Carlsen Problem

[NigelDonovan]

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.

"Nxe7" (5)

1 Nh4, Nxg6, Nd5, Ndxe7
2 Ne5, Nxg6, Nd5, Ndxe7
3 Bc4, Ng5, Nxf7, Nd5, Nxe7
4 Bc4, Ne5, Nxf7, Nd5, Nxe7
5 Bh6, Bxg7, Bxf6, Nd5, Nxe7

"Qxh7" (3)

6 Bg5, Bxf6, Ng5, Qh5, Qxh7
7 Ng5, e5, exf6, Qh5, Qxh7
8 Ng5, Qf3, Qxf6, Qxg6, Qxh7

"P covers g7" (2)

9 e5, exf6, Qd2, Qh6, Qxg7
10 e5, exf6, Qd3, Qxg6, Qxg7

"N covers g7" (10)

11 Nh4, Qd2, Qh6, Nf5, Qxg7
12 Nh4, Qh5, Qh6, Nf5, Qxg7
13 Nh4, Qh5, Qxg6, Nf5, Qxg7
14 Nh4, Qg4, Qxg6, Nf5, Qxg7
15 Nh4, Qf3, Qxf6, Nf5, Qxg7
16 Ng5, Ne6, Qd2, Qh6, Qxg7
17 Ng5, Ne6, Qh5, Qh6, Qxg7
18 Ng5, Ne6, Qh5, Qxg6, Qxg7
19 Ng5, Ne6, Qg4, Qxg6, Qxg7
20 Ng5, Ne6, Qf3, Qxf6, Qxg7

"B covers g7" (22)

21 Bg5, Bxf6, Qd2, Qh6, Qxg7
22 Bh6, e5, exf6, fxg7, gxf8(Q) or (R)
23 Bh6, Qd2, Qg5, Qxg6, Qxg7
24 Bh6, Qd2, Qg5, Qxf6, Qxg7
25 Bh6, Qd2, Qf4, Qxf6, Qxg7
26 Qd2, Qh6, Qxg6, Bh6, Qxg7
27 Bh6, d5, Qd4, Qxf6, Qxg7
28 Bh6, e5, Qd3, Qxg6, Qxg7
29 Bh6, Nh4, Qf3, Qxf6, Qxg7
30 Bh6, Nh4, Qg4, Qxg6, Qxg7
31 Bh6, Nh4, Qh5, Qxg6, Qxg7
32 Bh6, Ne5, Qf3, Qxf6, Qxg7
33 Bh6, Ne5, Qg4, Qxg6, Qxg7
34 Bh6, Ne5, Qh5, Qxg6, Qxg7
35 Bh6, Ng1, Qf3, Qxf6, Qxg7
36 Bh6, Ng1, Qg4, Qxg6, Qxg7
37 Bh6, Ng1, Qh5, Qxg6, Qxg7
38 Bh6, Ng5, Qf3, Qxf6, Qxg7
39 Bh6, Ng5, Qh5, Qxg6, Qxg7
40 Bh6, Nd2, Qf3, Qxf6, Qxg7
41 Bh6, Nd2, Qg4, Qxg6, Qxg7
42 Bh6, Nd2, Qh5, Qxg6, Qxg7

It was only when I did this, and found there were 9 in the "N covers g7" category, that I realised there was one missing. I'm fun at parties.

[Matthew Turner]

More fun than Jason, if you've ever seen Dial M for Middlesborough

[Matthew Turner]

How about 'Bishop covers f8'
e5 exf6 fxg7 Bh6 gxf8

[NigelDonovan]

I've included that in "B covers g7"

[Matthew Turner]

my bad, sorry

[NigelDonovan]

43 Bg5 Bxf6 Qc1 Qh6 Qxg7
44 Bh6 Qc1 Qg5 Qxg6 Qxg7
45 Bh6 Qc1 Qg5 Qxf6 Qxg7
46 Bh6 Qc1 Qf4 Qxf6 Qxg7

[Matthew Turner]

Is this mate in 5?
Ng5 Qh5 Nd5 Nxf6+ (Qxh7)

[NigelDonovan]

I was assuming that check is not allowed (only mate).

[Chris Rice]

Yes sorry Matthew in Progressive Chess a check breaks the sequence and gives the opponent the move.

[Matthew Turner]

Chris,
The point here was that I can give the opponent the move and it is still mate in 5. I know it is dodgy but I am scraping the bottom of the barrel for another solution.

[Chris Rice]

Chris,
The point here was that I can give the opponent the move and it is still mate in 5. I know it is dodgy but I am scraping the bottom of the barrel for another solution.

But Matthew once the check comes in, the sequence is stopped, it's Black's turn and he's got six moves. I can only advise that you continue scraping or find another barrel