Mystery chess puzzle that has never been solved with full consistency yet:

White to play, white or black to win


And for those who need a hint

Why not a draw is possible? ;-)

Since it is a puzzle does White or Black move first?
Note in the early 19th Century some games started with Black having the first move.

You copied this puzzle from a book! The Ultimate Chess Puzzle Book has this as the final puzzle in the book, labeled as "White to play and win", if I remember correctly.

--Fromper

Let's get started...

1. e4

If e5 then 2. Nf3
If e6 then 2. d4
If Nf6 then 2. e5
If c5 then 2. Nf3
If d5 then 2. exd5
.................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ........

If this problem ever got solved, chess would no longer be played professionaly.

Is this going to lead into the old 'Mate in Nineteen' story?

Will play that

checkers have already been solved

That's exactly why checkers is only played between fathers who purposefully lose to their children.

I appreciate this is a 'joke' puzzle, but still, it is factually incorrect.

The ONLY puzzle that can be set from this position is White to play and draw. Chess puzzles can only assume the best response from the "losing" side or the puzzle is pointless, and with best play from both sides the starting position should always yield a draw.