Note: In these solutions, those moves that
were required are given in bold type. All else is given for the
sake of completeness and for the interest of solvers. The symbol
'S' is used for knight and threats are given in parentheses.
1.1 Herbert Ahues
Schach-Express , 1949
Mate in 2
Show solution
1.Sxa6? (2.Rd4#) 1...Sxf5!
1.Sd5? (2.Rd4#) 1...Sd6!
1.Se6! (2.Rd4#)
1...Bd6 2.Qxa8#
1...Bc5 2.Sxc5#
1...Sd6 2.Sc5#
1...Sxf5 2.Sg5#
1...d6 2.Qxb4#
1...Sf3 2.Bc2#
1.2 Cor Goldschmeding
5th HM., Probleemblad , 1965
Mate in 2
Show solution
1.Bd5? (2.Qxe3#) 1...Bxf4!
1.Ba8? (2.Qxe3#) 1...Be6!
1.Bf5,Bg6,Bh7? (2.Qxe3#) 1...Re6!
1.Bc2,Bb1? (2.Qxe3#) 1...Sce6!
1.Bg2,Bh1? (2.Qxe3#) 1...Sge6!
1.Bb7! (2.Qxe3#)
1...Sf3+,Sge4,Sge6 2.S(x)f3#
1...Sd3+,Sce4,Sce6 2.R(x)d3#
1...Re6 2.Sf5#
1...Be6 2.Sb5#
1...Be5,Bxf4 2.Qxc5#
1.3 C H D Clarke
5th Comm., BCF Ty. 39, 1941-1942
Mate in 2
Show solution
1.Sf3! (2.Bd3#)
1...Sxf3 2.Qxf3#
1...Rxd2,Re3 2.R(x)e3#
1...Rf4 2.Sxg5#
1...cxd5 2.Bxd5#
1...Bf5 2.Sf6#
1...Qxd4 2.Rxd4#
1...Se6 2.Qxh7#
2.1 Josef Moravec
Sachove umeni , 1970
Mate in 3
Show solution
1.Bg7! (2.Qe2+ Kxf5 3.Sd6#)
1...gxf4 2.Rg1+ Kxf5 3.Sd6#
Kh5 3.Sf6,Rg5#
Kf3 3.Sg5#
1...Sc8 2.Sf6+ Kxf5 3.Qd5#
Kg3 3.S4h5#
1...Kxf5 2.Sd3+ Kxe4 3.Sc5#
Kg4 3.Qe2#
Kg6 3.Qf7#
2.2 Lars Larsen
Arbejder Skak , 1949
Mate in 3
Show solution
1.a3! (2.Sb2+ Kxc3 3.Qb4#)
1...Bc6 2.Qd4+ Rxd4 3.Sc5#
1...Bxd7 2.Kg7 (3.Sxf4,f6#)
Bxe6,
Sxe6+ 3.fxe6#
Rd4 3.Qxd4#
1...Sac6 2.Qd5+ Rxd5 3.Sxf4#
Sd4 3.Qe4#
1...Sdc6 2.Qd5+ Rxd5 3.Sxf4#
Sd4 3.Qe4#
3.1 Yury Zemliansky
2nd HM., Springaren , 2001
White to play and win
Show solution
1.Kg8 (1.Rhe1? Rd2=) 1...Rd2
(1...Bxe5? 2.Rb6+! Bf6 3.Rh6+ Kxh6 4.Rxf6#)
2.Rh6+!! (2.Rhd1? Rxd1 3.Rxd1 Bxe5 4.Rd5
Bf6=; 2.Rhf1? Rd8+ 3.Rf8 Rxf8+ 4.Kxf8 Bxe5=)
2...Kxh6 3.e6 Re2 (3...Bf6 4.Kf7 Be5 5.Rh1+ Bh2
6.e7 Rg2 7.Rxh2+ Rxh2 8.e8Q Rf2+ 9.Kg8 1-0) 4.e7
(4.Kf7? Rf2+=) 4...Rxe7
( 4...Bf6 5.Kf7! Rxe7+ 6.Kxf6 1-0; 4...Kg6 5.Rxb2 1-0)
5.Rxb2 Rg7+ 6.Kh8 (6.Kf8? c4 7.Rd2 c3 8.Ra2
c2 9.Rxc2 Rf7+! 10.Kxf7=) 6...c4 7.Rd2 c3 8.Ra2!!
(zugzwang) 8...Kg6 9.Ra6+ Kf7 10.Ra7+
1-0
3.2 S Belokon
4th HM., Rubinstein MT , 1967-1968
White to play and win
Show solution
1.Bf1+ Kc3 (1...Ke3? 2.Qg1+ Kf3 3.Qg2+ Ke3
4.Qe2#) 2.Qh8 Bxh8 3.exf8=Q Bd4 4.Qh8 Bxh8 5.fxe8=Q
Bd4 6.Qh8 Bxh8 7.c8=Q Bd4 8.Qh8 Bxh8 9.c7 Kb3 10.Bc4+
1-0
4.1 Ljubomir Ugren
The Problemist , 2003
Helpmate in 2 2 solutions
Show solution
1.Qh8 hxg8=R 2.Be5 Qa2#
1.Qe6 Qb8 2.Re5 h8=S#
4.2 Valery Kopyl
The Problemist , 2003
Helpmate in 5 2 solutions
Show solution
1.Ba4 Bc4 2.Bc2+ Bd3 3.Ka2 Ke4 4.Qa1 Kd5 5.Bb1 Bc4#
1.Bg8 Bf7 2.Bh7 Bxg6 3.Ka2 Ke6 4.Qa1 Bf7 5.Bb1 Kxd6#
5.1 Anatoly V Svetilsky
Die Schwalbe , 1996
Mate in 4
Show solution
1.Qxe7! (2.Qxb4+ Ke5 3.Sd7+ Ke6 4.Qe7#)
1...Rc2 2.Sf5+ Kc3 3.Sa4+ Kc4 4.Qc5#
1...Rc3 2.Sxe2+ Kd3 3.Qxh7+ f5 4.Qxf5#
1...Sf8 2.Qxf6+ Kc5 3.Qc6+ Kd4 4.Bf6#
1...Kc3 2.Qc5+ Kb2 3.Qc1+ Ka2 4.Qa1#
5.2 Peter Hoffmann
1st Prize, Schach-Report , 1992
Mate in 5
Show solution
1.Qg7! (2.Qg3#)
1...h1=S 2.Qe7 (3.Qe3#)
Qa7 3.Sc4 (4.Qg5#)
Qg1 4.Bg6 ()
Q~file 5.Qe3#
Q~else 5.Qg5#
Sf2 5.Qe3#
Sg3 5.Qg5#
f2 5.Qe3#
Sb~ 5.Qxd6#
f2 4.Qg5+ Kf3 5.Bh5#
6.1 Yves Cheylan
Comm., Wola Gulowska , 1996
Selfmate in 2
Show solution
1...Qxh5 2.Sxh5 R(b)c3#
1.Sxh3! ()
1...gxh3 2.Bxh6 R(b)c3#
1...Qxh5 2.g8=R+ Qxf7#
6.2 Petko Petkov
The Problemist , 2003
Selfmate in 4
Show solution
1.Qf5! (2.Qc2+ bxc2 3.b3+ Kc3 4.Bd4+ Sxd4#)
1...Sd4+ 2.Qb5+ Sxb5 3.Sxb3 & 4.Rc2+ Sc3#
1...Se5+ 2.Qd7 (3.Qb5+ Bxb5#)
Sxd7 3.Scd3 & 4.Se5+ Sxe5#