S. Peter Lewis

My hope is that when you near the end of this story you find yourself so distracted by some great dream of your own that you have trouble sleeping at night- S. Peter Lewis in Treehouse Chroincles

We know that chess can lead to trees of variations, but for two inspired Maine artists/builders, variations can now be dreamt up in the trees.

S. Peter Lewis is the author of Treehouse Chronicles: One Man's Dream of Life Aloft. Gorgeously produced (by TMC books) and illustrated, by Peter's treehouse building partner T.B.R. (Ted) Walsh, the book describes Peter's construction of a 250 square foot, hexagonal shaped treehouse. The treehouse was meant mainly to serve as an office for Peter's writing, but the second floor is devoted to chessplay. To stay true to its setting, Ted created the board and pieces out of branches.

Peter raves about the creative building process, writing:

(Many) see the treehouse as a tangible thing that has value now, but that would be rendered worthless in an instant if a big enough wind came along....
But the treehouse isn't just a thing...it's the magic of seasons and days
and hours and moments spent in wonder doing hard work way up in the air.

Aspiring chess masters could certainly apply this advice Focus on getting in the zone at the board more often and more deeply rather than on results or increasing a rating.

Treehouse problem

This problem is an original composition by Dr.Steven Dowd, who will be starting a problemist blog next week, in part to fill the gap left by David Brown's (of Key Krackers) resignation.


White to Play and Mate in Three (first published April 2005 in Schweizerische Schachzeitung)

Hint: the piece on c1 is a White King.

The first two people who can decipher the position, and then solve the problem will get an autographed copy of Treehouse Chronicles mailed to them. E-mail your answers and address to [email protected].

UPDATE: We have our winners! The first to respond with a correct answer was Mitch Joseph from Florida, and second was Eric Jones from Ohio. Congratulations! A close third was Tony Campbell from Tennessee. Thanks for all your guesses. The answer will be public in a few days, giving other Chess Life Online readers the chance (torture?) to decipher and solve it!
Photo Gallery


The treehouse in winter- look what we have to look forward to!


The chess floor of the treehouse


Treehouse chess pieces.