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3 Most Tricky Mate-in-1 Positions Ever

05.17.2014

Tags: chess tactics, mate in one, tricky chess

We present 3 the most tricky mate-in-1 problems you will ever see. To solve these tactical wonders you don’t need to be a very strong chess player.

All you need to know is the basic chess rules and possess some imagination and intuition.

Mate in one tricky problem #1

tricky mate in 1 - 1

White to move and mate in 1

Mate in one tricky problem #2

tricky mate in 1 - 2

White to move and mate in 1

Mate in one tricky problem #3

tricky mate in 1 - 3

White to move and NOT checkmate in 1

***

Solutions (in case if you’re totally puzzled):

Problem 1. 1.dxe6# The previous move for white was Bb2+ and black blocked the check by moving his pawn from e7 to e5. This allows white to capture the black pawn on e5 via en passant for checkmate.

Problem 2. 1.Qg6#. In this game players started the game on the reversed chess board.

Problem 3. Rc6+ is the only move that is not a checkmate.

***

From the book, “Totally Puzzled: Hard & Easy, Rich & Rare, Old & New Puzzles,” by John Herron

Totally Puzzled is a collection of nearly 1000 old and new puzzles that will entertain you for days. Each puzzle is clearly presented with hints and a detailed solution.

The puzzles range from fairly easy to extremely difficult, with sections on space, time, money, games, language, logistics, math, words, questions & enigmas. There is something for everyone. If you really love puzzles and you want a new and exciting challenge, this is the book for you!

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Updated 10.01.2023

Comments:

Aariv Pandey:

in problem 3, Rh6+, Rg7+, Rf6+, Re6+, Rd6+, Rb6+, Ra6+, ALONG with Rc6+, are NOT mate as they are all checks that can be blocked by the pawn on G5, (example: Rf6+ --- G7)

Bug Reporter:

second puzzle does not work, the board is not flipped

chess4life:

Even if we think the board's not inverted, if you promote to queen, kg5 can be played. So its not mate in 1

Pen Is:

It was the easiest puzzle ever if you didn't solve it their must be something wrong in your brain.

your wrong:

no your wrong his upside down dumb

Shay:

On number two, you can get the pawn in for a queen, and that's mate in one.

Shay:

I solved number 2 right away, it isn't that hard.

Alex:

RxH7 you mention is illegal as rook is pinned.

Yury Markushin:

I agree they aren't "totally fair". Although they are great for developing imagination and out-of-the-box thinking.

Zwangzug:

Great puzzles! (I've seen #1 before though.) #3 is the only one that is totally fair, but these were billed as tricky, not fair, so I won't complain. I also won't complain because I solved all of them eventually, and now I feel smarter than many below :) (but I don't want to admit how long I looked for a stalemate in #2, after noticing only "mate" was specified in the rules.)

Kevin:

This is really lousy. 1) Chess problem rules clearly state that en passant assumptions are not possible, unless the last move is proven, by retro analysis, to be the double step pawn move. In this case, retro analysis does NOT prove the last black move (nor the white bishop check prior to that). Therefore, the problem is unsound. 2) Bad idea to show this with coordinates on the board. I like these kind of joke problems, but there are far more tricky examples. 3) This is nearly a plagiarism. a) You do not credit the composer [Karl Fabel, Ratselstunde 1952]. b) You show his diagram wrong: B1n1n1KR/1r5B/6R1/2b1p1p1/2P1k1P1/1p2P2p/1P2P2P/3N1N2 w - - 0 1 Conclusion: Do not buy this book.

Barry:

Problem two is a fraud as the chessboard clearly showed ranks 1 through 8 on the left edge of the board. Problem three has two answers ; Rc6# is NOT the only move as Rxg5# is not mate as Rxh7 stops mate in one.

John:

For5 puzzle 2 you need to change the board so that all the blue squares are white and all the white squares are blue. As it is it is not valid. I actually thought maybe it's a reversed board so I checked the parity of the squares before dismissing it as an idea.

Swastik:

I didn't get problem 3.

Julius Baldenero:

Problem #1dxe6 e.p #Problem #3Rc6

Chris F:

Enough readers here have trashed #2, and deservedly so. I will dispose #1 as having no relevance.By the conventions of puzzle composition, 1. dxe6# is allowed only if the legality of the position depends on e7-e5 being Black's last move. This is obviously not true here. For example, White's previous move may have been Qg5, to which Black responded Rh7.

Tom White:

Yes, failed. But so annoying. All it demonstrates is that normal chess problems are premised on reasonable assumptions. Arguably one should get number 1 - but the second one is really stupid. Waste of time.

mightyJUNJUN:

In Problem 3. It's Bxb7#. :lol:

yudhie:

problem no 2 is not correct because the only way the pawn can depends queen in that position is in f2 but is clearly shown from the board that the pawn is in f7. i will show you the right way. queen f4 check mate end of story

Ian:

What about in #3, K - F8?

Fernando Sampaio:

Problem nº 1 dxe5 e.p.#

Yury:

It's a tricky problem, remember? Problem 2. 1.Qg6#. In this game players started the game on the reversed chess board.

zhyar:

pr0blem no2 is wrong because the white's pawn on the f7 square cannot defend g6.

Yury:

Why isn't it possible? Pawn promotion to a second bishop. :-)

Hetor:

Trick problem #3 is not correct because it is not possible to have both bishops on the white boxes.

hassan alalfy:

1/ dxe6 unpassant with discover check from Bb2 as the last black move was pawn e7 to e52/Qg6 as the board is rotated or black played from bottom3/Rg6 to c6

David J:

not possible

Kovi:

#1 [b]Qf6[/b]...pawn in h5 is promoted as R or Q...:) #2 [b]Qf4[/b]...pawn in f7 is promoted as B...:)#3 [b]Rf8[/b]...just continue castling...:)

Samael:

#1 dxe6++#2 Qb3++#3 1. Rc6 , Rxh7. =)I can not find others solutions

Ghayth:

En Passant

Seba:

...nice, I found them all, but the 2# is not fully correct, it has to be without the coordinates...(maybe a nice lead too)

chessbibliophile:

Dear friends,Remember rules of chess :-)

Yury:

Hello everyone, the diagrams are correct. Think outside the box and you will solve it! :-) Then you can test it on your chess friends!

Stigma:

Are you sure it was a good idea to have coordinates on these diagrams?

Rodrigo:

I can't mate in 1 on #2...Is it really possible?

karthik:

i m afraid problem num 1 is not a mate in 1

Nawwar:

[b]Not possible !![/b]