Chess Mazes

There are two types of chess mazes: checking and mating. For bishop, rook, and knight mazes the play is to check the black king. For queen, pawn, and king mazes the object is to checkmate the enemy king; here checks are not allowed.

The rules in common for each type of maze are as follows:

1. Black never moves.
2. Only the maze piece (in the case of pawns—the maze units) may move.
3. A maze piece may never move to a square commanded by enemy forces.
4. A maze piece may capture undefended enemy forces.
5. Plus we look for the shortest solution.

Helpers in queen and king mazes are frozen to the diagram position, unable to move or be removed. In pawn mazes promoted pawns are unable to move off their promotion squares. Also move order may be juggled without harm to the solution. Often, when running up the board to promote, pawns can advance in different sequences.

For those who may be interested in a more detailed introduction and overview to chess maze puzzles, we invite you to read more; otherwise, we hope you enjoy this week’s Chess Maze ...

A Bishop Maze

Both bishops are needed to land a safe check. However, the first order of business is to save the attacked bishop.

#289a 

[FEN "8/1n4B1/1r5p/8/7b/1r6/4n3/2B3k1"]

Scroll down for the solution

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1 Bd2 2 Be5 3 Bb8 4 Ba7 5 Bxh6 6 Bg7 7 Be5 8 Bab8 9 Bh2+   

#289b

[FEN "8/1n6/1r6/8/7b/1r6/4n2B/6k1"]

Remove the h4-bishop and it’s check in six: 1 Bd2 2 Be1 3 Bf8 4 Be7 5 B7h4 6 either Bf2+

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© 2011 Bruce Alberston. All Rights Reserved