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 Norris Easter
Chess , 1939
Mate in 2
Show solution
1.Sa5? (2.Sc4#) 1...Bf1!
1.Sd2! (2.Sc4#)
1...Rxh5+ 2.Kxh5#
1...g3 2.Kxh4#
1...f6+ 2.Kg6#
1...Sd6 2.Kf6#
1...c6 2.Qe7#
1...Bf1 2.Sxf1#
1.2 Herbert Ahues
Schach , 1998
Mate in 2
Show solution
1.Rxc4? (2.Sd6#) 1...Sdc5!
1.Bxe4? (2.Sd6#) 1...g2!
1.Sxe4? (2.S4d6#) 1...Bf3!
1.Sxc4! (2.S4d6#)
1...exd3 2.Sed6#
1...Rxc4 2.dxc4#
1...Sa~ 2.S(x)c7#
1...Sdc5 2.Rxb6#
1.3 Laszlo Lindner
Jerusalem Post , 1993
Mate in 2
Show solution
1.Re4? (2.Bg4#) 1...Qd1!
1.Rd4? (2.Bg4#) 1...Sb4!
1.Rc4? (2.Bg4#) 1...Sb4!
1.Rb4? (2.Bg4#) 1...Be7!
1.Ra4! (2.Bg4#)
1...Qd1 2.Qxf3#
1...Sb4 2.Qxc3#
1...Rf5 2.Bd5#
1...Be7 2.Bxe7#
1...Rxg3 2.Rf4#
1...Rf4+ 2.Rxf4#
2.1 Jan Hannelius
4th Prize, Die Schwalbe , 1984
Mate in 3
Show solution
1.Sd8! (2.Qd5+ Sxd5 3.Sc6#)
1...Re~ 2.Qxf3 & 3.Sc6,Qxe3#
1...Rf4 2.Qe4+ Rxe4,
fxe4,
Sxe4 3.Sc6#
Kxe4 3.Rcd2#
1...Bd6,Sa7 2.Kf7 & 3.Se6#
1...Bb6 2.Qc5+ Bxc5 3.Sc6#
Kxc5 3.Sb3#
1...Ba7 2.Qb5 (3.Sc6#)
Re~ 3.Qxe5#
2.2 Ivan Soroka
1st Prize, Probleemblad , 1985
Mate in 4
Show solution
1.Se6! (2.Bxg6+ Rxg6 3.Rf4+ exf4 4.Sd4#)
1...Rd4 2.Sc5+ dxc5 3.Rxe5+ Kxe5 4.Qe7#
1...Bd4 2.Sg5+ Rxg5 3.Bxd5+ Kxd5 4.Qb7#
3.1 A Manvelyan
Shakhmatnaya Poeziya , 2001
White to play and win
Show solution
1.Bf1+ (1.Kxc7? d1=Q 2.b8=N+ Kb5 0-1) 1...b5 2.Kxc7 Bd6+ (2...d1=Q 3.b8=N+ Ka7
4.Nxc6+ Ka6 5.Nb8+ Ka7 6.Bf2+ Ka8 7.Bg2+ 1-0) 3.Kxd6 d1=Q+ (3...Kxb7 4.Nc5+ Ka7 5.Be2 1-0)
4.Kc7 (4.Kxc6? Qf3+ 5.Kd6 Kxb7 6.Nc5+ Ka7 7.Bxb5 Kb6 0-1) 4...Qxa4 [4...Qxf1
5.Nc5+ Ka7 6.b8=Q#; 4...Qc2 5.b8=N+ Ka7 6.Nxc6+ Ka6 7.Be7 Qh2+ 8.Bd6 Qh7+ 9.Ne7 Qc2+ (9...Qg7
10.Nc5+ Ka7 11.Bxb5 Qg4 12.Nc6+ Ka8 13.Ba6 Qg7+ 14.Nd7 1-0) 10.Nc5+ Ka7 11.Nc8+ Ka8 12.Bxb5
Qh7+ 13.Nd7 Qc2+ 14.Bc6+ 1-0] 5.b8=N+ (5.b8=Q? Qf4+ 6.Kc8 Qf5+ 7.Kd8 Qf8+ 8.Kc7 Qf4+ =)
5...Ka7 6.Nxc6+ (6.Bf2+ Ka8 7.Be3 Qa3 0-1) 6...Ka8 (6...Ka6 7.Nb8+ Ka7 8.Bf2+ Ka8
9.Bg2+ 1-0) 7.Nb4 axb4 (7...Qxb4 8.Bg2+ Ka7 9.Bf2+ Ka6 10.Bb7#) 8.Bg2+ Ka7 9.Bf2+ Ka6
10.Bb7+ Ka5 11.Bb6#
4.1 R Zalokotski
Shakhmatnaya Poeziya , 1999
Selfmate in 2
Show solution
1.Sh5! (2.Qe2+ Bxe2#)
1...Rxg2 2.Qf3+ Kxf3#
1...fxg4 2.Bxd4+ Kxd4#
1...gxh5 2.Qf4+ Kxf4#
1...axb6 2.Qxd4+ Kxd4#
4.2 Vladimir Rychkov
1/2 Prize, Kaiev MT, 1991
Selfmate in 4
Show solution
1.Qb3! (2.Bg6+ Kxg6 3.Qg8+ Kf5 4.Qg5+ hxg5#)
1...Qa2 2.Qe6+ Qxe6 3.Rc5+ Qe5,Qd5 4.Rxf3+ Sxf3#
1...Qc7 2.Re5+ Qxe5 3.Qe6+ Qxe6 4.Rxf3+ Sxf3#
1...Qd8 2.Rc5+ Qd5 3.Re5+ Qxe5 4.Qxf3+ Sxf3#
5.1 Josef Kupper
The Problemist , 2002
Helpmate in 2 3 solutions
Show solution
1.Sc3 Be4 2.Qe5 Rg4#
1.Se7 Rg3 2.Sg8 Bxb8#
1.Sc7 Bg6 2.Kg5 Be3#
5.2 Gennady Kozyura & Yuri Gordian
The Problemist , 2002
Helpmate in 4 (b) bSd7->d8
Show solution
(a) 1.Bd5 cxd5 2.e1=S Bc4 3.Sxc2 Rxc2 4.Bd8 Ba6#
(b) 1.Bg5 fxg5 2.Rh2 Rf5 3.Rxh3 Bxh3 4.Bb7 Rc5#