Originals from StrateGems 24


Some time ago I had enough time to look at some originals in an excellent American magazine StrateGems. Every issue is packed with an incredible number of these and not surprisingly, I perhaps hasn't stopped over the right ones. Nevertheless, even among those selected only by the names over the diagrams or by the supposed theme I've found some remarkable problems.
Michal Dragoun
H0853 StrateGems 24 - 2003

1...Bxc6 2.e6 Sxd4 3.d2 Sc2#

1...Rxd3 2.Se6 Sxe7 3.Se5 Sd5#

Echo diagonal-orthogonal. 4 white lines have to be activated: W1 does it by direct capture by line piece, B2 and B3 open, and W2+W3 by annihilation. Some black lines have to be closed as well: wS must be unpinned and mating squares must be unguarded.









h#2,5 (8+12)
2.1.1.1.1

Franz Pachl
H0856 StrateGems 24 - 2003

a) 1.Be3 Rh5 2.Kf4 Rxb5 3.Rd7 Rf5#

b) 1.Re3 Ba2 2.Kd3 Bf7 3.Bc7 Bc4#

Another echo diagonal-orthogonal. White piece not pinning in the position finds its way to mating square, while black subsequently block and frees square for bK, moves king into mating net and finally plays bicolour bi-valve by unpinned linemover. Of course, model mates.









h#3 (3+11)
b) g4 -» c2

Marko Ylijoki
H0858 StrateGems 24 - 2003

1...Rxh4 2.Ba4 Rxa4 3.Qb4 Rxb4 4.Ra4 Rxa4#

1...Rd4 2.Sc7 Rd5 3.b5 d4 4.Kb6 Rxd6#

Two quite different solutions. In the first one white rook oscillates from and to a4 twice, while in the second both sides move cautiously and from the other mating net.









h#3,5 (3+16)
2.1.1...

Christer Jonsson
H0861 StrateGems 24 - 2003

1.Ke1 Bc2 2.Sb3 Bxf5 3.Sd2 Bg4 4.Rf1 Sd3#

1.Kf1 Se4 2.Bc5 Sxg5 3.Bf2 Sf3 4.Rg2 Bc4#

Good analogy for four-mover. B1 - king moves into future mating net. W1 heads for line clearance and vacates square for B2 heading in turn for a block. W2 clears, B3 blocks, W3 opens cleared line and guards, B4 blocks using line and W4 mates. Reciprocal exchange of functions wS-wB.









h#4 (3+9)
2.1.1...

Heinrich Bernleitner
Helmut Zajic

in memoriam Luigi Vitale
H0868 StrateGems 24 - 2003

1.d1S b4 2.Sc3 b5 3.Sd5 b6 4.Sc7 bxc7 5.Kd7 c8R 6.Be7 Bf5#

1.d1B b4 2.Ba4 Bf5 3.Bc6 b5 4.Ke8 bxc6 5.Be7 cxb7 6.Kd8 b8Q#

Mixed colour Allumwandlung with White not promoting to the most often seen combination queen + knight, rather less usual pair queen + rook. However, avoiding white queen promotion is even harder...









h#6 (3+10)
2.1.1...

Rolf Wiehagen
in memoriam Luigi Vitale
H0870 StrateGems 24 - 2003

a) 1...Kg7 2.Kb4 c3+ 3.Kc5 cxd4+ 4.Kd6 d5 5.Se6+ dxe6 6.Ke7 exf7 7.Be6 f8Q#

b) 1...Kh7 2.d3 cxd3 3.Kd4 dxc4 4.Ke5 c5 5.Ke6 c6 6.Ke7 cxd7 7.Kf8 d8Q#

Two slow excelsiors.









h#6,5 (2+7)
b) -Sg5

Christopher Jones
H0871 StrateGems 24 - 2003

1.Bh2 Bg3 2.Bg1 Bf2 3.exf2 e4 4.f1R e5 5.Rf7 exd6 6.Rb7 d7 7.Ba7 d8Q#

Bristol in the first move, parallel moves in the second move, then excelsior and two promotions. Well pointed first Black move must be played fully knowing what will follow.









h#7 (3+5)

Helmut Zajic
F0427 StrateGems 24 - 2003

a) 1.Bd7 Qxd7[+bBc8]+ 2.Kxd7[+wQd1] Qxd6#

b) 1.Be7 Qxe7[+bBf8]+ 2.Kxe7[+wQd1] Qd7#

Circe blockings by queen capture and Circe selfguarding of the mating queen. Minimal, but the zeroposition seems to be a big drawback.









h#2 (2+8)
Circe
a) f6 -» e8
b) d6 -» c6

Kevin Begley
F0428 StrateGems 24 - 2003

1.Be2! zz
1...Bxb2[+wRa3] 2.Ra5#
1...Rxd2[+wSd3] 2.Sf4#
1...Rxe2[+wBe3] 2.c4#
1...Bf1~ 2.Bc4#
1...Bxe2[+wBd3]! 2.Bxe4#
1...e4-e3 2.Bf3#

Interesting demonstration problem for the given fairy condition.









#2 (9+6)
Equipollents Circe

Petko A. Petkov
in memoriam M. R. Vukcevich
F0429 StrateGems 24 - 2003

1...Ke5 2.Sc6#
1...Kc3 2.Qg5#

1.e7? threats 2.Qb6#
1...Qb2! (2.Qb6+? Kxd5! 3.Sxd5??)

1.Qg7! threats 2.Qa7#
1...Ke5 2.Qc7#
1...Kc3 2.Qh6#
1...Bf7 2.Qg1#

Set play is underlined by a try that is refuted in a very Isardam way. It is funny to see a queen opening a battery with a bishop as the rear piece.









#2 (8+6)
Isardam

Manfred Rittirsch
F0430 StrateGems 24 - 2003

a) 1.Rf1 Rf5 2.c6 Sd3#

b) 1.Re1 Re5 2.Sc6 c3#

Good analogy - the first moves immobilize black bishops that could otherwise parry the mating check in an Isardam way. B2 is the mutual obstruction of bS and bP ... well, not obstruction only as p whould like to cross c6 in b) - but the idea is the same.









h#2 (6+11)
Isardam
b) e4 -» f2

Alexandar Popovski
F0431 StrateGems 24 - 2003

a)
1.Qf3 Sb3 2.Kxe5 Sxd4[+wBg6] 3.Qf4[+bPd5] Sc6#
1.Kxe5 Sf3[+wBg6]+ 2.Qxf3 Bf5[+wSe2] 3.Qxf5 Sc3[+wBd6]#

b)
1.Qf3 Bxd4 2.Ke1[+bPe3] Sxe3 3.Qf2[+bPe2] Bc3#
1.Qb3 Bxd4 2.Kc1[+bPc3] Sxc3 3.Qb2[+bPc2] Be3#

b) is unfortunately symmetrical, but a) is good. We have two echo model mates in both positions (ideal in a)), for such a limited material sufficient content.









h#3 (3+3)
Circe Parrain
2.1.1.1.1.1
b) d5 «-» d2

Jean-Marc Loustau
F0439 StrateGems 24 - 2003

1.LIf2? threats 2.Sfd4#
1...RLxe6 2.LIc2#
1...LIfxb5 2.Rxc4#
1...LIdxf5 2.LIdf8#
1...LIfxf5!

1.Sfd4! threats 2.LIc2#
1...RLxe6 2.Rxc4#
1...LIfxb5 2.LIdf8#
1...LIdf5 2.LIf2#
(1...c3 2.Sb3#)

5-fold Djurasevic cycle... how many of them have Jean-Marc produced recently?









#2 (14+8)
4+2 lion, 2+2 rook lion

Comments to Juraj Lörinc.
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