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. Udo Degener
2nd Prize, Schach-Aktiv , 1985
Mate in 2
Show solution
1.Bc6? (2.Kb7#) 1...Sf5!
1.Bd5? (2.Kb7#) 1...Sf7!
1.Be4? (2.Kb7#) 1...Rxd3!
1.Ra6? (2.Kb6#) 1...Rb3!
1.Rc6? (2.Kb6#) 1...Sf7!
1.Rb5? (2.Kb6#) 1...Sf5!
1.Bf3! (2.Kb7#)
1...Sf5 2.Rxe6#
1...Sf7 2.Sg6#
1...Qd7+ 2.Kxd7#
1...Qc6+ 2.Kxc6#
1...Qd8+ 2.Kxd8#
1...Qxc8+ 2.Kxc8#
2. Jozsef Szoghy
British Chess Magazine , 1934
Mate in 2
Show solution
1.fxe5! (2.Sc7#)
1...Sdxe5 2.Sf4# (2.Qe4? Bxe4!)
1...Qxe5 2.Rxc5#
1...Rxe5 2.Qxd7#
1...Sfxe5 2.Sxe7#
1...c4 2.Qxd4#
3. Alex Goldstein
The Problemist , 1980
Mate in 3
Show solution
1.Bb3! (2.Se2+ fxe2 3.Bd4#)
1...Rf6 2.Sf5 & 3.Bd4#
1...Rf7 2.Rb6 & 3.Sb5#
1...Bg7 2.Bxa7 (3.Rc5#)
Bxd4 3.Bxd4#
4. Roland Lecomte
1st HM., SVTVS , 1954
Mate in 6
Show solution
1.Qd6! (2.Be5 & 3.Qc7,
Qxb8#)
1...g1=Q 2.Be5 (3.Qc7,
Qxb8#)
Qf2+ 3.Kg7 (4.Qc7,
Qxb8#)
Qg2+ 4.Kh8 (5.Qc7,
Qxb8#)
Qg7+ 5.Kxg7 6.Qc7,
Qxb8#)
Kd8 6.Qf8#
Qg8+ 5.Sxg8 (6.Qc7, )
Qxb8#) ) Solvers only
Kd8 6.Qf8# ) needed to give
OR ) one of these
5.Kxg8 (6.Qc7, ) two
Qxb8#) ) alternatives
Kd8 6.Qf8# )
4.Kh7? is refuted by 4...Qxc2+! or 4...Qe4+!
Qg1+ 4.Kh7 (5.Qc7,
Qxb8#)
Qg6+ 5.Kxg6 (6.Qc7,
Qxb8#)
Kd8 6.Qf8#
Qg7+ 5.Kxg7 (6.Qc7,
Qxb8#)
Kd8 6.Qf8#
Qg8+ 5.Sxg8 (6.Qc7, )
Qxb8#) ) Solvers only
Kd8 6.Qf8# ) needed to give
OR ) one of these
5.Kxg8 (6.Qc7, ) two
Qxb8#) ) alternatives
Kd8 6.Qf8# )
Qb6 5.c5 Qxc5 6.Qc7,
Qxb8#
Qa5 6.Qxb8#
Qc7 6.Qxc7#
Qd8 6.Qxb8#
Qb7 6.Qf8#
Bb7 6.Qxb8#
Kb7 6.Qxb8#
Kd8 6.Qf8#
4.Kh8? is refuted by 4...Qb6!! 5.c5? Qd8+!!
Kd8 4.Sf7+ Qf7+ 5.Kxf7 & 6.Qc7,
Qf8#
Qf1+? 3.Ke8 (4.Qc7,Qxb8#)
Qf7+ 4.Sxf7 & 5.Qc7,Qxb8#
4.Kxf7 & 5.Qc7,Qxb8#
Qf8+ 4.Kxf8 & 5.Qc7,Qxb8#
Kb7 4.Qxb8#
5. Josef Hasek
28 Rijen , 1924
White to play and win
Show solution
1.Bf4 Kxf7 [1...Rxf4 2.exf4 Kxf7 3.f5 Ke7 4.Kg3 Kd6 5.Kh4 Kxd5 6.Kxh5 Kd4 7.Kg6 Ke5 8.f4+ 1-0;
1...h4 2.Be6 Rh5 3.Kg2 h3+ 4.Kh2 Rh4 5.Bxh3 Rh5 6.e4 1-0] 2.e4 Rxf4 3.Kg3 Rxf3+ [3...Rxe4 4.fxe4 Kg7
5.Kh4 Kg6 6.d6 Kf7 7.Kxh5 Ke6 8.Kg6 Kxd6 9.Kxf6 1-0] 4.Kxf3 Ke7 [4...Kg6 5.Kg3 Kf7 (5...f5 6.d6 Kf6
7.exf5 1-0) 6.Kh4 Kg6 7.d6 Kf7 8.Kxh5 Ke6 9.Kg6 Kxd6 10.Kxf6 1-0] 5.Kg3 Kd6 [5...Kf7 6.Kh4 Kg6 7.d6
Kf7 8.Kxh5 Ke6 9.Kg6 Kxd6 10.Kxf6 1-0] 6.Kh4 Ke5 7.Kxh5!! f5 8.d6! Kxd6 9.exf5 1-0
6. William A Shinkman
British Chess Magazine , 1896
Selfmate in 2
Show solution
1.Qc5! ()
1...g5 2.Qc2+ Bxc2#
1...bxc5 2.Bg5 c4# OR ) Solvers only needed to give
Bg8# ) one of these two alternatives
1...Bg8+ 2.Qd5+ Bxd5#
7. Frank Richter
Prize, Harmonie , 1992-1994
Selfmate in 4
Show solution
1.Rd1! (2.Qc6+ Kb3 3.Rd2 & 4.Rb2+ axb2#)
1...Bxd5 2.Bd6+ Kxc3 3.Be5+ Qxe5 4.Qb4+ Kxb4#
1...Qxd5 2.Bc5+ Kxc3 3.Bd4+ Qxd4 4.Qb3+ Kxb3#
8. Dieter Muller
1st Place, Match: Bavaria - Saxony, 1995-1998
Helpmate in 4
Show solution
1.Ke5 Rc6 2.Be6 Bh7 3.Bd5 Rg6 4.Ke4 Re6#
1.Kd7 Bd5 2.Sde6 Rh8 3.Sc7 Bg8 4.Kc8 Be6#
