My works 295 - 301

a) 1.Bc1 Bg2+ 2.Ke2 Bd5 3.Kd1 Kf1 4.d2 Bb3#

b) 1.Bh6 Kg1 2.Kg4 Bc4 3.Kh5 Kh3 4.g5 Bf7#

Far echo of model mate. The play is a bit symmetrical, but not completely boring. One can find unpins of wB by both sides and mating moves by wB on a2-g8 diagonal in opposite directions.

The solvers commented it too.
Alexander Ettinger: "A beautiful echo vis-a-vis the long diagonal."
Chris J. Feather: "The move order is tricky (I solved [b] first, the twinning beeing a good hint) but not so tricky as to deter one from the very obvious mates."

Personal rating: C.

1.pQh5? th. 2.f7#
1...RLe8 2.d7# (2.f7+? RLe6!)
1...RLf7!

1.pQb5! th. 2.d7#
1...RLe8 2.f7# (2.d7+? RLe6!)

This summer tourney asked for problems with "quiet life" - no checks, no captures. I chose in fact a few problems from my files and sent them in. Surprisingly, this fairy twomover got the highest distinction.

There is no mate set for 1...RLxe8. White creates the threat by paralysing one of black pieces aimed at half-battery line. Defence 1...RLe8 paralyses 3 black pieces - Bb4, Qh4 and RLe8, but counts upon interference unparalysing of RLe8. This allows the other half-battery mate. Le Grand with very paralysing motivation, unfortunately almost totally symmetrical.

Personal rating: C.

1.Kf4(Ie2) Sh4(Ig1) 2.Sg4(Ih3) Sf3(If2) 3.d3(If1) Ge5(Ic4) 4.Kg5(Id5) Sd4(Ib6) 5.Kh4(Ic5) Sf5(Ie6)#

I composed this helpmate originally for 2nd TT CCM, but judge didn't like it. Never mind, it slept more than 2 years in my files and as it was suitable for quiet life tourney, I sent it. Although it surely isn't great problem, I think that round trip of white knight and very specific final position using both imitator and grasshopper abilities are not bad. Simply publishable problem.

Personal rating: C.

1.Sxf4 Rd2 2.Sfxe6 Kxf6#

1.Sxe6 Ra5 2.Sexf4 Kxg4#

So I've won another tourney, but got no prize. I was disappointed to find out that this JT had so low level. As many good fairy composers already tried siamese units, I expected better works by others. But only three composers took part: Romeo Bedoni, Michal Dragoun and me...
The judge pointed there is amusing content in 298: siamese units make no move, nevertheless they are very thematical. And yes, this was one of my aims. Royal battery mates after line clearances and selfpins of knights in opposite directions. I see one weak point - 1st white move, it is very simple guarding.

Personal rating: B.

a) 1...Re1 2.Sb2 Ra1(Ka3)#
1.Sc3 Re6 2.Sb5 Ra6(Ka4)#

b) 1...Rg4 2.Sf2 Rg1(Ke1)#
1.Se3 Rxb4 2.Sc2 Rb1(Kd1)#

4-fold echo with 5 pieces only, black makes half-wheel with his knight.

Personal rating: C.

1.NEf3! NEe4 2.Kg4 NEg2 3.NEh5 NEg6 4.Kg5 NEg4 5.Kf4 NEe4 6.Ke3 NEe2 7.NEb1 NEe4 8.NEc1 NEe2 9.Kd2 NEc2 10.NEc3#
(1...NEg4 2.Rf2 NEe2 3.NEd1 NEg2 4.NEg1 NEe2 5.Re3 NEe4 6.Rd4#)

White can mate only with the help of NEa1, so it is necessary to mobilize him. But he mustn't let bNE enter c-file. In the main variation white approaches NEa1 by... first going away! Black can do nothing againts precise play of White, he even helps! Moreover there is prepared set play for 1...NEg4, but unfortunately dualistic.

Personal rating: C.

a) 1.Sd8 Rf8 2.Qd7 Rxc6#

b) 1.Sg2 Bh3 2.Qf2 Rc1#

This is exactly the No 14 mentioned by Anders Uddgren, judge of 1st TT CCM. We were for a long time unsure - what to do with this position as it is clearly very similar to our awarded problem. At last Michal Dragoun started writing his book and then it was simple: it is published as a theoretical example not pretending to any special originality. Pins by wQ are really very passive.

Personal rating: C.