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Problems I wish I'd composed

1/17/2016

Unfortunately, I arrived to composition too late. About 100 years too late. It is very rare to compose a completely original idea or theme, especially in a two move problem. One can only hope to find a neat rendering of an old idea. Here are some problems (two movers and other genres) that I wish I had composed when the idea would have been fresh.

Stavrinides, Alkis
Probleemblad 1969

6 + 5

At first the key may not look that impressive: 1.Qh8! threatening 2.Qh6. However, the four thematic black defenses show a curious pattern.
1...g3 2.Qh4
1...Qh4 2.e3
1...e3 2.Qd4
1...Qd4 2.g3
Amazing accomplishment!

Mosely, Arthur
Northern Whig 1912

10 + 8

Here is a nice problem that appeals to me because of the eight fold sacrifice of the key piece. In the last post we saw a checking queen sacrifice by Loyd (1.Qe4+). This is better: no checking key and more captures. 1.Se4! threatens 2.Re8.

Gamage, Fredrick
Tidskrift for Schack 1911

9 + 7

At the time this was a new idea by Gamage, hence the name Gamage unpin. The idea is that if bPd7 moves then it will interfere with the bQ and the wQ may unpin by withdrawal. To present a new theme in a waiting move problem with a fantastic key is amazing. Key 1.Rh4!

Loyd, Samuel
American Chess Journal 1877

9 + 6

Loyd's square clearing castling problem. The idea is that the wS on c2 needs to get to c5 to mate. But black can defend with 1...axb5 or 1...e5. Thus 1.0-0-0! opens squares at a1 and e1 simultaneously. Nice idea.

Katz, S. Marus
Die Kleine Volkszeitung 1937

6 + 2

As a beginner I always loved a sacrificial key. Here is a perfectly executed key that sacrifices four pieces at once. 1.Sc2! (-)

1...Kxb2 2.Qa1
1...Kxd2 2.Qe1
1...Kxc4 2.Qc6
1...bxc2 2.Rdxc2

Van Dijk, Nils
Die Schwalbe 1959

4 + 2

I'm not usually a fan of miniatures, but this masterpiece has an amazing amount of play. It has three nice tries 1.Kf8? 1...fxg5!, 1.h3? 1...Kh6! 1.h4? 1...Kxh4! and finally the key 1.Kf7! does not threaten anything.

Mansfield, Comins
The Observer 1954

6 + 5

Of course this gives me a chance to present some of my favorite Mansfield problems. The key 1.Qf7! gives the bK three flights each leading to a pin mate.

Loyd, Samuel
New York State Chess Association 1892

8 + 8

Loyd's original American Indian. Here white must deal with 1...Rxf5. This is done by ambushing the wR on a6 to counter with 2.Rxa4. An original idea, one of many from Loyd.

Mansfield, Comins
Good Companions Folder 1919

9 + 11

Back to Mansfield. While the key is not great 1.Bh2 (2.Bc7) the play is very interesting. The bBe1 can defend in two ways 1...Bc3 closing the wRs guard on c7 or 1...Bg3 obstructing the wB. However, both of these unpin wSe3, allowing it to mate. It would seem that the wS has its choice of two squares c4 or d5. However, in defending, the bB has closed a line and the wS must be careful not to close the other line: dual avoidance and more specifically the Java theme. Supposedly this is the first example of this theme. Oh and the by-play with bPd7 and the Gamage unpin is not too shabby.

Loshinsky, Lev
CCCP 1947

11 + 11

Here is one of my favorite three movers of all time: the Loshinsky magnet problem. The key 1.Qc2! threatens 2.Sh5+ Kxe4 3.Re3. However, movement of bRd4 will defeat the threat by opening the square d4. Anywhere the bR goes the wR follows: 1...Rd5 2.Rd4, 1...Rd6 2.Rd5, 1...Rd7 2.Rd6, 1...Rc4 2.Rc3, 1...Rb4 2.Rb3, 1...Ra4 2.Ra3. What an incredible strategic achievement.

Kirtley, Mark
The Problemist 1986

s#8

14 + 6

We end with an unusual problem that has one of the greatest achievements in all of problem composition. The problem is a selfmate: white plays and forces black to deliver mate in the stipulated number of moves, in this case 8. White's pieces are feeling homesick from their game array squares.
1.Sb1+! Kb3 2.Qd1+ Rc2 3.Bc1 axb6 4.Ra1 b5 5.Rh1 bxc4 6.Ke1 c3 7.Sg1 f3 8.Bf1 f2

Here is a picture of the final position.

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Checking Keys

1/9/2016

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Checking keys are considered crude. The great Comins Mansfield never composed a problem with a checking key. Sometimes they are justified by great economy or surprise effects. Here are some of my favorite checking key problems starting out with one of my own.

Moen, Kabe
Original

4 + 2

Here is a very simple checking key problem. The key 1.Rf5++ fires the B+R battery and does several things: gives a flight at e6, sacrifices the wR and gives a flight at f5, while also taking the unprovided flights at f7 and g7. 1...Kxf5 leads to the model mate (every square in the bK's field is only covered once and all white pieces participate) 2.Qg4. A fun question: the problem is sound and has the same key with any black piece on e7: P,S,B,R,Q. However, only one type of piece contains a dual. Which one?

Loyd, Samuel
La Strategie 1867

7 + 3

A classic Loyd. Loyd said that this was his most difficult problem and that he stumped many friends with this. I remember trying to solve this problem myself and being stumped. Notice there are mates set for all moves of the bK. The key abandons these mate with the striking 1.Qf4+! It takes two of the flights but gives two more 1...Kd5/Ke5 2.Qe4, and it changes the mate after 1...Ke7 to 2.Bxd6 (this is the role of the wBa3). But the most beautiful defense is by the bPf7 (which also had a set mate 2.Qxd6): 1...f5 2.gxf6 e.p. That's right the en passant capture sets off a double battery.

Tomasevic, M.
Mat Plus 1996

4 + 2

A good reason for a checking key is economy. It does not get better than this 6 pieces and a star flight by the bK with nice play. Key 1.Rb5+.

Loyd, Samual
New York Grachhic

8 + 8

The great Sam Loyd had a few nice checking keyed problems (we have already seen two 1.Bd5+ and 1.Sg4+). Here the key 1.Qe4+ moves the queen to a square where it can be captured by 5 pieces.

Ua Tane
Good Companions Folder 1918

12 + 6

Here is a checking key problem that Comins Mansfield praised in Adventures in Composition. The key 1.Sc4+ grants five flights and leads to several promotion mates. The composer seems like an interesting fellow. His real given name is James Stimson but he changed his name to Ua Tane after he moved to the island of Tahiti.

Ua Tane
Good Companions Folder 1919

11 + 10

Here is another checking key from Ua Tane. The key 1.Sc5+ sacrifices 4 pieces to the bK.

Vaughan, Colin V.
The Problemist Supplement 1999

7 + 6

I always love to quote problems from the Problemist Supplement because it caters to beginning composers. Here the key 1.Qc4+ sacrifices both wRs and allows for some nice battery play.

Bettmann, Henry Wald
The Problem 1914

10 + 9

Here is a special checking key problem. The position is a complete block: there are mates set for every black move. However, there is no waiting move that holds the block. It is not a mutate or a block threat either. Instead it is a block check! The key 1.Qh5+ unpins the bR.

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Block Threat

1/2/2016

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Welcome to 2016! A problem in which every black move has set mate (or continuation to mate in #3 or more) is called a complete block problem. To solve the problem one can look for a waiting move that holds all of these mates. Sometimes this is not possible and the key must change some of the mates. If the key does not carry a threat then the problem is called a mutate (see the Change Waiters post on 9/18/15). If the key carries a threat then the problem is called a block threat. Block threat problems are somewhat rare problems.

Moen, Kabe
The Problemist Supplement 2015

7 + 7

Click on the diagram for the solution.

Shinkman, William A.
Chess Monthly 1885

8 + 8

Here is a great example of a block threat. The key 1.Qg1 sacrifices the wQ, gives a flight square, and changes the self blocking mate after 1...Be5.

Nemcek, Milan Sr.
Pravda 1971

6 + 4

In my opinion this is one of the finest block threats ever composed. The key 1.Se6! gives a flight square and sacrifices the wS. Black also has the anticipatory line closing defenses 1...Sc5 and 1...Sd6 which are met by beautiful white interference mates 2.S6c7 and 2.S8c7 respectively.

Penrose, Lionel S.
Good Companions 1916

9 + 8

Here is another outstanding block threat. The key 1.Qd2! threatens 2.Qxa5# but unpins the bRf3. The unpinned bR can now check with 1.Rf1+ which is handled by the newly formed Q+B battery.

Strydom, Jan
The Problemist Supplement 1996

10 + 12

Here is a modern example of a block threat. There are set mates for moves of the bS and 1...cxd5. All of these are destroyed by the key 1.Sf3 which makes a triple threat 2.Se5/Sd2/Rxd4. However, every possible combination of the threats is enforced by blacks seven moves: combinative separation. For example, 1...e1=Q is met by only 2.Rxd4 while 1...e1=R is met by 2.Sd2 or 2.Rxd4 and 1...e1=B is met by 2.Rxd4 or 2.Se5. Finally 1...e1=S allows all three mates. AUW! The other black moves further separate the threats.

Bwee, Touw Hian
Schach-Echo 1980

7 + 10

Finally we end with a nice try problem. There are mates set for every black move but there does not seem to be a waiting move that holds the position. 1.Be7? or 1.Bf6? interfere with the wRf7. Moves by the wRs interfere with the wBd8. We have a white Grimshaw and a really nice try problem. What remains is to make a threat 1.Ba5.

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By-Play

Problems I wish I'd composed

Checking Keys﻿

Block Threat

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Checking Keys