Award of 13th TT Chess Composition Microweb - orthodox section - C 15.2.2004

1.Kc2!
1...d3+ 2.Kxd1 Se3,c2,Sa3,Bb3#

We have seen at CCM already 3 different versions of this task, selfmate in two with white Rex Solus - by Gustav von Brocker & Wilhelm Cohn, by Ottó Titusz Bláthy and by Enzo Minerva. For me it is still commendable as there are 4 mates in 2nd black move, a wide variety.

a) 1.S7c5! Ke7 2.Se6+ Ke8 3.Kb8 Kd7 4.Se5+ Ke8 5.Sg7+ Kd8 6.Qb6+ Rc7 7.Rc5 Ke7 8.Rc6+ Kd8 9.Ka8 Kc8 10.Se6 Rxc6 11.Qa6+ Rxa6#

b) 1.Kb8! Kd7 2.Rd4+ Ke8 3.Ra4 Kd7 4.Qd6+ Ke8 5.Qc6+ Rd7
6.Qg6+ Rf7 7.Ra7 Kd7 8.Se5+ Ke8 9.Qc6+ Rd7 10.Qc8+ Rd8 11.Ka8 Rxc8#

A problem in the style of Pavlos Moutecidis: quite long solutions with model mates by rook, aristocratic position. White king walks twice into corner. There are two minuses here: these walks are the same and the problems is in the form of zeroposition.

1.Qb8! zz
1...gxf3 2.gxf3 zz Kf8 3.Kc7+ Ke7 4.Qd8+ Qxd8#
1...g3 2.Rf6 zz gxf6 3.Ke7+ Kg7 4.Qf8+ Qxf8#

An interesting activation of bQ leads to two similar mates, almost echo. But I have to object against Rf1 as it has no active role in the solution, it just defends against cooks and duals.

1.Kc4! c5 2.Kc3 c4 3.Kd4 c3 4.Sa8 c2 5.Rc1 bxc1Q#, bxc1R#, bxc1B#, bxc1S#, b1Q#, b1R#, b1B#, b1S#

If there was not bpc6, White could end immediately by 1.Rb1~ b1~#. To reach this finale, however, White has to triangulate precisely by his king and the rook move is then precised.

1...Sf4 2.Rxc5+ Rxc5#

1.Kxc5! th. 2.Kb5+ Sc3#
1...S~+ 2.Bxe5+ Rxe5#
1...Se3+! 2.Kxd4+ Sc2, Sc4#
(1...Sf4#)

An intensive play of wK is started already by a key removing a set play and creating a royal battery. It threats a switchback and provokes checks by bS. After random move White uses bishop for a mate forcing, but a correction creates additional flight. It is used for a new way of the royal battery opening. It is a pity, that everything is shown just once, nothing is repeated.

1.Ba7! Kg3 2.Kg7 Kh3 3.Kf6 Kg3 4.Ke5 Kh3 5.Kd4 Kg3 6.Kc3 Kh3 7.Kd2 Kg3 8.Ke1 Kh3 9.Kf1 Kg3 10.Kg1 Kh3 11.Kh1 Kg3 12.Bg1 Kh3 13.Qd7+ Kg3 14.Rg2+ fxg2#

The content is simple - bK for a long time just oscillates while wK walks form one corner to another. Altogether 10 moves in the uninterrupted serie and in the miniature and that, compared to some older problems (s#7 by Victor Cuciuc, s#12 by Jacques Savournin, s#13 by Leonid Makaronez, s#15 by Tivadar Kardos, s#15 by Tivadar Kardos, s#15 by Ivan Brjuchanov & Oleg Paradzinskij, s#21 by Eugeniusz Iwanow & Saturnin Limbach) seems to be a very good result.

1.Ke6! Kc4 2.Ke5+ Kc3 3.Bh7 Kc4 4.Rxd4+ Kc3 5.Rd8 Kc4 6.Bg8+ Kc3 7.Ke6 Kc4 8.Kf6+ Kc3 9.Kf7 Kc4 10.Kg7+ Kc3 11.Qe5+ Bd4 12.Kh8 Bxe5#

1.Kf7! Kc4 2.Kg7+ Kc3 3.Bh7 Kc4 4.Qe6+ Kc3 5.Qe1+ Kc4 6.Rxd4+ Kxd4 7.Qce5+ Kc4 8.Qe6+ Kd4 9.Q1e3+ Kc3 10.Q3e5+ Bd4 11.Qc8+ Bc4 12.Kh8 Bxe5#

The scheme is the same as in the problem by W. Pauly as indicated by the author. However, he managed to double the finale and in fact the whole solution and thus get an echo mates. White king plays very actively. (By the way, I have noticed two white queens...)

1.Rg1? Ke4 2.Rg4+ Kd5 3.Rg5+ Ke4 4.Sc5+ Kd4 5.Qd7+ Rd6 6.Qg7+ Rf6 7.Qg1?? Rf2+ 8.Kc1! Ke3 9.Be5 Kf3 10.Rf5+ Ke3 11.Qe1+ Re2 12.Bb2 Rxe1#

1.Rf1? ... 7.Qg1#! as 7...Rf2??? impossible

1.Ra1! Ke4 2.Ra4+ Kd5 3.Sd4 Ke4 4.Sc6+ Kd5 5.Qf5+ Re5 6.Sb4+ Kd4 7.Bb6+ Rc5 8.Ke1 Ke3 9.Rf2 Kd4 10.Sa2+ Ke3 11.Qe5+ Kd3 12.Sc1+ Rxc1#

An unusual content for a long selfmate. In the first try 1.Rg1? White fails to force mate due to white-white anti-Bristol. In the second try the trouble appears one halfmove later - white-black anti-Bristol. These are the only obstructions to the happy finish. That is why White must choose quite different way with a model mate on the different square - and it is truly necessary motivation for a wK moves.

If you have seen this page before, please note that white bishop should stand at c7. Sorry, Viktor!

1.Kf1? zz 1...f5!

1.Kh1? zz 1...b3!

1.Qb8! zz
1...f5 2.Kh1 th. 3.Qe5+ Be4#
1...b3 2.Kf1 th. 3.Qxb3+ Bd3#

I have noted this very rare motivation for wK moves in the introduction. In both ways at White’s disposition for the mate forcing there appears a harmful guard on the 1st row. That is why wK have to walk into doublecheck that makes the guards ineffective. No white pawns. (The Bannij pattern noted by the author is of the most usual kind, nothing special, White just have to wait with the wK move decision.)

1.Kf5? A fxg6+! b

1.Kd3? B gxf6! a

1.d8R! zz
1...gxf6 a 2.Kf5 A fxg6+ 3.Kxf6 g5 4.Kg7 g4 5.Kh8 g3 6.Sg7 Kxc7 7.Qf7+ Se7 8.R3a7+ Kc6 9.Qg6+ Sxg6#
1...fxg6 b 2.Kd3 B gxf6 3.Kc2 f5 4.Kb1 f4 5.Ka1 f3 6.Sb1 f2 7.Qb3+ Sb4 8.Rab8+ Kc6 9.Qc2+ Sxc2#

Let me first express my reservations. A very strong white material is needed to carry out an ambitious aim. The white play is quite symmetrical. On the bright side... the differentiation of variations is delicate (gxf6 unblocks f6 for wK, fxg6 delays possible promotion too much for Black) and what is thematically the most important, after long wK walks there are echo model mates in the most far points of the board.

a) 1.Ke5+! Kh8 2.Ke6+ Kg8 3.Kf6+ Kh8 4.Kf7+ Kh7 5.Ke8+ Kg6 6.Qf6+ Kh7 7.g6+ Kh6 8.g7+ Kh7 9.Bg8+ Kxg8 10.Qf7+ Kh7 11.g8Q+ Kh6 12.Qh8+ Kg5 13.Ge6+ Kh4 14.Qfxh5+ Kg3 15.Qxh2+ Kf3 16.Qc3+ Ke4 17.Qf4+ Kd5 18.Gc7+ Kxc7 19.Qfd4+ Ke6 20.Qe4+ Kd6 21.Qd2+ Kc5 22.Qa5+ Kd6 23.Be5+ Ke6 24.Qxa6+ Kc6 25.Qc8+ Kxc8#

b) 1.Kc3+! Kh8 2.Qe5+ Kh7 3.Bb1+ Kg8 4.Qe8+ Kg7 5.Kc2+ Kh7 6.Qh8+ Kg6 7.Qf6+ Kh7 8.Kd1+ Kg8 9.Ba2+ Kh7 10.g6+ Kh6 11.g7+ Kh7 12.Bb1+ Kg8 13.Qd8+ Kf7 14.Qd7+ Kg8 15.Qc8+ Kf7 16.g8Q+ Ke7 17.Qg7+ Kd6 18.Qf6+ Kc5 19.Gxa6+ Kd5 20.Qg8+ Kf7 21.Qgg5+ Kc4 22.Ba2+ Kd3 23.Qd5+ Ke3 24.Bd4+ Kd3 25.Qf1+ Kxf1#

Could it be correct? Hopefully yes as the problem shows echo with central symmetry by the middle of the board and sharp battery play, including white royal batteries. With such a length and a free black rook around the checking series are inevitable. If only wK could start on d4 and if we had 2 variations/solutions... Despite almost full 1st file airy construction, 2/3 of units are on the edge of the board.

(Thanks to Christian Poisson for pointing the diagram error.)

Update 30.6.2010
Vaclav Kotesovec has reported cooks found by Olaf Jenkner. I am not happy that my doubts from the judgement were confirmed.