Solver's impressions 3

It begins to be an old music to CCM readers - I was again travelling on Friday from Bratislava to Dubnica by train, this time I speak about Friday November 19th 1999. I had one older issue of Sinfonie Scacchistiche with me and I was solving a bit, this time only helpmates, two of them with fairy pieces.

I only want to point that in the meantime I solved some problems from Sachova Skladba in train after writing Solver's impressions 2, but I had not enough time to write about it - but I hope I'll return to them after expressing impressions I got today.

László Anyos 410 Sinfonie Scacchistiche No. 91-92, June 1988	1.Qxg3 Qxg3 2.Sxe6! (S~?) Bd5# 1.Qxf7 Qxf7 2.Sxf3! (S~?) Re3# Interesting composition. 1st black move allows creation of white direct battery and simultaneously allows at least one (it is enough) pure tempo move by own knight. This tempo move captures and thus economizes in a very nice manner white model mate.

h#2 (8+10) 2.1.1.1

M. de Santis 412 Sinfonie Scacchistiche No. 91-92, June 1988	1.Ke3 Ke5 2.Rd3 Sc4# 1.Kd4 Ke6 2.Bd3 Bf2# Well done too, although understandably with less material we see less content.

h#2 (3+4) 2.1.1.1

Nikolaj Dolginovic 413 Sinfonie Scacchistiche No. 91-92, June 1988	1.Rbe3 Ba4 2.Sdb6 Sc5# 1.Re5 Bf3 2.Sab6 Sc7# Nice choice of first moves that must open gates for bishop and close lines of black bishop or queen and analogy in the rest, but I felt something cold in this one...

h#2 (3+9) 2.1.1.1

Nikolaj Dolginovic 414 Sinfonie Scacchistiche No. 91-92, June 1988	1.Kb8 Kf3+ 2.Ka8 Kg4# 1.Kd6 Kf2+ 2.Kc5 Kf1# A bit schematical, but I appreciated in some way strange setting on the board - white has 3 stronger pieces, black on the other hand only pawns and both sides manoeuvre only with kings. Interesting.

h#2 (4+9) 2.1.1.1

L. Riczu 420 Sinfonie Scacchistiche No. 91-92, June 1988	1.Qh2 Rxg4 2.Qxd2 Rg1# 1.Rd4 Rxh3 2.Rxd2 Rh1# Analogical solutions, a bit crude. But I really like the way in which author solved technical problems and took cooks away without need for many pieces!

h#2 (4+5) 2.1.1.1

L. Riczu 421 Sinfonie Scacchistiche No. 91-92, June 1988	1.Bb3 Sc2 3.Bc4 Sb4# 1.Sd6 Sb3 3.Sc4 Sc5# Almost no content. I don't like this one at all.

h#2 (3+4) 2.1.1.1

Nikos Siotis 423 Sinfonie Scacchistiche No. 91-92, June 1988	1.Se8+ Qc7 2.Sd6 Qc1# 1.Bc4+ Qb5 2.Bd5 Qb1# Lack of good black moves forces him to give check and temporarily pin white queen that chooses right square on her way to first rank. A bit too many pieces on board, but it is hard to make this theme with less pieces.

h#2 (8+9) 2.1.1.1

Nikos Siotis 424 Sinfonie Scacchistiche No. 91-92, June 1988	a) 1.Qg4 Rcf8 2.Rc6 Rf3# b) 1.Seg4 Rce8 2.Rb6 Re3# Good and rich analogy of both phases.

h#2 (5+8) b) a8 -» f7

Ivan Soroka 425 Sinfonie Scacchistiche No. 91-92, June 1988	1.d1B Rg8 2.Be2 Rg1# 1.d1R Rb2 2.Re1 Rf2# How many times was done something similar? Two underpromotions aiming for blocks and simple movements are not enough for good helpmate.

h#2 (3+2) 2.1.1.1

György Bakcsi 428 Sinfonie Scacchistiche No. 91-92, June 1988	1...c8R 2.f1S! (2.f1B?) Rc1 3.dxc1B! (3.dxc1S?) Ke1# Here we see 3 underpromotions in one line and with much more complicated motivation, on black side with good dual avoidance. Not top helpmate, of course, but interesting one.

h#2,5 (6+12)

Torsten Linß 431 Sinfonie Scacchistiche No. 91-92, June 1988	a) 1.Rc8 Rxc8 2.Re3 Rc5 3.Bd3 Sb3# b) 1.Re8 Rxe8 2.Bc4 Re5 3.Rd3 Se2# In this helpmate threemover we see again Grimshaw (compare to 3rd problem here), this time preceeded by critical move and, thanks to longer play, also with richer content in other ways.

h#3 (4+5) b) f3 -» f4

Piotr Makarenko 432 Sinfonie Scacchistiche No. 91-92, June 1988	a) 1.Rfd4 f4 2.Qe4 f5 3.e5 Be6# b) 1.Rbc4 b4 2.Sd6 b5 3.c5 Bc6# Triple Umnov moves by white, this all doubled! Setting is symmetrical, but due to twinning symmetry is not complete and it makes much better impression to me.

h#3 (5+9) b) f8 -» g7

Ivan Soroka Danilov 433 Sinfonie Scacchistiche No. 91-92, June 1988	1.Kb8 O-O 2.Qa7 Rd1 3.Sc7 Rd8# 1.Kd8 Rh3 2.Qc7 Rf3 3.Se7 Rf8# Echo. But play is dull, white only tries to get with rook to mating square in time.

h#3 (5+6) 2.1.1.1.1.1

Harry Fougiaxis 434 Sinfonie Scacchistiche No. 91-92, June 1988	1.Ge7! Sg5 2.Ge2 Sce4# 1.Gb6! Sb3 2.Gf2 Sec5# Echo diagonal-orthogonal. Pure tempo moves by black grasshoppers are unexpected here.

h#2 (5+5) 2+2 grasshopper 2.1.1.1

Adam Sobey 437 Sinfonie Scacchistiche No. 91-92, June 1988	1.Kf6 Ke2! 2.Ke5 f4 3.Kd4 f5 4.Kc3 f6 5.Kb2 f7 6.Kc1 f8RB# Excelsior was expected from the first sight, but a mate with black king on c1 was nice surprise.

h#6 (3+1) reflecting bishop g8

Comments to Juraj Lörinc.
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