Popular fairy problems 5

Our 9th TT is dedicated to "popular fairy problems". The theme is very vaguely defined and thus the problems clearly "popular" for one composer may be very different from the compositions with that adjective in the view of some other problemist. That's why there is very wide scope for ideas.

This is already 5th file with new examples and again here are some direct problems. Twomovers with 3 various fairy conditions, Superpins, Madrasi and Beamtenschach, threemover with maos and fourmover with condition No captures. They all show some very specific fairy effect and as a consequence also some standard formal or geometric theme.
Colin Sydenham
2nd HM Phénix 1990

1.Kh6? th. 2.Sg6#, 1...Rd1! (2.Sg6+ Rd6!)
1.Kf7? th. 2.Sg6#, 1...Rf1! (2.Sg6+ Ke3!, Kg3!)
1.Kg7? th. 2.Sg6#, 1...Rg1! (2.Sg6+ Rxg4!)
1.Kh7? th. 2.Sg6#, 1...Rh1! (2.Sg6+ Kg5!)
1.Kh5? th. 2.Sg6#, 1...Rb5! (2.Sg6+ Ke3!, Kg3!)

1.Kf6! th. 2.Sg6#, 1...Rf1 2.Qxf1#

Very Superpins-specific duel of wK and bR. Black repeatedly uses for successful defence the fact that pinned piece doesn't check.









#2 (7+5)
Superpins
Uri Avner
2nd Prize Wola Gulowska 1993

1.Qb1! gives flight e4 and threats 2.Sd6#. If Black tries to paralyze Sd6 by 2...Sb5??, he also unparalyzes Qb1. Thus Black defends then by cutting b1-f5 line, allowing 2...Sb5!, but open rook lines to f5, allowing similar mates in variations:
1...e4 2.Kxg8# (2...Sc6?? unparalyzes Rc5)
1...Be4 2.Se3# (2...Sc2?? unparalyzes Rf2)
The run of bK to flight square allows Madrasi double check by wQ and wB:
1...Ke4 2.Bxb7#









#2 (10+11)
Madrasi
Tadashi Wakashima
8082 feenschach 135 - 2000

1.Bb6! th. 2.cxd8Q#
1...Be7 2.cxd8R#
1...Rc8 2.gxf8B#
1...Rb8 2.c8S#

White mating AUW is executed by two pawns.









#2 (8+7)
Beamtenschach
Kjell Widlert
Feenschach 1970

1.Kb3! th. 2.Rc4#
1...a1S+ 2.Ka2! zz, 2...Sb3, Sc2 3.Rc4#, Sb3#
(2.Ka3? Sc2+!)
1...a1MA+ 2.Ka3! ~ 3.Rc4#
(2.Ka2? stalemate!)

The key provokes two checks by promotions to cousin pieces, knight and mao. Then there is interesting dual avoidance - king 2nd move is precised by various move possibilities of bS and bMA.

+++ Composition In the Spotlight (CIS) No. 25 +++


Spotlight comment by Juraj Lörinc:

Fairy threemovers are a field with extremely rich possibilites, but still largely unexplored. Although this example is not particularly difficult to understand or high-class, it shows something special.
The threat of the key is short. That is a minus, but perhaps it is compensated for by allowing two very similar checks to White. Actually, promotions to knight and to mao seem like equivalent, but they are not. They rather initiate subtle dual avoidance:
- knight promotion prevents 2.Ka3 due to possible check 2...Sc2+ and
- mao promotion prevents 2.Ka2 because of stalemate and 2.Ka3 works as black MAa1 cannot stop rook mate.
The mate Rc4# is always important to consider, but after 1...a1S 2.Ka2 Sc2! a new mate appears with active blocking of c2.

Now imagine mutiplying this. Or doing some other promotion trick with fairy pieces. Or other stalemate combination with fairy pieces. Or... you get the idea. Fairy threemovers can be great.









#3 (7+5)
1+1 mao
Panos Louridas
Die Schwalbe 1985

1.Rb4! th. 2.Ra4#
1...B~ 2.Rb3! (th. 3.Ra3#) Ka1 3.Rb2! (th. 4.Ra2#) Ba2 4.Rb1#
(1...Ka1 2.Rc4! B~ 3.Rc2 B~ 4.Ra2#)

White rook descends to b1 by making very little steps. Compare to orthodox h#5 by Korolkov & Loshinskij.









#4 (2+2)
No captures

Comments to Juraj Lörinc.
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