Good old times 5


This is the second selection of problems from the isuue 87 of feenschach (here is the first selection). The focus is on direct mates and selfmates longer than 2 moves.

Roland Baier
Reto List
Markus Ott

1st Prize feenschach 1981

1.Bg6? fxg4! 2.fxg4 Ga5 3.Bh7 Gf7 4.Bg8 Gb3 5.Bxf7+ Gxf7!

1.Bh5! th. 2.Kc5 th. 3.gxf5#,
   2...Ga5+ 3.Kc4 th. 4.Bf7#,
      3...Gd5 4.gxf5+ Gxf5 5.Bf7#

1...a3 2.Kc4 th. 3.Bf7#,
   2...Ga2+ 3.Kc5 th. 4.gxf5#,
      3...Gd5 4.Bf7+ Gxf7 5.gxf5#

Grasshopper geometry makes possible overload of one of grasshoppers initially standing on b-file. The only difference between threat and variation is the position of black a-pawn reversing the possible jump of grasshopper on the a-file. Formal reversion of 2nd and 3rd as well as 4th and 5th white moves is just a logical consequence of the strategy.









#5 (8+10)
1+3 grasshopper

Petko A. Petkov
1st Prize Mat 1983

1.Rb8! th. 2.Qd8+ Kg7 3.Qf8+ Kh7 4.Rxb7+ Bxb7#
1...Bxd6 2.Rf8+ Bxf8 3.Rxg5+ Sxd4 4.Rf5+ Sxf5#
1...Sa5 2.Re1+ Bxd4 3.fxg5+ Kxg5 4.Qg7+ Bxg7#

Excellent key moving wR away introduces full-length threat. Then White exploits removal of one black guard from d4 for precise battery moves by Re5.









s#4 (11+10)

Virgil Nestorescu
1st Prize Revista Romāna de Sah 1984

1.Sc7! th. 2.Qb6+ Kxc3 3.Qb4+ Kxb4#
1...Rxh1 2.Re3+ Kxc1 3.Re1+ Rxe1#
1...Qxc7 2.Rc5+ Ka3 3.Ra5+ Qxa5#
1...Qd7 (Qe8) 2.Ra3+ Kxa3 3.Sb5+ Qxb5#

Perfect construction for three pin-mates in variations introduced by royal battery mate in the threat. If there was a pin mate with pinned wR, then it would be also perfect example of the masked half-pin selfmate as was required in the 4th round of Liga Problemista 2007.









s#3 (8+9)

Michael Keller
3rd Prize Die Schwalbe 1984

1.Rd6! th. 2.Rxd5+ Kxd5 3.g6+ Se5#
1...Rxd6 2.g6+ Kf6 3.Bxd4+ Se5#
1...e3 2.Bxd4+ Kxd4 3.Qh8+ Se5#
1...exf3 2.Qh8+ Ke4 3.Qe8+ Se5#
1...Rxg4 2.Qe8+ Kf5 3.Rxd5+ Se5#

This selfmate is similar to other Keller's problem, however that showed only 4-fold rotation of 2nd and 3rd moves, while this one shows fivefold rotation. Black king is forced to move from e5 and White then checks him forcing the interception by knight on that central square.









s#3 (10+15)

René J. Millour
1249 Probleemblad IX-X 1987

1.b6? d5 2.b7 d4? 3.b8B d3 4.Se6+ d2 5.Bxd2#
2...Bxb7!

1.c8B? d5 2.b6 d4 3.b7 d3 4.b8B d2 5.e6 dxe6 6.~ e5 7.Se6#
2...c~xb6!

1.c8Q! d5 2.a6 d4 3.a7 d3 4.a8S! d2 5.e6 dxe6 6.Sc7 e5 7.Qd6 exd6 8.b6 d5 9.b7 d4 10.b8B d3 11.Sge6+ d2 12.Bxd2#

Mars Circe typical logic of solution: main plan is refuted by allowing capture from Circe square. The first preparatory plan blocks the Circe square, but vacates another and thus it must be supported by the second preparatory plan. All in all, three promotions seemingly easily shown in an innocent position.









#12 (12+8)
Mars Circe

Arno Tüngler
dedicated to Johan Beije
1st Prize Andernach 1988
correction

1.Rd2+? Rd4! 2.Bf3+ Be4 3.Se3? ~ 4.Sd5?

1.Sc3+? Sb5!

1.a8S? Rxa8! 2.Se8 Rxe8

1.Se8! th. 2.Sc3#
1...Bxe8 2.a8S th. 3.Sc3#
   2...Rxa8 3.Rd2+ Rd8 4.Bf3+ Bc6 5.Se3 th. 6.Sd5#

White wants to mate by knight move closing simultaneously two lines of paralysis - but those lines must be built first. Therefore two pericritical preparations executed in the right order are needed. Just like in the 4th WCCT that used the same theme as this Andernach tourney.



The author of the problem has informed me after the publication that there had been a cook in the original version found only after submitting the problem to respective FIDE Album. Fortunately, he has found a cure and thus the problem even made it into the Album 1986-88 (No. G49).









#6 (9+9)
Madrasi Rex Inclusiv

Comments to Juraj Lörinc.
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