Otto Blathy composed chess problems. But the ones he liked were a bit funny! The positions could never happen in a game, but they usually had a nice idea in them.
These gnarly positions are called grotesques.
Mr.B showed me this one many years ago: White to play and win! Black is moving down the board -- well, that's if they could move...
Puzzle 1
[Event "Otto Blathy"] [Site "?"] [Date "2001.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Win"] [Black "B"] [Result "1-0"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "7K/8/2N5/5ppp/4ppnq/4pkp1/4nrrb/5bb1 w - - 0 1"] [PlyCount "27"] [EventDate "2001.??.??"] *
And I just found this one: White to play and win, again
Puzzle 2
[Event "Blathy"] [Site "?"] [Date "2020.10.15"] [Round "?"] [White "WTPAW"] [Black "?"] [Result "*"] [Annotator "Regis,Dave"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "7k/8/8/8/6p1/4QpPb/5PpP/6K1 w - - 0 1"] [PlyCount "27"] *
So, they're quite long, for a chess puzzle, but there is really just one idea to find -- if you can!
Otto also holds a world record, for the longest solution to a chess problem. How long? Mate in 290! Surely that's a draw under the 50-move rule? Well, actually no! But the solution is so long it broke my database... White could win if Black did something silly, like 1...Bb7, letting White make a new Queen. But Black has lots of other things to do! Well, we can wait...
Puzzle 3
[Event "Mate in 290"] [Site "Blathy"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "?"] [Black "?"] [Result "*"] [FEN "bBrb1B2/P1n1r2p/1Kp1Pb1p/2pk1P1p/5P2/1P2pP2/1pP1P3/1R4n1 w - - 0 1"] [Setup "1"] *
Puzzle 1
[Event "Otto Blathy"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2001.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Win"]
[Black "B"]
[Result "1-0"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "7K/8/2N5/5ppp/4ppnq/4pkp1/4nrrb/5bb1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "27"]
[EventDate "2001.??.??"]
{[#]} 1. Kg7 Qh3 2. Kf8 Qh4 (2... h4 3. Kg7
Ne5 4. Nxe5#) 3. Ke7 Qh3 4. Kd8 Qh4 5. Kc7 Qh3 6. Kc8 Qh4 7. Kd8 Qh3 8. Ke7 Qh4
9. Kf8 Qh3 10. Kg7 Qh4 11. Kg6 Qh3 12. Kxg5 Qh4+ 13. Kxh4 Nc3 14. Nd4# 1-0
Puzzle 2
[Event "Blathy"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2020.10.15"]
[Round "?"]
[White "WTPAW"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Regis,Dave"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "7k/8/8/8/6p1/4QpPb/5PpP/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "27"]
{[#]} 1. Qg5 Kh7 2. Qf6 Kg8 3. Qh6 Kf7 4. Qg5 Ke6 5. Qf4 Kd5 6. Qf6 Ke4 7. Qg5
Kd3 8. Qf4 Kc3 9. Qe4 Kb3 10. Qd4 Kc2 11. Qe3 Kd1 12. Qh6 Ke2 13. Qxh3 gxh3 14.
g4 1-0
Puzzle 3
[Event "Mate in 290"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[FEN "bBrb1B2/P1n1r2p/1Kp1Pb1p/2pk1P1p/5P2/1P2pP2/1pP1P3/1R4n1 w - - 0 1"]
[Setup "1"]
1.Rd1+ Bd4 2.c4+ Kd6 3.Rxg1 Bc3 4.Rd1+ Bd4 5.Ka5 Bb7 6.Ka4 Ba8 7.Ka3 Bb7 8.Ka2 Ba8 9.Kb1 Bb7 10.Kc2 Ba8 11.Kd3 Bb7 12.Re1 Ba8 13.Rf1 Bb7 14.Rd1 Ba8 15.Kc2 Bb7 16.Kb1 Ba8 17.Ka2 Bb7 18.Ka3 Ba8 19.Ka4 Bb7 20.Ka5 Ba8 21.Kb6 h4 22.Ka5 Bb7 23.Ka4 Ba8 24.Ka3 Bb7 25.Ka2 Ba8 26.Kb1 Bb7 27.Kc2 Ba8 28.Kd3 Bb7 29.Re1 Ba8 30.Rf1 Bb7 31.Rd1 Ba8 32.Kc2 Bb7 33.Kb1 Ba8 34.Ka2 Bb7 35.Ka3 Ba8 36.Ka4 Bb7 37.Ka5 Ba8 38.Kb6 h3 39.Ka5 Bb7 40.Ka4 Ba8 41.Ka3 Bb7 42.Ka2 Ba8 43.Kb1 Bb7 44.Kc2 Ba8 45.Kd3 Bb7 46.Re1 Ba8 47.Rf1 Bb7 48.Rd1 Ba8 49.Kc2 Bb7 50.Kb1 Ba8 51.Ka2 Bb7 52.Ka3 Ba8 53.Ka4 Bb7 54.Ka5 Ba8 55.Kb6 h2 56.Ka5 Bb7 57.Ka4 Ba8 58.Ka3 Bb7 59.Ka2 Ba8 60.Kb1 Bb7 61.Kc2 Ba8 62.Kd3 Bb7 63.Re1 Ba8 64.Rf1 Bb7 65.Rd1 Ba8 66.Kc2 Bb7 67.Kb1 Ba8 68.Ka2 Bb7 69.Ka3 Ba8 70.Ka4 Bb7 71.Ka5 Ba8 72.Kb6 h5 73.Ka5 Bb7 74.Ka4 Ba8 75.Ka3 Bb7 76.Ka2 Ba8 77.Kb1 Bb7 78.Kc2 Ba8 79.Kd3 Bb7 80.Re1 Ba8 81.Rf1 Bb7 82.Rd1 Ba8 83.Kc2 Bb7 84.Kb1 Ba8 85.Ka2 Bb7 86.Ka3 Ba8 87.Ka4 Bb7 88.Ka5 Ba8 89.Kb6 h4 90.Ka5 Bb7 91.Ka4 Ba8 92.Ka3 Bb7 93.Ka2 Ba8 94.Kb1 Bb7 95.Kc2 Ba8 96.Kd3 Bb7 97.Re1 Ba8 98.Rf1 Bb7 99.Rd1 Ba8 100.Kc2 Bb7 101.Kb1 Ba8 102.Ka2 Bb7 103.Ka3 Ba8 104.Ka4 Bb7 105.Ka5 Ba8 106.Kb6 h3 107.Ka5 Bb7 108.Ka4 Ba8 109.Ka3 Bb7 110.Ka2 Ba8 111.Kb1 Bb7 112.Kc2 Ba8 113.Kd3 Bb7 114.Re1 Ba8 115.Rf1 Bb7 116.Rd1 Ba8 117.Kc2 Bb7 118.Kb1 Ba8 119.Ka2 Bb7 120.Ka3 Ba8 121.Ka4 Bb7 122.Ka5 Ba8 123.Kb6 h6 124.Ka5 Bb7 125.Ka4 Ba8 126.Ka3 Bb7 127.Ka2 Ba8 128.Kb1 Bb7 129.Kc2 Ba8 130.Kd3 Bb7 131.Re1 Ba8 132.Rf1 Bb7 133.Rd1 Ba8 134.Kc2 Bb7 135.Kb1 Ba8 136.Ka2 Bb7 137.Ka3 Ba8 138.Ka4 Bb7 139.Ka5 Ba8 140.Kb6 h5 141.Ka5 Bb7 142.Ka4 Ba8 143.Ka3 Bb7 144.Ka2 Ba8 145.Kb1 Bb7 146.Kc2 Ba8 147.Kd3 Bb7 148.Re1 Ba8 149.Rf1 Bb7 150.Rd1 Ba8 151.Kc2 Bb7 152.Kb1 Ba8 153.Ka2 Bb7 154.Ka3 Ba8 155.Ka4 Bb7 156.Ka5 Ba8 157.Kb6 h4 158.Ka5 Bb7 159.Ka4 Ba8 160.Ka3 Bb7 161.Ka2 Ba8 162.Kb1 Bb7 163.Kc2 Ba8 164.Kd3 Bb7 165.Re1 Ba8 166.Rf1 Bb7 167.Rd1 Ba8 168.Kc2 Bb7 169.Kb1 Ba8 170.Ka2 Bb7 171.Ka3 Ba8 172.Ka4 Bb7 173.Ka5 Ba8 174.Kb6 h1=Q 175.Rxh1 Bg7 176.Rd1+ Bd4 177.Ka5 Bb7 178.Ka4 Ba8 179.Ka3 Bb7 180.Ka2 Ba8 181.Kb1 Bb7 182.Kc2 Ba8 183.Kd3 Bb7 184.Rf1 Ba8 185.Re1 Bb7 186.Rd1 Ba8 187.Kc2 Bb7 188.Kb1 Ba8 189.Ka2 Bb7 190.Ka3 Ba8 191.Ka4 Bb7 192.Ka5 Ba8 193.Kb6 h2 194.Ka5 Bb7 195.Ka4 Ba8 196.Ka3 Bb7 197.Ka2 Ba8 198.Kb1 Bb7 199.Kc2 Ba8 200.Kd3 Bb7 201.Rf1 Ba8 202.Re1 Bb7 203.Rd1 Ba8 204.Kc2 Bb7 205.Kb1 Ba8 206.Ka2 Bb7 207.Ka3 Ba8 208.Ka4 Bb7 209.Ka5 Ba8 210.Kb6 h3 211.Ka5 Bb7 212.Ka4 Ba8 213.Ka3 Bb7 214.Ka2 Ba8 215.Kb1 Bb7 216.Kc2 Ba8 217.Kd3 Bb7 218.Rf1 Ba8 219.Re1 Bb7 220.Rd1 Ba8 221.Kc2 Bb7 222.Kb1 Ba8 223.Ka2 Bb7 224.Ka3 Ba8 225.Ka4 Bb7 226.Ka5 Ba8 227.Kb6 h1=Q 228.Rxh1 Bg7 229.Rd1+ Bd4 230.Ka5 Bb7 231.Ka4 Ba8 232.Ka3 Bb7 233.Ka2 Ba8 234.Kb1 Bb7 235.Kc2 Ba8 236.Kd3 Bb7 237.Rf1 Ba8 238.Re1 Bb7 239.Rd1 Ba8 240.Kc2 Bb7 241.Kb1 Ba8 242.Ka2 Bb7 243.Ka3 Ba8 244.Ka4 Bb7 245.Ka5 Ba8 246.Kb6 h2 247.Ka5 Bb7 248.Ka4 Ba8 249.Ka3 Bb7 250.Ka2 Ba8 251.Kb1 Bb7 252.Kc2 Ba8 253.Kd3 Bb7 254.Rf1 Ba8 255.Re1 Bb7 256.Rd1 Ba8 257.Kc2 Bb7 258.Kb1 Ba8 259.Ka2 Bb7 260.Ka3 Ba8 261.Ka4 Bb7 262.Ka5 Ba8 263.Kb6 h1=Q 264.Rxh1 Bg7 265.Rd1+ Bd4 266.Ka5 Bb7 267.Ka4 Ba8 268.Ka3 Bb7 269.Ka2 Ba8 270.Kb1 Bb7 271.Kc2 Ba8 272.Kd3 Bb7 273.Rf1 Ba8 274.Re1 Bb7 275.Rd1 Ba8 276.Kc2 Bb7 277.Kb1 Ba8 278.Ka2 Bb7 279.Ka3 Ba8 280.Ka4 Bb7 281.Ka5 Ba8 282.Kb6 Bb7 { Finally the zugzwang
occurs! } 283.Kxb7 b1=Q 284.Rxb1 Be5 285.Rd1+ Bd4 286.Rxd4+ cxd4 287.Kb6 d3 288.a8=Q Rxb8+ 289.Qxb8 dxe2 290.Qxd8# { Otto Blathy is credited with this 290
moves mating sequence. }
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