Judy's Problems - Part I

Submitted by batgirl on Sun, 11/09/2008 at 5:22pm.

 

Judy, The mid-19th century female chess talent who played the wonderful games in my previous posting, Judy, was also an extremely skillful chess problemist.  Her problems were published in the Illustrated London News, the Gateshead Observer,  Chess Player (edited by Kling and Horwitz), Home Circle and Staunton's Chess Players' Chronicle.

Rod Edwards researched and collected 60 problems of which 15 were cooked (through computer analysis) and sent me all of the good ones save 3.  My intention is to publish the entire collection - sans solutions - here in seven parts along with Mr. Edwards' notes.

Chess problems by ‘Judy,’ (a.k.a. ‘Stella’)

 

Problems from the Illustrated London News (ILN):

 

Enigma No. 606 

White to play, and mate in three moves. 

(ILN Sept. 14, 1850, p.231)

 

 

 

 

Enigma No. 613

White to play, and mate in seven moves. 

(ILN Oct. 19, 1850, p.311)

 

 

 

Enigma No. 621

White, playing first, mates in five moves. 

(ILN Nov. 16, 1850, p.383)

 

 

Enigma No. 630

White having to play, gives mate in four moves. 

(ILN Dec. 21, 1850, p.479)

 

  

  

Enigma No. 641

White, playing first, mates in four moves. 

(ILN Jan. 25, 1851, p.59)

 

  

 

 

Enigma No. 670[i]

White to play, and mate in four moves. 

(ILN Mar. 29, 1851, p.257)

 

     Note:  Staunton’s Enigmas in the ILN had a numbering problem:
after No. 699, he inexplicably went back to 670 and continued from there again. I have indicated by [i] or [ii] the first or second problem appearing with numbers 670-699.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments:

by charlierock - 10 months ago
Bronx,New York United States
Member Since: Apr 2008
Member Points: 3314

very nice topic on women chess players !

by batgirl - 11 months ago
NC United States
Member Since: Jun 2007
Member Points: 4358

Problem #630 had been transcribed wrong.
                               The one now is the correct problem

by batgirl - 11 months ago
NC United States
Member Since: Jun 2007
Member Points: 4358

hmm... wow.  I'll need to check the source to see if the problem was transcribed correctly.

Thanks!

by joaoporto - 11 months ago
Porto Portugal
Member Since: Jan 2008
Member Points: 7332

Yes, i think at problem 630, white just have to play c3 to mate.

by prabodhamishra - 11 months ago
Tuni, Andhra Pradesh India
Member Since: Dec 2008
Member Points: 34

I feel elated to see judy's creativity in chess problems and am really impressed. But I don't understand why four moves are required for white to checkmate black in problem no. 630 when we can achieve the desired result in just one move! I may be excused if I'm wrong but I mean it. Thank you. Awaiting your response...

by Karpov85 - 12 months ago
New York United States
Member Since: Nov 2008
Member Points: 5

ThanKs Batgirl!keep it like that on the chess.com.Ihave seen many of your comments on that block  







by humberto_henriquez - 12 months ago
San Salvador El Salvador
Member Since: Oct 2008
Member Points: 8

Thank you for sharing Judy's problems.

 

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