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. Andrey Lobusov
Chess in Australia , 1987
Mate in 2
Show solution
1.Rd6? (2.Sxc5,Sxf6#) 1...g4!
1.Bd6? (2.Sxc5,Sxf6#) 1...Sg4!
1.Rxf6? (2.Bf5#) 1...Bd6!
1.dxc5? (2.Rd4,Qd4#) 1...Rd6!
1.Bxh2? (2.Qxf3#) 1...Sd2!
1.Bf1? (2.Bd3#) 1...Kxf5!
1.Kd1! (5)
(2.Qe1#)
1...Bd6 2.Sxf6#
1...Rd6 2.Sxc5#
1...g4 2.Rf4#
1...Sf1,Sg4 2.Qxf3#
2. Sam Loyd
3rd Prize Set, 5th American Chess Congress, 1880
Mate in 3
Show solution
1.Se6! (1)
(2.Qxe4+ Kxe4 3.Bg2#) (1)
1...d2 2.Qc3 (3.Sc7#) (1)
e3 3.Bg2#
1...Kc4 2.Qb6 (3.Qb3#) (1)
Kd5 3.Qb5#
1...Kc6 2.Qc5+ Kd7 3.Qc7# (1)
dxc5 3.Sc7#
3. A Oreshin
1st Prize, Shakhmaty v SSSR , 1956
Mate in 3
Show solution
1.Rh7! (1)
(2.Sc7+ Bxc7 3.Qf5#) (1)
1...Rxf8 2.Kd3+ Bxe1 3.Sc7# (1)
Be5 3.Sc7#
1...Qa7 2.Kf3+ Bxe1 3.Sf4# (1)
Be5 3.Sf4#
1...Rxd5 2.Re7+ Sxe7 3.Qxe7# (½)
1...Qxd5 2.Re7+ Sxe7 3.Qxe7# (½)
4. Camillo Gamnitzer
Schach , 2000
Mate in 4
Show solution
1.Rc6! (1)
(2.Qc7 & 3.Rc4+ bxc4 4.Qxc4#) (1)
1...dxe3 2.Rc8 (3.Qc7 & 4.Qc3#) (1)
exd2 3.Qxd2+ Kxb3 4.Bd1# (1)
1...Sg4 2.Qb8 & 3.Qf8+ Sd6 4.Qxd6# (1)
Se7 4.Qxe7#
5. Leonid I Kubbel
150 Endspielstudien , 1925
White to play and win
Show solution
1.e7! (i) (1)
1...Bxe7 (ii) 2.b7 (iii) (1)
2...e4+ 3.Kxc3 (1)
3...Bf6+ 4.Kb4 (1)
4...Be5 5.g7 (½)
5...Be6 6.c4# (½)
(i) 1.b7? Bc7 2.e7 Bf5+ 3.Kxc3 Bxg6 0-1
(ii) 1...e4+ 2.Kxc3 Bxe7 3.b7 1-0; 1...Bf5+ 2.Kxc3 Bxe7 3.b7 1-0
(iii) 2.g7? e4+ 3.Kxc3 Bf6+ 4.Kb4 Bxg7 5.c4+ Ke6 0-1
6. E Fomichev & Y Gordian
Prize, All-Russian Ty., 1992
Selfmate in 3
Show solution
1.c3 (1)
(2.Qxe3+ Ke5 3.Qf4+ Rf4#) (1)
1...Rbxd4 2.Bxe3+ Ke5 3.cxd4+ Rxd4# (1)
1...Sh3 2.Sg6+ Kg5 3.Qe5+ Rxe5# (1)
1...e5 2.Se6+ Sxe6 3.Qxe3+ Rxe3# (1)
7. Andrey Azhusin
2nd Prize, Moscow Ty., 1997
Selfmate in 6
Show solution
1.Qb8 () (1)
1...Kxd7 2.Ra7+ Ke6 3.h7 c5 4.Bc1 Kf6 5.Qe5+ Rxe5 6.e8=S+ Rxe8# (2)
1...Kxe7 2.Rg7+ Ke6 3.Kf8 Kf5 4.Qf4+ Ke6 5.Bb3 axb3 6.d8=S+ Rxd8# (2)
8. M Kolesnyk & V Vinokurov
Shakhmatnaya Poeziya , 2008
Helpmate in 4
Show solution
1.Sc6 Ra5 2.Bb5 Kd1 3.Kd5 fxe3 4.Re6 Rxb5# (2½)
1.Bg4 Rf8 2.Sf7 Kf1 3.Kf5 f4 4.Se6 Rxf7# (2½)
