Locust-specific batteries 1

Special example files for the 22nd TT CCM C 11.11.2007 start with something unexpected. The tourney is dedicated to locust-specific batteries... but you can find no one locust in 4 selected problems. Well... No "normal" locust, i.e. "queen" locust. But there are other locusts - rook, bishop and nightrider.

Although it might seem simple, I have already received a few problems for the tourney showing that not everyone understands what is meant by locust-specific battery. For me, it is battery, in which firing piece does not stay between king and rear piece, some locust. Firing piece stands behind king, preventing the locust from capturing the king - as the locust has no place to jump to. Let's look at how it can be put into problem...
Roméo Bedoni
feenschach 1978

1.Qg1! zz
1...Rgxf3 2.gxf3#
1...Rxh3 2.gxh3#
1...Rxg5 2.g4#
1...Rg4 2.g3#
1...Rxe4 2.e3#
1...Rxd3+ 2.exd3#
1...Rexf3 2.exf3#
1...Rxg2 2.Qh2#
1...Rxe2 2.Qc1#

There are 2 active locust-specific batteries NL-K-P with starring pawns e2 and g2. Defences by Rg3 allow albino by Pg2, defences by Re3 three battery mates by Pe2. The key allows two unthematical mates by queen after locust-typical selfpins of rooks.









#2 (12+6)
5+0 nightrider locust
Harry Fougiaxis
1st Prize T. Wakashima 50 JT 2003

a) 1.Ra6 Sg5 2.RLxc2-c1 Sh3#

b) 1.Bc1 Sg6 2.BLxb5-a6 Sf8#

B1 prevents capture of mating locust. W1 unpins black locust who in B2 leaves future mating line, forming the thematical locust-like battery. Finally W2 is battery mate by switchback. It is important that dual tries Se6? and Sf4 fail because they allow capture by black locusts closing mating lines. Good analogy of locust-typical strategy.









h#2 (7+8)
1+2 rook locust, 2+3 bishop locust
b) black bishop a3
Michal Dragoun
5th Prize H. Fougiaxis 40 JT 2006

1.BLxc6-b5 Sf3 2.Kxe4 Se1#

1.RLxe4-f4 Sf7 2.BLxf7-e6 RLxe6-f6#

1.BLxc5-d4 Sg5 2.Kxe5 Sh7#

1.BLxe5-f4 Sf2 2.BLxf2-e3 BLxe3-f2#

There are 4 solutions, of which 2 are thematical for 22nd TT CCM - the 2nd and the 4th. For me, the 1st and the 3rd solutions are even more interesting as they show transformation of locust-typical half-battery into a kind of normal battery with different, the 3rd firing piece that was not present on the half-battery line. Well done by the 22nd TT CCM judge!









h#2 (10+12)
2+2 rook locust, 2+7 bishop locust
4.1.1.1
Michel Caillaud
Uri Avner
2nd Prize Cheltenham 2002

1...Bc4 a 2.Se4+ A RLxe4-e3#
1...Bc6 b 2.Se6+ B RLxe6-e7#

1.Be2! th. 2.Qg7+ RLxg7-h7#
1...Bc4 a 2.Se6+ B Bxe6#
1...Bc6 b 2.Se4+ A Bxe4#

Well, I have decided to include this problem despite the fact there is the only thematical mate in it (the threat mate). But it shows some possibilities of (rook) locusts and it has hidden one locust typical effect in the key. Before key Rh2 guards line c1-c7 so that after bishop defences unpinned knight must check in way saving himself from bishop capture. The key has 3 important motifs:

1. guards h5, so that queen can leave -file in threat,
2. closes h2-c2, so that knight can check on the squares guarded by bishop,
3. un-masks for the first time double-masked locust-typical half-pin on the 5th rank. This implies e.g. after 1.Be2 Bc4 2.Se4+ rook locust on e4 is pinned.

As a result we get reciprocal change with some good locust strategy.









s#2 (7+12)
1+7 rook locust, 0+1 bishop locust

Comments to Juraj Lörinc.
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