This position was reached in a normal chess game:

                   BLACK
     +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
     | B |///| K |/R/| N |///|   |///|  
     +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
     |/P/| P |///|   |///|   |///|   |  
     +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
     |   |///| Q |/K/|   |/R/|   |///|   
     +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
     |///|   |///|   |///|   |///|   |
     +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
     |   |///|   |///|   |///|   |///|
     +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
     |///|   |///|   |///|   |///|   |
     +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
     |   |///|   |///|   |///|   |///|
     +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
     |///|   |///|   |///|   |///|   |
     +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
                   WHITE

a) Identify the color of each piece.
b) What was the last move?

The pawn on b7 must be white or the bishop on a8 could not have got there. This means that the King on c8 must be white to avoid being in check from the pawn. It follows that the King on d6 is black.

The Rook on f6 and the night on e8 are therefore black to avoid checking the black king.

Because of the double threats to the White King from the Queen and Rook on d8 the only possibility I can think of is that the Queen and Rook on d8 are both black.

The last move was a black pawn on c7 capturing on d8 and being promoted to Rook.

I cannot, as yet work out the colour of the bishop or the remaining (a) pawn.

Posted by Vernon Lewis on 2006-01-09 13:46:54