Halloween Puzzles – Answers

The wicked Black Witches have been up to mischief again…

they have been CHEATING at chess…

did you manage to undo their fiendish tricks?

1. The Black Witch did not like losing at chess so she magically turned all the pieces green!

Can you colour the pieces black and white to create a legal position?

What was the last move played?

This is the only legal position and the last move was the pawn promotion h8=Q mate.

Note that if you swapped the colours (i.e black pieces on g8, h8 and g7, and the white king on h6) there would have been no legal way of reaching the position.

2. The Black Witch has been at it again. Can you see how she has cheated this time?

And can you undo her cheating and see how the White Witch can mate in one move?

There is more than one possible answer!

The Black Witch had magically put an extra pawn on the board. All you have to do is remove the extra pawn and deliver mate. In fact you can take off any of the pawns to find nine different mates!

Remove the a7 pawn then it is Qb6 mate
Remove the b7 pawn then it is Nc6 mate
Remove the c4 pawn then it is Qb4 mate
Remove the d3 pawn then it is Qe4 mate
Remove the e3 pawn then it is Bxf2 mate
Remove the f7 pawn then it is Ne6 mate
Remove the f2 pawn then it is Bxe3 mate
Remove the g6 pawn then it is Rg4 mate
Remove the h3 pawn then it is Rh4 mate

3. The White Witch was just about to deliver mate in one.

So the Black Witch magically made an extra move for White, spoiling the mate.

Can you take back the extra move for White and deliver mate in one?

This was the position with the extra move (c4) taken back.

1.d5 is mate.

4. The same two witches were playing again, and the Black Witch cheated in the same way.

As if by magic they arrived at the same position moved one rank up the board.

Can you take back the extra move for White and deliver mate in one to the naughty Black Witch?

(This one is rather tricky!)

This was the position with the extra move (bxc5) taken back.

1.dxc6 e.p. is mate.

5. Perhaps the White Witch was using hypnosis because when the Black Witch cheated in the same way yet again they arrived here…

the same position moved one more rank up.

Can you take back the extra move for White and deliver mate in one to the Black Witch?

This is the position with the extra move (bxc6 e.p.) taken back.

1.d7 is mate.

6. Are you feeling sorry for the Black Witch yet?

She was losing once more and yet again made an extra move for White and arrived here.

For the last time, can you take back the extra move for White and deliver mate in one to the poor Black Witch?

This is the position with the extra move (c7) taken back.

1.d8=N is mate

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