Thema Danicum 106 - April 2002

1.Bxg1 cxd8S+ 2.Kg5 Sf7#

1.Bxe4 c8S+ 2.Kf5 Sxe7#

Black bishops capture white units (R, P) to give bK access to right square. Other bishop is both times pinned. White in the meantime opens pawn battery, promoting to knight and that knight mates. Well done.

a) 1.Rg4 Qb1 2.Kf5 Rf1#

b) 1.Rf6 Re1 2.Ke5 Qc7#

Reciprocal change of functions wQ - wR. Black Se4 is pinned in two different directions and we have doublepin mates.

1.Rc1 Rxb5 2.Rxb5 Sxc4 3.Rg5 Sxe3#

1.Sc2 Sxc4 2.Sxc4 Rxb5 3.Sb6 Rb1#

Black pawns b5, c4 are annihilated in two solutions in different orders. This includes active sacrifices of white pairs and thus we get reciprocal change of their functions. Lines of Bh6, Rb8 must be closed.

a) 1.Kc4 c3 2.bxc3 Sxc6 3.Rb5 Bxd5#

b) 1.Kd4 c4 2.dxc4 Bxc6 3.Re3 Sb5#

Two sacrifices of wp. Their motivation is well known (allowing pawn capture blocking the flights), the rest is nicely constructed.

a) 1.Rd7+ Rc7 2.Rd6 Rc4 3.Be5 Sc7#

b) 1.Re7+ Rd6 2.Re5 Rd3 3.Bf4 Sd6#

Very nice echo after battery check and subsequent unpin of wR.

1.Sc7 c3 2.Kc2 Ka1 3.Kb3 Kb1 4.Ka4 Ka2 5.Sb5 b3#

1.Kd2 b3 2.Kc3 b5 3.Kb4 c4 4.Ka5 Ka3 5.Sb6 b4#

And another echo, here chameleon by Daniel Novomesky who has shown many similar problems recently.

1.f4 Bxf2 2.f3 Bh4 3.f2 Bxd8 4.f1B Bc7 5.Ba6 Bxb8 6.Kd8 Ba7 7.Bc8 Bb6#

It seems to be very difficult for solving. It is not clear, where bK will be mated. It is necessary to capture all three black pieces, Sf2 as bP must be let march to promote, Sd8 as it blocks the square where bK will be mated and Bb8 as it guards mating line. Interesting.

a) 1...a3 2.Nb1 Kb7 3.Kc4 Kc6 4.Nc3 Se5#

b) 1...g4 2.Nd2 Kb7 3.Ke6 Kc6 4.Nf6 Nd8#

Two ideal mates, but moves of white king repeat.

a) 1.d5 Sf6+ 2.Sc4 Sd7#

b) 1.Bc5 Sc4+ 2.Sc3 Se3#

Alternative opening and closing of locust lines. The mate is (of course) pin mate as black knight is pinned from the other side - something very typical for locusts.