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Kabe Moen

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By-Play

The Half-Pin Theme

8/31/2015

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The idea behind the half-pin is the following: two black pieces lie on a white line leading to the bK.  If one of them moves, then the other is pinned.  Below are some of my favorite half-pin problems.  Click on the diagrams for a full solution.
#2   5 + 4

Here is an unpublished half-pin of my own.  Have a go at solving it and scroll down for the solution.
Loyd, Samuel
Chess Monthly, 1859
#2   8 + 8


Sam Loyd's famous problem was one of the first half-pins to appear and the first masked half-pin.  The key 1.Qc8! (-) tucks the wQ behind three pieces.  If the bB or bQ move off of the file then Sc7 is free to mate since the remaining piece will be pinned.
Mansfield, Comins
In Tramway (Lo Scacchista), 1921
#2   8 + 8


The genius of the two mover was also a genius of the half-pin theme and in fact coined the name 'half-pin'.  There are so many many great Mansfield half-pins to choose from (1.Bc7!, 1.Qb7!, 1.Pc7!, 1.Sd2! etc.), here we only pick two.  This problem is one of my personal favorite Mansfields.  Here the half-pin is used to perfectly execute the Albino theme - a white pawn in its initial position makes each of its four possible moves.   The threatless key 1.Sb5! (-) introduces eleven variations.
Mansfield, Comins
El Ajedrez Argentino 1926
#2   11 + 10


One of Mansfield's most famous problems.  The key 1.Qe7 places the key piece en prise and gives a flight square to the king which allows a cross check by bBg6.  
Bwee, Touw Hian
Die Schwalbe 1962
#2   6 + 6


Here is a nice Merideth (12-8 pieces) with a half battery and half-pin.  The problem contains a nice try 1.Re5? (1.Qg7#) which has mates for 1...Rg2 2.Sd2# and 1.Rg4 2.Sd4#, but is foiled by 1...Be7!.  The key is 1.Sc5! with the same threat.
The solution to the first problem is 1.Ra4(-).  Once one of the bSs move the bishop can mate on d2 or d6.  
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    Chess Problems

    On the side I like to dabble in chess problem composition.  I am mostly interested in two and three move direct mates.  I hope to convey the beauty and logic of chess problems with this blog. In the entries are some of my favorite problems and my own problems.  Before looking at the problems I suggest reading this introduction to the chess problem world by the British Chess Problem Society.  Also, here is a list of terminology  and themes.   Here is a link to my problems on yacpdb.

    ARTICLES

    1. "Choose wisely" The Problemist Supplement, Sept. 2016

    2. "Double checking white in a two mover" StrateGems July 2016

    3. "Double check without capture" The Problemist Supplement, January 2018

    4. "The disappearing Nowotny: Part I" The Problemist Supplement, March 2018

    5. "The disappearing Nowotny: Part II" The Problemist Supplement, May 2018

    6. "The disappearing Nowotny: Part III" The Problemist Supplement, July 2018

    7. "Castling with half-battery and Fleck themes" StrateGems, July 2018

    8. "The Baku Nowotny" StrateGems, January 2019

    9. "The Romanian Nowotny with Fleck" The Problemist, March 2019

    10. "Mirror Image" The Problemist Supplement, May 2019

    11. "White King in Check" Problemas, July 2019

    12. "A Simple Mechanism", StrateGems, July 2019

    13. "Miniatures with castling and (partial) Fleck" Problemist Supplement, September 2019

    14. "Taking the Straitjacket off the Fleck" The Problemist Supplement, November 2019

    15. "Unforced threats" The Problemist Supplement, May 2020

    16. "Ojanen in Miniature" The Problemist Supplement, May 2020

    17. "Developments in the Finnish Nowotny" The Problemist, July 2020

    18.  "Categorising  the Fleck theme" The Problemist, January 2021

    19.  "Masking the Bristol"  The Problemist Supplement, March 2021

    20. "My love of the Novotny" StrateGems July 2021

    21. "Masked Novotny" The Problemist Supplement, November 2021


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