Originals from StrateGems 26

1...Kd2 2.Ra4#
1...exf1~ 2.Ra4#

1.Qg4! th. 2.Rf4#
1...exf1S 2.Re4#
1...Kd2 2.Rd4#
1...exf1Q+ 2.Rc4#
1...Sc1~ 2.Qxe2#

In the solution there are 4 different mates by wR on the line vacated by wQ move along the line - Bristol motive.

1.g4? th. 2.Rf5#, Re6#, Sc4#
1...Rxg4!

1.Sd6? th. 2.Sf3#, Rf5#, Re6#
1...Qxd5!

1.e4! th.2.Sc4#, Sf3#, Rf5#
1...Se3 2.Qxh2#
1...gxf6 2.Bd6#

It is necessary to do only a little to threat many mates at once. However White must choose his way very carefully.

1.a4! th. 2.Qb7+ Kc4 3.Qb5#
1...Rg8 2.Bxe4+ fxe4 3.Sb6# (Sf6?)
1...Sxa4 2.Se3+ dxe3 3.Sf6# (Sb6?)
1...d3 2.Se3+ Kd4 3.Qc4#

Two white lines aiming at e5 are double unmasked during two variations and the final mate by Sd7 is chosen thanks to dual avoidance guard.

1.Ba3! th. 2.Se6+
    2...Kxc4 3.Qf1#
    2...Kxe5, Kxe4 3.Qxf4#
1...Rxd5 2.Qg1+
    2...Kxc4 3.Qc5#
    2...Kxe4 3.Sf6#
1...Bxe5 2.Sf5+
    2...Kxc4 3.Qf1#
    2...Kxe4 3.Sed6#
1...Kxe4 2.Sf6+ Kd4 3.Qxf4#
1...Kxc4 2.Qf1+ Kd4 3.Qd3#

The most unusual strategy of Black. The threat cuts lines f7-c4 and e7-e4 thus Black defends by anticipatory selfpin in a hope that the defender will be unpinned in advance too. However White exploits this by checking the other way and then the defenders appear to be hopelessly pinned.

1.f4! th. 2.f5+ gxf5 3.Sc5#, Bd5#, d5#
1...Bxf4 2.Sc5+ Kf5 3.Bd7#
1...gxf4 2.Bd5+ Kf5 3.Bxf7#
1...Sxf4 2.d5+ Kf5 2.Sd4#
1...Rf3 2.Bb7! th.3.Bc8#
1...exf3 e.p. 2.Be4! th. 3.d5# , Sc5#

The composition in the style of Valerij Shavyrin: a mating triple from the threat is separated in 2nd moves in three variations after defences on the same square.

1.Qf1! th. 2.Rf6+ Ke7 2.Re6+ dxe6#
1...d6 2.Rf5+ Ke7 2.Re5+ dxe5#
1...d5 2.Rf4+ Ke7 2.Re4+ dxe4#
1...dxc6+ 2.Rd7+ Kxd7 3.bxc6+ Ke7#

The threat and 2 variations contain echoed strategy employing the Siers battery with the rook as a firing piece. Again Bristol. The third variation is different and uses black royal battery. All variations are connected with threat by quadruple play of bp from the initial square d7 - Pickaninny.

1.Qc3! th.2.Qd4+ Rxd4 3.Sf4+ Rxf4#
1...Rxc3 2.Sf4+ Kd4 3.Rd6+ Sxd6#
1...Rxe2 2.Rd6+ Kxd6 3.Qd4+ Sxd4#

Rotation of 2nd and 3rd moves in threat and 2 variations.

1.Rxd3 Bxf8 2.Bd4 Kd7#

1.Qxb4 Rxd8 2.c5 Ke7#

Echo diagonal-orthogonal of reciprocal captures in the first move and mates by the royal battery.

1.Sxb5 Rxe4 2.Rdxe4 Bxd5#

1.Bf3 Bxd5+ 2.Kxd5 Rxd4#

1.Se7 Rxd4+ 2.Kxd4 Rxe4#

Cycle of white moves. 2nd black moves capture white pieces sacrified in the W1, giving cyclical Zilahi. However the strategy is not unified enough, especially the first solution doesn't fall into the picture.

a) 1.Rf5 Rf6 2.Bxe3 Rxf5#

b) 1.Bd5 Bb7 2.Sxf2 Bxd5#

Halfpins are created in the first move in an unified way, then Black selfpins piece and finally white mates by capture of the piece that moved in B1.

a) 1.Qd4 fxe6 2.Bxe6 Bxb7 3.Bd5 Ba6#

b) 1.exf5 Bxf5 2.Bg2 Bh4 3.Qg1 Bxd3#

Similar mates after the twin by moving the black king. Also bishops (W&B) allow passage themselves in a reciprocal manner.

a) 1.Sxf4 Sd3 2.Sxe2 Bxe2 3.Qb6 Sc5#

b) 1.Sxe5 Se6 2.Sxg6 Rxg6 3.Qb5 Sc5#

Well matched strategy in echo diagonal-orthogonal. Black knight eats his way to squares where he is captured on the W2 and White sets a battery. Black queen blocks and there is a doublecheck model mate.

1.Kb7 Kd3 2.Ka6 Be2 3.f1B Kc4 4.Bg2 Bd3 5.Bb7 Kb4#

Humorous step-by-step moves of white pair K+B.

1.Sd5 d3 2.Qe7+ Kg6 3.Qe6+ Kg5 4.e4 Bc5+ 5.Ke5 d4#

1.Kd5 d4 2.Kxd6 d5 3.Kd7 d6 4.Ke6 d7 5.Kf7 d8S#

Two model mates in two very different solutions. In the first one there is in interesting manoeuvre of bQ that must let wK pass to g5, while in the second bK must clear the way for wp and then he steps into mating net for knight promotion mate.

1.Ra5 a4 2.Rd5 a5 3.Bh2 a6 4.Qg3 a7 5.Qb8 axb8Q 6.Be5 Qb4#

The most interesting manoeuvre of bB and bQ. Black bishop is the only piece suitable for blocking e5, but Black must feed wp at b8. That's why bB clears the way for bQ in the opposite direction (Turton) and then follows her to his final square (Bristol).

1.Sa7 2.Rc5 3.Kc6 4.Kb6 5.Rb5 Bc7#

1.Rc8 2.Re8 3.Scd8 4.Re6 5.Sd6 Rc7#

Amazing seriesmover. Two model mates are given from c7 after precise play of black pieces that block squares around the bK.

a) 1.Ke2 2.Kd1 3.Sd2 4.Sb1 5.Ke2 6.Kf3 7.Qe2 Qg3#

b) 1.Qe2 2.Ke4 3.Ke5 4.Se8 5.Sf6 6.Ke4 7.Kf3 Qxf5#

Extremely good analogy of two solutions in the series helpmate. Se1 and Sg7 guard potential mating squares, but they cannot move immediately as they are the firing pieces of batteries aimed at wK. The only piece that can cut temporarily these lines is the bK. So he moves then and back and allows replacement of the knights.

1.Bf3 2.Bh5 3.Bg5 4.Rh4 5.Re4 6.Sg4 7.Rf2 8.Rf6 9.Kf5 10.Ree6 11.Se5 12.Bg4 e4#

Another interesting Daniel's seriesmover with shields and unshields. Compare to another, similar Daniel's seriesmover.

a) 1.Rc5 f4 2.Qxe5 Qxa6#

b) 1.Bc5 f3 2.Qxd3 Qxe7#

Echo diagonal-orthogonal in Madrasi - another example for our 14th TT CCM. Queen pair is unparalysed by cutting the line and then bQ blocks and wQ mates by capturing other black "paralyser" and the mate is given by white one, unguarded in B1.

1.c8R 2.hxg8Q 3.fxe8S(Qd8) 4.exd8B=

AUW is recently one of Joost's specialities.

1.Gg8? th. 2.Gxg3 Sxd3#
1...Sd5+!

1.Ga2? th. 2.Gxg3 Sxd3#
1...RHf3!

1.Ga8! th. 2.Gxg3 Sxd3#
1...RHf3 2.Be5 RHe3#
1...RHf8 2.Ge5 f5#
1...Sd5+ 2.Ke5 gxh6#

Any jump of Gd5 carries the threat 2.Gxg3 Sxd3#, but White has to take care to avoid spoiling the other mate that would follow after black defences. Pity there is no try with refutation 1...RHf8.

1.LIb3? A th. 2.Rg6# B
1...RLd4 a 2.RLe4# C
1...RLd3 b 2.Rc4# D
1...Bg2 c 2.b7# E
1...Sd8-b7 !

1.Rc4! D th.2.RLe4# C
1...RLd4 a 2.LIb3# A
1...RLd3 b 2.b7# E
1...Bg2 c 2.Rg6# B

Djurasevic cycle 5-2, it is fivefold with the distance of 2 moves between the key and threat. Reto does it in extremely lion-like manner - as usually.

1.LEb3 PAd7 2.LEg8 LEa7#

1.LEd4 PAe7 2.LEh8 LEb7#

1.LEd2 LEe7 2.LEh6 LEcc7#

3 matched solutions. Unfortunately white chinese pieces starting on the 5th row not moving in the respective solutions act only as a hurdles for guarding leos and that is a bit too little.

1.Sxf4 BRg6 2.Ke4 BRg2#

1.Qc5 RRd6 2.Kd4 RRxe5#

1.Sg6 Kg3 2.Kxe4 Bxg6#

1.Qd6 axb4 2.Kxd4 Rxd6#

1.bxa3 Bf5 2.Bd2 BRe3#

1.c3 Rd5 2.c2 RRc3#

Astonishing helpmate that would finish very high in our 14th TT CCM (if I was the judge). 3 pairs of more-or-less well matched solutions form a real "helpmate of the future" as this style of a x b matched solutions was coined recently.

1...Rb7#

1.Gd5 2.Gb7 3.Ka7 4.Kb6 5.Gb5 6.Gd7 7.Kc7 8.Kxd8 9.Ke8 10.Kf8 11.Kxg8 12.Kf8 13.Ke8 14.Kd8 15.Kc7 16.Kd6 17.Gd5 18.Kc5 19.Kb5 20.Ga5 21.Kb6 22.Gc7 23.Ka7 24.Kb8 25.Kc8 Rh8#

CJF's style of set play series helpmates catched me recently. Indeed, I did a little statistics recently and found out that the most prolific author in this field was Jan Mortensen and Chris is quickly approaching him in the terms of published works. Model mates in both set play and the solution are quite a standard.