Solitaire Chess

8 SinglePlayer

A Logic Puzzle to Capture You

Instructions, Hints & Solutions

10 Chess Pieces (1 King, 1 Queen, 2 Knights, 2 Bishops, 2 Rooks, 2 Pawns)

1 Plastic Game Tray(w/ Storage drawer)

Instruction BookletIncluding Hints & Solutions

30 Double-SidedChallenge Mats(60 Challenges)

Drop lock into slot to secure cards

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Pfli>fXc1Capture the chess pieces until only one piece remains on the board.

J\klg1 Choose a challenge mat and place it on the game tray (to slide pieces), or as 1. the top challenge in the storage slot (for a more secure placement).

Place chess pieces on the challenge mat as indicated.2.

Jk\gjKfGcXp1Move the chess pieces according to the movement rules (pages 6-7)1. *

Each move MUST result in a captured piece. Think ahead and plan your moves!

If you are left with two or more pieces on the board, 2. reset the challenge and try again.

When there is only one piece left on the board, YOU WIN!3.

*Movements are the same as in standard chess.

Jfc`kX`i\:_\jjWelcome to Solitaire Chess, the one-player logic puzzle that uses the rules of chess in simplified form to create a diabolical brainteaser challenge!

If youve never played chess before, no problem Solitaire Chess is an inviting way to hone your skills and build your chess-playing strategies. If you are a chess expert, good luck to you! We think the upper levels of Solitaire Chess will be worthy of your abilities. For everyone who enjoys a good puzzle challengeSolitaire Chess is for you!

YOU WIN!1. 2. 3. 4.

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JkiXk\^`\jkfKip`]Pfl>\kJklZb1Solitaire Chess can be challenging! But as you play, you will get the hang of it and youll be amazed at how quickly your skills improve. When playing, here are some solving strategies that might help you.

Look for a piece that cannot capture. You can then work backwards, sbecause at some point during the challenge, this piece will need to be captured.

Look for a capture sweep, where all other pieces are captured by one spiece. For example, all the pieces might be captured by the Queen.

When the King is included in a challenge, you immediately know it swill be the last piece on the boardbecause we have designed the challenges to work this way.

If you are an experienced chess player, look for unnatural moves, ssuch as capturing the Queen first.

Examine the Knight very carefully. It is one of the hardest pieces to sanalyze because of its L-shaped movement.

Examine all the possible captures on the board, systematically sand completely. Make sure you dont miss any possibilitiesevery challenge does have a solution!

Use our hint system (pages 9-12) to give yourself a boost.s

:fdgXi`e^Jfc`kX`i\:_\jjkfJkXe[Xi[:_\jj1Solitaire Chess is a one-player logic puzzle, not a chess game. Recreational mathematicians classify it as a chess task, meaning that it uses the rules of chess with appropriate adaptations.

With Solitaire Chess, the basic piece movements are the same as with standard chess. When you evaluate each challenge and plan your strategy, you are thinking the same way you do when you are playing chess. However, chess purists will notice differences between the two games.

The differences are:

Solitaire Chess is a one-player game; all the pieces are the same color.sEvery move you make must result in a capture.sPawns can be placed anywhere on the board. They may only move up the sboard by diagonally capturing another piece.

Pawns are not promoted when they reach the top rank (top row).sThere is no check rule for the King.sBy our design, every challenge that uses a King will end with the King as sthe last remaining piece. (This is not a rule; it is a hint for you.)

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Bishops capture after moving across any number of vacant squares diagonally.

Bishops always remain on their original square color.

Rooks capture after moving across any number of vacant squares vertically or horizontally.

Pawns capture after moving diagonally up one space. Pawns can only move upward.

Unlike regular chess, pawns are NOT promoted when they reach the top row.

King captures after moving exactly one square horizontally, vertically or diagonally.

The challenges are designed such that in the solution the King will never be captured.

Queen captures after moving across any number of vacant squares horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.

Knights capture after moving in an L (or inverted L) with two steps in one direction, a 90 turn and one step in the new direction.

Knights are the only pieces that can jump over other pieces. They capture only the piece that occupied the final square.

Dfm\d\ekIlc\j1See challenge icon key on page 8.

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King Queen Bishop Knight Rook Pawn

Jfc`kXì\:_\jj?èkj1Solitaire Chess is a hard puzzle for many reasons. To be successful you often have to play through the whole sequence in your mind before you start moving the pieces.

For those times when you think you are really stuck, we provide a hint system to give you a boost. On the following pages, for each challenge we provide three types of hints:

The first piece to move page 10sThe first piece to be captured page 11sThe last piece remaining on the board page 12s

Also, youll notice we have interspersed the order of the hints, so hints in the same level of play are not next to each other. This design is intentional, so you dont accidentally glance at a hint for your next challenge before you are ready for it.

FliG_`cfjfg_p1 Play each challenge through, then come back in a few days and play it again and again. Solitaire Chess is not only great fun; its great brain exercise. Youll be surprised at what youve remembered and forgotten each time you play.

8Yflkk_\@em\ekfi1Solitaire Chess was invented by Vesa Timonen, a software engineer living in Finland. His interests include puzzles, magic, programming and wood-working. This is Vesas second ThinkFun product; the first being the Aha Brainteaser, Rec-Tangle.

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?èk=ìjkG`\Z\kfDfm\1Beginner 1: PawnIntermediate 16: RookAdvanced 31: RookExpert 46: Knight

Beginner 2: KnightIntermediate 17: BishopAdvanced 32: BishopExpert 47: Pawn

Beginner 3: RookIntermediate 18: RookAdvanced 33: PawnExpert 48: Pawn

Beginner 4: PawnIntermediate 19: PawnAdvanced 34: RookExpert 49: Pawn

Beginner 5: KingIntermediate 20: RookAdvanced 35: KnightExpert 50: Bishop

Beginner 6: KnightIntermediate 21: KnightAdvanced 36: BishopExpert 51: Rook

Beginner 7: QueenIntermediate 22: KnightAdvanced 37: BishopExpert 52: Rook

Beginner 8: KnightIntermediate 23: RookAdvanced 38: BishopExpert 53: Rook

Beginner 9: QueenIntermediate 24: KnightAdvanced 39: KnightExpert 54: Knight

Beginner 10: KnightIntermediate 25: KnightAdvanced 40: BishopExpert 55: Pawn

Beginner 11: RookIntermediate 26: BishopAdvanced 41: PawnExpert 56: Knight

Beginner 12: QueenIntermediate 27: KnightAdvanced 42: RookExpert 57: Bishop

Beginner 13: KingIntermediate 28: RookAdvanced 43: BishopExpert 58: Knight

Beginner 14: RookIntermediate 29: BishopAdvanced 44: KingExpert 59: Knight

Beginner 15: BishopIntermediate 30: RookAdvanced 45: KnightExpert 60: Knight

?èk=ìjkG`\Z\kf9\:Xgkli\[1Beginner 1: Bishop Intermediate 16: Queen Advanced 31: Pawn Expert 46: Rook

Beginner 2: RookIntermediate 17: RookAdvanced 32: KnightExpert 47: Rook

Beginner 3: PawnIntermediate 18: BishopAdvanced 33: BishopExpert 48: Rook

Beginner 4: RookIntermediate 19: BishopAdvanced 34: RookExpert 49: Bishop

Beginner 5: BishopIntermediate 20: BishopAdvanced 35: PawnExpert 50: Knight

Beginner 6: RookIntermediate 21: BishopAdvanced 36: RookExpert 51: Bishop

Beginner 7: RookIntermediate 22: RookAdvanced 37: PawnExpert 52: Bishop

Beginner 8: QueenIntermediate 23: QueenAdvanced 38: QueenExpert 53: Pawn

Beginner 9: PawnIntermediate 24: RookAdvanced 39: BishopExpert 54: Knight

Beginner 10: QueenIntermediate 25: PawnAdvanced 40: QueenExpert 55: Knight

Beginner 11: RookIntermediate 26: KnightAdvanced 41: BishopExpert 56: Pawn

Beginner 12: BishopIntermediate 27: QueenAdvanced 42: PawnExpert 57: Pawn

Beginner 13: BishopIntermediate 28: KnightAdvanced 43: KnightExpert 58: Bishop

Beginner 14: QueenIntermediate 29: RookAdvanced 44: BishopExpert 59: Bishop

Beginner 15: PawnIntermediate 30: KnightAdvanced 45: BishopExpert 60: Rook

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Jfclk`fejkfk_\:_Xcc\e^\j1Our solution descriptions refer to the playing board positions, not the game pieces. As you read the individual solution paths* on the following pages, refer to the reference positions on the playing board below.

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*A Note About Solutions: Sometimes the order in which you capture the pieces may differ slightly from the order we present in our solutions. This difference is entirely reasonable. However, for every challenge, regardless of the order of the solution sequence, the identity of the final piece and its position are always unique.

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a b c d

?`ekCXjkG`\Z\fek_\9fXi[1Beginner 1: PawnIntermediate 16: KnightAdvanced 31: KingExpert 46: Rook

Beginner 2: KnightIntermediate 17: QueenAdvanced 32: RookExpert 47: Rook

Beginner 3: RookIntermediate 18: QueenAdvanced 33: KnightExpert 48: Rook

Beginner 4: RookIntermediate 19: KnightAdvanced 34: KnightExpert 49: Pawn

Beginner 5: KingIntermediate 20: RookAdvanced 35: QueenExpert 50: Rook

Beginner 6: KingIntermediate 21: QueenAdvanced 36: KnightExpert 51: Rook

Beginner 7: QueenIntermediate 22: QueenAdvanced 37: RookExpert 52: King

Beginner 8: RookIntermediate 23: BishopAdvanced 38: RookExpert 53: Rook

Beginner 9: KnightIntermediate 24: QueenAdvanced 39: RookExpert 54: Bishop

Beginner 10: BishopIntermediate 25: KnightAdvanced 40: RookExpert 55: Bishop

Beginner 11: KnightIntermediate 26: KnightAdvanced 41: KnightExpert 56: Rook

Beginner 12: QueenIntermediate 27: BishopAdvanced 42: RookExpert 57: Rook

Beginner 13: KingIntermediate 28: BishopAdvanced 43: PawnExpert 58: Rook

Beginner 14: BishopIntermediate 29: KnightAdvanced 44: KingExpert 59: Pawn

Beginner 15: RookIntermediate 30: KnightAdvanced 45: BishopExpert 60: Pawn

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Advanced 37:b2 J c1d2 J c1c3 J c1c1 J c4c4 J a4

Advanced 38:d3 J c2b3 J d4d4 J c2c1 J c2c2 J a2

Advanced 39:c1 J a2d4 J b2b1 J b2b2 J a2a2 J a3

Advanced 40:a2 J b3d1 J c2c2 J b3d3 J b3b3 J b4

Advanced 41:d3 J c4b2 J c4c1 J a3c4 J a3a3 J b1

Advanced 42:d2 J d4b2 J d4d4 J a1a3 J a1a1 J c1

Advanced 43:b1 J d3c3 J d3d3 J a3b2 J a3a3 J b4

Advanced 44:a2 J b1d1 J a4a3 J a4a4 J a1b1 J a1a1 J b2b2 J c3

Advanced 45:b4 J a2a2 J c1c4 J c1d2 J c1c1 J a3

Expert 46:b4 J a2b2 J a2d4 J a1a2 J a1a1 J c1

Expert 47:a1 J b2c3 J b1b1 J d2c2 J b2b2 J d2d2 J d4

Expert 48:d3 J c4b3 J c4c4 J a2b4 J b2b2 J a2a2 J a1

Expert 49:c1 J b2d4 J c2a1 J a2a2 J b2b2 J c2b1 J c2c2 J d3

Expert 50:b2 J c1c1 J a3a3 J b4b3 J b1b1 J b4b4 J d4

Expert 51:b2 J b3b3 J c3c3 J c4c4 J b4b4 J b1b1 J a1

Expert 52:b2 J b1a3 J c1b1 J a1a1 J c1c1 J c3b3 J c3c3 J d4 Expert 53:c3 J c4c4 J d4b2 J d4d4 J a1b3 J b1b1 J a1a1 J a2

Expert 54:c1 J a2c2 J b1b2 J d2d2 J a2b1 J a2a2 J c4

Expert 55:a1 J b2d4 J b2c1 J c2c2 J b2b2 J b1a2 J b1b1 J d3

Expert 56:d2 J b3b1 J b3b3 J d3d3 J a3a3 J a4a4 J a1a1 J c1

Expert 57:c4 J d3d3 J b1d4 J b3b3 J d2d2 J b1b4 J b1b1 J a1

Expert 58:a3 J b1c2 J b2b2 J b1b1 J a1a1 J a2a2 J d2d2 J d4

Expert 59:c2 J a1d1 J b3a1 J b3b3 J d2c1 J d2d2 J c3c3 J b4

Expert 60:a3 J c4b3 J c4c4 J a2c1 J a2a2 J c3b2 J c3c3 J d4

Beginner 1: a2 J b3b3 J a4

Beginner 2:b4 J a2a2 J c3

Beginner 3:d4 J d1d1 J a1a1 J a3a3 J c3

Beginner 4:a2 J b3b2 J b3b3 J c3

Beginner 5:b1 J a2a2 J b2b2 J c3

Beginner 6:a1 J b3a2 J b3b3 J c3

Beginner 7:c2 J a2a2 J b1b1 J b4

Beginner 8:b2 J c4a4 J c4c4 J c1

Beginner 9:c4 J c3a2 J c3c3 J b1

Beginner 10:c3 J a2b1 J a2a2 J c4

Beginner 11:d4 J a4b2 J a4a4 J c3

Beginner 12:b3 J c4c4 J a2a2 J d2

Beginner 13:b3 J a2b4 J b2a2 J b2b2 J c1

Beginner 14:d3 J c3a1 J c3c3 J b4

Beginner 15:b3 J a2c2 J a2a2 J a1

Inter. 16:b4 J b3c2 J a1a1 J b3b3 J d2

Inter. 17:a4 J b3a2 J b1b1 J b3b3 J c3

Inter. 18:a2 J a1a3 J c1c1 J a1a1 J d4

Inter. 19:b1 J a2a2 J b3d4 J b3b3 J a1

Inter. 20:a3 J b3b3 J b2b2 J b4b4 J c4

Inter. 21:b1 J c3a3 J a1a1 J c3c3 J c4

Inter. 22:a1 J c2b3 J a4a4 J c2c2 J d2

Inter. 23:a3 J c3a4 J c3a1 J c3c3 J d2

Inter. 24:c2 J a1a1 J b3b2 J b3b3 J d3

Inter. 25:b2 J c4a2 J d2c4 J d2d2 J b1

Inter. 26:a3 J c1c4 J c1a2 J c1c1 J b3

Inter. 27:c4 J b2d2 J b2a3 J b2b2 J a1

Inter. 28:a4 J b4b4 J b1a2 J b1b1 J d3

Inter. 29:d4 J b2b2 J c1d3 J c1c1 J a2

Inter. 30:a1 J a4d3 J b2b2 J a4a4 J c3

Advanced 31:c1 J c2b3 J c2a3 J c3c2 J c3c3 J d4

Advanced 32:a3 J b4b4 J c3c3 J a1a2 J a1a1 J d1

Advanced 33:a1 J b2b2 J a3b4 J a3c2 J a3a3 J b1

Advanced 34:a1 J a2d1 J b3b3 J a2c1 J a2a2 J b4

Advanced 35:b2 J d3d3 J b4b4 J a2c4 J a2a2 J a1

Advanced 36:c3 J a1d3 J c2b4 J c2c2 J a1a1 J b3

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Solitaire Chess