Christmas Puzzles 7 – long and short
Take a look at this relatively simple position. Can you figure out how White can win? And how many moves it will require to overcome Black's most resolute defence? You won't believe it. To relax we bring you the arguably easiest chess study ever composed, and other entertaining puzzles, many from the out-of-the-box legend Karl Fabel. Photo: ChessBase
2025 Christmas puzzle 17 + 18
We start with a set of fairly simple chess puzzles. Some of our readers may remember them from over a decade ago, but they are fun and relaxing.
These two problems are presented in the spirit of New Year's Eve light-headedness. Could anything be possibly easier? Bow your head in shame if it took you more than a minute to find the mate in the Madeley position and the only move that doesn't mate in the Fabel problem – where there are thirteen moves that do.
2025 Christmas Puzzle 19 + 20
The answer to the Pollmächer problem is a number – can you accurately count the number of different moves that White can make to mate Black? And in the second Fabel problem where is the black king located so that White can mate in one?
2025 Christmas Puzzle 21 + 22
Now for the arguably easiest chess study ever composed:
Author unknown
And in case you are falling asleep, here's one of the longest:
Karl Fabel, Deutsche Schachblätter 1950
In this very simple-looking position, White can actually win. But it is not quick and easy. You should look for the strategy that leads to the forced win, and estimate the maximum number of moves Black can hold out before he is finally mated (you won't believe it).
Please do not post any solutions in our feedback section below. Let other readers enjoy the problems. Please submit your solution feedback here. We will reveal the solutions to all Christmas Puzzle in the first week of January 2026.
Dr Karl Fabel and Curious Chess
Karl Fabel was born in 1905 in Hamburg, Germany (where ChessBase is located and where I live) and died in 1975. He received a doctorate in chemistry and worked as a mathematician and civil judge. Fabel is considered to be one of the most ingenious chess composers. After some intensive searching I located a family photo of him.
Decades ago I bought a copy of Fabel's book, Curious Chess, second-hand at the chess tournament. It bears a copyright from 1960 and has pencilled notes in it by a previous owner – in the old German "Suetterlin" handwriting.
I actually learned to read this script and was able to decipher the letters which were used in my grandparent's generation. The 64-page book, and a number of subsequent ones by the same author, contain a wealth of odd, entertaining and often bizarre chess ideas – many orthodox problems with unusual twists, and any number of non-orthodox variants.
Octogenarian puzzle master Werner Keym corresponded extensively with Fabel, organized two major Fabel memorial tournaments, and is generally considered his successor. Werner has entertained our readers with countless out-of-the-box chess problems, and in fact encouraged me to revive our ChessBase Christmas Puzzle Week.
About the Author
Editor-in-Chief emeritus of the ChessBase News page. Studied Philosophy and Linguistics at the University of Hamburg and Oxford, graduating with a thesis on speech act theory and moral language. He started a university career but switched to science journalism, producing documentaries for German TV. In 1986 he co-founded ChessBase.
Related News
