Solution

(related to Problem: Queer Chess)

a356

If you place the pieces as follows (where only a portion of the board is given, to save space), the Black king is in check, with no possible move open to him. The reader will now see why I avoided the term "checkmate," apart from the fact that there is no White king. The position is impossible in the game of chess because Black could not be given check by both rooks at the same time, nor could he have moved into check on his last move.

I believe the position was first published by the late S. Loyd.


Thank you to the contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0!

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References

Project Gutenberg

  1. Dudeney, H. E.: "Amusements in Mathematics", The Authors' Club, 1917

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