<whiteshark> Black got off easy in #1. White could have chosen 1.Nd4+ winning the bishop instead, in which case he would have had to suffer for another twenty moves or so before being mated.

<YouRang> I'm glad somebody else finally appreciated #4; most people I've shown it to don't get the joke.

<WannaBe> Just to show you how such things can happen, here's the full score of #6:

(1103) - (1110) [B32]
Michigan Class DE Detroit (4), 14.01.1996

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Bc4 e6 5.Nxd4 Nf6 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.e5 Ne4 8.Nd2 Nxd2 9.Bxd2 d5 10.exd6 Bxd6 11.Bc3 0-0 12.Qd2 Qc7 13.0-0-0 Bf4 14.g3 Bxd2+ 15.Rxd2 a5 16.Rhd1 Ba6 17.Bxa6 Rxa6 18.f4 Raa8 19.Be5 Qb6 20.a4 Rfd8 21.Bd4 c5 22.Bxc5 Qc7 23.Bd4 Qd7 24.Bb6 Qxd2+ 25.Rxd2 Rxd2 26.Kxd2 Ra6 27.Bd4 Rd6 28.c3 f6 29.Ke2 Rd7 30.b3 Rd5 31.Bb6 e5 32.c4 Rd6 33.c5 Re6 34.f5 e4 35.fxe6 Kf8 36.Bd8 Ke8 37.e7 f5 38.c6 g5 39.c7 f4 40.gxf4 gxf4 41.c8Q e3 42.Qc6+ Kf7 43.e8Q+ 1-0

And, perapas appropriately, the last set. In celebration, there are two extra selections!

<#1: BLACK TO PLAY>

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Obviously unhappy with drawing an opposite-colored bishops ending, Black succeeded in finding winning chances with <1...Bg1?? 2.c7>. Too bad they weren't his winning chances.

<#2: WHITE TO PLAY>

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It's never too late for a back rank mate: <1.Bg6?? Ra1+>.

<#3: BLACK TO PLAY>

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Anxious to push the g-pawn, Black tried <1...Kf6??>. Alas, White pushed his g-pawn first with <2.g3>, and with much more effect.

<#4: WHITE TO PLAY>

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Yes, White missed 1.Qh6# and went on to lose quickly after <1.Nh3?? Qe1+>

<#5: BLACK TO PLAY>

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This time Black did find <1...Ne4#>, but still went on to lose! White, evidently a member of the You Can't Win A Game Of Chess By Being Checkmated School, played <2.Kc3> anyway. Though obviously confused, Black still seized the opportunity to play <2...Nd5+>, the first double check from two knights in the history of chess. White responded <3.Kb3> and was able to survive the attack and win in another ten moves.

<#6: BLACK TO PLAY>

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Irritated by the knight, Black decided to chase it away with a pawn move. Unfortunately, he decided on <1...f6?? 2.Ne6+>.

<#7: WHITE TO PLAY>

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White spied a brillancy and played <1.Qxg7+??>, intending 1...Kxg7 2.Nf5+. You saw the rook on a7, didn't you?

<#8: BLACK TO PLAY>

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It's kinda sad that the momentous occasion of a double-check with two knights went by without the appropriate fanfare. They should have at least stopped to share a drink and make a toast.

<YouRang> I hate to explode your fantasy, but the players were two pre-teens rated 690 and 495 respectively. Perhaps Black just figured that the high-rated player with White knew what was going on.

<TheAlchemist: By the way, what happens in such a situation, is the score 1-0 still counted (since I guess both signed their sheets) or is there a chance for appeal?>

It's an interesting question. If the illegal move had been noted during the game, the game would have reverted to the position in question. After the game is over, I think the result stands. After all, if a checkmate appears on the board and nobody notices, is there actually a checkmate?

There has to be some latitude, however. Else you could have games starting <1.e4. e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.Qxf7#>, and White claims that, with the game over due to checkmate, the illegal move cannot be corrected. That claim would be thrown out immediately, though perhaps Black should be given the option of responding with an illegal move of his own like Pg7xf7.

I do know that the illegal move was not noticed at the tournament, possibly because this was the next-to-bottom board in the last round and nobody was paying much attention. When the scoresheets from the tournament came to me I saw the problem immediately, but I long ago learned to (as we say in the U.S.) "Let sleeping dogs lie".

You see, I once found an error in tiebreaking the day after a tournament which affected a number of trophy winners, and made the mistake of mentioning it to a few people. A protest was lodged, and the tournament director wound up having to take trophies from some players to give to others.

Here are three cases in point, all of which occurred in the same year.

Case #1: White has just sacrificed a piece for a winning attack. Black, thinking it a blunder, has already relaxed and makes an illegal move. White stops the clocks to correct the move. Black interprets this as resignation, and extends his hand--which White interprets as Black resigning. The players shake hands, turn in their scoresheets, and go off to the skittles room to analyze.

Several minutes later, one very confused tournament director walks in. "Who won your game?"

"I did", both players respond, in unison.

The game resumed and it turned out that White was right.

Case #2: two players mumble and shake hands. White writes down <1-0> on his scoresheet, Black writes <½-½>.

"Whaddya mean draw?", asks White. "Why I just make this move and you're busted."

"No way", says Black. "I play here and I hold easily."

""But doesn't this win then?" says White, making another move.

"No; I just go here. Easy draw".

So the players stood at the board and conducted a post mortem of the final position to determine the result. By the time a director could get there they had agreed to a draw, which result was allowed to stand.

Case #3: White is two pieces down, but has a bit of an attack going. He optimistically offers a draw. Black replies, "No, I'd like to think about it."

A few minutes later Black decides that continuing would be too risky, so he accepted the draw.

"You can't accept the draw now--you already declined it."

"I didn't decline the offer; I just wanted to think about it."

"You said 'No'; that's a refusal."

"OK, OK, I offer you a draw."

"I decline; I don't want a draw now!"

The newest composition task he has set is constructing a position where White has the most legal moves of which all but one are mate on the move, while the final move <forces> black to deliver mate in one. Here's the current leader:

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Obviously. promoted pieces are allowed, but the position does appear to be legal. At any rate, 51 of White's 52 legal moves are mate on the move, while #52--The Worst Move--forces Black to deliver mate in one.

It took me several mintues to find the loser; you might want to see how quickly you can spot it. On the othr hand, maybe you don't want to try!