Author: Sune Larsson
Date: 00:03:00 12/25/05
Go up one level in this thread
On December 25, 2005 at 02:43:23, John Merlino wrote: >On December 25, 2005 at 02:32:15, Uri Blass wrote: > >>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 > >Indeed, very impressive. > >I found a complete description of the solution (although the board is flipped >such that it is WHITE to Mate in 2) here: > >www.gtryfon.demon.co.uk/bcc/news/dec98news.htm#Christmas%20tree%20puzzle! > >Fun problem! > >jm Yes, and if you think like children do - you'll see in an instant that e2-e4 couldn't have been white's last move. If the pawn was on e2 - then Bf1 would never ever gotten out. That's why the Houdini hint ;-) /S
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