April Fools Problems from Pal Benko

GM Pal Benko recently contributed Apri Fools problems to the April edition of Chess Life Magazine, in which you are challenged to construct checkmates. Here find another type of wacky problem, helpmates and help stalemates where both parties cooperate. But only Black makes the preparation moves , so White can deliver a mate or stalemate in the last move to Black. The solutions are illustrated with White moving her knight back and forth. Don’t be an April fool ! You can solve them easily. 1.

Serial helpstalemate in 11 Show Solution

[pgn]

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Problem 1"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/7p/8/k7/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQ - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]

1. Nc3 h5 2. Nb1 h4 3. Nc3 h3 4. Nb1 hxg2 5. Nc3 gxh1=B 6. Nb1 Bf3 7. Nc3 Bxe2
8. Nb1 Bd3 9. Nc3 Bxc2 10. Nb1 Bb3 11. Qxb3 *[/pgn]

Serial helpstalemate in 11 Show Solution

[pgn]

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Problem 2"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/7p/8/8/1k6/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQ - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[EventDate "2017.??.??"]

1. Nc3 h5 2. Nb1 h4 3. Nc3 h3 4. Nb1 hxg2 5. Nc3 gxh1=B 6. Nb1 Bd5 7. Nc3 Bxa2
8. Nb1 Bc4 9. Nc3 Bxe2 10. Nb1 Bh5 11. Qxh5 *[/pgn]

Serial helpstalemate in 11 Show Solution

[pgn]

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Problem 3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6p1/8/8/3k4/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQ - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[EventDate "2017.??.??"]

1. Nc3 g5 2. Nb1 g4 3. Nc3 g3 4. Nb1 gxh2 5. Nc3 hxg1=N 6. Nb1 Nh3 7. Nc3 Nxf2
8. Nb1 Ne4 9. Nc3 Nxd2 10. Nb1 Ke3 11. Rh4 *[/pgn]

Serial helpstalemate in 11 Show Solution

[pgn]

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Problem 4"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1p6/8/8/3k4/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQ - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[EventDate "2017.??.??"]

1. Nh3 b5 2. Ng1 b4 3. Nh3 b3 4. Ng1 bxc2 5. Nh3 cxb1=N 6. Ng1 Nc3 7. Nh3 Nxe2
8. Ng1 Kd3 9. Qa4 *

[/pgn]

Serial helpstalemate in 9 Show Solution

[pgn]

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Problem 5"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p7/8/8/7k/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQ - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[EventDate "2017.??.??"]

1. Nc3 a5 2. Nb1 a4 3. Nc3 a3 4. Nb1 axb2 5. Nc3 bxc1=N 6. Nb1 Nxe2 7. Nc3 Nf4
8. Nb1 Nh3 9. Nxh3 *

[/pgn]

Serial helpmate in 11 Show Solution

[pgn]

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Problem 6"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p7/8/8/4k3/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQ - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[EventDate "2017.??.??"]

1. Nf3 a5 2. Ng1 a4 3. Nf3 a3 4. Ng1 axb2 5. Nf3 bxa1=R 6. Ng1 Rxa2 7. Nf3 Rxc2
8. Ng1 Rxd2 9. Nf3 Rd5 10. Ng1 Re5 11. Qd3# *[/pgn]