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 Aleksey G Kopnin
HM., October Revolution 70th Anniversary Ty., 1987
Mate in 2
Show solution
1.Se5? (2.Saxc6#) 1...Rc3!
1.Be2? (2.Sxc6#) 1...Rd3!
1.Qb4? (2.Qd6#) 1...c5!
1.Qh4! (5)
(2.Qd8#)
1...Sc3 2.Rd2#
1...e3 2.Be2#
1...Kd3 2.Qd8#
1.2 Givi Mosiashvili
3rd Prize, Probleemblad , 1998
Mate in 2
Show solution
1.Be1? 1...Ke6!
1.Bh4? 1...Kc4!
1.Bd4? 1...f4!
1.Qf3? 1...Ke6!
1.Qh4? 1...f4!
1.Qe1! () (5)
1...Kc4 2.Sb6#
1...Ke6 2.Rxd6#
1...b2 2.Ba2#
1...f4 2.Qxe4#
1...Sxf2 2.Sb6#
1...Se else 2.Sb6,Rxc5#
1.3 Vincenzo Tinebra
British Chess Magazine , 1979
Mate in 2
Show solution
1.Re2? 1...Be4!
1.Rg5? 1...Sf5!
1.Sd3? 1...Rxa5!
1.Se2? 1...Qxc4!
1.Sg6? 1...Rc8!
1.Sg2! (5)
(2.Bc5#)
1...Rb8+ 2.axb8=B,Q
1...Rxa5 2.Rg5#
1...Qxc4 2.Se4#
1...Rag3 2.Ra6#
1...Rgg3 2.Se8#
1...Rc8 2.Re3#
1...Qf2 2.Se4,c5#
2.1 Frantisek Havelka
Lucan , 1900
Mate in 3
Show solution
1.Bd7!
(2.Qc2+ Kd4 3.Qc3#) (1)
1...Kd4 2.Bf2+ Kc3 3.Qb3# (2)
Kc4 3.Qb3#
Ke5 3.Qb8#
1...Kc5 2.Qb6+ Kc4 3.Bb5# (1)
1...d4 2.Qb3+ Kc5 3.Bb4# (1)
2.2 Mikhail N Marandiuk
2nd Prize, Szwedowski JT, 2008
Mate in 3
Show solution
1.Rc3!
(2.Sf2+ Kf4 3.Rf3#) (1)
1...Sg5 2.Qd6 (3.Sg3#) (1½)
exd4 3.Sf2#
Rd5 3.Qxd5#
1...Bb7 2.Qc1 (3.Sf2#) (1½)
exd4 3.Sg3#
Se3 3.Qxe3#
1...exd4 2.Sg3+ Ke3 3.Qc1# (1)
3.1 Martin Minski
Original for WCBCSC
White to play and win
Show solution
1.Nb6+! (i) (1)
1...Kd6! (ii) 2.Nc4+! (iii) (1)
2...Kc5 3.g8Q (1)
3...Rh7+?! (iv) 4.Qxh7 (1)
4...g1Q 5.Qa7+ 1–0 (1)
(i)
1.g8Q? Rxa8! 2.Qf7+ (2.Qxg2?? Rh8+ 0-1; 2.Qxa8 g1Q=) 2...Kd6 3.Qg6+ Kc5 ~ 4.Kh6 Ra2 =
(ii)
1...Kc7 K else 2.g8Q 1-0
(iii)
2.Nc8+? Ke5! 3.g8Q Rh7+! 4.Qxh7 g1Q =; 2.g8Q? Rh7+! 3.Qxh7 g1Q =
(iv)
3...Ra8!? 4.Qxa8 g1Q 5.Qa7+ 1-0
3.2 Michael Roxlau
1st Prize, Krivogo Roga JT, 2000
White to play and win
Show solution
1.Be5+ Bg7 2.Rxg7+ (½)
2...Kh8 3.Rxf7+ (i) (½)
3...Kg8 4.Rg7+ (½)
4...Kh8 (ii) 5.Bxb2 (½)
5...Nd4 6.Rg2! (½)
6...d5! (iii) 7.Rg6! (iv) (½)
7...hxg6 8.fxg6 (½)
8...Kg8 9.h7+! (v) (½)
9...Kg7! (vi) 10.h5! (vii) (½)
10...Kh8! 11.Nc7! (viii) 1-0 (ix) (½)
(i)
3.Bxb2? Nd4 4.Nc7 Qxc7 5.Bxd4 f6 =
(ii)
4...Kf8 5.Bd6+ Ke8 6.Rg8+ Kf7 7.Rf8#
(iii)
6...d6 7.Nc7!
(iv)
7.Rg7? Qa4=; 7.Nc7? Qa1+! 8.Kxh2 Qg1+ 9.Kg3 Qe3+ 10.Kh2 Qg1+ =; 7.Rxh2? Qxa8 8.Rg2 Qa1+ 9.Kh2 Qg1+ 10.Kxg1 =
(v)
9.Nc7? Qxc7 10.h7+ Kg7 11.Bxd4+ Kxg6 12.h8Q Qc1+ 13.Kxh2 Qc2+ 14.Kg3 Qd3+ 15.Kf4 Qe4+ 16.Kg3 Qd3+ 17.Kg2 Qe4+ 18.Kf2 Qf5+=; 9.h5? Kf8 10.h7 Qg7 =
(vi)
9...Kh8 10.Nc7! Qb6 11.Ne6 1-0
(vii)
10.Bc3? Qe7 11.Bxd4+ Kxg6 12.h8Q Qe4+ 13.Kxh2 Qe2+ 14.Kg3 Qd3+ 15.Kf2 Qc2+ 16.Kf1 Qd3+ 17.Ke1 Qe4+ 18.Kd1 Qf3+ 19.Kd2 Qg2+ 20.Kc3 Qf3+ 21.Kb2 Qe2+ 22.Ka3 Qa6+ 23.Kb3 Qc4+ 24.Kb2 Qe2+ =
(viii)
11.h6? Qa1+ 12.Bxa1 =
(ix)
For instance 11...Qb6 12.Nb5 or 12.Ne6
4.1 Manne Persson
2nd HM., Thema Danicum , 1988
Helpmate in 2 2 solutions
Show solution
1.Sbxd6 Bxd6 2.Bxa4 Qc3# (2½)
1.Sbxa7 Qxa7 2.Bxc4 Bc3# (2½)
4.2 Henry Tanner
2nd HM., Best Problems , 2004-2005
Helpmate in 4 2 solutions
Show solution
1.c1=S Ra5 2.Sxd3 Ra1 3.Se1 Rd1 4.Sc2 Rd3# (2½)
1.Kd4 Rb6 2.Kxd5 d4 3.Kxd4 Rxd6+ 4.Kc3 Rd3# (2½)
5.1 Vladimir Pachman
3rd HM., Ceskoslovensky Sach , 1954/II
Mate in 4
Show solution
1.Bf3!
(2.Sxf6+ Kc4 3.Be2+ Kxc3 4.Qb2#) (1)
1...Kc4 2.Be2+ Kd5 3.Bd3 & 4.Qd6,c4# (1)
1...Sxc3 2.Sxc3+ Kc4 3.Be2+ Kxc3 4.Qb2# (1)
1...Bc1 2.c4+ Kxc4 3.Be2+ Kd5 4.Sxf6# (1)
1...a3 2.Qd6+ Kc4 3.Be2+ Kb3 4.Qd1# (½)
1...Sb4 2.Sc5+ e4 3.Bxe4+ Kc4 4.Qxb4# (½)
Ke5 4.Qc7#
5.2 V Kryzhanivsky
4th Prize, Weissauer-85 JT, 2007
Mate in 4
Show solution
1.Bb7!
(2.Sc6+ Kxd5+ 3.Sd4+ Kxd4 4.Rd1#) (1)
1...Ra7 2.e6 (3.Sc6#)
Sb8 3.Kf3 & 4.Rd1# (2)
1...Sc5 2.Sf5+ Kxe5 3.Se7+ Kd4 4.Sc6# (1)
Kf4 4.Sg6#
1...Rc5 2.Rd1+ Kxe4 3.Re1+ Kd4 4.Sf5# (1)
Kf4 4.Sg6#
6.1 Ladislav Knotek
Narodni listy , 1933
Selfmate in 3
Show solution
1.Rf8! ()
1...Sf6 2.Qe3+ Kf5 3.Bh7+ Rxh7# (2½)
1...Sxf8 2.Se4+ Kf4 3.Sg6+ Sxg6# (2½)
6.2 Philip H. Williams
Chess Review , 1893
Selfmate in 4
Show solution
1.Qb4! ()
1...Ba6 2.Bc6+ Bb5 3.Sf1 dxc6 4.Sd2 c5 5.Qd4+ cxd4# (2½)
1...Bb7 2.Bf1+ Bd5 3.f4+ gxf4+ 4.Kf2 f3 5.Kg1 f2# (2½)