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. Ralph H Bridgwater
1st Prize, Hampstead & Highgate Express , 1899
Mate in 2
Show solution
1...Bc5 2.Qh5#
1.Qa5! () (5)
1...R~ 2.B(x)g7#
1...S~ 2.S(x)f7#
1...B~ 2.Qh5#
1...Bxa5 2.Be3#
1...Bc5 2.Qd2#
1...g5 2.Sf5#
2. Edward J Winter-Wood
1st Prize, Sheffield Independent , 1888
Mate in 3
Show solution
1.Kb1! () (1)
1...Kxc3 2.Qe4 Kd2 3.Qc2# (1)
b4 3.Qe3#
1...Kxc5 2.Qa7+ Kb4 3.Sa2# (1)
Kc6 3.Bd5#
1...Kxe5 2.Qe7+ Kd4 3.Qe3# (1)
Kf5 3.Bh7#
1...b4 2.Qh6 (3.Qe3#) (1)
Kxe5 3.Qf4#
Kxc5 3.Qd6#
3. Michael Herzberg
Magyar Sakkelet , 1988
Mate in 3
Show solution
1.Bg7? 1...d3!
1.Bf8! (1)
(2.Rc3+ Sbxc3,Sdxc3,Bxc3 3.Sc4# (1)
dxc3,d3 3.Bc5#)
1...d3 2.Bc5+ Bd4 3.Bxd4# (1)
1...Sbc3 2.Bb1 (3.Sc2#) (1)
d3 3.Bc5#
f3 3.Bh6#
1...Sdc3 2.Bd1 (3.Sc2#) (1)
d3 3.Bc5#
f3 3.Bh6#
4. Hans Ott
National-Zeitung , 1951 (v)
Mate in 4
Show solution
1.f7? 1...Bf6!
1.Ka6? 1...bxc4!
1.Qd3? 1...bxc4!
1.Qc2! (1)
(2.cxb5+ Kxb5 3.Qb3+ Kc6 4.Qa4, Qb7#) (1)
1...dxc4 2.Qg2+ e4 3.Qxg5 & 4.Qc5# (1)
1...Re4 2.Ka6 (3.cxb5#)
Rxc4 3.Qg6 (4.Qe8#) (1)
d4 4.Qe4#
1...a4 2.cxb5+ Kxb5 3.Qd3+ Ka5,Kc6 4.Qa6# (1)
5. Nikolai Kralin
1st Prize, Uralsky Problemist , 2006
White to play and draw
Show solution
1.Re5+ (i) (½)
1...Kxe5 2.Bd6+ (½)
2...Kxd6 3.a7 (½)
3...Ke5 4.a8Q (½)
4...Rg1+ 5.Kh4 (½)
5...Nf3+ 6.Qxf3 (½)
6...Kf5 7.g7 (½)
7...Rg6 (ii) 8.g8N (iii) (½)
8...Rxg8 9.Qe4+ (½)
9...Kxe4 10.f3+ = (½)
(i) 1.Rh3? Nxh3 2.Kxh3 (2.g7 Nxf2+ 3.Kg5 Nf3+ 4.Kg6 Ne5+ 5.Kh7 Nfg4 6.g8=Q Nf6+ 7.Kg7 Nxg8 8.Kxg8 Ra1 0-1;
2.a7 Nxf2+ 3.Kh5 Rh1+ 4.Kg5 Nf3+ 5.Kf6 Ng4+ 6.Ke6 Nd4+ 7.Kd7 Ra1 8.Bc5 Nb5 9.g7 Nxa7 10.g8=N Ne5+
0-1) 2...Rh1+ 3.Kg3 Rg1+ 4.Kh2 Rxg6 5.a7 Ra6 6.Bc5 Kf3 7.Bb6 Nd3 0-1
(ii) 7...Rxg7 8.Qe4+ Kxe4 9.f3+ =
(iii) 8.g8Q? Rh6+ 9.Qh5+ Rxh5+ 10.Kg3 Rh3#
6. Cyril G Rains
The Problemist , 1969
Selfmate in 3
Show solution
1.Bf7! (1)
1...Kc6 2.Bxe8+ Kxc5 3.Qd8 Rh1# (1)
1...Bxf7 2.Rxf7+ Kc8 3.Bf2 Rh1# (1)
Ke8 3.Rbf2 Rh1# (1)
Kc6 3.Qf2 Rh1# (1)
7. Yakov Vladimirov
3-4 Place, Moscow Championship, 2006
Selfmate in 4
Show solution
1.Qc4+?
1...Kf5 2.Sd7 Bxd5! 3.Qd3+ Be4 4.Sg5 d5!
1.Sd7! (1)
(2.Qc4+ Kf5 3.Qd3+ Be4 4.Sg5 Bxd3#) (1)
1...Kxd5 2.Qb7+ Kc4 3.Se5+ dxe5 4.Qe4+ Bxe4# (1)
1...Kf5 2.Qc2+ Be4 3.Qd3 g5 4.Sxg5 Bxd3# (1)
1...Kd3 2.Bxg6+ Be4 3.Bf5 Bxf5 4.Qc4+ Kxc4# (1)
8. Chris Feather & Boris Shorokhov
Shakmnatna misl , 2006
Helpmate in 4
Show solution
1.Rg8 Sc1 2.Rg7 fxg7 3.Sxc1 gxh8=Q 4.Ka2 Qb2# (2½)
1.Sg6 S4c3 2.Se7 fxe7 3.Sxc3 exf8=Q+ 4.Ka4 Qb4# (2½)
