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. Marjan Kovacevic
1st Prize, diagrammes , 1991
Mate in 2
Show solution
1.Qe1! (5)
(2.Sb4#)
1...Re3+ 2.Se5#
1...Qe3+ 2.Se7#
1...Qxd6 2.Sxd6#
1...Qxa4, Qc5, Qc3 2.R(x)c5#
1...Qb4 2.Sxb4, Qxb4#
1...Rc3 2.Bd5#
1...Sd7, Se6 2.Q(x)e6#
1...d3 2.Qe4#
2. Miroslav Havel
Sachovy listy , 1902
Mate in 3
Show solution
1.Bb7! (1)
(2.Bc6 & 3.Sxc7#) (½)
1...Kd7 2.Qxc7+ Ke6 3.Qc8# (½)
Ke8 3.Bc6, Qc8#
1...Sb2 2.Sb6 (3.Bc8#) (1)
cxb6 3.Qg4#
1...Sc5 2.Qg4+ Ke5, Kd6 3.Bxc7# (½)
1...Sb6 2.Sxb6 (3.Bc8#) (1)
cxb6 3.Qg4#
1...Rb3 2.Sxc7+ Kd7 3.Qd4# (½)
3. A Sigurov
2/3 Place, Moscow Championship, 2012
Mate in 3
Show solution
1.Sf6! () (1)
1...Qxc6 2.Qc7 (3.Se4#) (1)
exf5 3.Sd5#
Sc5 3.Rc4#
1...Qxf3 2.Qh3 (3.Se4#) (1)
exf5 3.Sd5#
Sc5 3.Rc4#
Be3 3.Rd3#
1...Qxf5 2.Qxf5 (3.Se4, Qd3#) (½)
exf5 3.Sd5#
Sc5 3.Rc4, Qxc5#
1...Qe5 2.Qe7 (3.Qb4#) (½)
Sc5 3.Rc4#
Qd6, Qa5, Qb5, Qc5 3.Se4#
1...Sc5 2.Sxd5+ exd5 3.Bxd4# (¼)
1...Sa5 2.Sxd5+ exd5 3.Bxd4# (¼)
1...Sc1 2.Se4+ Qxe4 3.Rc4# (¼)
OR 2.Sxd5+ exd5 3.Bxd4#
1...Sa1 2.Se4+ Qxe4 3.Rc4# (¼)
OR 2.Sxd5+ exd5 3.Bxd4#
4. Lev Loshinski
4th Prize, Problem , 1962
Mate in 4
Show solution
1.Ka6! (1)
(2.Rf7+ Kd6 3.Rd7+ Kc5 4.Se6#) (½)
1...c3 2.a4 (3.Ba3#)
Sd3 3.Ba3+ Sb4+ 4.Bxb4# (½)
Sc5+ 4.Bxc5#
Se4 3.Ba3+ Sc5+ 4.Bxc5# (½)
Sd6 4.Rf7#
Rd3 3.Ba3+ Rd6 4.Rf7# (½)
c2 3.Bxg6 (4.Sxf5#) (½)
Se3, Sg3 4.Ba3#
1...e4 2.Bxg6 (3.Sxf5#)
Se3 3.Bxe3 & (4.Sxf5, Bc5#) (½)
Sg3 3.Bxf4 & 4.Rf7# (½)
e3 3.a4 (4.Ba3#) (½)
Sd3, Se4 4.Sxf5#
5. L Katsnelson & A Maksimovskikh
1st Sp. HM., Shakhmaty v SSSR , 1983
White to play and win
Show solution
1.Rc7 (i) (½)
1...Kxh3 (ii) 2.f4! (iii) (1)
2...gxf4 (iv) 3.Kf3! (½)
3...Rxe3+ 4.Kxf4 (½)
4...Re4+ (v) 5.Kf3 (½)
5...h5 (vi) 6.Rc1 (½)
6...Kh4 (vii) 7.Rc4! (1)
7...Rxc4 8.e8Q 1–0 (½)
(i) 1.Rc5? Rxe7 2.Rxd5 Rg7 =
(ii) 1...h5 2.Kd3 Re4 a) 2...Kxh3 3.Kd4 Re6 (3...Re4+ 4.Kxd5 1-0) 4.Kxd5 1-0; b) 2...Re6 3.Kd4 g4 4.Kxd5 1-0; c) 2...g4 3.Kd4 1-0; 3.Rc4 1-0; 1...g4 2.hxg4 Re6 3.Kd3 Kxg4 4.Kd4 Re4+ 5.Kxd5 Kf3 6.Kd6 Kxf2 7.Rc8 1-0; 1...Kh5 2.Kd3 Kg6 3.Kd4 Kf6 4.Rd7 Re4+ 5.Kxd5 Kf5 6.Rb7 h6 7.Ra7 h5 8.Ra5 Rxe7 9.Kd6+ Kf6 10.Rxg5 Re6+ 11.Kd5 Ra6 12.f4 1-0
(iii) 2.Kd3? Kg4 3.Kd4 Kf5 =
(iv) 2...Re4 3.f5 d4 4.f6 Rxe3+ 5.Kd2 1-0; 2...Re6 3.f5 1-0
(v) 4...d4 5.Rc3! Rxc3 6.e8Q 1-0; 4...Re1 5.Rc3+ Kg2 6.Re3 1-0; 4...Re2 5.Kf3 1-0; 4...Re6 5.Rc3+ Kh4 6.Re3 1-0
(vi) 5...Kh2 6.Rc2+ Kh3 7.Re2 1-0; 5...Kh4 6.Rc4 1-0
(vii) 6...Kh2 7.Rc2+ Kh3 8.Re2 1-0
6. Peter Gvozdjak
2nd Prize, Die Schwalbe , 2008
Selfmate in 3
Show solution
1.Rb8! (1)
(2.Sa4+ Kc4+ 3.Rb4+ Bxb4#) (1)
1...d1=Q,B 2.Se6+ Kb5+ 3.Qb4+ Bxb4# (½ + ½)
1...d1=R,S 2.Sb3+ Kb5+ 3.Qb4+ Bxb4# (½ + ½)
1...Bd1 2.Sd7+ Kc4+ 3.Rb4+ Bxb4# (1)
7. Leonid Makaronets
feenschach , 2012
Selfmate in 4
Show solution
1.Sf6 (1)
(2.Sxf7+ Sxf7 3.Sg4+ Ke4 4.Qc4+ Bxc4#) (1)
1...gxf5 2.Qe3+ Be4 3.Sd7+ Kd5 4.Qd3+ Bxd3# (1½)
1...axb6 2.Qd4+ Kd6 3.Bxf4+ Kc6 4.Qc4+ Bxc4# (1½)
8. Marian Semrinec
Sachova Skladba , 2012
Helpmate in 4
Show solution
1.Kd5 Rc2 2.Bb4 Re2 3.Kc4 Bf1 4.Bd5 Rc2# (2½)
1.Bh7 Rc6 2.Sf5 Kb3 3.Rh4 Kc4 4.Rf4 Re6# (2½)
