2 - #2 Growing men
white Qe2 Pg3 Kf2
black Kh1
#2Growing Men
{We understand more quickly now that} 1.Qe2-f3+ ? Kh1-h2 2.Qf3-g2 {does not even check and that} 1.Qe2-e4 + Kh1-h2 2.Qe4-h7+ {is not mate because of} 2...Kh2-h3! {
We also note that} 1.Qe2-h5+ Kh1-h2 {would be mate after Qh10 ... on a checkerboard (except that on a checkerboard, the h-column does not allow checkmate from the couloir).
So} 1.Qe2-e5 ! Kh1-h2 2.Qe5-h8 #
3 - s#4 Growing men
white Qb1 Pd7d6e6e5h2 Kh1 Bd2
black Ph3 Kd8 Ra1
s#4Growing Men
{ We understand that we will have to guide the R to a checkmate in the couloir. The mode lends itself quite well to remote control..
} 1.Bd2-a5 + Ra1*a5 { Now all you have to do is remove the Q, but how.
The idea that comes is} 2.Qb1-b5 Ra5-a1 + 3.Qb5-f1 Ra1-a8 4.Qf1-a1 Ra8*a1# {
This is twice untrue: on the one hand} 4.Qf1-a1 {is illegal because it is "too short" and on the other hand the Ws would have} 5.Kh1-g1 ! 2.Qb1-a1 Ra5*e5 3.Qa1-a2! {and 2 possibilities :
} 3...Re5-a5 4.Qa2-d5! Ra5-a1# {or} 3...Re5-e1 {no check} 4.Qa2-e2! Re1-a1#
4 - #4 Growing men
white Pb5 Kc7 Rd5
black Pb6 Ka7 Bh8
#4Growing Men
{ We can imagine that we are going to checkmate from the couloir on column a.}
1.Rd5-d2 {and} 1.Rd5-d3 {must therefore be considered, but after } 1.Rd5-d2? Bh8-b2! {The Ws don't have a really threatening move, }
2.Rd2-f2 {facing} Ka7-a8 3.Rf2*b2 Ka8-a7 {et} 4.Rb2-a2 {is illegal! Hence:
}
1.Rd5-d3 Bh8-c3 2.Rd3-d1! {threatening }threat: 3.Rd1-a1# {
}
2...Bc3-h8 {to control a1} 3.Rd1-d4!! {and }threat: 4.Rd4-a4 {is unstoppable and mate.}
5 - #2 Growing men with twin
white Qf1 Kf3
black Kh2
#2 b) Rf3->h4.Growing Men
{ A simple problem that allows you to check that you have understood. We will check that there is no dual !
}
a){}
1.Kf3-e3 Kh2-g3 2.Qf1-f2#{}
b) wKf3-->h4{}
1.Kh4-g5 Kh2-g3 2.Qf1-g1#
Now, after the initiation, we arrive at
Turnbull who gave back his honour to the first name.
.
Luckily, in his great anticipation, the Master had chosen enlarging chess, an original but simple genre, so that the simplest works of RT remain accessible there.
It was all the better as I was alone. I hope that the great Michel had only a simple impediment.
6 - #2 Growing men
white Pe5f2 Kh4 Rh6g3
black Qb5 Pd4e6h5 Kh1
#2Growing Men
{ We immediately think of capturing in h5 (with what?) then pushing the K to mate with the R.
}
1.Rh6*h5? Qb5-e8! {(easy).
Donc } 1.Kh4*h5! {Blacks's have 3 variants for intercepting the h-column, resulting in 3 echo variants.
}
1...Qb5-e2+{
}
1...Qb5*e5+{
}
1...Qb5-e8+{
}
{How could anyone not like this problem ?}
7 - #5 Growing men
white Se2 Kf5
black Ph3h4g3g5h6 Kh5
#5Growing Men
{Obviously, we couldn't expect anything else from Turnbull: only one white piece, and it's the only one that has no interest in the chosen genre, all the Knight moves inevitably having the same length!
Question : how to avoid mate in 3 by Nf6 or Ng7 ?
Knowing that the answer } 1...h3-h2 {followed by } 2...h4-h3 {is not the right one.
Genius to serve the imagination is beautiful. !
if Black plays }1...h3-h2{, is that it's a legal move. THEREFORE the h3-pawn has never made a step of more than 1 in length, THEREFORE it comes in direct line from h7 and THEREFORE the h4-pawn comes from another file, has already made a move of 1,414 and THEREFORE it cannot play } 2...h4-h3 {
This removes one defence from the Black, but at the same time offers them a new one: lift the stalemate. After a move of Knight, the Black answers }1...g5-g4! {and then, it is the proof that Pg4 comes from g7, so that h6 comes from h7, so that Pg3, h3 and h4 have already played diagonal moves (holds) and are therefore forbidden to advance. But then, what to do?
The answer already appears in the above: lift the pat, and since the Knight has no interest in this kind of move ....}
1.Se2-d4! g5-g4! 2.Sd4-f3!! g4*f3 {all the black P's are now static ! }3.Kf5-f6! Kh5-g4 {BK is now condemned to diagonal steps !}4.Kf6-g6! h6-h5 5.Kg6-g5# !
And now that we have understood, a little more difficult, but in a mate in 2.
8 - #2 Growing men
white Pg6f5 Kh4 Rf7
black Pf4c7 Kh6
#2Growing Men
{Before going on to the explanations, let's clarify the idea: how do you #2?
The only possible scheme is } 1.Kh4-h5# {with a WR controlling g7 and h7. But for the moment, this Kh5 move is not legal.
For it to be, it would be necessary that the last Black move is 1...Kg7-h6. And nothing allows to prove it because the position of the diagram can be obtained with for last move of the rook the move Rf4-f7.
And in this hypothesis, the last White move can be g5-g6+ and the last Black move Kh7-h6, the Rf7 not checking Kh7.
If we have understood the above, the solution becomes simple :
}
1.Rf7*c7 { Here, one has no right to conclude on the stalemate, because nothing strictly prohibits the f3 move. So the B's have to play }f4-f3
{But then, the pawn comes directly from f7 and played f7-f6-f5-f4 and so the WR which was in f7 could come at best only from f5 (but not f4) and so it could not make a move longer than 2. But then, the last Black move, which is a move of K, is necessarily Kg7-h6, because in h7 the K would have been in double check.
And so from now on, the BK is condemned to diagonal steps.
}
1.Rf7*c7 f4-f3 2.Kh4-h5# {And that's it. }
And for dessert, some positions :
Click in the right part of the chessboard to go forward, left to go backward ...
or directly on the solution move
9 - #3 with chinese pieces
white VAf2 LEd7 PAe3f3 NAf1 Kg6 Pa4b6c5d6g2 Sh3 Bf4
black VAh7 MAb7 Ke4 Pc6 PAg4 Re1
#3(13+6)f1: Naoe3, f3, g4: Paof2, h7: Vaob7: Maod7: Leo
chinese piece : moves normally, but to capture, need a sautoir
the path must be clear between the start square and the sautoir, as well as between the sautoir and the finish square.
le Léo move on the Queen's lines, Pao on the Rook's lines
and Vao on Bishop's lines
Le Mao is a special case, it is a Crawling Knight: 1 Rook step then 1 Bishop step.
The square of the rook step must be free.
Le Nao is a chinese Nightrider
{}
1.Kg6-g5 ? threat:
2.Kg5*g4 threat:
3.Sh3-g5 #{
}
1...PAg4-g3
2.PAe3*g3 threat:
3.PAg3-g4 #{
}
but
1...Re1-c1 !{
}
1.Kg6-h5 ? threat:
2.Kh5*g4 threat:
3.Sh3-g5 #{
}
1...Re1-d1
2.LEd7*d1 threat:
3.LEd1*g4 #
3.LEd1-e2 #
3.LEd1-e1 #{
}
2...PAg4-g3
3.LEd1-e2 #
3.LEd1-e1 #{
}
2...PAg4-g8
3.LEd1-e2 #
3.LEd1-e1 #{
}
2...PAg4-g7
3.LEd1-e2 #
3.LEd1-e1 #{
}
2...PAg4-g6
3.LEd1-e2 #
3.LEd1-e1 #{
}
2...PAg4-g5
3.LEd1-e2 #
3.LEd1-e1 #{
}
2...PAg4-h4
3.LEd1-e2 #
3.LEd1-e1 #{
}
but
1...Re1-c1 !{
}
1.PAe3-e2 ! threat:
2.NAf1-c7 threat:
3.NAc7-a6 #{
}
1...PAg4-g5
2.VAf2-e3 +
2...Re1*e2
3.LEd7-g4 #{
}
1...MAb7*d6
2.NAf1-e3 +
2...Re1*e2
3.LEd7-b7 #{
}
1...VAh7-g8
2.PAf3-e3 +
2...Re1*e2
3.LEd7-h7 #
10 - s#10 Mars Circe
white Bb8c2 Ka5 Qb6 Pb4c4e4f4g2 Sa6b5 Rd4e2
black Qd1 Pd5d6 Kd3 Bh1
s#10 Mars Circe(13+5)
Mars Circe :
the pieces normally move, but to capture, they virtually return to their original square.
{}
1.Sa6-c7 {The threats were Bxa6 and Qxb6+.}
1...Qd1-d2 {became the only legal move preventing Qd1xKd3}
2.Re2-f2+ {check by the e-pawn and possibly by the Bishop}
2...Kd3-e3 3.Bb8-a7 {prevents Qxb8
}
3...Qd2-c1 4.Sc7-e8 Qc1-d2 5.Qb6-c7! {tempo !}
Qd2-c1 6.Qc7-d8 Qc1-d2 7.Rf2-e2+{
} Ke3-d3 8.Ba7-b8 Qd2-d1 9.Bc2-a4+ {close the box}
9...Kd3-c2 10.Qd8-c7 Qd1*c7# {Superb mechanics !}
11 - h#4 Functionnary Chess with Grasshoppers and Dragon
white Kf5 DRd5 Gc5c4
black Kd4 Sf6 Gg5
h#4 Functionnary Chess(4+3)b) turn 90° to the rightc5, c4, g5: Grasshoppersd5: Dragon
Functionnary Chess : so that a piece can move, and a fortiori capture,
it must be "observed" by at least one opposing piece
Grasshopper : piece moving like a Queen but needing a sautoir behind which it lands
the path must be clear between the starting square and the sautoir, and, behind the sautoir,
the square must be free or occupied by an opponent's piece
Dragon : a piece that moves like a knight as well as a pawn.
{}
a)
{
} 1.Sf6-e4 DRd5-e3 + 2.Kd4-d5 Gc5-f2 3.Se4-d6 Kf5-f6 4.Gg5-c5 Gf2-d4 #
{mate by the Dragon which is "observed" by the Grasshopper c5, which cannot move, being attacked by nobody.
the King is "observed" by the Dragon and can thus capture d4, but in doing so, he puts himself in mutual "observation" by the pawn part of the Dragon}
b) rotate 270 {rotate 90° right}
{} 1.Sf3-d4 DRe5-c4 + 2.Kd5-e5 Ge6-b3 3.Sd4-f5 Ke3-f3 4.Ge2-e6 Gb3-d5 #
{Same kind of remark}
12 - serial s#37
white Pa2b2e2f2h2 Ke4
black Ph3g7d6a4 Se3h1 Bg8 Kg1
ss#37(6+8)
serial selfmate : White plays n moves in a row to bring a position in which
Black is forced to checkmate in one.
{}
1.b2-b4 2.b4-b5 3.b5-b6 4.b6-b7 5.b7-b8=B 6.Bb8-a7 7.Ba7*e3 8.Be3-g5 9.f2-f4 10.f4-f5 11.f5-f6 12.f6-f7 13.f7-f8=R 14.Rf8-f4 15.Ke4-f5 16.e2-e4 17.e4-e5 18.e5-e6 19.e6-e7 20.e7-e8=Q 21.Qe8*a4 22.Qa4-b3 23.a2-a4 24.a4-a5 25.a5-a6 26.a6-a7 27.a7-a8=B 28.Ba8-g2 29.Bg2*h3 30.Bh3-g4 31.h2-h4 32.h4-h5 33.h5-h6 34.h6-h7 35.h7-h8=S 36.Sh8-g6 37.Qb3-g3+ Sh1*g3#
{AUW plus supplement}
13 - h#2 AntiCirce Isardam with Equihoppers
white Ph5 Kh3 EQh7 Se3c7
black Bg5 Kf6 Qe2 Pd2c3d6e5g4 Sg7h1 Rf8 EQd1
h#2 AntiCirce Isardam(5+12)2 solutionsh7, d1: Equihoppers
AntiCirce : the capturing piece is reborn on its original square if it is free, otherwise the move is illegal.
Isardam : it is illegal to put two opposing pieces of the same nature in mutual "observation".
Equihopper :
piece moving only with a sautoir which is the centre of symmetry between the start and target squares.
{}
1.Rf8-b8 Kh3-g3
{Nh1xg3 is illegal, the renaissance square of the Knight (b8) being now occupied .
Note that Kg2 would give the escape square g6 to the Black King.}
2.EQd1-d3 Se3-d5 #
{f5 is the centre of symmetry between the 2 Equihoppers, so Kf5 would put the 2 Equihoppers in mutual "observation".}
1.Rf8-d8 Kh3-h2
{Qe2xh2 is illegal, as the Queen's rebirth square (d8) is now in use. }
2.EQd1-b5 Sc7-d5 #
{e6 is the centre of symmetry between the 2 Equihoppers, so Ke6 would put the 2 Equihoppers in mutual "observation".}
14 - #3
white Pb5b4f7c7 Ke4 Ba3c8 Sa8 Re5
black Rd8 Kd6 Bd7
#3(9+3)
{}
1.f7-f8=Q + ?
but
1...Rd8*f8 !{}
1.f7-f8=B + ?
but
1...Rd8*f8 !{}
1.c7*d8=S ?
but
1...Bd7-c6 + !{}
1.c7*d8=B ?
but
1...Bd7-f5 + !{}
1.Re5-e6 + ?
but
1...Kd6*e6 !{}
1.c7*d8 ! {threatens}
2.f7-f8=Q # {or} 2.f7-f8=B # {}
1...Bd7-c6 +
2.b5*c6 {threatens}
3.Re5-e6 # {or}
3.b4-b5 # {}
2...Kd6*c6
3.b4-b5 # {}
1...Bd7-f5 +
2.Re5*f5 {threatens}
3.f7-f8=Q # {or}
3.f7-f8=B #{}
2...Kd6-e7
3.f7-f8=Q #{}
1...Bd7*c8
2.f7-f8=Q +
2...Kd6-d7
3.Qf8-e7 #
{Loyd had both talent and imagination !}
Thanks to Daniel for his pedagogical approach
next class on January 7th
Have a nice holiday
Yours faithfully
Le greffier virtuel
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