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 Murray Marble
British Chess Magazine , 1915
Mate in 2
Show solution
1.Kd1? 1...Sc6!
1.Qa3! (2.Qb2#) (5)
1...a1=Q 2.Qxa1#
1...Sc4 2.Bd4#
1...Se4 2.d4#
1...Sf5 2.Re4#
1...Sc6 2.Bxd6#
1...Bxd3+ 2.Sxd3#
1...Rxc5+ 2.Qxc5#
1.2 Leopold Szwedowski
1st Prize, Pedagogusok Lapja , 1966-1967
Mate in 2
Show solution
1.Bxb7? (2.Re4#) 1...Rd5!
1.Be4? (2.Sc2#) 1...Se3!
1.Bd2? (2.Qc5#) 1...b6!
1.Sc1? (2.Sc2,Se2#) 1...Rf3!
1.Re3! (2.Sc2#) (5)
1...Sxe3 2.Be5#
1...Bxe3 2.Be5#
1...Rc3 2.Qc5#
1.3 Josef Retter
Die Schwalbe 167th TT, 1982
Mate in 2
Show solution
1.Qxb3? (2.Bf5#) 1...Bc4!
1.Qb2? (2.Sd2#) 1...bxc2!
1.Bb8? (2.Sc3#) 1...Rxc6!
1.Rd8? (2.Bf5#) 1...fxe6!
1.e8=S! (2.Sd6#) (5)
1...bxc2 2.Bf5#
1...Rxc6 2.Sd2#
1...fxe6 2.Sc3#
2.1 Andrey Lobusov
HM., Bulletin of the Central Chess Club of the USSR , 1978
Mate in 3
Show solution
1.Se5!
[2.Bb1 (3.Ba2#)
Rh2,Rc7 3.S(x)c7#
Rc8 3.Sxf4#]
1...a5 2.Bxb5 (3.Bc4#)
Rc7 3.Sxc7#
Rc8 3.Sxf4#
1...Rhf7 2.Bf5 (3.Sxf4#)
Rxf5 3.Sc7#
Se2,Sh5 3.Be4#
1...Rff7 2.Sd7 (3.Sc7#)
Rxd7 3.Sxf4#
(1/1½, 2/2½, 3/4, 4/5)
2.2 Aleksandr Grin
HM., Shakhmaty v SSSR , 1980
Mate in 3
Show solution
1.Qc8!
(2.Se6+ Bxe6 3.Qh8# (1)
dxe6 3.Qc4#)
1...Ra4 2.Qc6 (3.Qe4#) (1)
dxc6 3.Sxc6#
Sd2 3.Qc3#
Sc3 3.Qxc3,bxc3#
Bd5 3.Rxd5,Qxd5#
Bh7 3.Rd5,Qd5,Qxd6#
d5 3.Qf6#
1...Sf3 2.Sc6+ dxc6 3.Qxg4# (1)
1...d5 2.Qc7 (3.Rb4,Qf4#) (1)
Sd2 3.Qc3#
d6 3.Sc6#
1...Bd5 2.Sc6+ Bxc6,dxc6 3.Qh8# (1)
3.1
This was an original, unpublished endgame study and so it cannot be
published here.
3.2 A. Ornstein
3/4 HM., Tidskrift för Schack , 1994
White to play and win
Show solution
1.Bc7 (i) (1)
1...Sxf3+ 2.Ke3 Sg1 3.h4+ (ii) (1)
3...Kxh4 (iii) 4.Kf2 Sh3+ 5.Kg2 d4 6.Be5 (1)
6...d3 7.Sd5 (iv) (1)
7...d2 8.Se3 d1=Q 9.Sxd1 Sg5 10.Bg3+ Kg4 11.Se3# (1)
(i)
1.Bg3? Sxf3+ 2.Ke3 Sg1 3.Sh7+ Kf5 4.h4 d4+ 5.Kf2 d3.
(ii)
3.Sh7+? Kh4 4.Bd8+ Kg3 5.h4 Sf3 6.Bc7+ Kg2 7.Sf6 Sxh4 8.Sxh5.
(iii)
3...Kxf6 4.Kf2 Sh3+ 5.Kg2 Sg5 6.Bd8+.
(iv)
7.Bg3+? Kg5 8.Sd5 d2
4.1 Valery Kopyl
Problem Forum , 2002
Helpmate in 3
Show solution
1.Kd4 Ba5 2.Bb4 Rd2+ 3.Kc3 Bxb4# (2½)
1.Ke6 Rxf7 2.Bf6 Bf4 3.Kf5 Rxf6# (2½)
4.2 Z. Meergans
Schweizerische Schachzeitung , 1984
Helpmate in 4
Show solution
1.Rh4 Ba2 2.Rb1 Sc5 3.R*b3 Se4 4.Rf3 Be6# (2½)
1.Bf6 Se1 2.Bh4 Kb2 3.Bg3 Bf5+ 4.Kh4 Sf3# (2½)
5.1 L. Vetesnik
Ceske Listy sachove , 1897 (v)
Mate in 4
Show solution
1.Rd2!
(2.Ba3+ Kc4 3.Bf7+ Kc3 4.Bb4#) (1)
1...Bd4 2.Rxd4 (3.Rb5#)
a6 3.Kxg6 a5 4.Rb5# (1)
1...Kc4 2.Bf7+ Kc5 3.Ba3+ Kc6 4.Bd5# (1)
1...a5 2.Rd3 (3.Ba3+ Kc4 4.Bb5#) (½)
Kc4 3.Bb5+ Kb4,Kc5 4.Ba3# (½)
Be1 3.Rb5+ Kc4 4.Rd4# (½)
Bd4 3.Rxd4 & 4.Rb5# (½)
5.2 Zoltan Labai
2nd HM., Sachové umení, 1992
Mate in 5
Show solution
1.Bb7!
(2.Rxc5+ Sxc5 3.d4#)
1...Bxe6 2.Sc6+ Kd5 3.Rd4+ cxd4 4.Sb4+ Kc4 5.Ba6# (2½)
Ke5 5.Sd3#
1...Rxe6 2.Sf7+ Kf5 3.Sd6+ Ke5 4.Rf5+ Bxf5 5.Sf7# (2½)
1...Sc3,Sb6 2.Rxc5+ Sd5 3.Rxd5+ Ke4 4.Sc5#
1...Rf6 2.Rxc5+ Sxc5 3.d4+ Kf5 4.Rxf6#
6.1 Udo Degener
4th Prize, Schweizerische Schachzeitung , 1985-1986
Selfmate in 2
Show solution
1.Rbb8? 1...Sf6!
1.Rb6? 1...Sf2!
1.Rb4? 1...Sxe5!
1.Rb5!
(2.Qf6+ Sxf6#) (1)
1...Sf2 2.Qg5+ Rxg5# (1)
1...Sxh6 2.Sxf5+ Sxf5# (1)
1...Sf6 2.Re8+ Sxe8# (1)
1...Sxe5 2.Sc6+ Sxc6# (1)
6.2 P. A. Larsen
HM., Tidskrift för Schack , 1911
Selfmate in 5
Show solution
1.Rg7!
1...b4 2.Rgf7 b3 3.Sc6+ Kxe4 4.R2f4+ Kd3 5.Qc2+ bxc2# (2½)
1...bxc4 2.Ra7 c3 3.Qh8+ Rg7 4.Qb8+ Rc7 5.Se2 c2# (2½)
