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.
8/7p/8/k7/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQ - 0 1
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Serial helpstalemate in 11
[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 *
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2 .
8/7p/8/8/1k6/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQ - 0 1
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Serial helpstalemate in 11
[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 *
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3.
8/6p1/8/8/3k4/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQ - 0 1
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Serial helpstalemate in 11
[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 *
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4.
8/1p6/8/8/3k4/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQ - 0 1
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Serial helpstalemate in 11
[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 *
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5.
8/p7/8/8/7k/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQ - 0 1
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Serial helpstalemate in 9
[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 *
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6.
8/p7/8/8/4k3/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQ - 0 1
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Serial helpmate in 11
[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# *
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