11th November 2024

Selected by Michael McDowell

T. R. Dawson

The Problemist Fairy Chess Supplement, 1933

8/8/8/4K3/8/8/1b6/k7

Illegal cluster
a) Add a black rook and a black pawn
b) Add a black rook and two black pawns
c) Rotate the board 180˚ then add a black rook and two black pawns

An illegal cluster is a position which is illegal but which becomes legal on taking off any one piece (except a king, of course). For example, in the diagram adding a black pawn at f6 would create an illegal cluster which becomes legal if bishop or pawn is removed. The solver’s task in Dawson’s problem is to add the stipulated force to the diagram in each part to create an illegal cluster.