Chess problem: Difference between revisions

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A '''chess problem''', also called a '''chess composition''', is a [[Chess puzzle|puzzle]] created by the composer using [[chess piece]]s on a [[chessboard]], which presents the solver with a particular task. For instance, a position may be given with the instruction that White is to move first, and [[checkmate]] Black in two moves against any possible defence. A chess problem fundamentally differs from {{chessgloss|over-the-board}} play in that the latter involves a struggle between Black and White, whereas the former involves a competition between the composer and the solver. Most positions which occur in a chess problem are unrealistic in the sense that they are very unlikely to occur in over-the-board play.<ref name=oz>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ozproblems.com/home|title=OzProblems - Australian chess problem composition|website=www.ozproblems.com}}</ref> There is a goodsubstantial dealamount of [[Glossary of chess problems|specialized jargon used in connection with chess problems]].

{{AN chess|pos=toc}}

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*'''[[Endgame study|Studies]]''': an orthodox problem in which the stipulation is that White to play must win or draw. Almost all studies are [[Chess endgame|endgame]] positions. Studies are composed chess problems, but because their stipulation is open-ended (the win or draw does not have to be achieved within any particular number of moves) they are usually thought of as distinct from problems and as a form of composition that is closer to the puzzles of interest to over-the-board players. Indeed, composed studies have often extended our knowledge of endgame theory. But again, there is no clear dividing line between the two kinds of positions.

In all the above types of problem, [[castling]] is assumed to be allowed unless it can be proved by [[retrograde analysis]] (see below) that the rook in question or king must have previously moved. ''[[En passant]]'' captures, on the other hand, are assumed {{em|not}} to be legal, unless it can be proved that the pawn to be captured must have moved two squares on the previous move.<ref name="Codex">{{Citationcite web needed|title=WFCC Codex |url=https://www.wfcc.ch/rules/codex/#c4 |website=World Federation for Chess Composition |access-date=May21 2023July 2025 |ref=3}}</ref>

There are several other types of chess problem which do not fall into any of the above categories. Some of these are really coded [[Mathematical chess problem|mathematical problems]], expressed using the geometry and pieces of the chessboard. A famous such problem is the [[knight's tour]], in which one is to determine the path of a knight that visits each square of the board exactly once. Another is the [[Eight queens puzzle|eight queens]] problem, in which eight queens are to be placed on the board so that none is attacking any of the others.

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Just as in over-the-board play, the titles [[Grandmaster (chess)|Grandmaster]], [[FIDE Titles|International Master]] and [[FIDE Titles|FIDE Master]] are awarded by FIDE via the [[Permanent Commission of the FIDE for Chess Compositions]] (PCCC) for especially distinguished problem and study composers and solvers (unlike over-the-board chess, however, there have not been any women-only equivalents to these titles in problem chess).

For composition, the International Master title was established in 1959, with [[André Chéron (chess player)|André Chéron]], [[Arnoldo Ellerman]], [[Alexander Gerbstmann]], [[Jan Hartong]], [[Cyril Kipping]] and [[Marian Wróbel]] being the first honorary recipients. In subsequent years, qualification for the IM title, as well as for the GM title (first awarded in 1972 to [[Genrikh Gasparyan|Genrikh Kasparyan]], [[Lev Loshinsky]], [[Comins Mansfield]], and [[Eeltje Visserman]]) and the FM title (first awarded 1990) has been determined on the basis of the number of problems or studies a composer had selected for publication in the [[FIDE Album]]s. These albums are collections of the best problems and studies composed in a particular three-year period, as selected by FIDE-appointed judges from submitted entries. Each problem published in an album is worth 1 point; each study is worth 1⅔{{frac|1|2|3}}; joint compositions are worth the same divided by the number of composers. For the FIDE Master title, a composer must accumulate 12 points; for the International Master title, 25 points are needed; and for the Grandmaster title, a composer must have 70 points.

For solvers, the GM and IM titles were both first awarded in 1982; the FM title followed in 1997. GM and IM titles can only be gained by participating in the official World Chess Solving Championship (WCSC): to become a GM, a solver must score at least 90 percent of the winner's points and on each occasion finish in at least tenth place three times within ten successive WCSCs. For the IM title they must score at least 80 percent of the winner's points and each time finish in at least fifteenth place twice within five successive WCSCs; alternatively, winning a single WCSC or scoring as many points as the winner in a single WCSC will earn the IM title. For the FM title, the solver must score at least 75 percent of the winners points and each time finish within the top 40 percent of participants in any two PCCC-approved solving competitions.

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==See also==

* [[Chess composer]]

* [[Glossary of chess problems]]

* [[Chess aesthetics]]

* [[Software for handling chess problems]]