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Chess twin problem -- hints

Posted By: Nack Ballard
Date: Sunday, 22 October 2023, at 6:26 p.m.

In Response To: "Variants" in chess problems (Timothy Chow)

For chess problems, on occasion, I've found what looks like a second key (cook). Then I realize that my original key was wrong because I overlooked a defense. I'm glad that I kept looking, because otherwise I wouldn't have appreciated or enjoyed the problem nearly as much.

My current practice is that after finding the key, I'm never satisfied until I've seen why every other possible move doesn't work. Good problems typically contain at least a few clever defenses. Moreover, I'll sometimes invest additional time appreciating the purpose of every piece on the board (composers rarely add extraneous pieces) and even why a different one wouldn't have served the same purpose or what aesthetic reason it might have been preferred.

The key(s) in twin problems are relatively unsubtle compared to most good chess compositions. Rather, the difficulty in composing a twin is in creating two nearly identical positions with two different keys.

Hint: If I've solved this problem (the one Tim posted) correctly, Black's sole defense to one key that doesn't work for its counterpart position is a queen move. Black's sole defense to the other key that doesn't work for its counterpart position is a knight move.

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