Solver's impressions 5

1...c4, d4 2.Qd4, c4,

1.Qh7! th. 2.Qc7+, Qd7+,
1...c4, d4 2.Qc7+, Qd7+..,

Simple change in two variations with double threat in solution. Not too complicated.

1.Sf5+? Sxf5+! 2.Kh5,

that's why white must shift his Ba4 to h5. It will take 23 moves!

1.Sd5+ 2.Sb6+ 3.Rc7+ 4.Sb5+ 5.Rf6+ 6.Rfc6+ 7.Sd6+ 8.Sb7+ 9.Rf6+ 10.Rf8+ 11.Bd7+ 12.Be8+ 13.Rf6+ 14.Rfc6+ 15.Sd6+ 16.Sb5+ 17.Rf6+ 18.Rf8+ 19.Sd4+ 20.Rc6+ 21.Sd5+ 22.Bh5+ 23.Sf6+ 24.Sf5+ Sxf5#

Super! Typical Smotrov. I especially enjoyed this one, because I solved it in hour and a half one night after not very successful composing. Manoeuvre Rf8-f6-c6 is great and the position with white rook between two knights is hardly believable. Great technique!

a) 1.d5 Sg3 2.Bc4 Be4#

b) 1.d6 Bf3 2.Rc2 Se5#

Interferences of black lines by pinned pawn.

a) 1.dxc4 Sxe5 2.Kxe5 Re4#

b) 1.exd4 Bxd5+ 2.Kxd5 Sf4#

Nice analogy in allowing black king's entrance to squares e5, d5 and model mates. Well done.

1.Rf3 Sf5 2.Rb3 Se3#

1.Rf4 Sf3 2.Rc4 Sd4#

1.Rf5 Bf4 2.Rd5 Be5#

Very nice and consequent analogy between all three phases. Pelle move by black rook, unpin by white piece, creation of white battery and interference of black bishop and battery mate with interference of playing black rook. This all with cyclical play on squares f3, f4, f5 with first move by black and white.

1.Rxa3 Sa1 2.Ra7 Qxa7#

1.Qxb3 Sxc2 2.Qf7 Qxf7#

Good echo diagonal-orthogonal with model mates and "Schwalbe moves" by black line pieces.

1.Rxe3 Rxe4 2.Rc3 Re3 3.Bxd5 Bxd5#

1.Bxd5 Bxe4 2.Bc4 Bd5 3.Rxe3 Rxe3#

Total echo diagonal-orthogonal (all moves are exactly echoed with appropriate transformation in the other phase), but skinny impression.

1.a1S! b3! 2.Sc2 b4 3.Sd4 b5 4.Sc6 b6 5.Sa7 b7#

Rose movement decomposed into unit knight moves! Interesting geometric idea, short step by white pawn in first move is nice bonus.

a) 1.Kg8 e3! 2.Bd1 e4 3.g1R e5 4.Rg7 e6 5.Bc2 e7 6.Bh7 e8Q#

b) 1.Kh7 e4! 2.Bd1 e5 3.g1R e6 4.Rg7 e7 5.Bb3 e8Q 6.Bg8 Qh5#

For me unexpected echo mates with two a bit different excelsiors.

1.f4 Sf6 2.f5 Sh5 3.f6 Rg8 4.fxg7 f6 5.gxf8S Rg5 6.c4 Ra5 7.c5 d5 8.c6 Qd7 9.cxb7 c5 10.g4 Sc6 11.g5 Qh3 12.b8S e6 13.Sbd7 Bxd7 14.g6 0-0 15.g7 Be8 16.Sd7 Rxd7 17.g8S Kd8 18.Se7 Sxe7 OK

Here we see 3 white excelsiors, 3 promotions to knights. They are then captured. White position is in other respects kept intact. Great!

After publishing I got a note from Gianni himself: "Unfortunately, this was COOKED by Henrik Juel: '... the intended solution seems to have a move order dual (a wN can be captured on d7 by bQ), and there is also a cook: Black may play e6 and Qh4-h3 before White plays f4.'" Pity! (And also bad luck for me as a solver in Springaren competition as I didn't find these cooks... :-))

a) 1.Ke5 Sf5 2.Gf4 Sd7#
1.Kc3 Sb3 2.Gb2 Sd5#

b) 1.Sd6 Sd5 2.Ge5 Sb3#
1.Gb6 Sa4 2.Ge3 Sd6#

c) 1.Kc3 Sd6 2.Gd2 Sa4#
1.Gf6 Sd7 2.Gc3 Sf5#

Three pairs of white moves are present in both possible orders. Thus we have six phases. They are very regularly spread over three positions, with model mates. Although no big strategy is present, I like this composition very much.