Originals from Springaren 84

1.e3? th. 2.Rd4#
1...Sd5, Sc6 2.b6#, bxc6#
1...Sf3!

1.Qb7! th. 2.Qe4#
1...Sd5, Sc6 2.Qxd5#, Qxc6#

9673 shows theme of 4th WCCT - key destructs white battery that acted in try (or in set) and changes mates. Here there is further unfication in solution - both mates capture knights.

1.Kb4? th. 2.Qd3#, Qe2+, 1...Bc5+!

1.Qb7? th. 2.Qxd5#, 1...Rd1!

1.b7! th. 2.Rxe6+ Bxe6 3.Qxe6#
1...Bxg3 2.Kb4! th. 3.Qd3#, Qxe2#, 2...Bxd6+ 3.Sxd6#
1...Bd4 2.Qc6! th. 3.Qxd5#, 2...Be5 3.Sg5#
(1...Bb6 2.Kxb6! th. 3.Qd3#, Qxe2#)

First try and first variation show Roman theme - effective defence 1.Kb4? Bc5+! is after move defending threat of key 1...Bxg3 substitued by weaker defence 2.Kb4! Bxd6+? Other try and variation are more complicated. Main plan ("move wQ to a8-d5 diagonal and threat Qxd5#") is executed by different moves of wQ due to different positions of wp. Refutation of try (1.Qb7? Rd1!) is after bishop defence substituted by another bishop move unpinng pawn. Complex composition!

1.Bf5! th. 2.Qd3+ Rd4 3.e4#, Be4#, 2...Bd4 3.Be4#, Qe4#, 2...Sd4 3.Qe4#, e4#
1...Rd4 2.e4+ Rxe4 3.Qxe4#
1...Rxf4 2.Be4+ Rxe4, Ke5 3.Qxe4#, Sc6#
1...Sxf4 2.Qe4+ Rxe4 3.Rxc5#
(1...Sg5 2.Rd8+ Sd7 3.Rxd7#
1...Rxf5 2.Qxf5+ Be5 3.Qxe5#)

Unusual formal theme: 3 white mates on e4 appear in threat after 3 black defences on d4 - one mate is always avoided by various effects - R keeps guarding e4, B pins pe3 and S unblocks e6. These 3 white moves then appear as 2nd moves in 3 main variations. Unfortunately mate Qxe4 is repeated.

1.Qe3! zz
1...g1~ 2.Qxg1+ Kf3 3.Qg2+ hxg2#
1...e1R 2.Be2+ Rxe2 3.Qxh3+ Rxh3#
1...f4 2.Bc8+ f5 3.Qg3+ fxg3#

Perfectly constructed (no wp!) selfmate even with promotions! I omitted some variations with shorter mates.

1.c7! th. 2.Rd3+ cxd3 3.c6+ Kc4 4.Qxd5+ Kxb4 5.Qb3+ Sxb3#
1...Bxe7 2.Sxd5! th. 3.Sf4+ Bxd8 4.Se2+ Sxe2#
2...Bxc5 3.Ba5! th. 4.Sf4+ Bd6 5.Se2+ Sxe2#
3...Ba7 4.Rxc4+!! Kxc4+ 5.Se3+ Bxe3#

Sharp idea: using battery of 1st rank white forces movement of bB and creating black royal battery that fires in 4th move.

a) 1.c5 Sc7 2.Bc6 Sf7#
b) 1.Rg4 Sf7 2.Rg7 Sf6#
c) 1.Kh4 Sf6 2.Sg3 Sf3#
d) 1.h1S Sf3 2.Sf2 Se3#
e) 1.Sb3 Se3 2.Sd2 Sd3#
f) 1.Sd4 Sd3 2.Sc2 Sc3#
g) 1.Rb3 Sc3 2.Bb4 Sc4#
h) 1.Bc6 Sc4 2.Bb7 Sxc7#

The end justifies the means... Once upon a time we had here at CCM the discussion about helpmates with moving black king as a twinning - part 1, part 2, some people expressed their concerns and the opinions weren't shared largely. 1st TT CCM proved that there is large space for various ideas and the device can be used for achieving interesting results. Cycle of 8 white moves is surely something exceptional despite lack of strategy.

1.Ke3 c6 2.Qxd4 Re7#

1.Kg3 Bb8 2.Qxd6 Rxg8#

Fine analogy - B1 (1st black move) unpins bQ and moves bK to right position for mate, W1 creates future pin line and unguards by closing black line, B2 opens rook line and selfpins bQ.

1.Bf3 hxg3 2.Sfd5 Qg6#

1.Bb7 h3 2.Sed5 Qg4#

A good deal of symmetry is present in this position with lines heading to both kings (a7-f7, b3-f7, f1-f7, e8-g5), black have to work hard to avoid checking wK and to upin wQ. Opening of e6-g6 is unmatched in other phase.

a) 1.Qb3 Rxe6 2.S2a3 Bb6#

b) 1.Qb4 Re4 2.S4a3 Bxb4#

Similar strategy as in previous problem, but here in 1st move bQ have to choose right square from which she won't directly or indirectly guard mating square. Again S4a3 opens e4-b4 - imbalance.

1.Rc4 Bc8 2.f4 Qxe6#
1.Rd4 Bxb5 2.Be4 Qg7#

Multiple closings of black and openings of white lines.

a) 1.fxe2 Bd4 2.Ke4 Bc6#

b) 1.Bxd7 Be5 2.Ke6 Sc7#

c) 1.axb5 Bf6 2.Kxd6 Rd2#

B1 captures white unit guarding squre that bK enters in B2. W1 is unified by three moves of Bc3 on long diagonal. Cyclic Zilahi.

1.Rxd2 Bd3 2.Ke3 Be4+ 3.Ke2 Bf3#

1.Bxd2 Rd3 2.Kxc4 Rd4+ 3.Kc3 Rc4#

Echo diagonal-orthogonal, but not entirely in motivation - Kxc4 annihilates wp and thus allows wR to enter c4, while there is nothing similar in Ke3 move.

1.Kxc5 Rc1 2.Bd5 Rc3 3.dxc3 Be3#

1.d2 Bxd2 2.dxc5 Bc3 3.dxc3 Rd1#

Two sacrifices at c3 are followed by the same black capture. Anyway, transformations the harmless cage around bK into mating nets are interesting.

a) 1.Bg6 Kd6 2.Bc2 Bg4+ 3.Kd3 Ke5#

b) 1.Bh5 Ke6 2.Kf3 Rd3+ 3.Kg4 Kf6#

Royal battery mates in position with many elements of echo diagonal-orthogonal.

a) 1.Be6 Sd5 2.Se4 Kc4 3.Sf6 Kd4 4.g5 Se7#

b) 1.Bd5 Sc4 2.Sf3 Kb3 3.Se5 Kc3 4.Ke4 Sxd6#

Good echo play, not only mates - e.g. critical moves by bB, wK traverses mine field, some blockings...

white stalemates: 1.h7 2.h8R 3.Rxh2 4.Rc2=

black stalemates: 1.Ka1<->Kc1 2.h1Q 3.Qxh6 Qd2=

The phases are unified by similar Messigny-typical stalemate - white piece must guard own king as without this black could have escaped stalemate through exchange of kings' places.

1.Be1 Rxb5 2.Bb4 Rxf5+ 3.Rxf5+ Sf4+ 4.Sxf4 h7 5.Ra5 h8R+ 6.Kg4 Rh1 7.Rh5 Rxh5 8.Be1 Ra5 9.Bxa5 Kf2 10.Be1+ Kxe1 11.Se6 Kf2 12.Sd8 exd8R 13.Kh3 Rxd4 14.Kh2 Rh4#

"Trivial" rook checkmate after highly non-trivial play - many sacrifices in order to allow movements of both kings and moreover two rook promotions - of course, queen would have another longer moves.

1.BPa6! zz
1...BPc5 2.Sc2! BPb4, BPd4 3.Sxb4, Sxd4 etc.
1...BPd6 2.Sd3 BPc5, BPe5 3.Sxc5, Sxe5 etc.
1...BPxe6 2.e4 BPd5, BPf5 3.exd5, exf5 etc.
1...BPf6 2.Sf3 BPg5, BPe5 3.Sxg5, Sxe5 etc.
1...BPg5 2.Sg2! BPh4, BPf4 3.Sxh4, Sxf4 etc.

"Pickaninny", with berolina it includes 5 variations instead of well known 4 with usual pawn. But the play is mechanical, it is simple hunt for black berolina, symmetrical.

1.CAd4 Kd6 2.CAc7 Gb7#
1.Bb5 Kd5 2.Bd7 Gc7#
1.CAd6 Kd4 2.CAg7 Gf7#
1.CAa4 Kxc4 2.CAd3 Gc2#
1.Sc3 Kb4 2.Se4 Gd3#
1.Bd5 Kb5 2.Bb7 Gxa7#
1.a6 Kb6 2.Gb7 Ga7#
1.Sd7+ Kc6 2.CAb8 Gc7#

General stategy is simple at the first sight - black provides hurdle for Gh7 and battery mate follows. But white lacks tempo moves, that's why B1 must provide him one. It is possible to do this everything eight times - providing 8 different squares for wK!

1.RLa6! th. 2RLc6! ~ 3.Sc4#
1...RLb6 2.Sd4! th. 3.RLh5#
    2...RLb6~, c6 3.Sc6#, Sf3#
1...RLb7 2.Se7! th. 3.RLh5#
    2...RLb7~, c6 3.Sc6#, Sg6#

Multiple line combinations: threat changes white lines to d5 and e6 and black defends Lewmann-like by anticipatory closing, but with lions anticipatory line deactivating is the same as its activating, white exploits that on e4, f6 respectively in 2nd move, threatening mate RLh5, that's why Black deactivates lines activated in defence - RL~ allows Sc6 by anticipatory activating, while c6 changes activated and deactivated line allowing further change of line activated by white S.

1.Nxg2 Nxf6 2.Nxc4 Gf7#

1.Gxe2 Gf7 2.Gc4 Nxf6#

White needs only 3 "effects" to mate Black: move Gf7, move Nxf6 and remove guard from one of rear pieces of white batteries - Ne2 or Gg2. So Black helps him by capturing other rear piece avoiding battery check that would destroy the plans and as this provides additional guard on other battery line, black piece goes back on the same line interfering with other piece -a kind of G-N Grimshaw. Well done.

1.Sa1! th. 2.Bxe3, 2.Sxe3
1...c2 2.Rxd3 c1Q+, c1R+, c1B, c1S 3.c8Q=, c8R=, Bxe3=, Sb3=
1...d2 2.Rxc3 d1Q+, d1R+, d1B, d1S 3.d8Q=, d8R=, Bb3=, Sxe3=
1...e2 2.Rxc3 e1Q+, e1R+, e1B, e1S 3.e8Q=, e8R=, Bd2=, Sc2=

Notorious critics can say that Madrasi is simple for achieving AUW effect and I'm known as being not very friendly with promotions in general. But 12 various answers to triple AUW, it is for me considerable achievement. I'm even ready to come across repeated 2.Rxc3 without many words...

1.Bxb2! th. 2.Bxe2=
1...e1Q, e1R, e1B, e1S 2.e8Q=, e8R=, Bc3=, Sd3=
1...exf1Q(Sb1)+, exf1R(Sb1)+, exf1B(Sb1), exf1S(Sb1) 2.f8Q=. f8R=, Be2=, Sd2=

1.Bxe2! th. 2.Bxb2=
1...b1Q, b1R, b1B, b1S 2.b8Q=, b8R=, Bd3=, Sd2=
1...bxa1Q(Bc1), bxa1R(Bc1), bxa1B(Bc1), bxa1S(Bc1) 2.a8Q=. a8R=, Bb2=, Sb3=

Here there are 4 AUWs, followed by 16 various answers by White, considerable too, but more symmetrical and moreover, Circe is rather underused - only in 2 variations.

1...Sa8~, Sb8~, Sc8~, Sd8~, Se8~, Sf8~, Sg8~, Sh8~
2.a8Q#, b8Q#, c8Q#, d8Q#, e8Q#, f8Q#, g8Q#, h8Q#

1.Nd1! zz
1...Sa8~, Sb8~, Sc8~, Sd8~, Se8~, Sf8~, Sg8~, Sh8~
2.a8S#, b8B#, c8S#, d8B#, e8S#, f8B#, g8S#, h8B#

Well, I set this problem to Popeye, but it refused to solve it, with "too fairy" message... But task nature was so clear - at least the set play - that I managed to solve it from diagram despite Mars Circe uncomfortable complicated visualisation. It was almost clear that 1.Nd1 immobilizes two black grasshoppers and blocks d1. After some minutes I realized that it also allows other promotion mates. Great - Franta Sabol becomes real Mars Circe expert!