Helpmate

A helpmate is a kind of chess problem in which black moves first and helps white to checkmate him within a specified number of moves. In a helpmate in two (sometimes abbreviated to h#2), for example, the solution consists of a black move, a white move, a black move, and then another white move, giving checkmate. It should be noted that although the two sides are cooperating, all moves must be legal according to the rules of chess.

Related Topics:
Chess problem - Rules of chess

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The example problem to the right is a helpmate in eight by Z. Maslar, published in Die Schwalbe in 1981. The solution is:

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:1.Kf3 Kd3 2.Bb3 Kc3 3.Ke4+ Kd2 4.Kd4 Ke2 5.Kc3 Nb4 6.Kb2 Kd2 7.Ka1 Kc1 8.Ba2 Nc2#

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Note that in helpmate solutions, black's move is given first, which is the opposite to normal algebraic notation.

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