Chess puzzle

Chess problems and puzzles

The longstanding popularity of chess has paved the way for a rich tradition of chess-related puzzles and composed problems. These puzzles assume a familiarity with the pieces and rules of chess, but set different objectives than a standard game. For example, one might be called upon to deduce the last move played, or the location of a missing piece, or whether some player has lost the right to castle. Sometimes the objective is antithetical to normal chess, such as helping (or even compelling) the opponent to checkmate one's own king.

The most common chess puzzle takes the form of checkmate in N moves. Such puzzles may derive from studies which were intended to help a student of the game learn how to seal a victory, but have since evolved into an entirely separate art. The puzzle positions are seldom similar to positions from actual play, and the challenge is not to find a winning move, but rather to find the (usually unique) move which forces checkmate as rapidly as possible.