Empress - an old piece

Perhaps you have already heard about currently running Werner Speckmann 100 MT C 21.8.2013. It is dedicated to direct mates using fairy piece empress as the only fairy elements. Empress is in a sense almost orthodox piece too, being simple combination of rook and knight. So the tourney can be tried also by composers preferring orthodox direct mates, even if they are afraid of too complex fairy issues.

We already have one thematical problem shown on the CCM, namely #2 by Zdenek Mach showing yummy pin model mates.

Also, you can find on chessvariants.org the #2 with empress by S. Loyd and the #2 with empress by W. Ferris.

A part of the following material was sent or pointed to me by Michael Burghardt (MB), one of tourney initiators. See also his article Des Kanzlers neue Kleider (in German) made available as pdf file. Thank you, Michael.
Peter Kniest
feenschach 1972

1.Se1! th. 2.Sd3 th. 3.EMb4#, 2...Kc6 3.EMb4#
1...Kc6 2.EMb4+ Kc5 3.Sd3#
1...Ke5 2.Sf3+ Kd5 3.EMc3#
        2...Kf5 3.EMh4#

As is demonstrated by this position, empress is quite suitable for showing model mates, with very different set of mates compared to abovementioned Mach's problem. I wonder how many different model mate problems will be competing in the MT.









#3 (4+2)
1+0 empress
Jan van Woerden
Probleemblad 2006

1.EMe3! th. 2.EMf5#
1...Rf1 2.EMd5#
1...Sd4 2.EMg4#
1...Kd4 2.EMc4#

The main positive point of this twomover is the key giving two flights (d4 and f4). Afterwards some empress-typical mates follow.









#2 (5+6)
1+0 empress
John Keeble
Chancellor Chess 1889

1.EMe4! zz
1...g4 2.EMf4#
1...fxe4 2.c4#
1...f4 2.EMxg5#
1...e2 2.EMxd2#
1...B~ 2.EMxe3#
1...Bc1! 2.EMc3#
1...c4 2.EMd4#
1...Sxd6+ 2.EMxd6#
1...Sc~ 2.EMe7#
1...Sa~ 2.EMxc5#
1...Kxe4 2.Bc6#

It is difficult to see from the first glance that this position reaches zugzwang after the key. Moreover the key gives a flight on the square occupied by empress, so that every empress check retakes the flight. Also you can see this problem at chessvariants.org too.









#2 (8+8)
1+0 empress
Zdenek Mach
TT Nederlandse Bond van Probleemvrienden 1951


1.h3! th. 2.EMf3#
1...Sxh1 2.EMf3#
1...Sxh3 2.EMe4#
1...Sg4+ 2.EMxg4#
1...Sxe8 2.EMf5#
1...Bxh3 2.EMg2#

This is an impressive set of five model mates, two of them with the active pin.









#2 (5+6)
1+0 empress
Theodor Steudel
Die Schwalbe 1955

1.Bh6! zz
1...Kd6 2.Bf4#
1...Kd4 2.EMd7#
1...Kxf6 2.EMc6#

And one more zugzwang position with flight-giving key and three model mates, including echo pair (with empress mating move). Besides Speckmann 100 MT some of empress problems presented here could be considered as examples for currently running the 32nd TT CCM C 4.4.2013.









#2 (7+4)
1+0 empress
John Keeble
Chancellor Chess 1889
version Stephen Emmerson, June 2013

1.EMe4! zz
1...gxh4 2.EMf4#
1...g6 2.EMxf6#
1...f5 2.EMe5#
1...e2 2.EMxd2#
1...Bd2~ 2.EMxe3#
1...Bc1! 2.EMc3#
1...c4 2.EMd4#
1...Sxd6+ 2.EMxd6#
1...Sc~ 2.EMe7#
1...Sa~ 2.EMxc5#
1...Kxe4 2.Bc6#

This version of the Keeble's problem is a result of correspondence between Michael Burghardt and Stephen Emmerson. Three units more result in one empress mate removed (EMg5) and two added (EMe5, EMxf6).









#2 (10+9)
1+0 empress

Comments to Juraj Lörinc.
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