James Quah

The only chess composer from Singapore... joined BPCS during his studies in the UK and quickly find his own style. He got catched by le Grand theme and later by various forms of paradoxes with move repetitions - Shedey cycle, Djurasevic cycle etc. His favourite genre are fairy twomovers, mostly with fairy pieces, sometimes with Patrol chess and quite recently he discovered new schemes using the AMU fairy condition (invented in 90s by Miroslav Brada).

He recently visited Slovakia and as a part of our program he showed me some of his problems. That's why I made a selection of these for CCM...
James Quah
Barry P. Barnes
3rd Prize The Problemist 1992


a)
1.f6? th. 2.Qc4# A
1...e5 a 2.Sd6# B
1...Qxf6!

1.Rd5! th. 2.Sd6# B
1...e5 a 2.Qc4# A
1...Qe5 2.Rxe5#, 1...exd5 2.Qb1#, 1...exf5 2.Bxf5#

b)
1.Rd5? th. 2.Sd6# B
1...e5 a 2.Qc4# A
1...c4!

1.f6! th. 2.Qc4# A
1...e5 a 2.Sd6# B
1...Qxf6 2.Qa8#

Le Grand. Theme appears in both positions, twin only emphasizes it for solvers that don't like tries (or ignore them).









#2 (13+9)
b) -Ra5
James Quah
1st-2nd Prize P. Gvozdják 30 JT C 16.11.1995

1.Rf3? th. 2.Sb5# A
1...Bd3 a 2.Sc6# B
1...Sd4 b 2.LIg7# C
1...Be4 c 2.LIa2# D
1...RLb3!

1.Re2! th. 2.Sc6# B
1...Bd3 a 2.LIg7# C
1...Sd4 b 2.LIa2# D
1...Be4 c 2.Sb5# A

4-fold Shedey cycle is based on alternative activations and deactivations of lions' lines (both black and white).









#2 (11+9)
1+0 lion, 1+3 rook lion, 2+0 bishop lion
James Quah
4th HM The Problemist 1995


a)
1.BLb3! A th. 2.RLf4# B
1...RLb6 a 2.LIe3# C
1...d3 b 2.0-0# D

b)
1.0-0! D th. 2.BLb3# A
1...RLb6 a 2.RLf4# B
1...d3 b 2.LIe3# C

Complicated motivation allows 4-fold Djurasevic cycle. Superpins condition in b) allows the key as pinned Bc4 doesn't guard f1. The defence motive of RLb6 is well hidden - if White tried 2.BLb3+?, Black could parry check by 2...RLb1!! pinning wRf1!









#2 (12+9)
4+1 rook lion, 2+2 bishop lion, 1+0 lion
a) Orthodox
b) Superpins
James Quah
The Problemist 2001

Condition AMU means that the piece making the mating move must be before this mating move attacked by exactly one opposite unit.

1.PAf6? A th. 2.Se6# B (attacked by PAc5)
1...d4 a 2.VAe8# C (attacked by PAc5)
1...PAc4 b 2.Se7# D (attacked by PAg2)
1...LEb2!

1.Se6! B th. 2.VAe8# C (attacked by PAc5)
1...d4 a 2.Se7# D (attacked by VAb3
1...PAc4 b 2.PAf6# A (attacked by PAc4)

Good use of the new fairy condition allowed a new scheme for 4-fold Djurasevic cycle.









#2 (13+11)
AMU
1+2 pao, 2+2 vao, 0+1 leo
James Quah
Problemesis 2002



1.0-0! A th. 2.d4# B
1...c4 a 2.g8RL# C

1.d4! B th. 2.g8RL# C
1...c4 a 2.0-0# A

Unusual combination of Djurasevic cycle and ... Valladao! Yes, (fairy) promotion and castling are easy to see, but where is the en passant capture? It appears as defence motive of 1...c4 in the first solution. Yes, if White tried 1...c4 2.d4+? cxd3 e.p.! removes the hurdle necessary for wRL (rose lion) check.









#2 (15+13)
Patrol chess
2+1 rose lion, 2+3 pao, 1+0 leo, 0+1 vao
2 solutions
James Quah
Phénix 1999


1.Rg3! th. 2.BLc7 A (th. 3.RLb4# C)
1...e5 a 2.RLc5 B th. 3.RLb4# C
       2...e4 b 3.LIb7# D
1...BLxh3 2.RLxh3

1.g5! th. 2.RLc5 B (th. 3.LIb7# D)
1...e5 a 2.BLc7 A th. 3.LIb7# D
       2...e4 b 3.RLb4# C
1...Kc4 2.Rf4+

Another new idea of James - subsequent le Grands! The first one consists of moves A, a, B, the second one of C, b, D. Everything is very clearly motivated, again by alternative activation and deactivation of lion lines. Well done!









#3 (13+7)
4+0 rook lion, 1+2 bishop lion, 1+0 lion
2 solutions

Comments to Juraj Lörinc.
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