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What is a Chess Problem? Peter's Problem World with FIDE Master of Chess Composition Peter Wong
In this column Peter provides help with words or phrases that have special meaning in the field of chess composition. These words and terms appear in the form of a link to that term's definition in the glossary.
Note that Peter's articles, follow a chess problem
convention in using ‘S’ to represent the knight (from the German word,
Springer). ‘N’ is reserved for a fairy piece called the nightrider.
So chess problems – also known as chess compositions – are enjoyed on two levels. On a basic level, they work as challenging puzzles. You are given a position and an accompanying task, such as “White to play and mate in two moves”, that must be fulfilled. On a higher level, problems are aesthetic works designed to show an interesting theme – the composition’s main idea. How exactly are themes artistic? It varies, but important factors include subtlety, elegance, economy, paradox, and unity of play. The latter concept of unity is especially noteworthy; most good problems have multiple variations that are related to each other in some way, to create a harmonious impression. Chess problems come in a variety of genres, the most common of which is the directmate. In this type of problem, White plays first and forces mate in the specified number of moves, against any Black defence. Only one of White’s first moves is able to achieve this, and the solver’s task is to discover this unique move, called the key.
If another move,
unintended by the composer, solves the problem too, that alternative move is
called a
cook, and the problem becomes unsound. Such faulty problems,
however, are rarely seen nowadays (especially in directmates) because of the
practice of computer-testing, which ensures that cooks are eliminated.
Such a tactic, in which White stops a check by interposition, and gives check as well with the same move, is known as a cross-check, and its recurring use is the theme of this problem.
Various conventions apply to key-moves in directmates, and knowing them will assist you when solving this type of problem. The desired feature of subtlety means that keys are very unlikely to be checks. Keys that capture a piece are almost unheard of, for the same reason, though the capture of a pawn is acceptable.
In contrast to obviously aggressive keys that are frown upon, keys that apparently weaken White or strengthen Black are viewed as good in the artistic sense. Though not all directmates are successful in incorporating them, you should keep in mind the possibility of such paradoxical keys. A perfect illustration is 1, which has an excellent key because it exposes the white king to numerous checks.
Another major consideration when analysing a problem is whether the key creates a threat or sets up a block position. The former is already exemplified by 1, a threat-problem.
In a block-problem, the key
carries no threat but is a
waiting move that puts Black in zugzwang. In such a position,
every possible move by Black entails a weakness, which is exploited by White
due to Black’s compulsion to move.
Looking at the problems in this article, you may be struck by how the positions seem “artificial” and far removed from an actual game of chess. That only highlights how problem composition is a field distinct from the competitive game and also from game-position exercises.
Chess problems are constructed in accordance with their own principles. A particularly important one of such principles is economy of force, which holds that for any given idea shown in a problem, the number of pieces used should be minimized, and that every piece should serve to bring about that idea or to ensure soundness. That the resulting problem positions do not resemble game situations is regarded as irrelevant.
Nevertheless, another convention of problems links them directly to the game. Problem positions are required to be legal, i.e. they could have arisen from the opening array, however unlikely the players’ moves may have been in reaching these positions.
Problem 4 has rich play involving pins and unpins. The white queen has the black queen pinned, and the latter in turn is pinning the white bishop, which could otherwise mate on d4 or g5.
Problem 6 is for you to solve. The thematic play involves self-interference, when a black piece cuts off the line controlled by another black piece. 6.
Lev Loshinsky
Mate in 2
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