The Puzzling Side of Chess, by Jeff Coakley


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This archive contains all past columns. E-mails pointing out any mistakes are much appreciated.

Index  Detailed list of problem types, composers, and miscellanea.


SEASON 1 (June 2012 - January 2014)

01 Introduction and Triple Loyds
02 The Double Whammy
03 Proof Games 4.0
04 The Old Switcheroo
05 Another Trio of Triple Loyds
06 Board Domination
07 The Double Whammy: Reloaded
08 Proof Games: Beware of Impostors
09 Rotating Quadruplexes
10 Switcheroo Twins
11 Triple Loyd: Black Pieces
12 Illegal Positions: Who’s the Goof?
13 Double Whammies: The One-Two Punch
14 Proof Games: Mysterious Captures
15 Eight Officers
16 Switcheroos: Flick the Switch
17 Secrets of Triple Loyds
18 Eight Officers: First Rank
19 Illegal Positions: Return of the Goof
20 Double Whammy: Rock’em Sock’em
21 A Holiday Visit to the Normal Side
22 Proof Games: Vanishing Queens
23 Switcheroos: Make the Switch Today
24 Average Mobility: A Puzzling Calculation
25 Triple Loyds: Obtrusive Pieces
26 Illegal Positions: Mission Impossible
27 Three Multiplexes
28 Next Exit: Whammyville
29 Proof Games: Who Took What Where?
30 Chess Mysteries in a Retro World
31 Switcheroo Octuplets
32 Triple Loyds: Men in Black 2
33 Retractors: Takeback Granted
34 Illegal Positions: Goofing Down
35 Double Whammy: Play It Again, Sam
36 Sixteen Pieces
37 Anniversary Six-Pack
38 Proof Games: Runaway Queen
39 Sixteen Pieces: Part 2
40 Are You Ready For A Switch?
41 Three More Triple Loyds
42 Return To A Retro World
43 One Goof Leads To Another
44 Two Whams Are Better Than One
45 Retractors: Find the Missed Mate
46 Proof Games: Phantom Captures
47 Switcheroo Icosuplets
48 Helpmates: Black to Play and Lose
49 Three Triple Loyds To Go, Please
50 October Whammyfest
51 New Goofs and Old Mistakes (Errata 1-50)
52 Proof Games: Queenside Fianchetti
53 Double Royal Loyds
54 Puzzlers Cup 2013 Awards Ceremony
55 Cyclotrons: The Next Generation Switcheroo
56 Triple Loyds: Men In Black 3
57 New Year's Ride to the Normal Side
58 Retro World III: Two Last Moves Ago
59 Queenfest: A Royal Heyday
60 Queenfest II: Second to None

SEASON 2 (July 2014 - May 2015)

61 Season Two: Back in Black
62 Chessboard Smorgasbord II
63 Queenfest III: We Will Rock You
64 Proof Games: In The Pudding
65 Bring on the Whammy
66 Retractors: Overlooked Mates
67 A Handful of Pieces
68 Four Board Smorgasbord
69 Chess Mazes: Toronto Style
70 Minor Niner
71 Minor Convenience
72 Mate Tricks and Retro Treats
73 The Number 64
74 Cyclotronic Joyride
75 Puzzlers Cup: The Big Day
76 Smorgasbord V: December Sweets
77 Proof Games: Switchback City
78 A Few Cheerful Days on the Normal Side
79 Smorgasbord VI: Winter Games
80 Alekhine's Whammy
81 The Dude Abides
82 The Five Coin Dudeney
83 Rook Hooks and Queen Treks
84 Retro World IV: The Pre-existence of Being
85 Smorgasbord VII: Ides Of March
86 Rook and Knight Pairs
87 Queenfest IV: Breaking Free
88 Proof Games: Back to Start
89 Cyclotronic Overdrive: Gearing Up
90 Queenfest V: Harem Scarum
91 Mother's Day: Smorgasbord VIII
92 Cyclotronic Overdrive: Spinning On

93 Queenfest VI: Peaceful Coexistence

SEASON 3 (February 2016 - May 2017)

94 Season Three Premiere
95 Cyclotronic Overdrive: Topping Out
96 How You Were Inverted: Diving Head First
97 Take the Leap Today: Smorgasbord IX
98 Marching On: Smorgasbord X
99 Proof Games: Moriarty's Challenge
100 The Hundred Move Rule
101 How You Were Inverted: Hands Down
102 April In Ape City: Smorgasbord XI
103 Proof Games: Bring on the Hound
104 The Whammy Machine
105 How You Were Inverted: Falling to the Sky
106 The Return of Queenfest
107 Amazing Days of May: Smorgasbord XII
108 Proof Games: From the Top
109 How You Were Inverted: While His Guitar
110 Queenfest VIII: Still Counting
111 Juneteenth: Smorgasbord XIII
112 Proof Games: Back We Go
113 Loyds and Voids: Beat the Doldrums
114 Whammy Tickets Sold Here
115 Quintil the 1st: Smorgasbord XIV
116 Maximizing Fun
117 Proof Games: Point B to Point A
118 Spheroids, Loyds, and Voids
119 Cyclotrons: Thinking in Circles
120 Hail Caesar: Smorgasbord XV
121 Proof Games: Whatever Happened
122 Loyds and Rhomboids
123 Unbitrium: Smorgasbord XVI
124 Escape from the Usual: Smorgasbord XVII
125 Proof Games: Getting Here From There
126 Cyclotronic Mindwarp: The Thrill of Neural Acceleration
127 Dead Reckoning
128 Cyclotronic Mindwarp: Dizzy Miss Lizzy
129 Proof Games: How Did It Go?
130 Cyclotronic Mindwarp: Chessboard Vertigo
131 Proof Games: Rated PG
132 Cyclotronic Mindwarp: Spiraling Into Control
133 Year of the Rebus
134 Androids, Loyds, and Voids
135 April Fools: Smorgasbord XVIII
136 Proof Games: Elusive Tempi
137 Victoria Day: Smorgasbord XIX

SEASON 4 (September 2017 - October 2018)

138 Season 4 Premiere
139 Proof Games: Rookless Homebase
140 Loyds Voids and Asteroids
141 Proof Games: Rookless Homebase Pronkins
142 Rook and Bishop Pairs
143 Queen and Knight Pairs
144 One Gross of Unrequited Whammies
145 Dead Serious
146 Raise an Index: Smorgasbord XXI
147 Average Mobility: An Inspired Recalculation
148 Rebus: A Puzzle From Things
149 Dead as a Doornail
150 Mother of All Rebuses
151 King of the Loopers
152 Proof Games: Artificial Happenings
153 Loyds, Voids, and Freud
154 Proof Games: Artificial Fruits of Labour
155 Loopology I: One Piece Double Loops
156 Loopology II: Two Piece Double Loops
157 Proof Games: Artificial Non-Reality
158 Loopology III: Three Piece Double Loops
159 Loyds, Void, and Decoyed
160 Loopology IV: Multi-piece Double Loops
161 Dog Days: Smorgasbord XXII
162 Loopology V: Two Piece Single Loops
163 Proof Games: Tempo Here, Tempo There
164 Loopology VI: Three Piece Single Loops Part 1
165 Inverted Logic: Thinking Inside Out
166 Loopology VII: Three Piece Single Loops Part 2
167 Orange Blossoms: Smorgasbord XXIII
168 Loopology VIII: Multi-Piece Single Loops Part 1
169 Proof Games: The Vanishing Game
170 Loopology IX: Multi-Piece Single Loops Part 2
171 Loyds, Voids, and Zebroids
172 Loopology X: Ultimate Loops
173 Season Finale: Smorgasbord XXIV

SEASON 5 (January 2019 - March 2021)

174 Season 5: Glad to be Alive
175 Proof Games: Wandering Kings
176 Dead Letter Office
177 Cyclotronic Life: Reflections on Rotations
178 Smorgas Schmorgas XXVI
179 Loopology XI Single Loops with Unequal Pieces
180 Cyclotronic Life: Queen of the Air
181 Loopology XII: Revised History and Multiloops
182 Proof Games: Illogic of Deception
183 Cyclotronic Life: Around the World in 1123 Days
184 Loopology XIII: Multiloops & Hula Hoops
185 Twenty Twenty: Smorgasbord XXVII
186 Mesh Weavers
187 Proof Games: Hounds of Deduction
188 Rebusland
188x Appendix: Rebus Index 2016-2024
189 Days in the Maze
190 Neural Stumpers: Smorgasbord XXVIII
191 Retro World V: Momentary Lapse in Time
192 Return to Rebusland
193 Mercury Rising: Smorgasbord XXIX
194 A Multitude of Multiambiguity
195 Pseudo-Septuagenarianism: Smorgasbord XXX
196 Cyclotronic Afterlife: Two Hours in Space
197 Retro World VI: A Look into the Future
198 Loopology XIV: End of the Line
199 Peace Buttons
200 Two Hundred: Smorgasbord XXXI

SEASON 6 (July 2021 - )

201 Season 6: Weathering the Storm
202 Rebus Transformations
203 Proof Games: Royal Dances
204 Rebus Upload 01
205 Cyclotrons of the Milky Way
206 Proof Games: Unexpected Reversals
207 Rebus Upload 02
208 Retractors: Plowing Fields
209 Proof Games: Ambitious Bishops
210 Rebus Upload 03
211 Series-Mates: Serious Consequences
212 Ten Years After: Smorgasbord XXXIII
213 Retractors: Taken Aback
214 Proof Games: 200 Proof
215 Rebus Upload 04
216 Series-Mates: Serious Fun
217 Retractors: Back to the Future
218 Smorgasbord XXXIV: Twenty Twenty-two
219 Proving To Be The Case
220 Rebus Upload 05
221 Series Mates: Why So Serious?
222 Smorgasbord XXXV: Two-two-two
223 Inverted Perspectives
224 Proving Ground
225 Rebus Upload 06
226 Retractors: Backtracking
227 Series Mates: Serious Matter
228 Smorgasbord XXXVI
229 Proof of Existence
230 Rebus Upload 07
231 Serious Offence
232 Smorgasbord XXXVII Cutting Edge
233 Proof of Madness


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