Carlsen Problem

[Chris Rice]

I have been attending a ECU teaching course with Jesper Hall and John Foley over the last couple of days. During the course it transpired that Norway wasn't really geared up to help juniors when Magnus first started showing promise and they ended up reaching out to Sweden to provide him with some proper professional coaching. In stepped Jesper and he coached him till he was about 11 and is still coaching the Norwegian chess team even now.

Anyway Jesper showed us a problem he gave to young Magnus:

rnb2rk1/pp1pppbp/1qp2np1/8/3PP3/2N2N2/PPP2PPP/R1BQKB1R w KQ - 0 1

This is a Progressive chess problem. It is White to play and you can play up to 5 moves with White in a row to find a checkmate. I say that because there is a mate in 4 in there as well eg Nh4xg6 and Nd5xe7 mate. Jesper asked Magnus to find as many checkmates as he could and he found 13.

[IM Jack Rudd]

Ooh, this looks like a fun challenge.
Nh4, Nxg6, Nd5, Ndxe7
Ne5, Nxg6, Nd5, Ndxe7
e5, exf6, Qd2, Qh6, Qxg7
Bg5, Bxf6, Qd2, Qh6, Qxg7
e5, exf6, Qd3, Qxg6, Qxg7
e5, exf6, exg7, Bh6, gxf8Q
Bh6, Qd2, Qg5, Qxg6, Qxg7
Bh6, Qd2, Qg5, Qxf6, Qxg7
Bh6, Qd2, Qf4, Qxf6, Qxg7
Nh4, Nf5, Qd2, Qh6, Qxg7
Bh6, d5, Qd4, Qxd6, Qxg7
Bc4, Ng5, Nxf7, Nd5, Nxe7
Bc4, Ne5, Nxf7, Nd5, Nxe7

[E Michael White]

Think I can find a few more than that Jack but its a bit late for tonight !

[NigelDonovan]

Jack has 13. I can see another 13 (not including a3, Nh4, Nxg6, Nd5, Ndxe7 - a4, Nh4, Nxg6, Nd5, Ndxe7 etc).

[NigelDonovan]

Just found another one. 27 in total.

[NigelDonovan]

29 now

[NigelDonovan]

30

[NigelDonovan]

32

[NigelDonovan]

I've got 34. Do I win a prize?

[Michael Farthing]

Well Nigel, I think we will have to submit your solutions to Mr Ken Regan before that can be considered!

[NigelDonovan]

OK here you go. I haven't included gxf8(R). I think I've avoided transpositions.

Nh4, Nxg6, Nd5, Ndxe7
Ne5, Nxg6, Nd5, Ndxe7
e5, exf6, Qd2, Qh6, Qxg7
Bg5, Bxf6, Qd2, Qh6, Qxg7
e5, exf6, Qd3, Qxg6, Qxg7
e5, exf6, exg7, Bh6, gxf8Q
Bh6, Qd2, Qg5, Qxg6, Qxg7
Bh6, Qd2, Qg5, Qxf6, Qxg7
Bh6, Qd2, Qf4, Qxf6, Qxg7
Nh4, Nf5, Qd2, Qh6, Qxg7
Bh6, d5, Qd4, Qxf6, Qxg7
Bc4, Ng5, Nxf7, Nd5, Nxe7
Bc4, Ne5, Nxf7, Nd5, Nxe7
Bh6, Bxg7, Bxf6, Nd5, Nxe7
Bg5, Bxf6, Ng5, Qh5, Qxh7
Ng5, e5, exf6, Qh5, Qxh7
Nh4, Nf5, Qh5, Qh6, Qxg7
Nh4, Nf5, Qh5, Qxg6, Qxg7
Nh4, Nf5, Qg4, Qxg6, Qxg7
Ng5, Ne6, Qh5, Qh6, Qxg7
Ng5, Ne6, Qh5, Qxg6, Qxg7
Ng5, Ne6, Qg4, Qxg6, Qxg7
Ng5, Ne6, Qf3, Qxf6, Qxg7
Nh4, Qf3, Qxf6, Bh6, Qxg7
Nh4, Qg4, Qxg6, Bh6, Qxg7
Nh4, Qh5, Qxg6, Bh6, Qxg7
Ne5, Qf3, Qxf6, Bh6, Qxg7
Ne5, Qg4, Qxg6, Bh6, Qxg7
Ne5, Qh5, Qxg6, Bh6, Qxg7
Ng1, Qf3, Qxf6, Bh6, Qxg7
Ng1, Qg4, Qxg6, Bh6, Qxg7
Ng1, Qh5, Qxg6, Bh6, Qxg7
Nh4, Qf3, Qxf6, Nf5, Qxg7
Qd2, Qh6, Qxg6, Bh6, Qxg7

[Kevin Thurlow]

"I've got 34. Do I win a prize?"

You deserve one!

[Chris Rice]

I have to admit I showed Nigel the position during an online poker session a few hours before I posted it here. Nigel is way above your average chess problem solver but he has outdone himself here! I remember another chess problem I set him which stumps most people but Nigel got the answer within a couple of minutes:

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/7K/5P2/PPPPP1PP/RNBQ1BNR w kq - 0 5

White's moves were 1 f3 2 Kf2 3 Kg3 4 Kh4 and Black's 4th move was checkmate. What were Black's 4 moves?

[Matt Mackenzie]

I have a solution, but it involves Black making a capture - I assume that is allowed?

[NigelDonovan]

I have another 5 solutions to the original problem.

Bh6, Ng5, Qh5, Qxg6, Qxg7
Bh6, Ng5, Qf3, Qxf6, Qxg7
Bh6, Nd2, Qh5, Qxg6, Qxg7
Bh6, Nd2, Qg4, Qxg6, Qxg7
Bh6, Nd2, Qf3, Qxf6, Qxg7