Chess problem

A chess problem, formally called a chess composition, is a puzzle set by somebody using chess pieces on a chess board, presenting the solver with a particular task to be achieved. For instance, a position might be given with the instruction that white is to move first, and checkmate black in two moves against any possible defence. A person who creates such problems is known as a "composer". There is a good deal of specialised jargon used in chess problems; see chess problem terminology for a list.

Related Topics:
Chess pieces - Chess - Chess problem terminology

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Exactly what constitutes a chess problem is, to a degree, open to debate. However, the kinds of things published in the problem section of chess magazines, in specialist chess problem magazines, and in collections of chess problems in book form, tend to have certain common characteristics:

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• The position is composed - that is, it has not been taken from an actual game, but has been invented for the specific purpose of providing a problem.
• There is a specific aim, for example, to checkmate black within a specified number of moves.
• There is a theme and the problem is aesthetically pleasing. A problem's theme is an underlying idea, giving coherence and beauty to its solution.

Problems can be contrasted with tactical puzzles often found in chess columns or magazines in which the task is to find the best move or sequence of moves (usually leading to mate or gain of material) from a given position. Such puzzles are often taken from actual games, or at least have positions which look as if they could have arisen during a game, and are used for instructional purposes; problems, on the other hand, are invented positions, often with very "artificial" looking positions and solutions, not likely to arise in a game, and are appreciated more for their aesthetic than their instructional qualities.

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Chess problem: Types of problem ►