Good old times 4

The isuue 87 of feenschach (dated April - June 1988) was very rich in terms of problems having catched my attention during a quick browsing. They were of all kinds and after longer look at list (there were 24 problems on it) I have decided to present first all twomovers. Not only direct mates, but also helpmates, selfmates and direct stalemate. Here we go:

Albert H. Kniest
540 Diagramme und Figuren 1964

1.Qg3! zz
1...f1B(w) 2.Qg2#
1...f1S(w) 2.Qh2#

Let's start with something simple. Magic squares still hide a lot of possibilities, I have once upon a time tried to use it for Rex Solus on the mating side problem. Here we see unexpected asymmetry - in the initial position there are 3 units standing on the line and the key moves from the line.









#2 (1+2)
Magic square f1
Alfred Gschwend
2nd Comm British Chess Magazine 100 JT 1980

1...Sa6+ 2.Gc3 Sec7#

1.Ge3 Sf8+ 2.Gh3 Scd7#

This helpmate somehow reminds me of one of my first published fairy h#. Twice double-check by battery-antibattery jump of knight. However the rest is different. Gschwend has Black trapped in the lack of jumps by Gc7+Gd7 pair. It results in switch of set play to solution by jump of potential hurdle of check to wK.









h#2* (6+10)
2+4 grasshopper
Yves Cheylan
3rd Prize Die Schwalbe 1983

1.Sxc3! th. 2.Sb5#
1...c1Q 2.Se4#
1...c1S+ 2.Sa2#
1...c1R 2.Sd1#
1...c1B 2.Rd1#
1...Sc7 2.Re4#
1...Sd6 2.Rd5#
1...g2 2.Qd5#
1...bxc3 2.Bxc3#
1...Se5,Se3 2.Qe5#

Good example of AUW synthesis with battery play. Bishop promotion neutralizes white bishop, but also the black one, therefore allowing rook mate. Also nice by-variations. This problem entered FIDE Album, the question might be, whether it could reach some 6 points for Album today...









#2 (8+11)
Madrasi
Milan Vukcevich
2nd Prize U.S. Problem Bulletin 1984

1.Qd2! zz
1...Se~ 2.Qg5+ hxg5#
1...Sf4! 2.Sd6+ f5#
1...Be7 2.Se3+ f5#
1...cxd2 2.Sd4+ f5#

White queen is moved into focal position in the key. She attacks black battery on d8 and g5 and these two attacks are removed in three variations. One of them by black defence and one then by white knight. The 1...cxd2 defence removes both - but adds the attack of Ba1. This way the moves of checking Sf5 are uniquely determined. Good strategy.









s#2 (8+13)
René J. Millour
2nd HM Thema Danicum 1984

1.Ra5? zz 1...Rxb6!

1.g5? zz 1...Rxc5!

1.f8=S? zz 1...Rc7!

1.e7? zz 1...Rxd6!

1.Re1! zz
1...Rxb6 2.Rxb6 Kd5#
1...Rxd6 2.g5 Kf5#
1...Rxc5 2.Rxe4+ Kxe4#
1...Rc7 2.d7 Kxe6#

The black rook is neutralized four times after the cross - twice by pin, once by check to bK and once by capture. Also the mating moves of bK form the cross. The contents is powered by the presence of four waiting tries refuted by cross moves of bK, it should be however noted that also 1.Rg2? is refuted solely by 1...Rxc5# (not speaking about the trivial try 1.Qc7? Rxc7!).









s#2 (12+8)
Minimummer
Michel Caillaud
1st Prize Olympic Tourney Thessaloniki 1985

1.Qxe8 fxe8B 2.Sd5 Sd4#

1.Rxg8+ fxg8S 2.Sf5 Sf4#

And again helpmate employing the lack of white moves to show some paradoxical theme. Here it is the Phenix theme, where White promotes pawn to a piece just captured by the Black. In comparison with h#2 by Tichomir Hernadi it is much more paradoxical as in Michel's problem the thematical pieces are captured on the promotion squares.









h#2 (6+9)
2.1.1.1
Gerhard Maleika
Problemkiste 1988

1.Qh5! zz
1...Kc5 2.dxc3=
1...Kd5 2.d4=
1...Ke5 2.dxe3=
1...g4 2.d3=
1...e,cxd2 2.Qxg5=

Albino in stalemate problem, nothing more, nothing less.









=2 (7+4)
Hans-Peter Reich
Europa Rochade 1988

White mates: 1.f1G e8N 2.Gf5 Ng4#

Black mates: 1.e8G f1N 2.Ga4 Nc7#

Mated side promotes grasshopper, mating side promotes nightrider. Note, however, the passive role of Sa5 in the first phase.









h#2 (6+5)
grasshopper b4, nightrider f4
duplex

Comments to Juraj Lörinc.
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