My works 284 - 289

1.Qa3? zz
1...Kxc4 2.Qc5+ Rxc5#
1...Kxd4 2.Qxc3+ Sxc3#
1...g5!

1.Qg5! zz
1...Kxc4 2.Sd6+ Rxd6#
1...Kxd4 2.Qf4+ Sxf4#

This selfmate was composed originally for the same tourney as my problem No. 224, but it was less lucky, it didn't make it into award. I moved the paralysing of both kings from 1st white move to black defences. But the result wasn't very satisfying, probably more can be digged out of the idea.

Personal rating: C.

1.pLEa8! th. 2.f8S#
1...pRa6, pVAh5, Sxf7, Zxf7
2.-, pSc5#, pSe5#, pSf4#

1.pLEe8! th. 2.f8S#
1...pRa6, pVAh5, Sxf7, Zxf7
2.pSc5#, -, pSb2#, pSb4#

1.pLEg8! th. 2.f8S#
1...pRa6, pVAh5, Sxf7, Zxf7
2.pSe5#, pSb2#, -, pSc1#

1.pLEh8! th. 2.f8S#
1...pRa6, pVAh5, Sxf7, Zxf7
2.pSf4#, pSb4#, pSc1#, -

Again you can see the problem that is based on the same idea as my other problem, in this case my problem No. 204. As knight as a firing battery piece is less agile then queen, I had to use some antibattery paralysing to achieve 6 mates, each of them paralysing another pair of black defenders.

Personal rating: B.

1.Ke4(+pe5)? th. 2.Kd5(+pe4)#
1...BHd5!

1.Kd5(+pe5)? th. 2.Ke6(+pd5)#
1...BHe6(+pb3)!

1.Ke6(+pe5)? th. 2.Kf5(+pe6)#
1...BHb7 2.Kd5(+pe6)#
1...BHf5!

1.Kf5(+pe5)! th. 2.Ke4(+pf5)#
1...BHe4(+ph7) 2.Kg6(+pf5)#

I was researching Vogtlaender chess for some time. After finding this 4-fold Reeves cycle on the Dalmatian beach, in my head without board, I continued at home and this my research culminated in the following No. 287.

Personal rating: C.

1.Kd4-d3[+wPd4]? A th. 2.Kd3-c3[+wPd3]# B
1...RHh3-c3[+bPh3] 2.Kd3-c4[+wPd3]# C
but 1...NHg4-a1[+bPg4]!

1.Kd4-c3[+wPd4]? B th. 2.Kc3-c4[+wPc3]# C
but 1...RHc2-c4[+bPc2]!

1.Kd4-c4[+wPd4]? C th. 2.Kc4-c5[+wPc4]# D
1...RHc2-c5[+bPc2] 2.Kc4-d5[+wPc4]# E
but 1...NHg4-a7[+bPg4]!

1.Kd4-c5[+wPd4]? D th. 2.Kc5-d5[+wPc5]# E
but 1...RHb5-d5[+bPb5]!

1.Kd4-d5[+wPd4]! E th. 2.Kd5-e5[+wPd5]# F
1...RHb5-e5[+bPb5] 2.Kd5-e4[+wPd5]# G
1...NHg4-a1[+bPg4] 2.Kd5-d6[+wPd5]#

1.Kd4-e5[+wPd4]! F th. 2.Ke5-e4[+wPe5]# G
1...RHe8-e4 2.Ke5-d6[+wPe5]#

1.Kd4-e4[+wPd4]! G th. 2.Ke4-e3[+wPe4]# H
1...RHe8-e3 2.Ke4-d3[+wPe4]# A
1...NHg4-a7[+bPg4] 2.Ke4-f3[+wPe4]#

1.Kd4-e3[+wPd4]! H th. 2.Ke3-d3[+wPe3]# A
1...RHh3-d3[+bPh3] 2.Ke3-f4[+wPe3]#
1...NHg4-a7[+bPg4] 2.Ke3-f3[+wPe3]#

Cycle of key and threat in 8 phases (8-fold Reeves cycle according to new Peter Gvozdják's terminology) with further cycle key-mate after different defences on threat squares. There are only kings, nightrider hoppers and rookhoppers in diagram position, solo of WK! The strength of wK renders Black powerless, moreover the variability of mates and refutations of half of the thematical keys makes the problem interesting enough to analyse.

Personal rating: A.

a) 1.Sxg3(DUb6) Lxe2-f1(Ld7) 2.Sxf1(Lc8) Lxc5-c4(Sf4)#

b) 1.Sxd2(DUe7) Lxf2-f1(Lc7) 2.Sxf1(Lc8) Lxe6-f5(pd3)#

This tourney asked for switchbacks by bith white and black. I managed to find interesting scheme including transport of white locust that made the first white move. Thus white locust made something like round trip - but only two moves are actively made by them. Another interesting feature is that mate is given by locust that doesn't move - his colleague takes black unit that prevents check and also pins the other one. In my view a bit dry, schematical, but not the worst problem.

Personal rating: C.

1...Re2 2.Sf4#
1...Se2 2.Se5#

1.Bc5! th. 2.Sg3 Rxc5#
1...Re2 2.Se5+ Rxe5#
1...Se2 2.Sf4+ Sxf4#

1...Bxg2 2.Sd6 Bd5#
1...Bxd3+ 2.Kxd3 Qe2#

I wrote to editor: "In the set position Black threatens 1...Re2/Se2 2.Sf4#/Se5#. Here you see a special kind of reflex-mate: the black mating moves must have two motives, capture of wS guarding f1-c4 and guard of d5. To allow this, White must play checking moves that appear reciprocally as forced white mates in the set play." Solvers commented rather positively (CCF: A very good reflexmate with excellent play, AB: The unpinned wS moves to three different squares). But I didn't publish this reflex mate long time bacause I wasn't satisfied with economy (25 units for rather humble content...).

Personal rating: C.