Retrograde analysis, a fascinating branch of chess, involves deducing previous moves and game history from a given position. This technique becomes particularly intriguing when applied to fictional scenarios, like the chess game featured in Arturo Pérez-Reverte's novel, "The Flanders Panel." This article explores the challenges and possibilities of performing a retrograde analysis on the game described in the book, drawing upon insights and discussions from the Chess Stack Exchange community.
The core question is: can the described position in "The Flanders Panel" be verified through retrograde analysis? The book presents a specific board configuration and a series of deductions made by the characters. But, does Reverte's description hold up under the scrutiny of rigorous chess analysis?
The Initial Position According to the Book:
[fen "1nb5/pp1p4/PRP5/pR6/k1K1P3/2P5/2qP1P2/1NrnQB2 w - - 0 1"]
The characters in the book embark on a mission to determine which piece captured the white knight. Their reasoning involves:
While the book's analysis offers a compelling narrative, applying strict retrograde analysis reveals potential issues. As noted by Steven Stadnicki on Chess Stack Exchange, the position seems "sufficiently artificial" and unlikely to arise from a sensible game. For instance, White, before Black's last move (Qb2-c2), could simply have captured the Black queen, which seems like a more logical move.
Despite the artificiality, the exercise of analyzing the position from a retrograde perspective remains valuable. One approach involves attempting to reconstruct a plausible sequence of moves leading to the given position.
Untangling the position:
One user on the Stack Exchange forum provided a possible sequence of untangling the board from the given position to a more workable one:
Which ultimately provided the following result:
[FEN "1nb3nr/pp1pk1q1/P1P5/p7/8/8/2PPPP2/RN1QKB1R w - - 0 1"]
This exercise highlights the degrees of freedom available when working backward from the given position.
Key Considerations:
The central mystery revolves around how the white knight was captured. Retrograde analysis shows that the knight could have been captured in various ways:
The exercise of analyzing the position from "The Flanders Panel" highlights the delicate balance between narrative and analytical accuracy. While the book's deductions add intrigue to the story, they don't necessarily withstand rigorous retrograde analysis. However, the community's exploration on Chess Stack Exchange demonstrates the enduring appeal of these analytical problems and offer a glimpse into the complex world of chess puzzle solving. Ultimately, enjoy the fiction, but approach the chess with a critical and analytical eye.
