What was the hardest puzzle you ever saw?

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ChessieSystem101

I want to see some hard puzzles for fun. Post any you got!

Not that I would solve any!

KeSetoKaiba

I don't have the puzzle on hand (perhaps someone will recognize the one I am referring to), but the hardest puzzle is this puzzle I saw was a forced mate in something like 150 moves! Basically, one side was trying to force zugswang and the puzzle involved a King march across the board along a specific path and then returning along that path to burn a tempo. The opponent is then forced to push a pawn. The cycles repeats; again; again; again ... you get the idea. The creator of the puzzle must have been a mathematician (or computer generated), but these things make me think that some people have too much time on their hands grin.png

n9531l1

I think the best hard puzzles are the ones with only a few pieces on the board. See what you can do with this one. If it's too easy, I'll give a harder one.

White to play and win

 

Mr_Alex_Pims
Hard... I think it’s Ke3, followed by c3
Mr_Alex_Pims
I mean, Kg4. Ke3 is what black plays
n9531l1

Yes, if you take White and play Kg4, I will play Ke3. The OP wanted to see hard puzzles, so I assume he is also working on solving this one.

ChessieSystem101

welp, im trying to.

luke623
KeSetoKaiba wrote:

I don't have the puzzle on hand (perhaps someone will recognize the one I am referring to), but the hardest puzzle is this puzzle I saw was a forced mate in something like 150 moves! Basically, one side was trying to force zugswang and the puzzle involved a King march across the board along a specific path and then returning along that path to burn a tempo. The opponent is then forced to push a pawn. The cycles repeats; again; again; again ... you get the idea. The creator of the puzzle must have been a mathematician (or computer generated), but these things make me think that some people have too much time on their hands

I think you're referring to this monstrosity of a puzzle:

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/more-puzzles/longest-checkmate-problem-290-move

Chef-KOdAwAri
n9531l1 wrote:

I think the best hard puzzles are the ones with only a few pieces on the board. See what you can do with this one. If it's too easy, I'll give a harder one.

 

 

1. Kg4 Ke3 2. c3 Ke4 3. Kg5 Ke5 4. Kg6 Ke6 5. Kg7 Kf5 6. Kf8 Ke5 7. Kf7 c4 8.
Ke7 Kd5 9. Kd7 Kc5 10. Kc7 Kb5 11. Kd6 Kb6 12. Kd5 Kb5 13. Ke4 Kc5 14. Ke5 Kc6
15. Kd4 Kb5 16. Kd5 Kb6 17. Kxc4..... then it's a simple mate in like 18.

White to play and win

 

 

ChessieSystem101
Lenudan wrote:
n9531l1 wrote:

I think the best hard puzzles are the ones with only a few pieces on the board. See what you can do with this one. If it's too easy, I'll give a harder one.

 

 

1. Kg4 Ke3 2. c3 Ke4 3. Kg5 Ke5 4. Kg6 Ke6 5. Kg7 Kf5 6. Kf8 Ke5 7. Kf7 c4 8.
Ke7 Kd5 9. Kd7 Kc5 10. Kc7 Kb5 11. Kd6 Kb6 12. Kd5 Kb5 13. Ke4 Kc5 14. Ke5 Kc6
15. Kd4 Kb5 16. Kd5 Kb6 17. Kxc4..... then it's a simple mate in like 18.

White to play and win

 

 

Hmm.... I dont know but lets try this..

 

n9531l1

White had a lot of choices, but his first six moves were each the only move to win, making it a hard one to solve without computer help. Many people will try 2. Kf5, but after 2...Kd2 3. c3 Kc2 4. b4 c4, the white king at f5 is just outside the winning zone for the resulting Queen vs bishop pawn on 7th rank ending.

Here's another one that's hard to solve without computer help.

White to play and win

 

KeSetoKaiba
luke623 wrote:
KeSetoKaiba wrote:

I don't have the puzzle on hand (perhaps someone will recognize the one I am referring to), but the hardest puzzle is this puzzle I saw was a forced mate in something like 150 moves! Basically, one side was trying to force zugswang and the puzzle involved a King march across the board along a specific path and then returning along that path to burn a tempo. The opponent is then forced to push a pawn. The cycles repeats; again; again; again ... you get the idea. The creator of the puzzle must have been a mathematician (or computer generated), but these things make me think that some people have too much time on their hands

I think you're referring to this monstrosity of a puzzle:

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/more-puzzles/longest-checkmate-problem-290-move

Thank you, I think that was the puzzle I meant. I first saw this puzzle done with a physical board (but obviously we didn't go through every move). It still took super long to explain the solution, but we had shortcuts in explanation such as hovering the King and motioning the route for x moves then placing it down. 

It certainly is a monstrous puzzle as you described it. 

Pikelemi
ChessieSystem101 wrote:

I want to see some hard puzzles for fun. Post any you got!

Not that I would solve any!

 

 

This one: White to move and win:

 

 

KeSetoKaiba
Pikelemi wrote:
ChessieSystem101 wrote:

I want to see some hard puzzles for fun. Post any you got!

Not that I would solve any!

 

 

This one: White to move and win:

Fair enough, I'm still trying to solve this one. In fact, the "solution" may actually be that it is a draw with best play. In that case I give this same puzzle, but instead with Black to play and draw after White's first move: please include all mainlines and variations grin.png

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