A – Valery Shanshin & Anatoly Slesarenko
HM., Shedey-50 JT, 1990
Mate in 2
Show solution
1...Bxd1 2.Qe3#
1.Qf8? (2.Re5,Rf4#) 1...Sf6 2.Sxf6# but 1...Bxd1!
1.Bg3? (2.Re5#-2.Rf4?) 1...Bxd1 2.Rf4#, 1...Ke3 2.Re5# but 1...Rxd5!
1.Se6! (2.Rf4#-2.Re5?)
1...Bxd1 2.Re5#, 1...Kxf5 2.Bh7#
Barnes, Sushkov, Le Grand and double threat Dombrovskis.
B – Valery Shanshin & Anatoly Slesarenko
2nd HM., Hlas l’udu , 1992
Mate in 2
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1...exd4 2.Rxe7#, 1...Sd3 2.Sc3#
1.Qd1? (2.Sc3#-2.Sd6?) 1...Sb~ 2.Qc2#, 1...Sd3 2.Qf3#, 1...exd4 2.Qxd4#,
1...Sed5 2.Sd6# , 1...exf2 2.Qf3#, 1...e2 2.Qxe2# but 1...Rc7!
1.Rd2! (2.Sd6#-2.Sc3?) 1...Sf5 2.Sc3# , 1...Sd3 2.Qxd3#,
1...exd4 2.Qe6#, 1...exd2 2.Qf3#
Sushkov and Zagoruiko after 1...exd4/Sd3. Note the use of the masked half-pin line on the b file.
C – Valery Shanshin & Anatoly Slesarenko
3rd Prize, The Problemist , 1990
Mate in 2
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1.Be8? (2.Rd7#-2.Rxc6? Kxd5!)
1...fxe4 2.Rxc6# (2.Rd7? Ke6!), 1...Kxd5 2.Qd2# but 1...Rf7!
1.Sb6! (2.Rxc6#-2.Rd7? Kc5!), 1...fxe4 2.Rd7# (2.Rxc6? Ke7!)
1....Kc5 2.Sc8 (2.Rxc6?Rxc6!) and 1...Kxc7 2.b8Q#
Also 1.Be6? (2.Rd7#/2.Rxc6#) Rxe6!
Sushkov and Le Grand after 1...fxe4.
C(v) – Valery Shanshin & Anatoly Slesarenko
3rd Prize, The Problemist , 1990(v)
Mate in 2
Show solution
One less bB and 1.Bf6? (2.Re7#/2.Rxd6#) Rxf6 2.Qe8# but 1...Rg8+!
Now 1.Bf8? Rg7! pre-closes the 8th rank as a correction. A question remains over the relative demerits of a checking refutation of a try and a refutation capturing the white piece making the try.
D - – Valery Shanshin & Anatoly Slesarenko
1st Prize, Birnov MT, 1991
Mate in 2
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1.Rgd4? (2.Qf5/2.Qxg7)
1...Sxd6 2.Qxd6, 1...Sxe6 2.R6d5 but 1...Rf3!
1.Qe7? (2.Rd5)
1...Sxd6 2.Bb2, 1...Sxe6 2.Qxe6 but 1...Bf4! (2.Qxf4??)
1.Sd4! (2.Rf5)
1...Sxe6 2.Qf5 1...Sxd6 2.Qxg7 and 1...Bf4 2.Qxf4
Zag + Dombrovskis paradox.
E – Valery Shanshin & Anatoly Slesarenko
2nd Prize, Magadanski Ty., 1991
Mate in 2
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Set 1...dxe5 2.Rd2(2.Rf4?), 1...Sxe5 2.Rf4(2.Rd2?) and 1...Kxe5 2.Bc3
1.Bc4? (2.Qd3/2.Rf4-2.Rd2?)
1...Kxc4 2.Qe4, 1...bxc4 2.Rd2 but 1...Se7!
1.Bd5! (2.Qe4/2.Rd2-2.Rf4?)
1...Kxd5 2.Qd3, 1...cxd5 2.Rf4 Odessa and Sushkov
F – Valery Shanshin & Anatoly Slesarenko
1st Prize, Melnichenko-60 JT, 1999
Mate in 2
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1.Sde5? (2.Ra5)
1...d3 2.Bxe4, 1...dxe5 2.Qxe5 but 1...Sxc6!
1.Sdc5? (2.Bxe4)
1...dxc5 2.Qe5, 1...Sf5 2.Qxf5 but 1...Sg6!
1.Sbxd6! (2.Qe5-2.Be4?/2.Ra5?)
1...Sxc6 2.Be4! (2.Ra5?), 1...Sg6 2.Ra5! (2.Be4??), 1...Bxf4 2.Rxd4 and 1...Kxd6 2.Qe5.
G – Valery Shanshin, Anatoly Slesarenko & Anatoly Vasilenko
HM., Hlas l’udu , 1992
Mate in 2
Show solution
1.Qxf7? (2.Sxd7/2.Bd6)
1...Rd5 2.Qxd5, 1...Qxf6 2.Bxf6, 1...Qxf7 2.Rxf5 but 1...Rd1!
1.Rd4? (2.Sxd7)
1...Rd5 2.Rxd5, 1...Qxf6 2.Bd6 but 1...Bc8!
1.Qh8! (2.Bd6)
1...Rd5 2.Sxd7, 1...Qxf6 2.Rxf5, 1...Rd1 2.Qxh2 and 1...Se4 2.Rxe4
Barnes, Zag + Dombrovskis paradox – 1...Qxf6 defends against threat 2.Bd6 and promotes 2.Bd6#; 1...Rd5 defends against threat 2.Sxd7 and promotes 2.Sxd7.
H – Valery Shanshin
Sp. Prize, The Problemist , 2019
Mate in 2
Show solution
Set 1...Bd3 2.Rg3, 1...Rd3 2.Qg2
1.Sd3! (2.Bxf7-2.Rg3? 2.Qg2?)
1...Sd2 2.Rg3, 1...Sd4 2.Qg2 and 1...Sa5 2.a8Q.
Loss of rear control as in much of Colin Sydenham’s work.
I – Valery Shanshin
4th Prize, Sushkov-80 JT (Zadachi i etudyi ), 2019
Mate in 2
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1.Se4? (2.Rf6)
1...Bxe4 2.Qh3, 1...Rc6 2.Rh5, 1...Rxf5 2.Sxf5 but 1...Be2! (set 2.Rf6)
1.Sd5! (2.Rh5)
1...Rxd5 2.Qf8, 1...Be2 2.Rf6, 1...Bxf5 2.Sxf5
Also 1.Rg4? (2.Sg8)
1...Bxc4 2.Rf6, 1...Rc8 2.Rh5 but 1...Ra8!
Loss of rear control here too plus clearances of a3-f8 and a3-h3.
J – Valery Shanshin
3rd Prize, Odessa Ty., 1986
Mate in 2
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Set 1...Sc6 2.Rf4, 1...Rf3 2.Re5
1.Sb7? (2.Re5-2.Rf4?)
1...Rxe6 2.Rf4, 1...Sc6 2.Sd6 (change) but 1...Rxe3!
1.Sd5! (2.Rf4-2.Re5?)
1...Rg4 2.Re5, 1...Rf3 2.Rxg5 (change) (1...Bxe4 2.Qxe4 throughout)
Sushkov threat avoidance; the thematic play is the only play.
K – Valery Shanshin
1st HM., Wola Gulowska , 2014
Mate in 2
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Set 1...Rxe3 2.Sxe3, 1...Bf5/Bxd7 2.Rxd6. Follow the role of bRe2!
1.Sc5? (2.Bxe4)
1...Rxe3 2.Sxe3, 1...Bf5 2.Rxd6, 1...dxc5 2.Qxe5 but 1...Rg2!
1.Sdxe5? (2.Rb5)
1...Rxe3 2.Sxe3, 1...Bxd7 2.Rxd6, 1...dxe5 2.Qxe5 but 1...Rb2!
1...Sc~? (2.Bxe4/2.Rb5) but 1...Rxe3!
1.Sxd6! (2.Qxe5)
1...Bf5 2.Rb5, 1...Bxd7 2.Bxe4 and 1...Kxd6 2.Rd4!
TTC with double pin-mate
L – Valery Shanshin
2nd Prize, Wola Gulowska , 2015
Mate in 2
Show solution
1.5S~? (2.Qc3)
1...Qg1 2.Bxf4, 1...e6 2.Bf6 (2.Qc3? Kxd6!) but 1...exd6!
1.Sc3!? (2.Sc4-2.Qc3??)
1...exd6 2.Bf6 but 1...fxe4!
1.Sf6!! (2.Sxd7-2.Qc3? 2.Sc4?)
1...exd6 2.Qc3, 1...e6 2.Sc4, 1...exd6 2.Qc3, 1...fxe4 2.Sxg4, 1...Sb8 2.Rxc5
Unequivocal Tertiary Threat Correction without flight-giving!
M – Valery Shanshin
4th Prize, Basisty-60 JT, 2017
Mate in 2
Show solution
1.Rf3? (2.Sxe5)
1...exf4 2.Qg5 (set) but 1...Bc3!
1.Qe8? (2.Qxe6)
1...exf4 2.Se5 (Dombrovskis paradox) but 1...Sg3!
1.Rh3! (2.Qe2)
1...exf4 2.Qh5 (2.Se5? Kxh3!) described by Valery as “Shanshin dual avoidance”. Also 1...Sg3 2.Rh4
Also 1.Re3? (2.Qe2) but 1...Sg3!
A delightful and perfect construction in Meredith.