white Qh4 Pb5
white Royal WGf4
black Qa1 Pf7f6a2b7 Sa8h8 Bb3 Rc2
black Royal BGa4
s#2 SAT(6+14)
🨟f4, 🨥a4: Royal Grasshopper
: In "SAT", a King is in check when... it threatens to play on a square where it is not in
check in the traditional sense! Thus, bQ, bR & bB are pinned, because the royal grasshopper must not have access to a1, c2 & d1.
It is checkmate if the King cannot deny himself this "free" square. SAT was invented by the Slovakian problem solver Ladislav Salai
(hence "sa", the "t" being the end of the word "mat") at the end of the 20th century.
{}
1.b5-b6 ! {blocus}
1...kBGa4-g4 ? {is illegal because the Royal Grasshopper would have an uncontrolled escape on e4.}
1...Sa8-c7#? {because the white royal grasshopper cannot be prevented from having the b8-square;
and 2 Kb8 immediately is a self-check (d6-square), like Kxf7 (b7 & f5-squares)}
1...f6-f5 2.Qh4-d8 + {(essentially check d1 & d4)} 2...Bb3-c4 # {(...Rc4+ illegal); it's mate because} 3.kWGf4-b4 {cannot be prevented}
1...Sh8-g6 2.Qh4-f2 + {(essentially check c2 & d4)} 2...Rc2-c4 # {(...Bc4+ illegal); it is mate because} 3.kWGf4*f7 {cannot be prevented}
1...Sa8*b6 2.Qh4*f6 + {bK has access to the uncontrolled square g4.} Sb6-c4 # {Legal because ...d4 is a leak for RNa4,
but controlled by the wQ. And it is mate because} 3.kGf4-b4 {cannot be prevented.}
4 - s#2 patrol with set play
Cheylan, Y.2005
white Kb1 Rg7c2
black Pc4 Ka1 Bh8
s#2 Patrol(3+3)set play
: a piece can only capture if it is patrolled (observed) by a piece of its side
{ Rg7 is pinned: its departure would activate the bR and therefore be a self-check.Apparent Play :}
1...c4-c3
2.Kb1-a2 +
2...Ka1-b2 # {Real Play :}
1.Rc2-g2 ! zugzwang. 1...c4-c3
2.Rg7-b7 +
2...Ka1-b2 # {After the key, we would apparently have a new s#2 whose key would be 1 Rc2! (souitche baaaaaack)}
5 - h#5 2 sol with set Play köko marin mao
Loerinc, J.2001
white NAd5 Kc3
black Ke4 Rd6
h#5 Köko(2+2)set play2 sol.🨷d5: marine Mao
: Knight creeping with first 1 rook step and then 1 bishop step
marin Mao : moves like a Mao, but can capture the opponent's piece on the rook step.
A particular kind of Locust with a Knight twist.
For example, if we were not in köko, there could be MMd5(xd6)-e7 or c7.
: at move landing, a unit must be in contact with another unit
{ Set Play :}
1...NAd5-f4 + {(via e5 ; checks because threatens MMf4(xe4)-d3 or d5)} 2.Ke4-d3 NAf4-e2 + {(threatens } 3...Kc3*d3 {)}
3.Kd3-c2 NAe2-c1 + {(double check either by the King and by marin Mao)} 4.Kc2-b1 {(legal as } 4...NAc1*b1-a2 {is illegal in köko !)}
4...NAc1-b3 5.Rd6-d3 + ! NAb3-a1#! { And not} 5.Rd6-d2 NAb3-a1 + 6.Rd2-c2 !
{(preventing MMa1(xb1)-c2. Ni} 5.Rd6-d4 NAb3-a1 + 6.Kb1-c2 ! {)Real Play :}
1.Rd6-c6 {(don't check)} NAd5-e3 + {(checks as threatens } 2...NAe3*e4-d5 { legal in köko)} 2.Ke4-f3 Kc3-d3 {(tempo)}
3.Kf3-f2 Kd3-d2 4.Kf2-e1+ Kd2-d3 5.Rc6-c3+! NAe3-f1#! {}
1.Ke4-d3 NAd5-e3 + {(double check)} 2.Kd3-c4 Kc3-b4 3.Kc4-b3 NAe3-c2 + 4.Kb3-a4 Kb4-c5 5.Rd6-c6 ! NAc2-a3# ! {And not } 5.Rd6-d5 ? NAc2-a3+ 6.Ka4-b5!
{Triple echo.
This 5th honourable mention is presented in a conference by Mr Ridley, who points out that the higher ranked works were "complex".
A diplomatic way of saying that most of the award-winning fairies are undrinkable.}
6 - h#2 2 solutions back-to-back
Ganapathi, G.2017
white Sa3 Be4 Ke1
black Kc1 Rb8
h#2 Back-to-back(3+2)2 sol.
Back-to-back : if two pieces of opposite colour are "back to back", for example a white one on e5 and a black one on e4,
they exchange their roles. Suppose a white knight e5 and a black bishop e4.
White to move, the knight plays as a bishop, black to move, the bishop plays as a knight.
{Try : }
1.Rb8-b2 ? Be4-f5 {(or elsewhere)} 2.Rb2-a2 Sa3-b3 + {(because he caught the Rook's march)} 3.Ra2-b2!
{the Knight, moving momentarily as a Rook, no longer attacks the bK
(and not} 3.Kc1-b2
{because the Knight, now King, would put the bK in check)}
1.Rb8-b3 Be4-d5 2.Rb3-d3 Sa3-c2# ! {The Knight acquires the King's march, and so is checking,
bK acquires the Knight's march, and so is dominated.}
1.Rb8-f8 Sa3-c4 2.Rf8-f4 Be4-c2 # {
Bishop acquires the King's march, so it checks; the bK acquires the Bishop's march, so it is dominated
In each solution, the path of the black Rook is made unique by the figure not checking :} 1.Rb8-d8 ? {&} 1.Rb8-b4 ?
7 - h#2,5 2 solutions take & make
Comay, O.2017
white Pa7d4e4f3 Ka5 Rh8b6 Bd5h3
black Bb5 Kc2 Qb3 Pe7f7c3d3 Sa4b2 Rc4
h#2.5 Take&Make (9+10)2 sol.
: When you make a capture the "take"), you must make a second move with the march of the captured piece
the second move (the "make") must not be a capture.
{}
1...Rb6*b5-c6 {This could have been played directly, but thanks to the "take & make",
the rook was able to capture the black bishop for the same price.} 2.Qb3-b8 Rh8*b8-b3 3.Kc2*b3-b7 Rc6*c4-c7 # {
The bK cannot capture c7, as the subsequent rook move would put him in a hold (...Kxa7 illegal).
And if wR had not captured his counterpart before landing on c7, there would be 3...Rxc7-c6! parrying the double check.
Finally, the bK cannot capture a7 because the "make" would send it to a8, which the bB controls}
1...Bd5*c4-c6 2.Qb3-e6 Bh3*e6-b3 + 3.Kc2*b3-e6 Bc6*b5-d7 # {
the bK cannot capture d7, as the following Bishop move would put it in a capture;
and if the bB had not captured his counterpart before landing on d7, there would be 3... Bxd7-c6! parrying the double check.
Invisible" captures;
the piece could arrive directly on the same square, but it has made a small diversions, so that an opponent's piece has disappeared.}
: a unit (other than the King) transforms with each move according to the N-B-R-Q-N cycle.
: a King in check acquires the march of the piece that puts him in check ...
and retains that march
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