Selection from award of Martin - Zilina 1998 - 1999 - fairies

Judged by Michal Dragoun. 2 Prizes, 3 HMs, 8 Comms.

Comments by judge Michal Dragoun (slightly changed there and there for better understanding).
Frantisek Sabol
1st Prize Martin - Zilina 1998 - 1999

1.Qe1!
1...h1Q 2.Scxh3+ Bxh3# or Rxh3#
1...h1R 2.Saxh3+ Bxh3# or Rxh3#
1...h1B 2.Bh2 B~# or R~#
1...h1S 2.Rh2 B~# or R~#

Fantastic use of Mars Circe in two main variations: after hurried capture by knight on h3 (he then checks from b1) Black could choose right answer, forcing white to capture checking unit. In solution after queen or rook promotion white would have to annihilate two pieces by one move, what is impossible. Other pair of analogical variations with blocking of promoted piece and ph3 excellently extends content.

+++ Composition In the Spotlight (CIS) No. 1 +++

Spotlight comment by Juraj Lörinc:

In Mars Circe, all units capture and check only from their Circe squares.

In the initial position there are prepared two Mars Circe batteries aimed at wK: Qb2-Rd8-Ka5, Ra2-Ba8-Ka5. Ra2 and Qb2 are immobilised, queen beeing pinned by wpb4. Qc3 guards d8-a5 line. This gives primary motivation of the key - hideaway of wQ. But if she moves anywhere (1.Qb3? as an example), Black has defence with well hidden motivation: 1.Qb3? h1Q! 2.Scxh3+ Qb1!! That's why White must close first rank and this gives precise key 1.Qe1! Then there are two threats - 2.Qh1, Rxh2 - immobilising ph2, but any move of ph2 mobilises ph3. Then White has to force opening of prepared batteries in a right way, 1...h1Q 2.Saxh3+? Bxh3+! 3.Rxa2, 1...h1R 2.Scxh3+? Rxh3+! 3.Bxc2 would be fatal error. Other two AUW variations have common strategy too, blocking of ph3 using "weakness" of promoted pieces.

To be fair, one can point that 2.Rxh2 is a threat and thus 1...h1S is not a defence, but it is only a very small defect as pawn must move in any case and the problem can be treated as tempo as well.

See the improvement sent to me by Frantisek where there is present true zugzwang!









s#2 (9+9)
Mars Circe
Juraj Lörinc
2nd Prize Martin - Zilina 1998 - 1999

1.Kxd3! th. 2.Sf4#,
1...d4, g5+, Kh4 2.Rf3#, Kxc3#, Kd4#

1.Kxc3! th. 2.Sf4#,
1...d4+, g5, Kh4 2.Kxd3#, Rf3#, Kd4#

Kiss cycle with use of chinese pieces. The keys give the h4 flight, but thanks to unprovided check 1...Bxf2+ they are evident (perhaps some chinese piece may be used for pin of white rook that shouldn't be en prise, but for that the board may be too small). Mechanism works thanks to retaking flight by antibatteries on lines a4-h4 and d8-h4, and additional checking on c3, d3 separates right mates.









#2 (8+10)
4+0 pao, 1+1 vao
2 solutions
Jevgenij Bogdanov
1st HM Prize Martin - Zilina 1998 - 1999

1...Kc3 2.BHd4 Ne3 3.BHf2 Nf5 4.Ka1 Nd4 5.BHc5 Nc2#

1.Ka3 Kd3 2.Kb4 Kd4 3.BHe5 Nd5+ 4.Kh1 Nf4 5.BHg3 Nd3#

Only 4 pieces and echo in two corners with use of set play! One line of possible black king movement is blocked by own bishop hopper, the other is guarded by nightrider and white king. Nice use of black king abilities for running the whole width of board.









h#5* (2+2)
1+1 transmuting king, nightrider f1, bishopper b2
Juraj Lörinc
2nd HM Martin - Zilina 1998 - 1999

1.Gg8? zz,
1...c6, e4, g5 2.!, Rh2#, Rf2#

1.Gh7? zz,
1...c6, e4, g5 2.Rh2#, !, Rb2#

1.Gg5! zz,
1...c6, e4, g5 2.Rf2#, Rb2#, -

Carousel change with unified play of white grasshoppers. Black king gains 3 flights after firing Gd1-Rd2-Kd6 battery in the shape of grasshopper: b8, f4, h6. One of them is neutralized by own pawn hurdle move, first move of one of white grasshoppers is anticipatory opening of white king line, who would cover it after firing black royal battery Qc5-Kd6-Kf8, and rook takes the last one.









#2 (11+5)
1+1 transmuting king, 5+0 grasshopper
Ladislav Salai sr.
3rd HM Martin - Zilina 1998 - 1999

1.Bg8! zz,
1...b3, Rxg8, Sf2~, Sd3~ 2.0-0-0#, 0-0#, Sxd3#, d3#

Two analogical variations take the remaining flights of white king and thus allow two castlings giving the flights to black king. The key is weaker as it drastically limits black rook movement.









#2 (10+8)
SAT
Brian Stephenson
Juraj Lörinc
1st Comm Martin - Zilina 1998 - 1999

1.Bf8! th. 2.PAxe2#,
1...Sg2~, PAe2~, PAe1!, PAxe7!, f5, fxg6
2.PAe4#, PAd7#, PAxe1#, Bxe7#, PAe5#, PAe6#

Multiple play of Bf8-PAe7-Kc5 battery that reguards in main variations the flights given by departures of black hurdles for white chinese pieces.









#2 (10+8)
1+1 pao, 3+0 vao
Tibor Ersek
6th Comm Martin - Zilina 1998 - 1999

1.Sxa5 2.Ba4 3.Kb5 4.Rb4 Sd6#

1.Sxf5 2.Bc3 3.Kd4 4.c4 Rd5#

Zilahi with model mates in series helpmate. The incorporating of various motives into course of both solutions (annihilation to allow black king enter the square, anticritical move by bishop) wasn't done consequently and this caused lowering the ranking.









ser-h#4 (4+9)
2 solutions
Frantisek Sabol
1st Prize Martin - Zilina 1998 - 1999
version 2007

1.Qd2! zz
1...f1Q 2.Scxh3+ Bxh3# or Rxh3#
1...f1R 2.Saxh3+ Bxh3# or Rxh3#
1...f1B 2.Rg2 B~# or R~#
1...f1S 2.e3 B~# or R~#

Improvement of the first prize. Here it is not possible to capture pf2 as he is placed on square f2 - the well known weak spot in the practical game, guarded only by king in the initial array.









s#2 (10+9)
Mars Circe

Comments to Juraj Lörinc.
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