Thema Danicum 105 - January 2002

a) 1.Reh2! th. 2.Bc1+ Rg2# and 2.Bc3+ Rg2#
1...Sc1 2.Bxc1+ Rg2#
1...Sc3 2.Bxc3+ Rg2#

b) 1.Rh1! zz
1...Sc1 2.Bc3+ Sxe2#
1...Sc3 2.Bc1+ Sxe2#

Reciprocal change of 2nd white moves. But in a) position both continuations already threat and thematical defences only separate threats. On the other hand, the content of b) is already contained in set play of a). Wasn't mutate a) position enough?

1.Scd8 Sf7+ 2.Sxf7 h8S 3.Sd6 Sg6#

1.Se7 Sg6+ 2.Sxg6 h8S 3.Sgf4 Sf7#

Black knight must on his way to blocked square capture his white colleague that is checking bK. Reciprocal relation of d6-f4 squares (blocked - guarded in mate by knight) is very well known.

1.e5 Rf3 2.Kg7 Rg3+ 3.Kf6 Rf3+ 4.Kg5 Rg3+ 5.Kf4 Rg4#

White has not enough time and space to get away with his rook from g- and f- files and thus it must oscillate there to provide bK with the way to f4, where he is mated.

a) 1.bxc3 Kf2 2.b4 Kg3 3.Ba6! Kf4 4.Kc4 Kxe4 5.Bb5 d3#

b) 1.Bxg5 Kg1 2.Bh6 g5 3.Kf4 g3+ 4.Kxg5 f4+ 5.Kh5 g4#

There are some difficult points..., especially active sacrifice of white pawn g5(!).

1.Ba8 Bh7 2.Rf8 Kc2 3.b1R Kd3 4.Rb7 Ke4 5.Kf7 Kf5 6.Re7 Bg6#

Nice long moves, Indian on b7 (bB crosses it, then he is interfered by own rook, then bR leaves b7 again, in the meantime wK crosses the line).

a) 1.Rb8! zz
1...b6 2.Rxb6 Kxh8#
1...b5 2.Rxb5 Kxh8#
1...bxa6 2.Sa5 Kxh8#
1...bxc6 2.Qc5 Kxh8#

a) 1.Rb8! zz
1...b6 2.Rxb6 Kxh8#
1...b5 2.Rxb5 Kxh8#
1...bxa6 2.Sa5 Kxh8#
1...bxc6 2.Sc5 Kxh8#

Only the last variation is changed. Did I miss the idea (except Pickaninny, that is banally met by captures of blocks of thematical pawn)?

1.Sxe2 c3 2.Qxg7(Ra1) Qa4#

1.Bxc2 e4 2.Qxb7(Rh1) Qh5#

The scheme is interesting geometrically. Arrival motivation of Umnov white 1st moves are anticipatory closings of long diagonals, while departure effect is anticipatory opening of wQ checking line, thus preparing of Madrasi doublecheck. It seems, though, that Circe is used only for transportation of wRs to their home squares.

a) 1.Ke3 2.Kf2 3.Kg1 4.Kxh1(Bf1) 5.Kg1 6.Kf2 7.Ke3 8.Kd4 exd6(Pd7)=

b) 1.Rc1 2.Rxh1(Bf1) 3.Rg1 4.Rg5 5.Rxe5(Pe2) 6.Rxe2 7.Rc2 8.Rc5 Ba7=

Very fine returns of black pieces to their initial squares. While bK makes precise switchback, on his way visiting the squares between d4 and h1 twice, bR makes round trip consisting of 8 different landing squares. b) positon is more interesting thanks to fine precisement of rook way by wB that appeared on f1, but also by need to capture Pe5 twice. I like the fact that stalemates aren't the same too.

1.Qxa3 Ga6 2.Bxe5 Gxa3#

1.Rxh6 Gf8 2.Rxe5 Gxh6#

Pins-unpins by 4 captures by Black, including Zilahi and everything in nice echo diagonal-orthogonal. But if we replace grasshoppers in scheme by orthodox white line pieces (for a start wQa3, wQh6, wRe7), we get standard orthodox scheme. This degrades the value of this otherwise interesting problem.

1.Kh2 Rh3+ 2.Kxh3(Qd1) Sf2+ 3.Kh4 Qg4#

1.Kxh1(Bf1) Bg2+ 2.Kxg2(Rh1) Rh2+ 3.Kf1 Re1#

Only a tanagra, nothing special.

1.exd2 2.d1S 3.Sc3 4.Sb5 Bb3#

1.e2 2.e1S 3.Sxc2 4.Sa3 b3#

1.exf2 2.f1S 3.Sxd2 4.Sb3 cxb3#

Fine result - three knight promotions by the same black pawn are followed by three model mates by different white units from the same square b3. Well done.

1.Kg4 Sh4 2.Kxh4(Bc1) Bg5+ 3.Kxg5(Ra1) Ra5+ 4.Kh6 Rh5#

Fairy mate (5.Kxh5(Qd1)??) follows symmetry of the initial position and asymmetrical play. Better than 8603 in my opinion.

1...Gd7 2.Ra7 Gc8#

1.Ba7 Gb3 2.Rb8 Ga3#

Immobilisation of black bishop in the spirit of our 7th TT CCM and with some elements similar to my h#3 from Varinat Chess - immobilisation by black pieces rearrangement and in the meantime two white grasshoppers find their way to appropriate squares.

1.Sc4[bPe5]+ Kd7[wPd6] 2.Kc5[bPd4] Bxg4[wPf3] 3.Kd5[bPc5] Be6[Pg4]#

1.Sd7[Pe5] Ke7[wPd6] 2.Kc5[bPd4] Kf7[wPe7] 3.Kxd6[+bPc5] e8S#

In both solution with model mates (really the 1st mate is model - without Sc4 Black could do 4.Kc4[bPd5]!) two newly born pawns are useless: (d6, g4) and (d4, d6).