Sam Loyd Enters the Chat

In this era of mass produced slop it is difficult to remember that once upon a time people devised their own forms of entertainment, one of which was composed chess puzzles. These testaments to human creativity were actually surprisingly popular for awhile and would appear even in non-chess magazines in the early 20th century, including for some reason Popular Mechanics and Ladies Home Journal.

The king of chess puzzles is Sam Loyd, a man who is actually more famous for his non-chess puzzles which include the 14/15 number puzzle which took the 1880's by storm. Here are a few of his celebrated chess compositions.

1. It is easy to make a complex chess position that is difficult to solve. Much more difficult is a simple chess position that is complex to solve. This is perhaps Loyd's first "great" chess puzzle and remains one of the best introductions to his art.

Mate in Three Moves

2. Another study in simplicity, even more so than the previous.

Mate in Three Moves

3. Loyd was not adverse to adding "extra" pieces to a problem when it added to the overall effect. This is probably the most egregious and also the most fun example of this.

Mate in Two Moves

4. Finally, one of the most celebrated chess puzzles ever made and probably the pinnacle of Loyd's chess career. The main idea is no less stunning now than when it premiered well over a century ago (in 1903).

Mate in Three Moves

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These problems are basically the gateway to the wide and woolly world of composed chess puzzles - think of them like Beethoven's fifth or Mozart's "Jupiter" Symphony but for chess. ChatGPT cannot do this. In fact, this is what ChatGPT does is if you ask it to make a great 19th century mate in three problem:

Mate in Thee Moves(?)

Solution: (and I quote ChatGPT on this)

1. Qd8+!
A characteristic nineteenth-century key: the queen quietly penetrates to the back rank.
Black has only two legal replies:

A) 1...Bxd8

Then:
2. Re1!
A waiting move that seals the king's fate.

• 2...Be7 (or any bishop move)

  3. Rxe7#

B) 1...Qxd8

(If a black queen were present on d8 in a fuller version of the problem.)
Then:
2. Re1!
and again the threat is 3. Rxe8#.

If you'd like something even more authentic, I can compose a puzzle in the style of Kieseritzky...

***

That's OK, ChatGPT. Maybe next time.

- Zug