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Fairy chess

Fairy chess comprises chess problems that differ from classical (also called orthodox) chess problems in that they are not direct mates. The term was introduced by Henry Tate in 1914 and has resisted change since then. While selfmate dates from the Middle Ages, helpmate was invented by Max Lange in the late 19th century. Thomas Dawson (1889-1951), the "father of fairy chess", invented many fairy pieces and new conditions. He was also problem editor of Fairy Chess Review (1930-51).

Although the term "fairy chess" is sometimes used for games, it is more usually applied to problems where the board, pieces, or rules are changed to express an idea or theme impossible in orthochess.

Types of fairy chess problems

Types of fairy chess problems include:

All problems in the FIDE Albums are divided into eight sections: directmates (2-movers, 3-movers and moremovers), endgame studies, selfmates, helpmates, fairy chess and retro and mathematical problems.

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