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 Vasyl Dyachuk
1st HM., Neue Zurcher Zeitung , 2000-2001
Mate in 2
Show solution
1.Re1? (2.Sc3,Seg3#) 1...bxc2!
1.Qb7? (2.Qxd5,Sc3#) 1...Qa5!
1.Qh7? (2.Sd6,Sfg3#) 1...Scb6!
1.Qb4? (2.Qxc4,Sd6#) 1...Qxa6!
1.Qh4? (2.Sfg3,Seg3#) 1...Rg8!
1.Qc5! (2.Qxd5,Qxc4#) (5)
1...Bg5 2.Sfg3#
1...Sd2,Sce3,Scb6 2.Sd6#
1...Sde3,Sdb6 2.Sc3#
1.2 Valery Kopyl
Uralski Problemist , 2002
Mate in 2
Show solution
1...fxe3 2.Kg5#
1...f3 2.Kg5#
1.Qd8! () (5)
1...fxe3 2.Rxe3#
1...f3 2.exf3#
1...g2 2.Sf2#
1...b3 2.Sc3#
1...B~ 2.S(x)f6#
1...Sb~ 2.S(x)d6#
1...Sxg6 2.Bxg6#
1...Sf7 2.gxf7#
1.3 Peter Heyl
Freie Presse , 1999
Mate in 2
Show solution
1.Se8? (2.Re4#) 1...Rf2!
1.S7xe6? (2.Re4#) 1...Sf3!
1.Sb5? (2.Re4#) 1...Bf2!
1.Sd5? (2.Re4#) 1...exd5!
1.Sa8! (2.Re4#) (5)
1...Bf2 2.Qxb2#
1...Sf3 2.Sd3#
1...Rf2 2.Qh8#
2.1 Anatoly V Svetilsky
Uralski Problemist , 2001 (v. Christopher Jones)
Mate in 3
Show solution
1.Qb1! (½)
(2.Bc6+ Kxc6 3.Qb7#) (½)
1...Sd6 2.Ra6 (3.Bc6#) (1)
Sxb5,Sxe8 3.e4#
Sxf5 3.e4,Qxf5#
c3 3.Qd3#
1...Rd6 2.Qa2 & 3.Qxc4# (1)
1...Rd8 2.exd8=S (3.Bc6#) (1)
c3 3.Qd3#
1...Rdxe7 2.Bxc4+ Kc6 3.Qb5# (½)
Kxc4 3.Qd3#
1...c6 2.Rxd7+ Sd6 3.e4# (½)
Bd6 3.S8c7#
2.2 Michael Keller & Thorsten Zirtwitz
Schach-Aktiv , 2002
Mate in 3
Show solution
1.Sxf5! (1)
(2.Qf4+ Sxf4 3.Sg3#) (1)
1...Sxf5 2.c5 (3.Qe5#) (1)
Sf4 3.Qxf4#
Sxg3 3.Bd5#
Qxc5 3.Sxc5#
1...Qxf5 2.gxf5 & (3.Bd5,Sc5,Qe5#) (1)
1...Bxf5 2.Bc5 (3.Bd5#) (1)
Sf4 3.Qxf4#
Qxc5 3.Sxc5#
Be6 3.Qe5#
3.1 Ignace Vandecasteele
Tijdschrift vd KNSB , 1959
White to play and draw
Show solution
1.Rxc3 (1)
1...Nd2+ (i) 2.Ka1 (½)
2...Nf1! 3.Rc1+ (½)
3...Ke2 (ii) 4.Rc2+ (½)
4...Nd2 (iii) 5.Rc1 (½)
5...Kf2 6.Rd1 (1)
6...Nf1 (6...Ne4 or 6...Nf3 are equivalent.) 7.Rd2+ Nxd2 (iv) = (1)
(i) 1...Ke2 2.Rg3 Kf2 3.Rxg2+ Kxg2 4.Kc2 =; 1...Ne3 2.Rc1+
Ke2 3.Rg1 Kf2 4.Rxg2+ Nxg2 5.Kc2 =
(ii) 3...Kd2 4.Rc2+ Kxc2 =
(iii) 4...Kf3 5.Rxg2 Kxg2 6.Kb1 =
(iv) 7...Kf3 (say) 8.Rxg2 =
3.2 David Gurgenidze
2nd HM., Shakhmaty v SSSR , 1991
White to play and win
Show solution
1.Rg8! (i) (1)
1...Kf7! (ii) 2.Kxf2 (½)
2...Rhf4+ (iii) 3.Kg1 (½)
3...Re1+ 4.Kh2 (½)
4...Rh4+ 5.Kg3 (½)
5...Ree4! (iv) 6.Qa2+! (v) (1)
6...c4 (vi) 7.Rg5 (½)
7...Kf6 8.Qd2 1-0 (vii) (½)
(i) 1.Kxf2? Rhf4+ 2.Kg1 Re1+ 3.Kh2 Rh4+ 4.Kg3 Rhh1! 5.Qf2+
Kxg5 6.Qxc5+ Kg6 7.Qxa7 Rhg1+ = (Tablebases)
(ii) 1...Rhf4 2.Rf8+ Ke5 3.Re8+ Kd6 4.Rxe4 f1Q 5.Rxf4 1-0
(iii) 2...Ref4+ 3.Kg1 1-0
(iv) 5...Rhh1 6.Qd5+ Re6 [6...Ke7 7.Rg7+ Kf6 8.Rf7+ Kg6 9.Qf5+
Kh6 10.Rh7#; 6...Kf6 7.Rf8+ Kg6 (7...Kg7 8.Qg8+ Kh6 9.Rf6+ Kh5 10.Qg4#; 7...Ke7 8.Rf7+ Ke8 9.Qd7#) 8.Qf7+ Kh6 (8...Kg5
9.Rg8+ Kh6 10.Qg6#) 9.Qf6+ Kh5 (9...Kh7 10.Rh8#) 10.Rh8#]
7.Qxh1 1-0;
(v) 6.Rg5? Kf6 7.Qd2 ( 7.Kf2 Rhf4+ 8.Kg1 Re1+ 9.Kh2 Rh4+
10.Kg3 Ree4 =) 7...Rd4 8.Qc1 Rc4 9.Rxc5 Rxc1 10.Rxc1 Ra4 =
(vi) 6...Rc4 7.Rh8 Rxh8 8.Qxc4+ 1-0
(vii) i.e. 8...Rd4 9.Qc1! (or 9.Qe3 1-0) 1–0
4.1 Mykola Nagnibida
Problem Paradise , 2003 (correction by BDS)
Helpmate in 2
Show solution
1.Ke4 Rb4+ 2.Qd4 d3# (2½)
1.Kc5 Bxe7+ 2.Qd6 d4# (2½)
4.2 John Niemann
feenschach , 1951 (v)
Helpmate in 5
Show solution
1.f1=S+ Kh3+ 2.f2 Kg2 3.Sd2 Kg3 4.f1=B h3 5.Bfe2 Kg2# (2½)
1.Kd2 Kxf2 2.Kc3 Ke3 3.Kb4 Kd4 4.Ka5 Kc5 5.Ba4 Be1# (2½)
5.1 Frantisek Skalik
Zlata Praha , 1907
Mate in 4
Show solution
1.Qb5! (1)
(2.Rf4+ exf4 3.Sg5+ Kd4 4.Be5#) (1)
1...e2 2.Qxe2+ Kxf5 3.Qxe5+ Kg6 4.Qg5# (½)
Kd5 3.Rxe5+ Kc6 4.Sd8# (½)
1...Rc4 2.Qd5+ Kxf5 3.Qxe5+ Kg6 4.Qg5# (½)
Kxd5 3.Rxe5+ Kc6 4.Sd8# (½)
1...Ra8 2.Rxe5+ Kf3 3.Rf5+ Bxf5 4.Sg5# (1)
Ke4 4.Rf4,Qd5#
5.2 Anatoly V Svetilsky
1st HM., Shavirin-50 JT, 2003
Mate in 4
Show solution
1.Rg1! (½)
(2.Bg4+ Kxe4 3.Qxc4+ Bd4 4.Qxd4#) (¼)
1...Bd4 2.Qb1 (3.Bg4#)
Bxg1 3.Sf2+ Kxf6 4.Sg4# (1)
1...Se5 2.Qe7 (3.Qe6#)
Rxf6 3.Qxf6+ gxf6 4.Se7# (1)
1...Sxf6 2.Qd6 (3.Qe6#)
Sxd5 3.Qxd5+ Be5 4.Sd4,Bg4# (¼)
Qe5 4.Bg4#
Qc8 3.Qxf4+ gxf4 4.Sd6# (¼)
Qe8 3.Qxf4+ gxf4 4.Sd6# (¼)
1...Qe5 2.Qb1 (3.Bg4#)
Qxe4 3.Qxe4+ Kxf6 4.Qe6# (1)
1...Qxb6 2.Sd6+ Kxf6 3.Se8+ Kf5 4.Qb1# (½)
6.1 William A Whyatt
The Problemist , 1959
Selfmate in 2
Show solution
1.Rd8! (½)
(2.Qc2+ Bxc2#) (½)
1...Sxd2 2.Re8 Bc2# (1)
1...Sxe3 2.Qf3 Bc2# (1)
1...Sd4 2.Rd5 Bc2# (1)
1...Sfxd6 2.Rxc5 Bc2# (½)
1...Sexd6 2.Qg4 Bc2# (½)
6.2 Aleksandr Azhusin
Buletin Problemistic , 2001
Selfmate in 6
Show solution
1.Qg4! (1)
(2.Rxc7 hxg4 3.Rc8+ Se8 4.Ka8 & 5.Sxh6+ Kg7 6.Rc7+ Sxc7#) (2)
1...hxg4 2.Bxe6+ Sxe6 3.Re8+ Sf8 4.Rc8 & 5.Sxh6+ Kg7 6.Rxc7+ Sd7# (2)
