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Subject: Re: Christmas Tree Problem

Author: Uri Blass

Date: 23:32:15 12/24/05

Go up one level in this thread


On December 25, 2005 at 02:24:19, Sune Larsson wrote:

>On December 24, 2005 at 20:49:48, John Merlino wrote:
>
>>On December 24, 2005 at 20:30:05, Alessandro Scotti wrote:
>>
>>>On December 24, 2005 at 20:14:19, Mark Ryan wrote:
>>>
>>>>http://www2.forthnet.gr/chess/xmasmil.html
>>>>
>>>>I do NOT know the answer.
>>>
>>>[D]8/3p4/3p4/2pPp3/1pPkPp2/1n1p1n2/P2p2P1/3K4 b - - - -
>>>
>>>Kiwi can't see it either...
>>>
>>> 3/ 9  +7.92  00:00       524  Ng5 axb3 Nxe4
>>> 4/ 4  +7.92  00:00       579  Ng5 axb3 Nxe4 g3
>>> 5/ 5  +9.44  00:00      3290  Ng5 axb3 Nxe4 g3 fxg3
>>> 6/ 7  +9.52  00:00      3998  Ng5 a3 Nxe4
>>> 7/21     M4  00:00    114504  Ng5 g3 Nh3 axb3 Kc3
>>
>>It's a sort of trick question, but there is still a flaw in it.
>>
>>Unless I'm missing something, for it to be a Mate in 2 for Black White's last
>>move had to have been either c2-c4 or e2-e4. After EITHER of these moves, Black
>>capturing en passant leads to a Mate in 2.
>>
>>However, the designation on the page "there is a single answer" is not correct,
>>because White could have made either of those moves, and therefore there are two
>>possible responses by Black.
>>
>>jm
>
>
> I'm not following you here. How, in the name of all Houdinis, could the
> last white move be e2-e4???
>
> /S

I decided to post the solution after the hint that you give and after
understanding that the site is very old site and there is no point in keeping
the solution as a secret.

Of course it cannot be e2-e4 because it means that the white bishop at f1 was
not captured by a pawn and the position is illegal because black needs too many
captures to get the pawn structure.


Uri



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