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Kabe Moen

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By-Play

The grab theme

6/1/2016

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Here is one of the first three move themes on the blog.  The grab theme goes back to the time of Loyd.  The idea is that Black has a free piece that it can move instead of dropping it guard.  White's strategy is then to capture this piece wherever it goes.

Moen, Kabe
The Problemist Supplement 2015

#3
6 + 4


Moves by the bQ or bP lead to immediate mate.  Moreover, moves by the bS lead to immediate capture which will then force the bQ or bP to relinquish their position.  We have a complete block.  White only has to try to preserve the block.  1.Kd6? attempts to do this but 1...Sc6 foils the plan because 2.Bxc6 is met by the check 2...Qxc6+.  The only move that works is 1.Ba8! which holds the block but also introduces some new play by exposing the wK to checks.  This is probably one of my best keyed problems.  

Kipping, Cyril Henry Stanley
The Chess Amateur 1911

#3
11 + 3


Here is a bQ from the grab master C.S. Kipping.  Notice that the bQ can be captured in the initial position but Black has 1...Sb7 to answer this.  Instead 1.Bc8! solves and the bQ has 27 moves that all lead to capture.  

Loyd, Samuel
Newark Sunday Call 1877

#3
5 + 2


Loyd uses the grab theme in conjunction with the indian theme.  The idea is that capturing the bB will induce a stalemate, so the key 1.Rh7 clears the way for the pawn to relieve the stalemate 1...Be7 2.fxe7 Kxa7 3.e8=Q.
​ 

Hannemann, Knud Harald
Aftonbladet 1925

#3
10 + 4


Here is an amazing double bS grab with a good flight giving key.  1.Rb8 leads to 16 different captures of the bSs.   

Warton, Joseph and Warton, Thomas
The Observer 1949

#3
9 + 5


We end with a Warton brothers classic.  Since it is a Warton problem we expect some type of mutate and indeed all moves by Black have set continuations: 1...R ~ 2.Bxb7 1...b4 2.Bc4 1...B ~ will be grab unless 1...Ba2 2.Sc2 ~  3.Sb4.  Waiting moves by the wR are countered by an appropriate move of the bB so that 2...Rd8 pins the wB.   What remains is 1.Rh7 so that the rook on the fifth rank can grab the bB on g6 or h7.  The tries 1.Bf3,Bg2 fall to obstruction 1...Bd3!
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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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