Special challenge to Jean Hebert

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  • Special challenge to Jean Hebert

    Jean, get out your stopwatch for this one, Can you beat your record of 2 seconds in solving puzzles? The following is my only problem composition. It doubles as both a mate and endgame study because it is a mate in 5 and there is only 1 move to win.




    Anyone with a chess computer program can verify that it is a mate in 5 and is the only way to win. I suspect that you will be up to this challenge as well.
    As I said before, composing a study or problem with a non obvious move is extremely difficult, but these types of easy solution problems are good for the kids that I teach because of their pedagogical value.

  • #2
    Re: Special challenge to Jean Hebert

    Alan, I think you are underestimating how quickly good moves occur to strong players. There is one dead obvious move here, and I doubt it will take an IM more than a couple of seconds to see it. It might take slightly longer to check the variations, but I'd expect to find this in a blitz game.

    FWIW, it took me under 10 sec to find and check all the continuations (incl. ...Qh1+)

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    • #3
      Re: Special challenge to Jean Hebert

      I'm befuddled, is Qh6 the move here? seems like a 500 level puzzle
      Shameless self-promotion on display here
      http://www.youtube.com/user/Barkyducky?feature=mhee

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      • #4
        Re: Special challenge to Jean Hebert

        Originally posted by Bindi Cheng View Post
        seems like a 5:00 level puzzle
        Good thing, I'm not the only one that found this problem hard.

        It took me 5:00 minutes to find Qh6 as well

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        • #5
          Re: Special challenge to Jean Hebert

          Originally posted by AlanTomalty View Post
          Jean, get out your stopwatch for this one, Can you beat your record of 2 seconds in solving puzzles? The following is my only problem composition. It doubles as both a mate and endgame study because it is a mate in 5 and there is only 1 move to win.




          Anyone with a chess computer program can verify that it is a mate in 5 and is the only way to win. I suspect that you will be up to this challenge as well.
          As I said before, composing a study or problem with a non obvious move is extremely difficult, but these types of easy solution problems are good for the kids that I teach because of their pedagogical value.
          Part of the problem is knowing that it is a puzzle, people look for a puzzle-type answer, whereas in a game it might not be the FIRST move you consider. I'm hardly a great puzzle solver but I was able to find the solution very quickly, and it was the first one that I considered. Something about the geometry spoke to me....
          Christopher Mallon
          FIDE Arbiter

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          • #6
            Re: Special challenge to Jean Hebert

            It took me less than a sec to spot my only candidate 1.Qh6 and about 1 min to make sure I was wasn't dreaming as it's 2:30am and time for me to sleep.

            I'll read all about this later today I guess.

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            • #7
              Re: Special challenge to Jean Hebert

              Originally posted by AlanTomalty View Post
              Jean, get out your stopwatch for this one, Can you beat your record of 2 seconds in solving puzzles? The following is my only problem composition. It doubles as both a mate and endgame study because it is a mate in 5 and there is only 1 move to win.




              Anyone with a chess computer program can verify that it is a mate in 5 and is the only way to win. I suspect that you will be up to this challenge as well.
              As I said before, composing a study or problem with a non obvious move is extremely difficult, but these types of easy solution problems are good for the kids that I teach because of their pedagogical value.
              The first idea that appears is>>>

              1 Qh6 Bxf6
              2 Nxf6ch Kh8
              3 Qxh7 mate

              Which is mate in three. Black can delay the mate by one move by suiciding the queen on g2 or h1 making it mate in
              four.
              This seems a trivial problem and may be ok for teaching daycare preschoolers. But before you do so, please practice counting to five because even five year-olds can count to five and you don't want to embarrass yourself with them.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re : Re: Special challenge to Jean Hebert

                Originally posted by Vlad Dobrich View Post
                The first idea that appears is>>>

                1 Qh6 Bxf6
                2 Nxf6ch Kh8
                3 Qxh7 mate

                Which is mate in three. Black can delay the mate by one move by suiciding the queen on g2 or h1 making it mate in
                four.
                This seems a trivial problem and may be ok for teaching daycare preschoolers. But before you do so, please practice counting to five because even five year-olds can count to five and you don't want to embarrass yourself with them.
                1.Qh6 Bh8! is a mate in 5.

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                • #9
                  Re: Special challenge to Jean Hebert

                  1 Qh6 Bh8
                  2 Bxh8 Rxh8
                  3 Nf6 Qh1+
                  4 Kxh1 ...
                  5 Qxh7#

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                  • #10
                    Re: Special challenge to Jean Hebert

                    Lucas solved this chess puzzle in under one hour.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Special challenge to Jean Hebert

                      Originally posted by AlanTomalty View Post
                      Jean, get out your stopwatch for this one, Can you beat your record of 2 seconds in solving puzzles? The following is my only problem composition. It doubles as both a mate and endgame study because it is a mate in 5 and there is only 1 move to win.
                      I am so sorry to hear it (that it is your only problem composition). Have you really tried ? :)

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                      • #12
                        Re: Special challenge to Jean Hebert

                        i think it is quite clear that these players are using computer assistance to solve the problem. After 30 minutes of deliberation, I managed to find the solution.
                        i rep back 3+

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                        • #13
                          Re : Re: Special challenge to Jean Hebert

                          Originally posted by Kevin Me View Post
                          i think it is quite clear that these players are using computer assistance to solve the problem. After 30 minutes of deliberation, I managed to find the solution.
                          I guess it depends on whether someone is used to solve problems or not... There are only a few possible moves. This is the kind of problem that I would give to a kid (at about 1500 level) with maybe 2 minutes to solve it. If he can't find it in that time, I would strongly suggest him to do much more tactics online.

                          The other problem was also interesting, although once again there was a single move that made sense (1.a6). Still, I might use it with kids at a 1200 level, to show some interesting ideas in endgames.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Special challenge to Jean Hebert

                            Originally posted by John Upper View Post
                            Alan, I think you are underestimating how quickly good moves occur to strong players. There is one dead obvious move here, and I doubt it will take an IM more than a couple of seconds to see it. It might take slightly longer to check the variations, but I'd expect to find this in a blitz game.

                            FWIW, it took me under 10 sec to find and check all the continuations (incl. ...Qh1+)
                            No, I realize that these are extremely easy to solve for players of even modest strength but they are good to teach kids with as I said before.

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                            • #15
                              Re: Special challenge to Jean Hebert

                              Originally posted by Jean Hébert View Post
                              I am so sorry to hear it (that it is your only problem composition). Have you really tried ? :)
                              No, I have only really thought about endgame studies because the concepts are much deeper and more instructive than mate problems. Besides with computers finding all the mates these days, proving an endgame study valid is much more complicated and rewarding. I am sure the audience would be extremely interested in trying to solve one of your original studies. Thanks for your input to this chat site. A player of your strength improves all of us lesser mortals who read and digest what you say. Despite the strength of computers, strong players have insights that computers just can't give us.

                              Alan

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