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 Grasemann
Die Neue Zeitung , 1951
Mate in 2
Show solution
1...Ke5 2.Rc5#
1...Rg6+ 2.Rg3#
1...Rg7+ 2.Sg5#
1...Rf7 2.Sf6#
1...Rh7 2.Qf2#
1.Qg5! (5)
(2.Qd5#)
1...Kxe4 2.Re3#
1...Rd6, Rg6 2.Re3#
1...Rg7 2.Sxb5#
1...Re5, Be5 2.Qe3#
1.2 Sven T Ceder
Schackvarlden , 1943
Mate in 2
Show solution
1.Sd3? (2.Qxc4#) 1...Sb6!
1.Sa4, Sa6? (2.Qxc4#) 1...Sd2!
1.Sd7! (5)
(2.Qxc4#)
1...Sd2 2.Qxe5#
1...Bd6+ 2.Rcxd6#
1...Sb6 2.Sxb6#
1...Bc5 2.Rxc5#
1...Bc any 2.Sf6#
1.3 Alexander Pituk
Magyar Sakkelet , 1961
Mate in 2
Show solution
1.Ke4? (2.Sd5#) 1...Rxd3!
1.Ke5? (2.Sd5#) 1...Sf6!
1.Kc6? (2.Sd5#) 1...Sc7!
1.Kd6? (2.Sd5#) 1...axb4!
1.Ke6! (5)
(2.Sd5#)
1...Bb3+ 2.Rxb3#
1...Sc7+ 2.Rxc7#
1...Sxg7+ 2.Qxg7#
1...axb4 2.Bxb4#
1...Rxd3 2.Qxd3#
1...Sf6 2.Bxf6#
2.1 Nikolai Dimitrov
1st Prize, Mat , 1978
Mate in 3
Show solution
1.e3! (1)
(2.Bxg3+ Sxg3 3.Qxh2#) (½)
1...Bxc7 2.Rh7 & 3.Kg7# (1)
1...Rxe3 2.Be7 & 3.Bxg5# (1)
1...Bf1 2.Kh7 & 3.Rh6# (1)
1...f4 2.Rxg5 & 3.Rxg4, Rh5# (½)
2.2 Frank W Wynne
The Chess Amateur , 1906
Mate in 3
Show solution
1.Be4! () (1)
1...Sxb3+ 2.Sxb3+ Kc4 3.Qc5, Qf1# (½)
Kb5 3.Qf1#
1...Rxa6 2.Se6+ Kb5 3.Qc5# (½)
1...Ra5 2.Se6+ Kb5 3.Qf1# (½)
1...Rxb3 2.Sxb3+ Kc4 3.Qc5, Qf1# (½)
Kb5 3.Qf1#
1...Rxa2 2.Qf1 (3.Qc4#) (½)
Sxb3+ 3.Sxb3#
Kxd4 3.Qg1, Qf2#
1...Bf8, Bg7, Bg5 2.Q(x)g5+ Kxd4 3.Qg1# (½ + ½ + ½)
3.1 Paul Heuäcker
1st Prize, Schack-Echo , 1964
White to play and win
Show solution
1.Ng8+ (i) (½)
1...Nh4 (ii) 2.Qc3+ (½)
2...Nf3+ 3.Qxf3+ (½)
3...Kh4 4.Qf2+ (iii) (1)
4...Kg5 (iv) 5.Qe3+ (v) (1)
5...Kg6 (vi) 6.Qh6+ (½)
6...Kf7 (vii) 7.Qh7+ (½)
7...Ke6 (viii) 8.Qh3+ 1–0 (½)
(i)
1.Sxf5+? Kg4 2.Qh4+ Kf3 3.Qh3+ Kf4 4.Qe3+ Kg4 5.Qg3+ Kh5 6.Qh3+ Kg5 7.Qh6+ Kg4 8.Sxd6 c4 =
(ii)
1...Kg3 2.Qh2+ Kf3 3.Qf2+ Ke4 (3...Kg4 4.Sf6+ 1-0) 4.Sf6+ 1-0
(iii)
4.Sf6? Qg7+ 5.Kf2 Kg5 =
(iv)
4...Kh3 5.Qh2+ Kg4 6.Sf6+ 1-0
(v)
5.Qd2+? Kf5 =
(vi)
5...Kh4 6.Qh6+ Kg3 7.Qh2+ Kf3 8.Qf2+ Ke4 (8...Kg4 9.Sf6+ 1-0) 9.Sf6+ 1-0
(vii)
6...Kf5 7.Qh3+ 1-0
(viii)
7...Ke8 8.Sf6+ 1-0
3.2 Martin Minski
Original for Pat a Mat
White to play and draw
Show solution
1.c6+! (½)
1...Kb8! (i) 2.bxc7+ (½)
2...Kc8 3.Kc1 (½)
3...Bf5 (or 3...Bg6, Bh7, Be4) 4.a5! (ii) (1)
4...Bd3 (or 3...Bg6, Bh7) (iii) 5.e4! (iv) (1)
5...Bxe4 6.a6! (v) (1)
6...Bd3 (vi) 7.Sb6+ = (½)
(i)
1...Kxa8 2.bxc7 Bf5 3.Kc1 a5 4.e4 Be6 5.Kc2 Ka7 6.c8Q Bxc8 7.Kb3 Kb6 8.Kxa3 Kxc6 9.Kb3 =; 1...Kxc6 2.bxa7 a2 (2...Kb7 3.Sxc7 Kxa7 4.Nb5+ Bxb5 5.Kc2 Bxa4+ 6.Kb1 Bb3 7.Ka1=) 3.Sxc7 a1Q+ 4.Kd2 Qa2+ 5.Kxd3 =; 1...Kc8?? 2.bxa7 a2 3.Sb6+ Kd8 4.a8Q+ Ke7 5.Qh8 1-0
(ii)
4.e4? Bxe4 5.a5 Bd3 (or 5...Bf5, Bg6, Bh7) 6.a6 Be4 7.Sb6+ axb6 8.a7 Bxc6 0-1
(iii)
4...Be4 5.a6! =
(iv)
5.a6? Be4 6.Sb6+ (6.Kd2 a2 0-1) 6...axb6 7.a7 Bxc6 0-1
(v)
6.Sb6+? axb6 0-1
(vi)
6...a2 7.Kb2 Bd5 8.Ka1 =; 6...Bxc6 7.Kb1 Bd5 8.Ka1=
4.1 Jozef Szöghy (v. BDS)
Comm., Problem, 1977-1978
Helpmate in 2 2 solutions
Show solution
1.Kxc6 Re7 2.d5 Rc7# (2½)
1.Kxe4 Rc3 2.Sd5 f3# (2½)
4.2 Randolf Arnold
Original for Die Schwalbe
Helpmate in 5 1 solution
Show solution
1.Qd7 Bh2 2.Bg3 fxg3 3.Ke5 g4+ 4.Ke6 Be5 5.fxe5 gxf5# (5)
5.1 L Makaronets, M Marandiuk & N Nagnibida
1st Comm., StrateGems , 1999
Mate in 4
Show solution
1.Kh6! (1)
(2.Bxf5+ Kxf5 3.Sd6+ Kxf6 4.Qf7#) (1)
1...Sc4 2.Sc3+ Kxd4 3.Qd5+ Kxc3 4.Rc2# (1)
Qxd5 4.Sb5#
1...Sg3 2.Sf2+ Kxf4 3.Qg4+ Qxg4 4.Sd3# (1)
1...Qxh7+ 2.Qxh7+ Kd5 3.Qf5+ Kc4 4.Qxc5# (1)
Kxc6 4.Qxc5#
5.2 Mikhail Marandiuk
2nd Prize, Gordian-60 JT, 1997
Mate in 5
Show solution
1.Bd2! (1)
[2.Be1 (3.Rd1#)
Se3 3.Bf2 (4.Bxe3#)
Rxf3 4.gxf3 & 5.Bxe3#] (1)
1...Bxg6 2.Bf4 (3.Be5#)
Sd7 3.Rd1+ Kxc3 4.Bd2+ Kc2 5.Rc1# (1)
Kd4 5.Be1, Bb4, Bxa5#
1...g3 2.Re1 (3.Re4#)
Sd6 3.Be3+ Kxc3 4.Rc1+ Kb4 5.Bd2# (1)
Se3 3.Rxe3 (4.Rd3, Re4#)
Bxg6 4.Re5 & 5.Sb5# (1)
6.1 Baruch Lender
1st HM., The Problemist , 1983
Selfmate in 2
Show solution
1.Bh2! (1)
(2.Rh3+ Qb1#) (½)
1...Rf4 2.Rf3+ Qxb1# (½)
1...Rf3 2.Rde3+ Qxb1# (½)
1...Rxb3 2.Rxb3+ Qxb1# (½)
1...g3 2.Rd4+ Qxb1# (½)
1...Be3 2.Rd4+ Qxb1# (½)
1...Sxd6 2.Rdxd6+ Qxb1# (½)
1...Se5 2.Rd5+ Qxb1# (½)
6.2 Bertil Gedda
3rd Prize, Northwest Chess , 1976-1979
Selfmate in 4
Show solution
1.Qg5! () (1)
1...fxg5 2.Re1 g4 3.Se3 dxe3 4.Re2 Sxe2# (2)
1...f5 2.Kf4 Kh2 3.Qg3+ Kh1 4.Se5 dxe5# (2)