Good old times 7


This is the fourth (and final) selection of problems from the issue 87 of feenschach (here are the first, the second and the third selection). This time it is the selection of seriesmovers, almost half of the by Bertil Gedda.
Hilmar Ebert
Hans Gruber

Comm feenschach 1980

1.Kd7 2.Ke6 3.Nd7 4.Nf8 Na4#

1.Kc6 2.Kb5 3.Kb4 4.Na6 Nf2#

Perfect example of chessboard asymmetry despite diagram symmetry. Mirrored solutions do not work due to the lack of squares. Moreover the content is nicely balanced with two mates using checkless-typical pin of bK - the current Isardam terminology calls similar efect as spiking.









ser-h#4 (2+2)
Checkless chess
1+1 nightrider
2.1.1...

Bertil Gedda
3rd Prize Tidskrift för Schack 1982

1.Rb2 2.Rf2 3.Kf5 4.Kg5 5.Kh6 6.Rxh2 7.Rh5 8.Kg5+ Rxh5#

1.Sxd6 2.Sf5 3.Kxf6 4.Ke5 5.Kd4 6.Kc3 7.Kb2 8.Ka2+ Qxa1#

Two different ways to the mate enforcement by the royal battery. There are some differences (most importantly, Ba1 is already in the position, while Rb3 has to work quite a lot.









ser-s#8 (9+6)
2 solutions

Uwe M. Scholz
4th Prize Schach-Echo 1979

1.e8nR 2.nRc8 3.Ke5 4.Kf6 5.Kxg6(g7) 6.Kxh5(h7) 7.g8nR 8.hxg8nR(nRa8) 9.nRg1 10.b8nR+ nRxa8,nRxc8(nRh1)#

4 neutral rook promotions in nowadays standard setting - wK + bK + 4 np. I am sure some experts would point two possible mating moves as negative, but for me it is ok.









ser-s#10 (1+1+4)
Circe
4 neutral pawns

Bertil Gedda
3rd Prize Tidskrift för Schack 1983

1.d8Q 2.Qxg8 3.Qh8 4.g8B 5.Bxf7 6.Bd5 7.f7 8.f8S 9.Sd7 10.Kc8 11.b8R 12.Ba8 13.b7 14.Qf6+ Bxf6

Self-stalemate is less usual stipulation, but when used for promotions themes, it usually means some incanceration. Here the B and R are blocked in the corner, S is pinned and Q captured.









ser-s#14 (7+6)

Bertil Gedda
1st Prize Die Schwalbe 1983

1.b8S 2.Sc6 3.Sxa5(Sb8) 4.axb8B 5.Bxd6(d7) 6.Bg3 7.c6 8.cxd7 9.d8R 10.Rd2 11.Rxh2 12.h8Q 13.Qh4 14.Kh5 15.g5 Rxh4(Qd1)#

Another AUW by Bertil Gedda, with mate forced by Circe blocking of the Black rook. Excellent final position, or rather position before mating move. Moreover, all captured black pieces are somehow used in the Circe manner: Sa5 serves as meat for capturing wpa7, pd6 for wpa5 and ph2 is used for precise timing of the queen promotion.









ser-s#15 (8+5)
Circe

George P. Sphicas
Ideal-Mate Review 1988

1.Ke4 2.Kxd3 3.Kxe2 4.Kf3 5.Kg3 6.Kh4 7.Kxh5 8.Kxg4 9.Kf3 10.g4 11.g5 12.g6 13.gxh7 14.h8Q 15.Qxb2 16.Qg2+ Qxg2#

Double round-trip of the wK and round-trip of the wp in the humble position leads to the ideal mate. Great construction.









ser-s#16 (2+9)

Aleksandar Atanasijevic
3rd Prize Mat 1979

1.f8S 2.Sxd7 3.Sc5 5.d8B 6.Bxa5 7.Bc3 11.a8Q 12.Qa4 13.Qc2 18.a8Q 19.Qa3 20.Qac1 25.a8Q 26.Qa7 29.d8B 30.Bxh4 31.Be1 35.hxg7 36.g8R 37.Rd8 38.Rd1 40.Kd2 41.Sd3 42.Qe3+ fxe3#

And here we see 7 promotions (SBQQQBR) with six promoted pieces serving as blocking material. Great problem - almost 30 years old.









ser-s#42 (10+8)

Comments to Juraj Lörinc.
Back to main page of Chess Composition Microweb.