Proof Game Shorties II

by Mark Kirtley (in: Probleemblad 2-2000)

Following the first article (PB 1999-3), here is another collection of proof games with solutions in no more than 7.0 moves. They are all shortest proof games this time.
No. 1 has a deceptively tranquil look in that no surviving piece is away from home, and in the next three examples no pawn is away either. This suggests a history of switchbacks, and one of the four compositions has a remarkable abundance of them, while another hasn't any at all.
Peter's No. 5 is perhaps the only proof game ever composed with three equal-length solutions without twinning. There were two shorty composing challenges given in the first article. One of them asked for an AUW, although I had real doubts that it was possible. But in No. 7 Gianni presents it to us. The other challenge was for two tempo maneuvers on the same side in one line of play. No. 8 is an answer from the combined efforts of Joost, Gianni and Michel, which incredibly has a third tempo on the other side.
All the examples following No. 8 also have tempo play. Gerd's No. 9 has now-you-see-them-now-you-don't cross-captures. The quiet attractiveness of the five-move tempo trek in Pascal's No. 10 is combined with a second surprise. No. 11 has a theme and an anti-theme. Michel's No. 12 gives the seeker of beauty a lot to smile about. One of its themes has a name, but I think the other one is new. Many thanks to those composers who contributed their suggestions and originals!

1 - Martin W. Hoffmann
Schweizer Schachzeitung 1989

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