Popular fairy problems 7

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 7th file with new examples and again here are some helpmates.

Zdenek Oliva Problemikste 1995	1.Ka8 d8R+ 2.Ka1 h8B# 1.Kb6 d8Q+ 2.Kg6 h8S# Absolutely economical AUW - only the kings and thematical pawns on the board. No wonder that this find was repeated and published e.g. by Lennart Werner, StrateGems 2001. It is simply THE FIND.

h#2 (3+1) 1+1 transmuting king 2.1.1.1

Gerhard Pfeiffer
3rd Prize Europa Rochade 1992-93

1.b1S Kf1 2.Sxc3 Ke1 3.Se4 f8Q 4.Sc5 Qf1#

1.b1R Kd3 2.Rg1 Kc4 3.Rg8 fxg8B 4.Bg1 Bd5#

Economical AUW with very good use of motives offered by White maximummer condition as well as some orthodox ones, e.g. 4.Sc5! is motivated by need to close bishop line, but 4.Sf2? is wrong as it closes also f8-f1.

+++ Composition In the Spotlight (CIS) No. 23 +++

Spotlight comment by Juraj Lörinc:

This helpmate is a real proof that even the most simple position can be actually difficult to understand correctly. With a White Maximummer condition the play should not be too complicated, should be?

Actually I have made a mistake when originally commenting on this one. The need to close the bishop line in the first solution is only secondary and 4.Sf2? is not an option at all. Primarily it is important to close line of promoted wQ, namely f8-a3, which can be closed by two almost same moves - 4.Sd6? and 4.Sc5! The secondary motif is important as it forces the right option after all.

Furthermore, note the different approach of solution to allow promotion of wp. In the first solution wK walks into position without any diagonal move possible twice, but with Kf1 no queen mate is possible. In the second solution Black does not care about wK who walks to c4 without complication, just to ensure right arrival square for the promoted bishop. 3.Rg8 simply allows longer move for wP.

The more I look at this maximummer, the more I like it.

h#4 (3+4)
White Maximummer
2.1.1.1.1.1.1.1

Luigi Vitale 2672 Phénix 54 - 1997	1.Kd8 Kxg7 2.Ke7 Kxh6 3.Kf6 Kh7 4.Kg5 Kg8 5.Kh6 Kxh8# If all moves of White are made by king, it is called Durbar theme. If both sides move only with kings, it is super-Durbar. Black king steps to h6, cleared in advance by triangular round trip of his white colleague, who then waits and mates by capture of bS. Compare to direct #341.

h#5 (4+6) Madrasi

Markus Ott 4th HM feenschach 1991	1...Sh2 2.Kg1 Shg4 3.Ba8 Sh3+ 4.Kh1 Sxg5 5.Bg2 Sf3 6.g5 Sf2# Two white knights exchange their places - and black king and bishop as well! This content is executed first by restricting king moves (2.Kf1??, Kf3??), (4.Kf2??, Kh2??) and then by allowing relatively long move 6.g5. Very consequent use of fairy condition.

h#5,5 (3+5) Maximummer

Gunter Jordan Problemkiste 1999	1.f6 h3 2.f5 h4 3.f4 h5 4.f3 h6 5.f2 hxg7 6.f1S gxf8S‡ Maybe you've already heard about famous 100$ theme. It is the prize connected to challenge to construct orthodox h#5 with one solution showing the marchs of pawns by both sides from 2nd rank that promote (excelsiors) into knights. It is unsolved for many-many years. But its various variations were already shown in orthodox as well as in fairy problems. E.g. here we have both excelsiors slightly slowed down...

h#6 (6+10) Double Minimummer

Jörg Kuhlmann Achim Schöneberg feenschach 71 - 1984	1.Sc2 Ra2 2.Sb4 Rb2 3.Sd3 Rb3 4.Sc5 Rc3 5.Se4 Rc4 6.Sd6 Rd4 7.Sf5 Rd5 8.Se7 Re5 9.Sg6 Re6 10.Sf8 Rf6 11.Sh7 Rf8# Interesting ladder of white rook leading to f8, it cooperates with black knight on his way to h7.

h#11 (1+3) Beamtenschach

Comments to Juraj Lörinc.
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