A dip into the unorthodox this week. Black plays a series of 5 moves to
reach a position where White can deliver stalemate in 1. In Checkless
Chess a check is only legal if it gives mate.
1.cxd1B 2.Bxh5 3.Bg6 4.Rh8 5.Bh7 Kh6 and the bishop cannot move because of the Checkless Chess condition. The point of the problem lies in a try where the black bishop and rook swap functions 1.Rd2 2.c1B 3.Bb2 4.Ba1 5.Rb2 Kf6, which fails because Black has Rg2 mate. I think the problem relies for its success on the solver finding the try first. A couple of solvers who found the solution were bemused, as the construction can clearly be improved if there is no further content. The problem could be set with a white pawn on e7 (which works as the position stands), the f5 pawn removed, and two solutions stipulated, or as a miniature without the d1 bishop and twinning by moving the c2 pawn to d2.
Richard Stein: A cunning composition, much of whose appeal arises from the try.