agree about the end games. It is the part that requires so many calculations or let's say mathematics 😅. And the puzzles are similar to end games strategies In many occasions the player has only one only only-move or even a series of only-moves otherwise he will lose (supposing that the opponent makes the best move off course like in the case of a computer). I don't know about slow chess but maybe you mean the chess when the players have no limited time to play and sometimes players take hours, and I think that is the type of chess in some classical matches like those between Kasparov and Karpov or Tal Vs Fisher ..etc.

[@myworldmylife8926]

8

[@TomTom-rh5gk]

I know king move

[@jensmucha1339]

Suugswaang 😁

[@FuturePast2019]

Nice to know

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

I am glad you liked the video!

[@briansykes2806]

How do we know this puzzle is 300 years old? Who composed it - Philidor?

[@johnbernstein3916]

Bishop f-2, Bishop h-1, K f-2, pxp g-5, race to Q, white wins

[@soitra]

2...Kxh1 is not a forced move, Black could play d5 - White will still win, but not in the elegant way you present here.

[@Ionlyfeargod88]

Great vid chesscrafter may god bless you yes you the guy reading this so seek him and you will find him and he will find he loves you genuenly he loves you unconditianly words cant describe it so just do a littel research on him and you will find him and he will find you amen he loves you genuenly so seek him ❤❤❤❤

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

I am glad you like the video and thank you for your kind words

[@pysylion]

At 7:26 why Kg2? Why not Kg1

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

Because Qf2 would be checkmate

[@roqueiii645]

l

[@EfficientRVer]

Very annoying to hear g2 get called h2 several times, but understandable in rapid sequence, so I'm willing to call it a simple error. But then a minute or two later, g2 gets called h2 again. No chess player I know would make that error twice, if actually looking at the board. Maybe you're reading a script from a screen? But at some point, the script must have been written when looking at a board or diagram. I'm actually medically concerned. I'm not a neurologist, but I know when I'd want a relative to visit one. It's time, bro. There's a black pawn on h2, the black king is not moving there.

[@ChessCrafters-lk4dv]

You are correct, I am reading from a script, cuz i don’t want to forget a variation or something else, so I usually do my script first and I record the video afterward. Sorry for all the misspelling of squares, but I am still new at this youtube thing

[@iankemp1131]

@@ChessCrafters-lk4dv Hmm . sounds like you need to check your script - are you new to algebraic notation as well? A pity, because it's a good well-explained video and a very interesting puzzle.

[@skrrskrrrr99]

6:46 4 moves