No. 52, Oct-Dec 2010
R0124v - Wolfgang Dittmann
StrateGems, No. 52, Oct-Dec 2010
5+9. -11 & #1 (Proca, Anti-Circe)
[7b/1Pr5/pk6/1P6/1Kp5/4P2n/r3P2p/7b]
Solution
The main plan -1.g6xQh7(+wPh2)? Sd8-b7+ (with the idea of -2.Kf7-g7 Rg5-f5+ -3.~ & 1.Bb7#) is refuted by black’s forward defense 1...Se6++/#! - The thematic try -1.Kf7-g7? Rg5-f5+ -2.g6xQh7(+wPh2) Qh8-h7+ -3.Kg7-f7 Sd8-b7+ etc. is refuted by the analogous black forward defense 1...Sf7#!. Therefore, white aims at blocking the square e6, so that the successful double check is degraded to a harmless simple check.
Retract: -1.Sh6-g4! [but not -1.S~-g4 h7-h5!] Rh4-h3 [Other retractions lead to short mates, now or later: a) -1...e6-e5? -2.g6xQh7(+wPh2) Sd8-b7+ (no black forward defense) -3.Kf7-g7 & 1.Bb7#; b) -1...f7xXe6(+bPe7)? -2.g6xQh7(+wPh2) Sd8-b7+ -3.Kf6-g7 Rg5-f5+/Qh8-h7+ -4.Ke7-f6 & 1.Bb7#; -1...S~-a1? -2 Kf7-g7! Rg5-f5+ -3.g6xQh7(+wPh2) Qh8-h7+ -4.Kg7-f7 Sd8-b7+ (no forward defense: 1...Sf7+? 2.Rxh8!) -5.~ & 1.Bb7#; d) -1...d3-d2? -2.g6xQh7(+wPh2)! Sd8-b7+ (no forward defense: 1...Se6++? 2.Kxh7!) -3.Kf7-g7 Rg5-f5+ -4.~ & 1.Bb7#] -2.Bf2-g3! [-2.Be1-g3? allows a tricky defense, which will be explained later. Similarly: -2 Kf7-g7? Rg5-f5+ -3.Kg7-f7 Tf5-g5+ -4.Bf2/e1-g3 Rh3-h4 -5.Bg3-f2/e1 Rh4-h3 (legal) -6.f2-f4 (forced) Rf3-f5!] Rh3-h4 -3.Kf7-g7! Rg5-f5+ -4.Kg7-f7 Rf5-g5+ -5.Bg3-f2 Rh4-h3 -6.Bf2-g3 Rf6-f5 [Black is obliged to break up the pendulum: By retracting -6...Rh3-h4?? black would produce an illegal third repetition of the position. However, if the wB were on e1, black would be authorised to make this move, according to the Codex (chapter IV, article 18, rights of moves) having the right of the en passant-capture in forward play. Consequently, white would be obliged to break up the pendulum and immediately retract f2-f4, allowing the bR to escape on the f-file.] -7.Kf7-g7 Rg6-f6+ -8.Kg7-f7 Rf6-g6+ -9.Kf7-g7 Rg6-f6+ [or -9...Re6-f6+ -10.Kg7-f7 ~ (but not Rf6-e6?? illegal) etc.] -10.Kg7-f7 Re6-g6+ [Now the main plan works] -11.g6xQh7(+wPh2) Sd8-b7+ -12.Kf7-g7 [Not -12.f7-f8S? – illegal, on account of captures] & 1.Bb7#
Thematic content: Shifting the obligation to avoid an illegal threefold repetition, from white to black, by inserting another short pendulum (wK/bR). This is thought to be new. - The dual correction on the second move prevents black from utilizing the e.p.-right according to the Codex. - The fore-plans are combined by making use of Zugzwang at black’s expense. - Combined decoy of a black Rook for a strategic block. (A)
R0169 - Paul Raican
7+1. -6 & s#1 (Proca, Anti-Circe)
[8/8/8/6P1/6N1/3NPK1k/2P5/R7]
-1.Rh1xPh2(+wRa1)! Kh4-h3 -2.Ra1xBd1(+wRh1) d2-d1B -3.Ra1xSe1(+wRa1) Sg2-e1+ (-3…e2-e1S?? leads to an Anti-Circe illegal pawn structure) -4.Kf4-f3! Se1-g2+ -5.Kg3-f4! Kh5-h4+ -6.Rf8xBf2(+wRa1)! & 1.Sf4+ Kh4#. Unexpected mate by King. (A)
R0170 - Günther Weeth
11+13. -12 & #1 (Proca, Anti-Circe)
[2k2NR1/1nPpp1K1/1pBb4/2P1pr1p/4pPN1/4P1Br/3p3P/n7]
R0171 - Nikolai I. Beluhov & Andrey Frolkin
10+13. Last Move? (2 solutions)
[1BR2kq1/b1Pp3P/BRbrQKPp/1p1prpp1/1P2p3/8/8/8]
Solution 1: The last move was -1.b7xRc8R#. The preceding retroplay was: -1…Re8-c8 -2.b3-b4 Re7-e8 -3.b2-b3 Ke8xBf8 -4.Bg7-f8 Qh8-g8 -5.Bf8-g7 Rg7-e7+ -6.Qg8-e6+ e6xPf5+ -7.f4-f5 f5xS/Re4 -8.S/R~-e4 R~-e5. The last 13 single moves are precisely determined and contain a sequence of three consecutive cross-checks.
Solution 2: The last move was -1.b7xSc8R#. The preceding retroplay was: -1…Se7-c8 -2.b3-b4 Ke8xRf8 -3.Rf7-f8+ Kf8-e8 -4.Rg7-f7+ Ke8-f8 -5.Rf7xBg7 Bf8-g7+ -6.Rg7-f7 Qh8-g8 -7.Qg8-e6 e6xPf5 -8.f4-f5 f5xPe4 -9.e3-e4 Re4-e5. Only one white pawn tempo is available this time, as one of the black Bishops was promoted on a1. Only a small variation (3…Qf8 and 4…Qg8) is possible in the last 16 single moves.
The two solutions have a different number and color of the screening uncaptured pieces (two in one case and three in the other). (A)
R0172 - Andrey Frolkin & Nikolai I. Beluhov
12+13. Release the position
[5Kbq/1pp1B1nB/1pPpPkPQ/4prRR/5Ppn/5p2/3P2P1/8]
Retract: -1.Bd8xSe7 Bf7xRg8 -2.c5-c6 Be8-f7 -3.c4-c5 Bd7-e8 -4.c3-c4 Se8-g7 -5.Rg7-g8 Sg8-e7+ -6.Re7-g7+ Bc8-d7 -7.Rd7xRe7 Rg7-e7 -8.Re7-d7+ d7-d6 -9.c2-c3 Sd6-e8 -10.Ke8-f8. The last 19 single moves are unique. The following release of the cage is not trivial: -10...S~+ -11.Kf8 S~ -12.Ke8 Rf7 -13.Qf8 Sh6 -14.Bg8 Rh7 -15.Bf7+ Sg8 -16.Rh6 Rg7 -17.Rh5-g5 Rg5 -18.Rh7 Sf5 -19.R~
White has used three completely different tempo tools in a row; among them, two non-pawn tempos involving the uncaptured Rook. (A)
R0173 - Andrey Frolkin
Dedicated to A. Buchanan
11+15. Last 17 single moves? (Dead Reckoning)
[BRQK1b2/1PPPrPp1/1pprPpPp/1bkpp1qn/1P3n2/8/8/8]
Try -1.b3-b4+?. It is white to play now, but he has no alternative move; black can choose among three King moves, but regardless of the choice, the game is drawn. According to the Dead Reckoning rules, the position was already drawn before 1.b3-b4+ and this move was illegal. Therefore, white's last move was 1.b2-b4+ drawing the game (with 1.b2-b3 as an alternative, allowing the game to continue). Retract: -1.b2-b4+! Qg1-g5 -2.g5-g6 Qa1-g1 -3.g4-g5 a2-a1Q -4.g3-g4 a3-a2 -5.g2-g3 Sg3xPh5 -6.h4-h5 a4-a3 -7.h3-h4 a5-a4 -8.h2-h3 a7-a5 -9.a6xQb7, etc.
P0281 - Kevin Begley
16+16. PG 7 (Degradation, PWC)
[rnbBkbnN/pppppppp/8/8/8/2N5/PPPPPPPP/RqrQKB1R]
1.c4 d5 2.cxd5(+bPc4) c3 3.Sxc3(+bPb1=R) Rxc1(+wBb1) 4.Bxh7(+bPb1=Q) Qxd5(+wPd8=B) 5.Bc2(=wP) Rxh2(+wPh8=S) 6.Sf3 Rh7(=bP) 7.Sh2(=wP) Qd7(=bP).
AUW and Anti-AUW, Cyclic Platzwechsel (c1->c2->d8->d7->c1). (A)
P0282 - Ryan McCracken
For Diane
14+8. PG 11 (C+)
[3k2n1/7r/b7/q7/7b/r7/PPPPPPPn/RNBQKBN1]
1.h4 Sc6 2.Rh3 Se5 3.Ra3 Sg4 4.Rxa7 Sh2 5.Rxb7 Ra3 6.Rxc7 Ba6 7.Rxd7 Qa5 8.Rxe7+ Kd8 9.Rxf7 Be7 10.Rxg7 Bxh4 11.Rxh7 Rxh7
The white Rook [piggy] devours all the black pawns while the black pieces scatter in its wake. (A)
P0283 - Paul Monsky
14+14. PG 17½ (C+)
[3r1bnr/1p3ppp/1n1p4/2p1p2N/5P2/1K1P2RP/PBP1P3/RN1Q1Bkq]
1.h4 e5 2.Rh3 Qxh4 3.Rg3 Qh1 4.Sh3 d6 5.Sf4 Bh3 6.b4 Sd7 7.b5 0-0-0 8.b6 Kb8 9.bxa7+ Kxa7 10.d3 Kb6 11.Kd2 Kc5 12.Kc3 Sb6 13.Kb3 Kd4 14.f3 c5 15.Bb2+ Ke3 16.Sh5 Kf2 17.f4 Kg1 18.gxh3+
Long trip of the black King to g1, via a7.
P0284 - Paul Monsky
16+15. PG 17½ (C+)
[rnbK4/pp1p1rpp/2p2pn1/4p1q1/4P3/2P1NP2/PP1PQ1PP/R1B1kBNR]
1.f3 e5 2.Kf2 Bd6 3.Ke3 Qg5+ 4.Ke4 f6 5.Kd5 c6+ 6.Kxd6 Kf7 7.Kc7 Ke6 8.Sa3 Kd5 9.e4+ Kd4 10.Bb5 Se7 11.Sc4 Rf8 12.c3+ Kd3 13.Qa4 Rf7 14.Qa6 Kc2 15.Kd8 Kd1 16.Se3+ Ke1 17.Bf1 Sg6 18.Qe2#
Both Kings end up in the opposite courts. The wB performs an Indian maneuver, clearing the road for the wQ on its way back.
13+15. PG 20 (C+)
[r4n1r/1pp1pp2/2pk3n/4bp2/3q2Q1/3RP2b/P1PP1Pp1/RNBBK1N1]
1.b4 h5 2.b5 h4 3.b6 h3 4.bxa7 hxg2 5.h4 Rh6 6.h5 Ra6 7.h6 g6 8.h7 Bg7 9.h8=Q Be5 10.Qf6 Sh6 11.Qc6 dxc6 12.Rh3 Qd4 13.Rd3 Bh3 14.e3 Kd7 15.Qg4+ Kd6 16.Be2 Sd7 17.Bd1 Rh8 18.a8=Q Sf8 19.Qac8 Ra8 20.Qcf5 gxf5
TF proof game with Ceriani-Frolkin (QQ) and interchange (tt). (A)
P0286 - James Soliman
12+14. PG 24 (C+)
[1Nb2knr/1p1ppBbp/1p1p1pPp/q7/K3N3/PQP5/P1P2P1P/8]
1.Sf3 Sc6 2.Se5 Sd4 3.Sc6 Sxe2 4.Sb8 Sc3 5.dxc3 f6 6.Bh6 gxh6 7.Bc4 Bg7 8.Bf7+ Kf8 9.Qd5 Qe8 10.Sd2 Qd8 11.0-0-0 Qe8 12.Rhe1 Qd8 13.Re6 Qe8 14.Rb6 axb6 15.Se4 Ra3 16.bxa3 Qd8 17.Kb2 Qe8 18.Kb3 Qd8 19.Ka4 Qe8 20.Qb3 Qd8 21.Rd6 cxd6 22.g4 Qc7 23.g5 Qc5 24.g6 Qa5#
The black Queen marks time, waiting patiently for her cell to unlock.
