Puzzle Walk Part 2: Puzzles from the 1830s

Puzzle Walk Part 2: Puzzles from the 1830s

Avatar of SelmaKnight
| 0

This post is a continuation of delving into chess author George Walker's body of work (1803 – 1879), specifically it will translate the next 10 puzzles in his set of 50 puzzles published in his book "New Treatise on Chess" from 1832 (link goes to archive.org) .

My previous Walker post are available below, including one with the first 10 puzzles in the set:

These puzzles were translated from 1830s descriptive notation used in George Walker's book. Some puzzles come with stipulations from the author that make the puzzle more unique and challenging (e.g. instead of the fastest mate, the mate must come with a pawn). When this is the case the rules will be listed with the puzzle. Puzzles are from white's perspective unless noted otherwise.

Puzzles 11-20:


Puzzle 11:

  • White must mate with the pawn that starts on g6
  • White cannot capture Black's pawn
  • Mate in 6
  • Text Solution

Puzzle 12:

  • Mate must be delivered from the pawn that starts on e6
  • White cannot move their king
  • White Cannot make a second queen
  • Black, if able, can only promote to a queen
  • Mate in 7
  • Solution

Puzzle 13:


Puzzle 14:


Puzzle 15:


Puzzle 16:

  • White cannot capture black's h pawn
  • White must deliver checkmate with their pawn
  • Mate in 6
  • Solution

Puzzle 17:

  • White to mate in 7
    • The Puzzle starts with black to move
    • Author provides black a blunder that allows mate in 7 for white
    • The puzzle starts with black to move (you must incorporate their provided move into your visualization to solve)
    • The puzzle starts with black playing d5
  • Solution

Puzzle 18:


Puzzle 19:

  • The original text has the puzzle as a mate in 9
  • The engine shows a mate in 5
    • I am not sure if there was an error in the puzzle: either with my conversion, the solution, the puzzle setup or with missing puzzle stipulations.
  • Solution (both the more forcing engine mate-in-5, and variations on the provided text mate-in-9 solution)
  • The original text is provided below as well, so feel free to check and see if I missed anything

Puzzle 19 Original Text:


Puzzle 20:

  • This puzzle is not a mating puzzle.
  • The puzzle is to find the winning continuation for white.
  • Text solution is 4 moves deep
  • Text Solution (and a few side variations)