Christmas Puzzles 4 – Retractors
These days it is not easy to challenge anyone with problems or studies. Loading the PGN and clicking Start will usually get you the solution in seconds. So we are trying to provide you with "computer resistant" puzzles in this year's Christmas Puzzle Week. Today the subject is taking back a move in a given position and looking for a move to fulfil the condition. As in this 100-year-old problem by Thomas Dawson: it requires you to take back one move and then mate the opponent in two. Can you think how? Photo: ChessBase
Retractors – taking back moves
by Werner Keym
When snooping around for unusual problems, there is no better place to look than in the works of Thomas Rayner Dawson. He graduated from the University of Leeds with a first-class honours degree in 1913 and worked in the Research Association of British Rubber Manufacturers.
Dawson, who lived from 1889 to 1951, was a chemist, but also an avid chess composer. He was the founder-editor of The Problemist (1922–1931) and also edited the problem pages of The British Chess Magazine (1931–1951). He himself composed over 6000 problems, many of them unusual and witty. Like the following famous problem, which we are offering you in our Christmas Puzzle Week – with apologies if you have seen it before:
2025 Christmas puzzle 8
Thomas R. Dawson, Chess Amateur 1920
Question: what move could White possibly retract to get a position in which he can mate in two moves. Naturally, he must adhere to all laws of chess, and all problem chess conventions.
2025 Christmas Puzzle 9
And now twin retractors by Zvi Roth 1970 in Al. Hamishmar 1970:
Zvi Roth is a chess problemist, born 1952 in Australia. He grew up in Israel and lives in Jerusalem, studied physics and computer science.
2025 Christmas Puzzle 10
Now whip out your chess board and set (they are in the cupboard somewhere) and try to construct a position in which every square of the board is attacked. No pawns, of course.
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.
About the Author
Werner Keym, is a teacher (of French and Latin) and a musician who has organised more than 300 concerts in his town. In 2010, he ran as an independent candidate for Mayor of Meisenheim and won in a landslide. He held that position until 2014, when at 72 he retired to devote more time to his family — he has five grandchildren — and to his hobbies, foremost of which is problem chess.
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