S\TII}IETIC GAh.fES
Synthetic Garnes
Play a shortest possible game
leading tCI ...
G. P. Jelliss
September 1998
page I
S1NTHETIC GAI\{ES
CONTENTS
Part 1: Introduction
1.1 History.".2
1.2 Theon'...3
Part 2: 0rthodox
Auto-Surrender Chess
Oppo-Cance llati on Che s s
. ..
.7
Chess
.
5.3 Miscellaneous. . .22
Auto-Coexi s tence Ches s
D3tnamo Chess
Gravitational Chess
Madrssi Chess
Series Auto-Tag Chess
...5
2. I Checknrates.. .5
2.2 Stalernates... S
2.3 Problem Finales. . . I
2.4 Multiple Pawns... l0
2.,5 Kings and Pawns".. l1
2.6 Other Pattern Play...13
Part 3. Variant Play . ...14
3.1 Exact Play... 14
3 .2 Imitative Direct. . . l 5
3.3 Imitative Oblique.. " l6
3.4 Maximumming...lT
3.5 Seriesplay ...17
3.6 New Opening Arra5's... 17
Philidor
Queen Odds
Bishops All on White
AII Men Ctuarded
Part 4. Yariant Pieces . ".. 18
4. I Nerv Kings... l8
Capturable Kings
PART 1
INTRODUCTIOT{
A'synthetic game' is a sequence
of moves in chess, or in any form
of variant chess, or indesd in any
other garne: which simulates the
moves of a possible, though
usually improbable, actual game?
and is constructed to show certain
specified events rvith fewest moves.
The following notes on history
and theory of the subject also serve
as a bibliography. Some other
sources relating to individual
problems are cited alongside the
problems in the text.
Special thanks are due to the
Rev. Peter Kings for sending fte
details of the C. D. Locock L944
article in the BCM.
Scorpions
Flying Kings
4"2 New Queens... 18
Q+N,,'r?+.V / Lion
Grasshopper
Nightrider / Sh-Qneen
4.3 Nerv ltuights... 19
Csmel / Zebrs t'Giraffi
Nightrider
4.4 New Pawns... 19
Side-Step Pawns
Reversible Pswns
4.5 Multiple Nerv Pieces.., 19
Akenhead's Game
Part 5. Variant Rules . ...2A
5.1NewBoards...20
Alice Chess
Moebius Clqe,s,s
5.2 New Capture Rules.. .21
Antipodean Chess
Free Capture Chess
Oppo-Surrender Chess
Presentation
Within each section the
problems are listed in order of
lengfh of solution, w.hich is sholln
in square brackets after the bold
heading w.hich states the aim.
Promotion is shor,rm by the
upward pointer n instead of the
more usual equals sigr, - which
servss for stalemate or draw. A
single dagger f means check and a
double dagger $ checkmate.
Numbered ssctions cited: $3. I .
Months in dates are shown by
lorver case roman numerals i - xii.
Square brackets are also used at
a game to give its
composer and source, and at the
end of the statement of rules of a
variant to acknowledge its
the end of,
inventor. The following initials are
used
to abbreviate frequent entries:
page 2
BCM: British Chess Magazine,
CA'. ()hess Amafeur, EP: En
Passant, PFCS'; Problemist Fairy
Chess Supplement, UT: Ultimate
Thernes,
G. P.
CDL' C. D" I,ocock, GPJ:
Jelliss, JA:
TGP:
T. G.
J. Akenhead.
Pollard,
TRD:
T. R. Dar,vson.
I.I HISTOR,Y
Much of my information on the
early history comes from articles
by T. R. Dar,vson cited below,
Chess Amsteur l9l4 especially.
Fool's Mste
A primitive
example
of
a
synthetic game in orthodox chess
is the 'fool's mate': l.f3l4 e6l5
2.g4 Qh4 mate. These moves
apparently first appeared in print
in Arthur Saul's Famot{s Game af
Chesse-Play, 1614 (according to
H. J. R. Murray, A Historv o_f
Chess, Oxford Universlt)' Press
l9l3; reprint 1969, note p"832,
who notes that "The r,lark is more
curious than useful,
but
its
classification of the different mates
deserves to be remembered.").
Saul lvrote there "but seldome or
never shall you see a good player
receive such a, mate", but
(according to Ken Whyld, Varianf
Chess 1991 vol. l, p. 96) the term
'fool's mate' first appeared in a
later edition revised by Barbier
.
Fool's mates can be inv'estigated
in all chess variants; they solve the
problem: Play a Shortest possible
flame ending in checlanate.
Ssm Loyd
Like so nrany other gmd things
in the world of chess and puzzles,
however, it was Sam Loyd (lS4l -
l9l l). 250 )'ears later, who really
launched the subject by publishing
his solutions to a set of
five
x 1866 (and
several other
problems in Le Sphinx
subsoquently in
places). He gave shortest games
S1'I\ITI{ETIC GAMES
to (a) checkmate, w.ith
Stratford Express, l, 8, 15, 22 ii 1.2 TFMORY
1930; and in his book on Ultimate
The challenge to tlrc compossr
Themes,l938.
of a synthetic game is to determine,
In his survey of synthetic games to w.ithin a limited range of
in CA 1914, Dawson mentioned permissible variatioil, & lengthy,
(d) stalemate, {e) perpetual check.
G. R. Reichehn, A. M. Deane, and complex, interesting, ingenious,
Loyd republished this set of W. A. Shinkman as well as Loyd artistic, humorous, outrageous, of
problems ten years later. 18?6, in among pioneers of the subject, and otherwise qualified ssqusnce of
the first issue of the Arnericsn later work by H. A. Adamson, moves by providing minimal
Chess Jyurnal, where he wrote: E. N. Frankenstein, J. Jespersen, infonnation about the aims to be
"It $"ill not be amiss to have a little H. E, Dudeney, M. Sieurac and fulfilled by the ssquence.
impromptu extribition, bearing P. H. Williams, with C" D. Locock
The composer of a syrthetic
upon conditional positions pro- as the leading exponent at that gams is really a solver" He starts
duced from the position of thc time. I have not been able to trace with a 'specrfication' and seeks a
forces as arranged for actual play. examples by all these compossr$, sequence of movss to satisfy it,
I find two by Breitenfel{ one by no doubt they are hidden away in A synthetic game can also be
Max L,ange, soms from 'Si$sao, &e many newspaper chess columns described as a 'help-play gEnme',
Dr Moore. sh, but as all can be that flourished in the late lgth and since the two players co-operate in
solved in less moves than irrtended early 20th csnturies. If readers cary{ng out specified objectives}
by the authors, I give them under unearth any of these earlier uslng the fewest moves.
one heading, w.ithout authorship, examples please let me know" for
and have thrown in a few similar future editions of this coltrection. Inexilctness
In helpmates, and indeed in
ideas that occurred to me ..." {C. J. Feather, reported to me that
(as quoted by A. C. White tn Sam unforhrnately there ars no s1'rrthetic problems gpnerally, it is a currently
Loyd nnd his Chess Probleffis, gamss in Dawson's problem accepted requirement of most
1913; Dover Publications, New collection, which he now holds.)
practitioners that the ssquence of
York, reprint 196?, pp.58*59).
moves leading to the solution
From this it seems that some of C. D. Lococh
should be uniquely determined.
The plalrr and problemist This moans that not only are the
ths questions had been proposed
moves deternfnd but also their
earlier, but Loyd gathered them Charles Dealtry Locock (1862
publishsd
little
1946)
two
bocklets order canmt be varied.
together and improved on them,
In synthetic games how$ver, it is
with lastirry impact. It is often the containing a selection of his rvork,
case that the first solution by the I20 Chess Problems and Puzzles seldom that all the movss, ffid their
proposer of a synthetic game in l9l2 and 70 More Chess sequsnce, ars determinate, because
problem is later improved on by a Problems and Puzzles in 1926. the composer is trying to control so
solver. Where known t have cited These contain only a small part of much with so little.
both proposer and solver.
his output, &s is shown by his
Games which are determined
comment on synthetic gafires uniquely frorn start to finish, with
leading to positions in w{rich the no possibihty of transposition of
fl Jl' Dawson
gilmes
2Ks
and 16Ps are left to delineate moves are termed 'exact' synthetic
lvere a special
Synthetic
interest of the fairy chess expert the initials of some dedicatee: girmes, and forrn a specialised
"I give tr,vo specimens of some 30 subject of study in themselves.
Thomas Rayner Dawson (1889
The 'enurneration' of how many
195 t ) who published articles on
which I have made".
Locock was also the main shortest games there are that
the subject in various publications
that he contributd to or edited, contributor to a series of syrthetic satis$' the given conditions can be
including: Cheltenham Etcominer, garne problems published in the regarded as an unstated rider to
20 ii 1913; Reading Obserlrer, 12, 'Problsm World' section of the any synthetic game problem. For
19, 26 vii l9l3; Chess Amateur, British Chess Magazine, 1942-7. example, the fool's mate in
vii, viii, ix l9l4 (sec also The TRD Other solvers being J. A. Lewis, orthdox chess can be played in
Book, a manuscript in the British D. B. Pritchard, P. C" Taylor, eight ways: there are two squarss
Chess Problem Society" Library); T. G. Pollard M, E. M. Jago, to n'hich the f-palvn can go (f3 or
l'Echtquier iii, d,, vii, viii, L929; J. Akenhead and T. R. Dawson.
fi[], two for the e-pawn (e6 or e5)
leading
imitative play
i,e. Black's
moves copFng those of White,
(b) selfmate, again with imitative
play; (c) discovered checlnnnte,
page 3
SYNTHETIC GAI\,.MS
and tlr.o orders for the White
moYes (f-paurn or g-pa\vn first),
giving 2xTx2: I sequsnces.
The determination of the
numbers of variations possible can
take one into realms of higher
mathernatics of surprising complexity" We quote a ferv results,
r,vhere known and
of interest,
but
do not detail the methods of
calculation" For those
digress
r,*.'ho
wish to
in this direction, soms
sxamples, and analysis of methods
of enurneration, will be found in
Schach und Zahl (Chess and
Nunrber) by
E. Bonsdorff,
K, Fabel and O, Riihimaa (r#alrcr
Rau Verlag, Dtisseldorf, 3rd
edition 1978).
In the opening position each
play'er has a choice of 20 moves
(all quite playable, but some more
fashionable than athers)" so there
are 20x20 - 400 ways of playing
the first pair of moves" The number
of choicss of rnove alailable
increases as line-piscss are freed,
so the number of u'ays of playing
the first i/ pairs of movss must be
r,lell in excess of 20 to ths power
2N. For example for ]f - 6 this is
20 to &e power 12, rvhich is over
4 thousand million million. Thus a
mere 686 out of this total as in my
game to male by necessary castling
indicates that this spthetic game is
really rather well determined!
To insist that our studies in this
and related fields be confined only
to exa.ct game$ is inordinately
restrictive in mv vierv.
problem in diagram form mav
en sometimss be justified on grounds
White's lOth move is of length 9%. that the specification is tm
It u.ill be noted that in the complex to express in words and it
the fool's mate is of length 2 and
Loyd's stalemate, erding
shortest gams to checlanate it is
Black w.ho has the last mCIve, while
in the shortest game to stalemate it
is White. In this respect synthetic
games differ from most other chess
problem stipulations, in w'hich the
player of the coup de gras is fixed
by canvention ffiite in directmates and help-mates. Black in
is simpler to give a pictorial guide.
I contrast a syrthetic garne to
position r,vith an 'qnalyfic game' in
self-mates).
positions ars examined and
deductions are made about
previous play. In analytic games
This point is often overlmked,
and in several examples it has been
possible to shorten the solution by
half a unit by inverting the position
to give the last movs to the other
plaSer. Given any syrthetic girme
we ean ask the same problem with
the other player having the last
move, but the solution will
normally be Yz a unit longer and
usually less exact.
An element of interest is last if
the number of moves in the
solution is pre-specified, since the
reduction of the task by the last
one or tr,vo single movss is the
tricky part of the process"
Games to Position
Sometimes a svnthetic game
may be presented as a 'game to
posifion' . How'ever, if the position
rather than the specification is
presented for solving, then anather
important element is lost. The
solver is then only a re-solver,
asked to re-construct the girme.
The diagram of a synthetic game
Length
conclusion should only be taken as
We follow the usual convention a guide, ffid it is acceptable to give
in recording gamss of numbenng a solution in which pieces are
the successive moves of \4hite and differently arranged so long as the
Black by the same numbers and same overall effect is achieved.
thus of counting moves in pairs. If the effect can be shornn in a
Thus mate on Black's nfth move is slightlS, different final position
a game of length ff, rn'hile mate on reached in fewrr moves, then this
White s gf+l)th move is a game of is a definite improvement on the
length if + Yz (written I{/z't Thus composer's result. Presenting a
page 4
rvhich you ars gil'en the final
position, which cannot be varied.
and are required to find a shortest
girms that could have produced it.
Analytic gamss are a branch of
'retroanalysis' in which given
the condition that the position be
reached in the fewest moves
becomes an item of evidence in the
retroanalltical reasoning, often
used to justiff en passant capture'
castling, turn of move, ffid so on.
My original intention lvas to
devote a further part of this
collection
to such
problems.,
however, the publication
of
an
excellent book Shortest Proof
Gsrnes, The Rubik's Cube af a
Chess Player, by Gerd Wilts and
Andrey Frolkin (Wilts, Karlsruhe
l99l), devoted to this aspect of the
subject, relieved me of an onerous
task. This contains 160 analytical
games, mostly exactly dstermined
and many of recent composition.
Much more rvork on this topic has
been done since then, probably due
to the application of computers,
and
a new edition from those
authors maY soon be called for.
Restrictions
The synthetic game composer,
contrary to the enumerationist, is
interestcd in determining his game
as exactly as possible. To this end
it may be acceptable to specify
various extra conditions.
One that is applicable in most
cases is
to require the play by one
or both players to be either
'minimal' or 'msximal'. Bv this
$I}{TFIETIC cA}vlES
ws mean that if a piece has to
move then it moves as much or as
little as
possible
.
For
example,
rninimal play by a kniglrt's pawrl
and its associated bishop producss
a fianchstto formatiotr, say b3,
Bbz, n'hile maximal play would
give b4, Ba3, in sach case reducing
four possibilities to one. Rather
than give all possible variations,
rn{rich r,vould be tedious and space-
consuming, most of the solutions
quoted in the fallowing collectios,
where variation
is
possible, are
given in minimel form.
It is
also possible
rninimal condition to be
for the
imposed
length is to require a 'qntre' finale.
Mate by queen's bishop
[3Yr:J
In the case of checkmate this l.e4 e6 7.d4 Ke7 3.Qh5 Kf6
rneans that each squars in the 4.Bg5f or 1.d4 e6 2"Qd3 Ke7
king's field is either blocked or 3.h4Nf3 Kf6 4. Be5f pure, except
guarded oncs onl_v (not both Nf3 ICDL 1e441
blocked and guarded, nor guarded
Mate with determinate last
twice). If every square of the moYe $tA l.e3 h5 2.8d3 95
king's field is blocked ws have & 3.8h7 f5 4"896$ [E.Bonsdorff
'smothered mate', while if svery Schach und Zahl l9?ll
squars is vacant we have a, 'mirror
Mate by NxB [4] 1.g3 Nf6/hh6
mote'" Quite often however, this z.BsZ Nd5Ng4/NhsNfs 3.Nf/
extra condition may require extra Nh3 Ne3/lr{fi1/hlh4 4.Rfl t {"g2$
moves to fuIfiL and it then pure smothered rnate. [CDL 19261
becomes part of the formula of the
Mate by NxQ I4l l.c4 c6l5
gams rather than a device to limit 2.Nc3 Na6/l*{c6 3"Qc2 Nb4/I{d4
the number of salutions. The same 4.Ndl ]r{x cZt pure smothered mate
can be said of the requirement f,or [cDL BCM re44]
on sne player and the maximal on
the other: this 'mini-msJc' or
exact play.
Mnte by BxQ [4] l.e3
'mexi-min' condition,
PART 2 _
2.Qe4 Qd6 3.Ke2 hs/Nh6 4.Kf3
B*g4$ purs or 1.e3 e5 2.Qe4 Qh4
3"Ke2 dj 4.Kfi n*g4$ impure
producing
mors contrasted play.
Another range of conditions that
I have tried out are restrictions on
the number af succsssive moves
that can be played by sach piece.
ORTHODOXCHESS
All the rules of
chess apply,
except the one that ttrc plaS'ers
oppose each otlrer.
In
'single-series play' no piece
makes mors than one series of 2,1. CHECKMATES
Extensive series on mates by
moves in the solution. In other
particular pieces were given by
words, if it is known uihere the
piece is to end up then it must C. D. Locock in Brftish Chess
Magazine 1944 * 7, and by myself
make its journey there all in one
in En Passanf (rnagazine of the
unintemrpted sequencs. In 'FlonNational
Correspondence Chess
series play' on the other hand no
Club) v x 1981. Many simple
man may make succsssive movss.
mates
are too obvious to need
Another restriction which has
attribution
to a narned composer.
considerable potential is 'quickMate tzl 1.fi/4 e6/5 7,94 Qh4*
cap play' in $rhich a capture must
be made at the first opportunity,
o(herwise the right lapses. For
example if l.d4 e5 then 2.dxe5
may be plal'ed now but not later.
(This condition may also have
retroanalyical possibilities, since it
is time-conditional, like the en
passant capture). Where complete
quick-cap play is impossible it is
attractive to try to keep the number
of delayd captures., and tlre length
ofthe delay, to a minimum"
Another t51pe of condition that
may help to reduce the number of
solutions without adding to the
pure mate. (8 ways)
Mate by bishop [ZYrl l.e3 f6
2.8d3 h6/5 3.896$ or l.e3l4 f6/5
Z.BIZ 95 3.Bh5f pure (12 ways)
Mnte by knight t3l l.e3 Ncd
2.93 Nd4/t{e5 3.h{e? Nf3* or 1.e3
Nc6 2.c3 Nb4A.{e5 3.Ne2 Nd3$ or
1.e3 Na6 2.c3 Nb4l]t{c5 3.Ne2
hld3f smothered mate. {72 ways}
Pure rnate by king's knight
lSYrl I.Nf3 e6 2.Ne5 96 3.NxdT
Ne7 4.Nf6* or l.Nf3 e6 2.Ne5 c6
3.Nxff Ne? Nd6f or 1.Nh3 e6
2.Ng5 c6 3"Nxfl Ne? 4.Nd6*
many more impure solutions.
page 5
d5
lcDL B{:M 1e461
Discovered mate t4l I.f3 e5
2.Kf2 h5 3.Kg3 h4t a.Kg4 d6$
[S. Loyd Le Sphinx viii 18661
Mate by pawn t4l 1.e3 e5
2.Ke2 Nf6 3.KR Bd6 4.8e2 e4*
l.e3 d5 ?.KeZ Qd6 3.Kf3 e5 4"8e2
e4f l.d4 c6 Z.KilZ Qc? 3"Kd/e3
Qe3t 4.Ke4 d5* 1.d3 aS Z.KdZ d5
3.Kc3 Be6 4.Qd2 d4 or l.e4 d5
Z.KIZ g5 3.Ke3 Bg4 4.8d3 d4*
1.e3 d5 2.Ke2 Qd6 3.Kfi g5 4.8e2
g4* purs mates, ses also $3. I
Mate by bishop's pawn t4'/rl
1.c3 d6 2.f4 Kd7 3.Qaat Ke6
4.Qb5 Nf6 s.fst l.e4 d6 ?.fix Kd7
3.b3 Ke6 4.8b2 Bd7 5.f5$ l.s4 e6
2.d1 Ke7 3.Bg5t Kd6 4.c4 Nc6
5.c5$ 1.d4 e6 2.c4 Ke7 3.g3 Kdd
4.BgZ Be7 5.c5$ pure mates.
S}NTFIETIC GAIUES
Mate by rook's pnwn llYrl mate [T.R.Dawson CA 19141 QB:
l.NA Nh6 2.e4 f6 3.h4 Kff l.d4 e5 2.dxe5 Bc5 3.Q*d7f
4.Bc4t Kg6 5.h51 1.e3/d3 f5 2.h4 BxdT 4.e4 B*f2t 5.Kdl Bg4f
Kf/ 3.Qf3/QdZ f4 4.Q*fitt Kg6 pure mate ICDL BCM 19461 l.e4
5.h5* l.e3 d6 2.Qhs Kd7
3.a4
Kc6 4.Bb5T Kb6 5.a5$ pure mates
Mate by Px(P) t4'/r1 Mate by'
KPxKBP at f7 rvith B or Q guard.
Mate by
R
I4Yrj There are
many tvays of minimum length 4t/r.
Examples with added conditions
(see also $3.1):
Pure Mate by RxP I4Yrl
1.a3
e5 2.Nc3 Bxa3 3.Ne4 BfB (sr,vitch-
back) 4.Ra5 Ke? 5.Rxs5$ 1.h4 e5
2.Nc3 Q*h+ 3.Ne4 Qd3 4.Rh5
Ke7 S"Rxesf [C. D. Locosk Che,r,.r
Amateur xti 19201
Pure Mate by RxB \4'/rl l.al
c5 Z.aS Q*as 3.Rxa5 96 4.Rxc5
Bg7 5.Rxc8f under 'minimal play'
the solution is exact IGPJ 19SU
Double-check mate I4Yrj 1.Na3
d5 7.c3 h5 3.Nb5 Rh6 4.Qa4 Rd6
5.N'd6f All the pieces except the
Bishops can be captured with
double-check mate this way n 4Y,
[CDL Sunday Tirnes LZ iti 1917]
d5 2.exd5 Be6 3.d6 exd6 4.Ke2
Qe7 5.Nf3 Bc4$ impure rnate
lJ. Akenhead BCM T9471
Mate, moving only Ns IsYrl
Can be solved by moving only
KNs: 1.Nh3 Nf6 2.N95 Ng4 3.Ne6
Ne5 4.Nxf$ Ng5 5.Ne6 NfB
6.N*97$ or I.Nf3 hlf6 2"Nd4 Nd5
3.Nc6 Nb4 4.NxdB Nc6 5.Ne7
NdB 6"N*c7f pure smothered mate
[TRD CA 19231. Other solutions
of same length if both Black Ns
may bs moved, e.g. l.Nfi Nc6
2.Nh4 Ne5 3.Ng6 Nh6 4.NxfB
Ng6 5.Ne6 NfB 6.N*97* but
WQN mate takes 6Y, moves ITRD
CA 1923.1. See also lTYrl below.
Mate by P^B [5Yzil l.e4 e5 2.d4
f6 3.d5 Qe7 4.d6 Kf7 5.dxe7 Ke6
6.e8^Bf impure IGPJ 2A i 199U
l.d4 d6 2.e4 Kd7 3.e5 Kc6 4.exd6
Kb6 5.dxe7 c6 6.exd8^B* pure
IGPJ EP ix lesU
Nh6 5.Kf3 fxe6 6.Qe2 00f but
RfB alone would do. ICDL
l9l2l
Mate by necessary castling
[6Yrl (the full castling move to give
mate, not the rook move alone)
l.e4 d6 2.8d3 Kd7 3.f3 Ke6 4.e4
Ke5 5.h3 Kfit 6.Ne2t Kxf3 7.00f
(not 7.Rfl as Kez) tG. P. Jelliss
En Passant vi 19811 I find the
number of ways of playrng a game
to this finale to be 49(whits) x
l4(black) _ 686. See the note on
exactnsss in the Introduction.
Mate by P^Q/R l4'/rl I "e4 e6
2.e5 Bd6 3.exd6 KfS 4.dxc7 Nh6
5.c*d8^Q
or 4...Ne7 S.c*d8^Rf
pure ICDL BCM 1944]
Mate by P^N t5l 1.b3 e5 2.d3
e4 3.Kd2 exd3 4.Kc3 dxeZ 5.Kb2
exdl^N* pure mate ICDL Manchester Weekly Times 28 xii 19l2l
Mnte by discovered
double
check L6Yrl (this can only be by ep
ertra for exact, see $3. I .
Mate by PxP ep IsY'l Direct.
1.b4 h6 2.8b2 f5 3.e4 Kff 4.exf5
Only
For exact solution in 6 see $3. 1 .
Mate by NxQB tsl 1.e4 e6 2.d3
Bb4f 3.Ke2 Nc5 4.8e3 Qgs 5.8d4
|rlxd4f [CDL re26]
Mate by NxRP at home t5l
1.e3 d5 Z.KIZ Qd6 3.Kf3 Nf6
4.Ne2 Ng4 5.Rgl N*h2*
Dsuble-check mate by B t5l
KB: 1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 d6 3.Qd2 l3l4
dxe5 4.Qe3 Bd6 5.Kd2 Bb4* pure
Yz
Qe8 5.Qga 95 6.fxg ep$ pure mate
ICDL CA i 1921] Discovered: l.e4
e5 2.Qh5 Nc6 3.g4 d6 4.g5 Kd7
5.Bh3f f5 6.9*f epf impure [P.
Benko, quoted by L. Barden The
Guardian 1973(?)l
Double-check mate by P t6l
1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 d5 3.Kd2 Bc5
4.Nc3 Bg4 5.Qel d4 6.e314 d*ef
[Dom Cyprian Stockford 1989J
Mate by castling t6l l.e4 e5
2.8c4 Bc5 3.8e6 Bxf2f 4.KeZ
page 6
capture) l.c3 f6 2.h4 Kf? 3.Qb3t
Ke6 4.h5t Kh6 s.Qf7 Nc6 6.d4f
95 7.hxg ep* discovering checks
from Bcl and F&l [Dom Cyprian
Stockford The Problemist i 19891
S$ITHETIC GAIUES
Mate moving only Ns,
one
from each wing, each taking BP
and visiting opposite N homebase
f7Y,l 1.Nf3 Na6l 2.Ne5
Nc5
Mate with only Ks and Bs left,
only Ps and Bs moving, only Bs
capturirgo no promotions t20l
1.d4 d6 2.f3 h6 3.Bxh6 Be6
*97 Bxa2 5,Bxh8 f6 6.BxfS
Bxbl 7.Bxe7 Bxc2 I.BxdB Bxdl
3.Nxd7 Ne4 4.NbS Nxf2 5.Nc6
Ne4 6.Nxd8 Nxd2 7.Ne6 Nxbl
4.8
8.N*c7f IGPJ after TRD
9.Bxc7 Bxe2 l0.Bxd6 Bxf3
1 l.BxbB B*g2 ll.Bxa7 Bxhl
CA
19231 Contrast to unconditional
cass (which takes only 5% moves).
Smothered mate impossible as each
takes even number of moves.
N
The conditions take slack out of
choice of moves making it exact,
but given here instead of in $3. I
since exactness is not determined
given the final position only.
,89,,&AE
ft,'ffiti,ffi
16 xii
1916
according to his MS books but did
not publish it until BCM xt 19461
l4.B xb7 Bxh2
15.BxaB B*gl 16.8d5 Bxd4
17.8*98 Bxb2 l8.Bf2 Bxal
Mateo the mated side having
1e.Bc4 BA 20.8fl Bc3$ [CDL
n0 move not even a K-move into
I9l2 reports a solution in 20 by check (Le chechlochl, the fewest
E. N. Frankenstein but does not
pieces remain, all captures by Ps
give the movss. TRD found the
above solution 4 i l9l7 according
to his MS books but did not
publish it until xii 1946 in BCA{I
ry.d,
"%'*
bft"fffi
Mate by Q*Q, both Qs being
promoted KPs t8l 1.e4 d5 2.exd5
Nc6 3.dxc6 e5 4.cxb7 e4 5,Nf3
exf3 6.b*a8^Q f"gZ ?.KeZ gxhln
Q 8.Qe4t Q*e4f IGPJ EP x tesq
Double check mateo QRBN are
captured, Ps promote to QRBN,
and two promoted men give mate
while each is attacked by the two
other promoted men UiYil l-3.f6
e3 4.f"97 e*dZt 5"Kf2 dxBcl^N
6.9"R&8^Q f5 7-8.95 f3 9.g6 f*e2
1O.gxfu7 e*Qd1^B 1 1.hxNg8^R
Be4 12.Rg6 Ne2 l3.Qh5 Nf4
14.Re6$ [GPJ EP x lesU
above solution
t3.Ba6 Bd6
efut-?tut
,ffiffi
for 25 moves. TRD found the
Mate, both players capturing
QRBN and promoting to QRBN
[20] l-4 "a7xb7 d3xc2 5-8.d6xc7
a3xb2 9-l2.g6xh7 f3xe2 l3-16.f6
xe7 g2l L7.bxa8^R bxcl^R l8.cx
d8^B cxbl^B l9.exf8^N gxhl^N
20"hxg8^Q
ix
e*dl^Qf
IGPJ original
capturi*g, no promotions
[241
Black directlv'imitates White up to
the ll mark. l.Nf3 2.e4 3.Nxe5
xfl
Khl zg.Nxff RaeS
30.Nxh8 96 3l.N*96 h4 32.Nxh4
Rgl 33.Ng2 f"g2
ix
34.N*f2t
19981
,'ffi w2
Mate with only Ks and Ns left,
only Ps and Ns moving, only Ns
4.N
28.Nxd8
(mate?) IGPJ original
19981
Hi
and Ns, the mating pieces moYe
minimally but the mated pieces
maximdly, and the same piece
has the first and last rnoYes I33Yrl
l.Nh3 e6 2.e3 Ke? 3.892 Kf6
4.8c6 bxc6 5.Nc3 Ba6 6.Nd5t
cxdS 7.e4 dxe4 8.fi1 Nh6 g.Rfl
Ng4 10.RR exf3 I l.a4 Bfl 12.b4
a6 I 3 .b5 axbS L4 .c4 b x c4 15 .d3
cxd3 16.Qe2 dxeT l7.Ba3 Kf5
18.8d6 cxd6 19.a5 Nf2 20.a6 Ke4
2l.Rai h5 22.Re5 dxe5 23.a7
exfil 24,axb8^N f*93 25.Nxd7
gxhz 26.Nxf$ Kg3 27.Nxe6 Kg2
5.Nxh8 6.g3 7.N*g6
8.NxfS 9.Nxh7 10.NfB 11.Nxd7
12.b3 l3.Nxb6 l4.Nxa8 15.Nb6
16.Nxc8 I7.Nxa7 18"c3 19.Naxc6
20.Nxd8 2l.Ne6 22.Nd2 ll 23.Nd4
Nc5 24.Ne2 Nd3t ICDL sst the
problem in BCM vr 1909, asking
page 7
The position shown was given
by lff. Heidenf$ld BCM lii 1956.
Some reformers argue that
'checklock' should not count as
checkmate but stalemate since the
game must end before the potential
capture of the king can take place.
For firrther examples of games
ending in mate see the exact,
imitative and
games
maximumming
in $3 on Variant Play.
S\NTHETIC GAMES
2.2. STALEMATES
Stalemate f9'Al 1.e3 a5 2.Qh5
3.Qxa5 h5 4.Q xc7 Ra-h6
5.h4 f6 6.Q*d7f Kf7 7.Qxb7 Qd3
8.Qxb8 Qh7 9.Qxc8 Kg6 l0.Qe6[Sam Loyd Le fiphinx x 1S66J
Ra6
An absolute classic! Play is not
quite exact (e.g. 4.h4 ... 5.Qxc7)
Stalemate without capture t12l
In other words, stalemate all 16
men of one colour. This problem
\,vas proposed,
in 16 moves, by
G. Reichelm Brentano'.r Chess
Monthly i 1882. Reduced to 15 by
J. C. J. Wainwright, then to 13 by
W. A. Shinkman before LZ was
reached by C. H. Wheeler Sunny
South 1887 . l.a4 c5 2.d4 d6 3.Qd2
e5 4.Qf4 e4 5.h3 Be7 6.Qh2 Bh4
7.Ra3 Be6 8.R93 Bb3 9.Nd2 QaS
10.d5 e3 11.c4 f5 12.f3 f4 -=
Stnlemate King and I Pawns
[12] Capturing the other officers.
Proposed by J. J. Secker, solved by
M. Caillaud Problemist i 1982.
I.c4 a5 2,Qa4 e5 3,Qc6 dxc6 4.e4
Bb4 5.8d3 Q*d: 6.hlh3 Bxh3 7.a4
Q*bt 8.b3 Q*al 9,c5 Qxclt 10.
Ke2 Q*ht I l.g4 Qf3t 12.Kel 95*
The following, reflections and
rotations thereof, are all possible
final positions for the 8 officers
problem. The last has three pins.
Stalemate of all 8 officers
U3Yrl Captunng the pawlls. This
rvas also proposed by G. Reichelm
Brentano s Chess Monthly i 1882,
but apparenty solutions \,vere not
publishsd until exactly 100 years
later rn The Problemist r 1982:
-WQR not moving: In'//, l.h4
3.Rxh7 Q*gS
4.Rxff Nc6 S.RxdT Ng-e7 6.Rxc7
Qe8 7.Rxb7 Bf5 8.Rxa7 RxaT
95 2.h"95 e5
9.e3 Bh? 10.8e2 Ng6 11.8h5 Rg7
12.d4
Kf? l3.dxe5 Nc-e7 14.Qd7:
[J. J. Seckerl
2.3. PROBLEM FINALES
requirement in these
plry a game leading
to a position for a chess problem
with a given stipulation, such as
The
problems is to
directmate or selfinate.
Alternatives: Black Qh4, Bb4,
Pa5 or Qh4, Ba5. Subsequently 12
move solutions were rediscovered
independently
by S. Loyd, E. N.
Directmate in 1 (i.e. Position
with 1 mating move) tl%1 The
fool's mate less the last move.
not
moving:
l.a4
[D.J. Morgan and J. Franklin
Ll3Yrl
-WKR
b5 2.axb5 e5 3.Rxa? QS5 4.Rxc7
Ra7 5.Rxd7 Nc6 6.Rxff Bf5
7.R*97 Ng-e7 8.Rxh7 BxhT 9.e3
Frankenstein, H. E. Dudeney and
W. H. Thompson, so that the result
has often been misattributed.
Qs8 10.8e2 Ng6 I I.Bhs Rg7
12.d4 Nc-e7 13.dxe5 Kff t4.Qd7[M. CaillaudJ Position as above
(Historical notes from TRD but move aL, aZ to hl, M and add
L'Echiquier 1929 and UT 1933).
WPbi (only WQR captured).
page 8
BCM'Quotes & Queries' 19751
Directmate in 2 |l7rl l.f3 e6
2.h3 for 2...Qh4t 3.93 Q*g3* pure
ITRD UT 1e381
Position with next move forced
UYrl l.e3 f5 2.Qh5t forcing 96
(4 ways) [E.Bonsdorff Sommerlr)sungsturnier 1964J
S\TITI{ETIC GAI\.{ES
in 3 I21 l.e3 f6
for 3.Bxh5f Rxh5
4.Q"h5t 96 5.Q*96$ or l.e3 f6
2.8d3 various for 3.Qh5t 96
4.QlB"g6f h*96 5.QlB*96*
[8. Tomson Chess in Austrslia
Directmate
Z.BIZ h5
Yiilviii/19851
Ilirectrnate in 4 [2'/rl l.d3 d6
2.Kd2 e5 3.Ke3 fur 3...Qg5t
4.Ke4 Nf6t 5.Kf3 QS4t 6,Ke3
Qf4* [rRD {fT le3sl
Perpetuel check lzYrl l.Ft e5
2.Kf2 Qf6 3.Kg3 for QxP$t 4.Kh3
Qh6t 5.Kg3/4 Qf4t 6.Kh3 and so
on {6.Kh5 loses} fSarn Lo3'd Le
Sphtnx x lS66l
Determinate last moye lTYzl
1.c4 d5 2.c5 Kd? 3"c6t similarly
other WPs [E.Bonsdorff Scltsch
und Zahl 19?U Note that a single
movs such
as I,c4 is
not
determinate, since the position
could be reached by, say 1.Nf3
Nf6 2.c4Ng8 3.Ng1.
Directrnnte in 2n non-check key
t3l l.e4 96 z.Nfi Bh6 3.Ne5 95
for 4.Qh5 any 5.Q*fff ICDL
Similar on d-fiIe. [A. J. Souweine
PFCS iv, vi 19331
Directmate in 2, ep k*y, and
pure mates tsl l.e3 f6 2.8d3 95
3.QS4 Kff 4.f4 Kg? 5.f*95 h5
for 6.9*h5eptt KfI/I(xh6 7"tsg6f
/Qe6* tC. D. Locock Reading
xi l9l2l
Directmnte in 2, after 0O tsl
Observer 30
1.d4 96 2.Qd2 Bg7 3.h4 Nh6 4.hs
00 5.Qxh6 Bh8 for 6.h*96
any
7.Q{x}h?f but dual mates Q*h8l
gxh? after some movss" ICDL
Harnpstead Express 21
xii 19127
Directmate in 2, nfter {m0 tsl
1.d4 d5 2.8f1 c5 3.Bxb8 Qasf
4.Qd2 Bd? 5.8e5 000 for 6.Qxaj
b6/else 7.Qa6$/Qc7f
ICDL
xii 19121
[1Yrl l.c4 e5
Hampstead Express 21
Setfmate
in 1
2"Nc3 Ke? 3.Nf3 Kd6 4.Nd4 Qh4
for 6...Q*e4f
7.N*e4* pure ICDL BCM v 19091
5.e4 Ne7 6.Ke2
2I xii lgl2!
Tr*pped King t3l This means
Hampstead Express
K is unable to move and cannot be
given a flight by a movs of one of
his msn. I,Na3 e6 2.Nc4
Qh4
3.Ne3 Bb4 IGFJ c. le80J
Directmate in 2, ep key [4J Le4
d6 2.8c4 Nc6 3.e5 KdT 4.Qe4t f5
Position with
I
mating moves
F'/rl l.e3 e5 Z.KIZ Nc6 3.Kd3/
Kf3 Qes 4.Ke4 Qh4t 5.Kf5 f6
6.e4 and mates b)r 96, d6, d5, Nd4,
Nc-e7, Ng-e7, hlh6, Qfit, QSs
[solvers of the above Souweine
problem PFC-S vi 1933J
Position with 1.5 mating moYes
t6l 1.e3 f6 2.a4 Kf7 3.a5 Ke6
4.Ra4 Ke5 5"8c4 Ke4 6.Qh5 Nh6
and mates by d3, f3, Nc3, Qds and
for
5.e*f
S...KeB
spt
5.
".e6 6.Q*ef* or
fI$ tC. D.
Reading Obsewer 30
xi
Locock
1912J
Position with 7 mating moves
I4t6il I.e4 e6 2.Ke2 BcS 3.Kf3 Qe?
4.Kf21 Be3t 5.Ke5 and mates by
Qc5, Qd6, Qf6, Qg5, Nc6, d6, f6.
l1 B moves. tC. D. Locock and
T. R. Dawson Problemist w 19261
Selfmate in 2 [6'/'l I.f3 e6
Z.I<fZ Ke? 3.Kg3 Kf6 4.Kfit Ke6
5.Ke5 Qe7 6.Qel Nf6 7.Qh4 for
7...Qc5f 8.Kf)l QeSt 9.Q*g5*
[C. D. Locock tn UT 193SJ
page 9
Determinate last move, not
check or mate I6Yrl A solution
using fer,vest men is: I "a3 then W
interchanges KN and KR r,r,{rile
BNs come to aZ and c3 to shut in
QR and QN, ending ?.Ng3-hl.
[The existence of solutions was
first shown by K.Fabel, V.Ropke
and T.Siers Die Schwsf&e
xii
1934
and v 1936. Ths solutions l\'ere
counted as 17158 by J.Himbsrg
Helsingin knomaf 22x l96U
Selfmate in l, double check
mate t7l I,c4 d6 2.e3 Kd? 3.g3
Ke6 4 Qe4f Ke5 5.Ke2 Nc6 6.b3
b6 7.Kf3 Bb? for 8.Bb2f Nd4* or
1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 d6 3,Qd5 dxe5
4.Kd? b6 5.Kd3 Nd? 6.8e3 Ke?
7.Nc3 Bb? for S.Q*eSf N*e5*
tC. D. Locock and D. Pritchard
BCM ii, iv 19431
Selfmate in 2, Pawn mate t?l
l"c3 e6 2.b3 Ne? 3.e3 Ng6 4.8b5
Ke? 5.Ke2 Kf6 6.Kd3 Kfs 7.Kc4
f6 for 8.Qh5t Ke4 g.Qdst e*d5l
or 1.e3 f6 24.Kg4 Kh6 5.K&4 QeS
6.Qf3 Qf/ 7.93 d6 for I.Qf4f
g5/Kg6 g.Q{x)g5t f*gS* ICDL
and J. A. Lew.is, BCM ii, iv 19421
Selfmate in 2, Bishop mate t7l
l,fil h6 2.Nf3 h5 3"Kf2 d6 4.c3
Kd? 5.Kg3 h4t 6.Kg4 Ke6 7.Qa4
Bd? for 8.Qe4f Kf6t 9,Qf5t
B*f5* ICDL BCM iii, vi 19421
Selfmate in 3 [?J l.d3 e6 Z.fit f6
3.h3 96 4.Qd2 Kf/ 5,Kf2 Ke?
6.Kg3 Kh6 7.Kh4 Bg7 for S.fSt
gst e.Q*s5f f"g5t
l0.B*ssf
Q*sS* [TRD UT te3sl
Selfmate in 4 ITYrl I "e4 d6 2.e5
f5 3.g3 hf 4.f3 Kff s.KfZ Kg6
6.Iq2 Khs 7.Kh3 Qd7 8.892 for
8 ..f4f e.ed Q*e6t l0.gat Q*g4f
t 1.f*g4t B*g4f lz.Q*g4f ITRD
Ulttmate Themes 19381
Selfmate in 3o double check [S]
l.e4 e5 2"f4 d5 3.Nfi Nd? 4.f5
QSs 5.Kf2 Qx d}t 6.Kg3 Ke7
7.f5f Ke6 8.Kga Qn for 9.Q"d5t
Kxf6 l0.Bg5t Kg6 I 1.N*e5t
hixes$ [proposed CDL 8.Yz, solved
E. H. Shaw 8, BCM x, xii 19421
S}NTI{ETIC GAIvTES
2"4. MULTIPLE P$141519
Here we consider a distinctive
group
of
problems involving
playing a shortest garne to leave a
gtven number of pawns of the sams
colour on the same file. Some
results ars listed by S. I. Rubin
Journal of Recreafional Mstltemafics vol.l0 t1977 - 78) issue 4,
pp.285-6 and issue 5, pp.3 l2-3,
Also salves selfinate in 2 with
double check in [9], improvable?
Directmate in 2n ep key and
four llight squares fsr K t?l "this
can be done ... but with impure
mates" [C" D. Locock 1926]
Directmate in 4, reached by
'natural' play [l2] Le4 e5 2.Nf3
Nf6 3.8c4 Nxe4 a.Qe2 Nxf2
5.Kxf2 Bc5f 6,d4 Bb6 7.Nc3 d6
8.ReI Kf8 9.Qd3 exd4 l0.Ne4 d5
I I,Bxds Qxds 12.Qa3t KgS
but without actual movs ssqusnces.
Doubled Pawns UYrl l.e4 d5
2.e nd5 and similar to leave
doubled pawns on any file" 14
ways. tS. J. Rubin 19771
Two-fold Doubled Pawns [Tt/rl
sams colour. l.e4 d5 Z.exdJ Bh3
3.gxh3 opposite: 1.e4 d5 2"8a6
b*ad 3.e*d5 IGPJ I i 1980]
Rubin gives minima on other
files: e 17, d lTYz, f 13, bg lsYr.
The ah cases require 37 moves.
Septupled Pawns [.l6t/zl This
can be achieved
'momentarily'
before the seventh pawn promotes,
and only on the d and e files.
[S.J.Rubin 19771
2-fold 6-tupled Pawns [3 I Yrl
Trebled Pawns t3l l.e4 d5
2.8c4 dxe4 3.8e6 fxe6 (7 u'ays), l.ga b5 2.a4 h5 3.axb5 h*94 4.b3
c. d, e files only. [E. Bonsdorff 96 5.8a3 Bh6 6.8d6 Be3 7.fxe3
cxd6 8"Ra4 Rh5 9.RfiX Rc5 10.b4
Helsingin Sanomat 6 iii 1960I
Three-fold Doubled Pawns 95 I l.bxcS gxfi1 l2-16.h8^B al^B
fSYrl 1.e4 d5 2.Bia6 Bh3 3.9*h3 17.8e5 Bd4 18.exd4 dxe5 l9.F&3
bxa6 4.exd5 [E" Bonsdorff Ra3 20.Re3 Rd3 2l.Nf3 Nc6
22.bxc6 gxf3 23.8h3 fxe3 24"8e6
Helsingirc Sanornat 6 iii 1960J
dxe6
25.exd3 Qd6 26.Nc3 Nf6
Fourfold Doubled Pawns I4Yrl
27.Ne4
Nd5 28.c4 f5 29"Qe2 Bd7
l"d4 e5 2.8h6 Ba3 3.dxe5 gxhf
4.Qd6 cxd6 5.bxa3 [E, Bonsdorff 30,cxds fxe4 3l.c*d6 fxe2
32.c*d7f IGPI Problemist i 19821
Helsingin Sanomat 6 iii 19601
Quadrupled Pnwns tl'Al Lc4
d5 2.f4 e5 3.cxd5 Bd6 4.fxe5 Bfs
5.exd6 Bd3 6.exd3 in d, s files
only IGPI 1981J For fourfold
quadrupled pawns see the 'New
Kings' section.
Quintupled Pawns tgl 1.e4 d5
,,ffi,rffi
and White mates in 4 by 13.Nf6t
gxfs l4.Qf8t KxfB 15.Bh6f Ke8
16.Re8$ The position shown here,
from New York Clipper c.188$,
was quoted lrr'CA x 1918 as a mate
in 4 by P" Richardson, but is
evidently based on a position frorn
actual play. D. C. Blake in CA i
1919 reconstructed the game, a
Petroff Defence" as
above.
resernbles that of a
'Natural play'
combative game of chess, not
hating self-evident help-play, but
is difficult to define explicitly.
I rnention it as an idea for further
exploration.
ru:ffi'M
2.d3 c5 3.895 c4 4.8f6 cxd3
5.Qg4 dxe4 6.Qe6 fxe6 ?.Nf3
gxf6
8.Ne5 fxeS 9.8e2 dxe2 in
e-file only [GPJ 198 U
Sextupled Pawns ILLYII La4 b5
2.b4 e5 3.fil Bc5 4.fxe5 d6 5.exd6
Nc6 6.dxc7 Qd3 7.axb5 Be6
8.bxc6 Bc4 9.bxc5 Nf6 l0.exd3
Ne4 I 1.dxc4 Nc3 l2.dxc3, c-onl,v.
tS. J. Rubin 1977 states that
llYz is the minimum and that it can
be achieved only on the c-fiIs, but
does not grve the moves, rlnhich are
from GPJ Problemist i l9S2.l
page 10
The six pawns of each colour
each play at least 12 moves
including 9 captures, which
account for all &e other men. The
Black aP and White hP must
promote to gst into position to be
captured, taking 6 moves each" To
gst the other men into position to
be captured takes Black 12 moves
and \ilhite 13, the extra move
arising because the WQ cannot
SY].{T}{ETIC GAhIES
reach e3 in one move, whereas the
2.5. KINGS AND PAWNS
BQ can reach d6 in one. This
Particularly popular of this type
difference is neede{ since White ars synthetic games leading to
must have the last movs, checking positions in which the men {2Ks
the Black king. This gives a and l6Ps) delineate tlrc initials of
minimum of 3 0Y, pairs of moves to some dedicatee. The pawns are
reach the diagram position, but a usually arranged so that seven
further pair must be lost ow.ing to
inter rences (men gefting in each
other's way).
Z-fold 6-tupled Pawns, without
check [32] l.h4 95 2.tuxg5 a5 3.b4
axb4 4.Nf3 Ra3 5.Rh4 Re3 6.dxe3
h5 7.Qd6 exd6 8.Rd4 h4 9.Ne5 h3
10.94 tfi I 1.892 hl^B 12.8c6
bxc6 13.a4 Ba6 14.a5 Bd3
captures by pa\rrls on each side are
implied. If not, the other missing
12.Nb5
c*b5 l3.cxb4
bxa6
l4.bxa5 Bb? ls.Bf?[ Bd5 l6.Qd3
Bb3 I7.cxb3 Ba3 lS.bxa3 000
l9,Ra-clf Kb? 20.Rc6 dxc6
2l .Qf5 Rd4 22.Rel Ra4 23.Kh3
exfll 24.Re6 gxf5 25.Rf6 gxf6
26.bxa4" ITRD Pittsburgh Lesder
13
iv 19131
officers ars captured by Ks or by
other officers before themselves
being taken. Two 15P cases arc
also included.
2K+16P [13'/rl mirrored play up
to ll mark: l.e4 2,d3 3.Qe4 4.Ke2
5.Qxc8 6.Qxb$ 7.Qxa$ 8.Kdz
l5.cxd3 Be4 16.dxe4 f6 17 .a6 e.Qxffi 10.Q*g8 l1.Qxh8 ll
fxe5 18.a7 exd4 19.a8^Q Qe? 12.Qe8f KxeS l3.Ke2 Qelt
20.Qa5 Qe6 2l.Qd5 cxdS 22.f4 l4.Kxel IGPJ 15 i 199U
Nf6 23.gxf$ Be7 24.fxe7 Rhs
2K+16P at horne [l 8] mirrored
25.Ra3 Rfs 26"exff Nc6 27.fxe6
Ne5 28.fxe5 c5 29.Kdl c4 30.Rd3
cxd3 3l.Nc3 bxc3 32.BdZ c*dZ
tG. Lauinger and W. Frangen
pla)' l.Nh3 2.Nf4 3.Ng6 4.Nxh8
feenschach vii, x 19771
Stalemate with 6-tupled pawns
in h-file I37%l l.a4 b5 2.axb5 a5
3.Ra4 Nc6 4.Rg4 a4 5.bxc6 a3
6.d4 aZ 7.d5 al^N S.d6 cxd6 9.c7
Nb3 l0.cxd8^N Nc5 I l.Ne6 dxe6
12.e4 Kd7 13.8d3 Kc6 14.e5 dxe5
15.Bf5 exf5 15.f:1 exfll 17.h4 f"g4
18.93 f*93 19.Nh3 gxh3 2A.Rh2
gxhz 21.Nd2 Kd5 22.Nf3t Ke4
23.8h6 gxh6 24.b4 Kf+ 25.bxc5
Ke3 26.c6 Bd7 27.cxd7 Re8 28.dx
e8^N KeZ 29"Nf6 exf6 30.Ng5
f*95 31.c4 gxh4 32.c5 Bd6 33.cx
d6 Ne7 34.dxe7 RfB 35.exf8^N
Khl 36.Ng6 f*96 37.Qh5 gxhs
38.Kfl 12: [GPJ original ix 19981
destinations of W men (cf $3.5):
cl l7.Kdl l8.Kel [GPJ 5 i 19s01
5.Ng6 6.NxfS 7.Ne6 8.Nxd8
9.Na3 t0.Nc4 11.Nb6 l2.NxaB
13.Nb6 l4.Nxc8 15.Kxdl 16.Kx
2K+16P spelling JCJW [241
l.Nf3 Nh6 2.Ne5 Nfs 3.Na3 Ne3
4.h*93 96 5.d3 Bh6 6.8e3 Bxe3
7.fxe3 f6 8.b4 fxe5 9.Nc4 00
10.Rbl Rf3 I l.gxfl d6 12.Rh3
Bxh3 l3.Nb6 Bxfl l4.Kxfl h6
15.Kg2 Kh7 l6.Kh3 Qe8 17.Rb3
Q*b: 18.axb3 Nc6 19.Qd2 Nd4
20.exd4 RfB 2I .Qfi+ Rxfll }Z.gxfif
a5 23.Kh4 g5t 24.1<h5 cxb6. for
J. C. J. Wainwright [T.R. Dar,vson
Pittsburgh Leader 13 w 19l3l
2K + 15P in Pyrarnid enclosing
BK [26] 1.e4 e5 7.f4 hs
3.Qg4
h"g4 4.Nf3 gxf3 5.g4 d5 6.Kf2 c5
7.Kg3 b5 8"d4 95 Lfs Kd? l0.Bfil
Kd6 I 1.Nd2 dxe4 12.h3 Kd5
l3.Nc4 e3 l4.Rdl Ke4 15.d5 bxc4
16.Rd4t cxd4 l7.Bd3f cxd3
18.c4 Bb4 lg.Rbl Bc3 20.bxc3
Be6 2l.RxbB Qb6 22.Rxa8 Nh6
23.Rxh8 a6 24.Rxh6
25.Rxe6
Qb3
fxe6 26.axb3 g*f?tf
ITRD Chess Amsteur
19141
,
a
K,ffi,ffiffi
ffiffi'^ryffi
;%/t-'" ''///j"-""2
2K+16P spelling PL l2.sYrl
1.hlf3 Nf6 2.Nh4 Nds 3.Ng6 Nc3
4.dxc3 h*96 5.Na3 Rh3 6.Kd2
Rf3 7.exf3 c6 8.Ke3 Na6 g.Kf:$
est l0.Kg3 Nb4 I 1.8a6 Qa5
page I I
2K+16P Mate, spelling MC
[2t1 I.c4 c5 2.Qb3 Qa5 3.Qb6
Qbs 4.Nfi d5 5.Ng5 Be4 6.h3 Bfi
7.a3
h6 8.b4 96 9.Nc3 Bg?
l0.Nc-e4 Bc3 1l.dxc3 Nf6 l2.Bf4
e5 13.000 Ng4 14.Kc2 f5 15.Kb3
Ke7 16.cxb5 axb6 l7.exfJ Ra5
18.8c4 Na6 l9.Rh-e I h*g5
20.Re3 Rh5 2l .bxa5 d*c4t
22.Ka4 fxe4 23.Rd6 gxf4 24.Rc6
b xc6 25 .fxg4 Kf6 26.gxh5 fxe3
SYNTHETIC GAIUES
27.bxa6 b5* Not a convincing M,
but this example is of
interest
because of the mate finale which is
unusual in these letter problems.
ICDL 70 fuIore Chess Problems
and Puzzles 1926. The book is
dedicated to 'M.S.C.'l
dxc4 20.I(94 Qd3 2 t.Khs Nd4
RdB l6"Ne4 dxe4 17.c4 Rd3
ZZ.exfi[ fxe5 23,Kh6 Kd6 Z4.cxdJ
NR 25.8b4 cxb4 26.Kxh7 Kc5
27.Y.98 Kd4 28.9xfi c5 29,KfB ffi
18.8d6 Kd? 19.c5 Kc6 20.c*b6t
Kbs 2t.Rc6 cxd6 ZZ.f"gS Kb4
23.dxe3 Ka3 24.b4 Rb3 25"Kd2
Nh6 26"8b5 a6 27.axb3 bxc6
28.Kc3 fxe6 29.Kc4 Kb2 30.gxtu6
a*b5$ Mate alvay from the board
edge this tirne ICDL CA i 1926]
ffRD
Pittsburgh Leader 13 iv
1913 version, probably for the US
problemist Murray MarbleJ
,
v
2K+16P in two 3x3 squares,
with black and white alternating
fT7r6l l.e4 d5 2.8c4 Bf5 3,exf5
dxc4 4.94 Qds 5.b3 Q*hl 6.Qf3
96 7.8b2 BS7 8.a4 h5 9.Na3 Nh6
10.000 00 I l.g5 b5 lz.Qxa8 b4
l3.Qxb8 Q*gl 14.f6 c3 15.h4 a5
l6.f:1 c5 17.f5 c4 18.d3 ed 19.Kbl
Kh7 20,f*g? cxb2 2l.gxh6 b*a3
22.f6 c3 23.Rfl Rc8 24.Qb4 Qes
2K+16P in V formation, WP
above BP in each file, Ks in
corner$ [30] 1.e3 f5 2.QS4 f*94
3.Ke? e5 4.Nfi g*f3t 5.Kd3 hs
6.e4 d5 7.e5 Nh6 8.gxh6 g5 9.h4
out by Cedric Lytton.l
moves but solved by the composer
in 30 sying 'Yictory is brougtrt
two moves sooner".J
2K+16P spelling
D [30] l.g3
Na6 2.BgZ Nc5 3.8c6 Nd3t
4.cxd3 bxc6 5.Nf3 Ba6 6.Nc3
QbB 7.Nd5 Qb3 8"axb3 Bc4 9.Ra6
94 10.a4 Qe5 t 1.Na3 Bxa3 h5 l0,Rb6 axb6 l1"bxc4 Ra3
12.8e2 fxe2 13.b4 a5 14"b5 Ra6 12.00 Rc3 l3.bxc3 h4 l4.Ba3 h3
15.bxa6 b5 16.Rh3 b4 1,7.f4 s4f l5.Bc5 Rh4 16.Ne5 Re4 17.Nf6f
18.Kd4 00 19.Kc5 Ncd 20.Kxc6 gxf6 l8.dxe4 Bh6 l9.Qc2 8fi1
BdTt 21.Kb7 c5 22.d3 s4 23"Bdz 20.9xfi[ Nh6 2l.Rcl Nff 22"Qd3
25.hxg5 axb4 26.Rf5 Rc4 27.dxs4 c3 24.Rxa3 cxd2 25.c4 d4 26.Rc3 fxe5 23.exff s4 24.f3 exd3 25.Kfl
exf5 28.KaZ [Chris Gddings dxc3 27.Rf3 Bbs 28.axb5 exf3 bxcS ?6.Ke I f6 27.Kd1 KdS
Chess in Australia 1987 gays & 29.h*g5 Ra8 30.Kxa8 KhS 28.Rc2 Kc8 29.Kcl dxcZ 30.Kb2
solution in 2S moves; that one [T.R.Dawson Fairy Chess Review Kb7 ffRD Pittsburgh Leader 13
move could bs saved was pointed x 1943, the position was set for 31 iv 1913J almost a 4x6 rectangle
t
"ffi,, m,i,'6.ffir,i
ffi#"#w
2K+16P spelling
2K + LsP, spelling llIM {or
one large
M) [29] l.Nc3 a6 2.Nb5
axb5 3.Nf3 Ra3 4.d3 Rb3 5"axb3
Nf6 6.R46 Ne4 7.Rf6 gxfS 8.dxe4
Rg8 9.Qd6 RS3 l0.h*93 exd6
1l"Rhs Bh6 12.Rc5 dxc5 13.Ne5
di 14"8d2 Bf5 15.exf5 Ke? 16.e4
Nc6 17.Klez Bf:l 18,Kf3 bd lg.Bc4
JK t3U 1.d4
e5 2.Na3 b5 3.Nc4 Bb7 4.8d2 Bc5
2K+16P Maten spelling FN
[30] I.Nc3 dS 2.b3 Bfs 3.8a3 Nd?
4.Rcl hlb6 5.e4 e5 6.fi1 Bc5 7.Q94
Be3 8"Ng-e2 h5 9.h4 95 l0.Nd4
h*g4 I l.Rh3 gxh3 lZ.ga
Rhs
l3.gxtuJ 94 14.Ne6 Qes l5.exfJ
pags
L2
5.8b4 Bf3 6.gxfJ a5 7.dxc5 axb4
8.Qd5 95 e.000 h5 l0"Kb1 Ra3
11.Kal Rh6 12.Rcl Rb6 13.Qe6t
dxe6 l4.cxb6 Re3 l5.fxe3 Qd4
16.exd4 Nf6 17.e3 Ne4 18.fxe4
KfB 19.a3 b*c4 20.Ka,2 c6 21.8d3
cxd3 27.c4 f5 23.Kb3 fi{ 24.Ne2
SYNTFIETIC GAN{ES
h4 25.Rc3 bxc3 26,Rgl
d*e2
27.R93 h*93 28.Kb4 Kg? 29.Kc5
Na6f 30.Kd6 Nc5 3l.dxc5 Kh6
[TRn Norwich Mercury 18 xii
l9l2 (version 16 ix 1946) for John
Keeble, chess editor of NW; the
stipulation specified that the WK
plays to alJ
2K+16P, obliquely symmetrir,
2.6 OTI{ERPATTERN PLAY
Leave lone K + nll 16 of the
other side at home [5Y?] LNc3
d5 2.Nxd5 96 3.Nxe/ b5 4.hl*g6
Nxb5 Ra3 ls.NxsJ Kh4 l6.Nxbl
[The position with 16 white men
was given by Sam Loy{ American
Chess ila/s 1868, as a problem
with the stipulation: Add BK for
mate in 3. H. E. Dudeney proposed
finding the shortest gams to this
position and gave a solution in
l6Yr. W. H. Thompson BCM xii
1933 reduced this to 15'Al
Without the condition that the
knight never entcrs any cell twice
we have $n alternative path:
8...Qd4 9.Nxd4 c6AIc6 l0.Nxc6
captured piece [38] castling is
counted as & king move t.f:l h5
2.f5 h4 3.e4 h3 4.g3 95 5 "BgZ
h"g2 6"h4 94 7,h5 f6 8.Rh4 d6
9.Nh3 gxh3 10.d4 h2 I l.Bg5 f*95
12.e5 gxh4 13.94 h3 14.95 Nf6
15.exffi e5 16"c3 c5 17.b4 c4
18,a4 b5 19.a5 Qb6 20.axb6 a5
xa? Nc6/c6 12.Nxc6
Ra7 l3.hl x*7 b5 l4.Nxb5 Ba3
15.Nxa3 Nbl l6.Nxgl.
8Ps round opposite N |l6t/rl
Nc3
21,d5 a4 22.Qs2 Ras 23.bxa5 b4
00 33.KbZ RfT 34.exflf
KhT
35.g6t Kh6 36.Rd4 exd4 37.Ka3
dxc3 38.97 b2 [GPJ original l99SJ
1.Nc3 d5 z.NxdJ Nf6 3.NIeJ ReS
4"N*98 h6 5.Nxh6 Ne4/I.{d5
6.N"f? 95 7.N*95 Be6 S.Nxe6
a6 5.Nxh8 Bd? 6.Nxff Qes BcS 9.Nxc5 Na6 l0.Nxa6 QbS
7.N*95 Nf6 8.Nxh7 Ne4 g.hlxfg I l.Nxb8 c6 l2.Nxc6 Nc3 13.
Nc3 10. NxdT Nbl I l.Nxb8 Kf? N*a? b5 14. Nxb5 Ra3 15.Nxa3
l2.Nxa6 Kg6 l3.Nxs? Khs L4. Nbl l6.Nxbl IGPJ original l99S]
reached by a single move of esch
24.b7 b3 25,a6 Be6 26.dxe6 d5
27.aT Bb4 28,cxb4 d4 29.Nc3 d3
30.000 d"f2 31.b5 Na6 32.bxa6
(c) fewest men taken at homq
WN not entering any cell twice
The
BK can be left on any of the
40 unguarded vacant squars$"
seems
be an unstated
convention in thess constructions
It
to
that the knight nevsr visits a cell
twice (apart from its home square).
So]utions rvith pnmovpd_ BK
{a} using WQN I.Na3
I 1.N
Single series play: l.c4 d5 2"cxd5
e6 3.dxe6 b6 (a tempo may" be
wasted) 4,d4 b5 5.e4 b4 6.fil b3
7.e4 f5 8.9"f5 Ba6 9,axb3 Bc4
10.bxc4 Qds I l,cxflJ Bd6 12.h4
95 l3.h*95 Nf6 l4.gxf6 c5 15.b4
Nc6 16.bxc5 NeS l?,cxdd IGPJ
Yariant Chess l99U
b5
2.Nxb5 Nc6 3.Nxa7 Nd4 4.NxcB
I--lbs 5.N xe7 Ra3 6.N*g8 h6
7"Nxh6 96 8.Nxfl Nc3 9.N"h8
Qe7 l0,N*96 c5 I l.NxfS Qe4
12.Nxd7
Nbl
l4.Nxe4 Na3
13.Nxc5 Rc3
15.Nxc3 Nbl
16.Nxbl [J. Akenhead, BCM
tb)
Although this position is centrosyrnmetric the play is not because
of the conflicting syrnmetry of Qs
and Ks, and hence castling, in the
opuring position. (This last*minute
addition may be improvabe)
19461
using WKN l.l.{h3
95
2"Nxg5 c6 3.Nxh7 f5 4.Nxfg Nf6
5.Nxd7 Nhs d.Nxb8 Nfil 7.Nxc6
Nh3 8.Nxa7 Rh4 9.Nxc8 b6
l0.Nxb6 Qd5 I l.Nx{J Ra3
12.Nxe7
t4.Nxh4
Rb3 l3.Nxff
Rf3 lS.NxfJ
Rg3
Nel
16.N*g1 [I. Akenhead BCM 19461
pags 13
I
\ilPs require l0
captures to
surround d4, e4 {14 moves}, d5, e5
{17 movss}, d6, e6 (24 moves} and
14 captures for s5, f5 (19 moves),
c6, f6 (25 moves). Other positions
ars illegal either since h2 or az
SYNTHETIC GAL{ES
pawn cannot get into position., or
in the b6, 96 case the number of
captures (20) is excessive.
Ks fL, f8:
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Q*dS
3.Qh5 Q*az 4.Qxh7 Q*bt
5.Q *97 Rxh2 6.Rxa? Rng2
8Ps round opposite a U7l 7.Rxb7 R*gl B.RxcT e*bZ
Quick-cap play: I.b4 hS Z.bS 95 9.Rxc8f Kd7 l0.RxbB RxbB
3.Nc3 f5 4.Na4 e5 i.BbZ d5 6.b6 I l.B
"bZ Rxb2 lZ.R*gl Rxc2
axbS 7.Nc5 bxc5 S.Qbl b5 9.8d4 13.Qxf7 Rxd2 l4.Q*e7f KxeT
cxd4 10.e3 dxe3 I l.ga h*g4 tl.f4 15.R*98 Rxf2 l6.Rxf8 R*flf
gxfil 13.Nf3 gxf3 14.c4 bxc4 l7.Kxfl KxfB [Sam Loyd Nokkur
15.Qe4 c5 16.d4 c5 xd4 t?.8d3 Slralcdaemi og Tffiok 1901. Also
cxd3 [GPJ Yariant Chess lgg4
Oscar Bilgrarn 1S951
c.
Other solutions: H. E. Dudeney
1918, Ks n2, d7; K. Fabel Die
Schpalbe 1935,
T:
%ffiWu
K
b5 l2.Bc4 bxc4 l3.Rd1 b5
l4.Rd3 c*d3 15.Nc4 bxc4 l6.Kf2
Ba6 17.a4 Bb5 l8.axb5 Nad
19.b4 Nc5 20.bxc5 Qa8 Zt.b6
Qds 22.c3 c6 23.f5 s6 24.fG Kf5
25.Kg3 Ke6 26.Nf3 exf3 2T.Rh4
I I "fit
h5 2S.Rg4 h*g4 29.Kf4 BS?
30.f*97 Ne7 3l.dxe7 RcB 32.93
Rc? 33"b xc7 (threat Qfdf) ef5*
That either player oan mate
ensures the 2 pieces must be Qs.
Ks fZ, fB;
E. Schildberg Die Schwalbe 1936,
Ks e2, f8; fl , e7; f2, e7 .
Most
this data
from
T. R. Dawson l'Echiquier I9?9
and Ultimate Themes 1938.
Interchange Ks & interchange
of
is
Qs, moving only one pawn of
Similar
to W?s, BBPs can
surround cells d3-5, e3-5 with l0
capfures and e3-4, f3-4 with 14
captures. Other positions illegal.
Kings only tlTl 'Kilkenny Cats'
There are 30 captures to be made,
15 by each side. In the opening
position neither player can capture
on his first movo; thus the gilme
must be of length at least 16. If we
each sideo no captures [20Yzl See
tlre Reversible Parrms section for a
longer version in which all the men PART 3
except Ks and Qs return to rheir VARIANT PLAY
These gimes use orthodox men
origlnal positions.
8Ps blocking
N doubled [25%] and rules but u'ith
'Two-Ring Circus'. t.b4 b5 Z.Bbz
Bb7 3.8d4 Bds 4.8b6 Bb3 5.h4 e5
6.Nfi Qe5 7.h*95 e4 8.R&4 exf3
9.e4 h5 10.ei Rh6 I l.Rg4 Bc5
l2.Qe2 Rd6 l3.Qc4 Nf6 l4.Bd3
try to play a game entirely of h*94 15.exf6
96 16.93 bxc4
captures apart from the first two
l].bxc5
c*d3
l8.cxd6 axb6
moves we find that we cannot get
l9.axb3 Ras 20.Ra4 Rc5 2l.Rc4
beyomd trvo captures (e.g. l.d4 h6
b5 22.b4 bxc4 23.bxc5 Nc6
2.Bxh6 Rxh6 or l"b4 a5 Z.bxa5
24.Nc3 Ne5 25.Ne4 c6 26.ci tGpJ
Rxa5) so there must be at least one
Variant Chess 199U See the
more non-capture move' makurg
Imitative Games $3 .2 for diagram.
the length l6Yz. It seems another
16Ps, alternately black and
non-capfure move is necsssary,
whiteo form n 'boxing ring'
since the best achieved is 17 .
enclosing zKs nnd 2 other pieces
Ks e2, e7: 1.c4 d5 2.cxd5 Q*dS
and either player to moye could
3.Qc2 Q*g2 4.Q*c7 Q*gl give the knockout
blow [32%l
5.Qxb7 Q*hZ 6.Qxb8 Aej
play
cap
is possible, and
7.Q*c$f RxcB 8.Rxh7 Q"bZ Quickspecifying that Ks viFil a common
9.Rxh8 Q*a2 l0.R*gt e*d2f
s,quAre ensures that the slack is
I l.Kxd2 Rxct 12.R*gT Rxbt
taken up in extra movss by one of
l3,Rxf7 Rxfl l4.Rxf8f K*fg the Ks.
l.d4 e5 2.d5 e4 3.8e3 Ke?
l5.Rxa7 Rxf2 l6.RxeT R*e2t 4.8b6
axb6 5.h4 Ras 6.d6t Ke6
l7.Kxe2 KxeT lSarn Loyd New
7.Na3 RS5 8.h*95 Kf5 9.Qd4 Kfit
York Clipper t 895J
(the conunon square) 10.e3f Kg4
checkmate or stalemate. The final
position beins perfectly orthodox,
except possibly unreachable frorn
the normal opening position"
3.I EXACT PLAY
The idea is to play a gime to the
stated ainl such that there is only
one way
of reaching the final
position in fewest moves. This ciur
be seen as a type of Problem Finale
game, the stipulation of the final
position being 'Play the shortest
to this position'. An exact
giune usually needs moro moves to
accomplish than an ine:ract game
game
with the same aim.
Mate [2'Al I.e3/4 e5 2.
Qhs
Ke7 3.Q*e5f [GPI EP I9SU
Loss of R by each colour ISrAl
l.a4 b5 2.axb5 a6 3.Rxa6 Rxaf
4.bxa6 [E.Bonsdorff Helsingin
Sanomat 7
page 14
various
conditions on play, which however
are not radical enough to affect the
interpretation of what is or is not
ix
I9601
SIT{THETIC GAMES
Edge Mirror Mate t4l I.f3
5 Z.Kn Qf6 3.Kg3 Qxf3t
e6f
4.Kh4 Be7$ pure and
exact
[quoted by Leonard Barden rn The
Guardian cbca 1973(?) and sent to
me by Cyprian Stockford.l
Capture all Ps of one colour, t$
Mate by promoted knighto
replacing captured knight lTYrl symmetric position Ks reflect Qs
1.f:t e5 2.f5 Bc5 3.f6 B*gl 4.c*97 ll{ l.h4 95 2.h*95 Na6 3.Rxh7
BxM 5.Kf2 Ne7 6.Ke3 RfB Bh6 4.RxfI B*95 S.Rxe?f KfB
7.g8^N d6 8.Nf6$ pure mate 6.Rxd7 Ke8 7.Rxc7 Be6 8.Rxb7
[C.M. Fox Prohlemist Fairy Bxa2 9"Rxa7 Bc4 l0.Rh7 Bb5
I I.F&l Nh6 (interesting that it
Chess Supplement ii 19331
dres not work the other $'ay round
1.a4...) [Peter Wong Chess in
Australia ttr, iv 19891
InterchnngeK&aofeach
colour, cdef pawns
unmoved,
losing
each side
two officers UzI
l.b3 96 z,BbZ Nf6 3.BxfS Bg7
Mate by P t4l l.d4 c6 z.K:dz
Qasf 3.Kd3 Qa3t 4.Kc4 d5/b5f
pure IGPI EP 1981]
Both castle t4l l.e3 ed 2.8d3
(or 04, b5, a6) Bd6 (or c5 , b4, a3)
3.Ne2 Ne7 4.00 00 [GPJ 19851
Every otficer rnoves [9] 1.e4 e5
2.8b5 Qh4 3.d3 Nf6 4.895 Bb4t
5.Nd2 00 6.Qh5 d6 7.000 Bg4
S.Nh3 Nbd? 9.Rhel RacS GPJ
Problemist xr 19851
Both
castleo opposite sides
[4Y,1 I.d4 e6 2.8h6 Nxh6 3.Qd3
Bb4t 4.Nd2 o0 5.000 IGPI lee8l
Mate by RxR !4'/rl 1.h4 95
2.h*95 Bh6 3.Rxh6 Nf6 4.Rxh7
Nd5Ne4 5.Rxh8f tM. Dukic in a
The next few slnthetic garnes,
particularly the trvo by C. M. Fox,
begin to encroach on the field I call
'analytic games'. The fact that the
final position is rsachcd in the
fewest moves is used in these to
provs that the lnight or bishop is
same
colour U3t/rl I.a4 h5 2.R43 Fft6
3.Rd3 Rb6 4.Rxd7 c6 5.Rxb7 Bga
6.h3 Nd7 7 .h"94 N7f6 8.Rh3 Qd7
9"Ra3 000 10.Ral Qe8 I 1.R*e7
14,..8h2 15.93, also ex&ct, were
in the original) [A.Frolkin
Problemistv 1985.1
For further examples consult
Shortest Proof Games by G. Wilts
added
vi 1984J
Both castle Q-side !5'/rl l.d4
d5 2"Qd3 Bh3 3.Qxh3 Qdf 4.8e3
h3 5.Kf2 trz 6.Qel hl^N* IGPJ
original ix 19981.
Mate by pr$moted bishop t6l
l.e4 d6! Z.Qga d5 3.f3 dxe4 4.Kn
e3t 5.Kg3 e2 6.Qf4 el"B$ [GPI
original ix 19981
li 19461
Interchange rooks of
lC. D. Locock tsCM
Rb3 l2.Re3 Bd6 l3.Rh3 Ne7
14.Rhl {trryo further moves
letter to me datsd 16
Nd7 5.Ndz ooo 6.000 IGPJ 1e851
Mate by promoted knight t6l
l.h4 96! 2.Rh3 95 3.Re3 gxh4 4.f3
4.8b2 KfB 5.Nc3 Bxc3 6.Qb1
KgT ?.Kdl QeS 8.Kcl B*b2f
9.Kxb2 KfB l0.Qel Ke8 I l.Kcl
KdS 12.Kdl Qe8, exact play.
and A" Frolkin.
Mate by promoted
bishop,
s.}IMITATTVE _ DIRECT
The idea of constructing games
in which the Black moves exactly
mirror the White by reflection in
'horizontal' centre line of the
BxaZ 10.8 "flt pure mate the
was originated by Sam
board
[C.M. Fox Problemist Fairy Loyd. The gsune has to stop if a
Chess Supplement xn l93}l
point is reached whEre Black can
no longer imitate because he has
other priorities, such as cancelling
a check. For concissness the
replacing captured bishop }gYrl
1.e4 c5 2.BgZ Nc6 3.Bxc6 dxc6
4.g5 Bf5 5.g6 Bxc2 6.9*h7 Bxbl
7.[xg8^B F&5 8.Nf3 Rd5 9.Ne5
imitating moYes are omitted.
Inimitable moYe \zYrl There are
48 ways. Sample solutions: 1.Nc3
2.Ne4 3.Nf6t l.e4 7.8c4 3.B*fft
promoted. The sirme positions
could be reached in more moves
l.e4 2.Qg4 3.Q*d7flQ*95 1.c3
2.Qb3 3.Qbs [S.Uqpo Suomen
without promotion.
Tehtrnanielcat
page 15
t
960/6 U
S\TITF{ETIC GAh{ES
Mate lSYrl l.c4 Z.Qaa 3.Qc6
4.Q*c8* 1.d4 2 Qd3 3.Qh3/Qf5
4.Qnc8* [S.Loyd Le Sphtnx 13661
Mate by Knight 15Y"1 1.e4 2.c4
3.NeZ 4.Nbc3 5.Nbs 6.Nd6f
[P.Donovan Variant Chess 19911
Mateo without a pawn move
I5'Al l.Nf3 2.Ng5 3.Nxh7 4.Nxfg
5.Kxfl 6.R*h8f 1.Nfi 2.l.ie5
3,Nxd7 4.NxfS S.Kxfl 6.Q"d8t
[P,Donovim Ysriant Chess 1991]
Mateo moving only pfiwns IsYrl
l.d4 7.c4 3.dxc5 4.c6
5.c7
c-Iile: l.a4 2"e4 3.8a6 4.d4 Kd6 for 5.Q*e5* [T.R.Dawson
Evening Standard 23 Kii 19291
I 1.Nec3 (or 10.Nf3 I l.N"e5) also solved by the following:
12.b1 13.c5'bSe.p.$ [TGP]
Mate (by KB) [aYzl I "c3 f6
f-file: I .d3 2.e4 3.8h6 4.f4 Z.ba 95 3.e3 d6 4.8e2 Bd? 5.Bh5f
5.8e3 6.c4 7-8 "KcZ 9.dxc5 l0.Ne2
5.Qf3 6.BeZ 7.exf5 8.Kf2 9.Qc6
10.d4 (moving d-P trvice to save
time with Q) ll.g4 12.f5*g5e.p.f
pure mate ICDLI
Remove all pawnso leaving
officers nt home I 13] e.g. 1.d4
7.e4 3.exd5 4.Qxd4
5.Q xa7
6.Qxb7 7.Q xc} 8.f4 9.Q*97
6.c*d8Q/R$ [P.Donovan Variont
l0.Qxh7 ll.QxfJ lz.Qga 13.Qdl
Chess 19911
[GPJ Problem Observer vri 19801
ITRD Evening Standard (London)
xii
23
19291
Mate by P Y5Yrl l.e4 d5 2.8c4
Bfs 3.Ne2 Nd7 4.e5 d4 5.e6 d3
6.exf/f I.b4 95 2.h4 a5 3.h*95
axb4 4.Rxh7 Rxa2 5.g6 b3 6.9*
flf ITRD Strat"ford Expre^s.s 8, 15
ii
r
e3ol
a t6l 1.e3 d6 2.8a6
Bh3 3.Ke2 Qd7 4.Kd3 Qe6 5.8c4
Mate, along diagonal h5-e8
8Ps blocking N, doubled [261 Bf5t 6"Kd4 Qe5* and similarly
delaying first capture as long as l.d3 ... 6.Ke4 Qdsf IGPJ leesl
16'/11 l.e4 2.f4 3.exf5 4.f6 5.f*97
6.8e2 7.Bh5f [P"Donovan Variant possible: 1.b4 Z.BbZ 3.8d4 4.8b6
Mate by QB [6Yr1 1.d3 e6 2.g1
Chess l99U
5.h4 6.F&3 7.e4 8.Bfc4 9"Rd3 b5 3"Qd2 Ke? 4.Qe3 Kd6 5.Qf4t
Selfmate in 1 t7l 1.e4 2.Ke2 l0.Nh3 I l.Nfit 12.Qga 13.e xf5 Kc5 6.8,92 Bb7 7"Be3f [GJ 1983J
3.Ke3 4.Qf3 5.NeZ 6.b3 7.8a3 14.f6 t 5.h*g5 16.93 l7.bxc5
Mate by N I6Yrl l"d3 e6 2.Kd7
(for 8.Nd4t forcing e*d4f ) 18.cxd6 l9.axb3 20.Ra4 21.Rc4 Qe7 3.Nfi Nc6 4.Nel Nd8 5.Na3
22.b4 23.bxc5 24"Nc3 25.Ne4 Nh6 6.Nb5 Ng4 7.N"c7t IGPJ
[S,Loyd Le Sphinx x lS66J
Mate by PxP ep direct |ll.7rl 26.c3 IGPJ Vnriant Chess 19911
r eesl
Solutions in the a, d, e, g, h files
Mate by BxB \7'/rl 1.b3 96
were given by C.D.Locock and
z.BbZ Be7 3"Qct Kf8 4.Kdl Qes
T.G.Pollard British Chess
5.h4 a5 6.h5 a4 7.h6 a3 8.B"g7t
Magazine rv, vt 1944.
IGPJ re83l
a-file: l.a3 2.d4 3-6.Ka2 7.c4
Selfmate in I t7tr l.e3 h6 2.e3
8.dxc5 9.Qaa l0.Qc6 I l.b4
d6 3.Qe2 Kd7 4"Qd3 Ke6 5.Ke2
12.c5 *bSe.p.f ICDLI
Qd7 6.Kn Qc6t 7.Kf4 Qc5 for
d-file: 1"d4 2.Qd2 3.Qh6 4.f4
8.Qf5t Q*f5f [TRD Srrarford
5.g4 6.9*fi 7.BgZ I.Bxds e.Kdz
Express 22 it 19301
l0.Qf8 ll.e4 tz.fs*eSe.p.$ ITGPI
Mate by R ITYrl l.h4 a5 2.b4
e-file: I .c4 2.Nc3 3.Qa4 4.b4
95 3.h*95 axbs 4.Rxh? Rxa2
5.8b2 6.Ndl 7.8e5 8.e3 9.Ke2 Witlrout the irnitative condition the 5,Rxff Rxc2 6.Ra6 Rh3 ?.Rafb
10.bxc5 11.d4 12.c5*dSe.p,t pure task can be done in 25 Yz as shown Rhc3 8.Rxf8f or...5.8b2 Bg7
at the end of section $2.6.
mate [CDLI
6.R*97 Rxb2 7.Ra- Rh- g.R*g8$
g-file: 1.S3 2.d4 3.e4 4.dx5
or Lh4 a5 2.Nh3 Na6 3.N95 Nb4
5.8c4 6.895 7-8.Ke2 9.Nh3 3.3 TMTTATTVE - OBLTQUE
4.Nxh7 Nxa2 5.F&3 Ra6 6.RR
T.
This
R.
Dawson,
is
rule,
by
*fSe"p.*
10.8e7 I 1.fil 12.e5
pure
Rc6 7.Rxff Rxc2 8.Rxf8* [GPJ
similar to direct-imitative play 1e831
mate [TGPI
h-file: l"d3 2.h314 3.8(x)h6 4.f4 except that the 'mirror' is the
Mate by PxPep UA%| l.e4 d5
5-7.KM I.e4 9.Q(x)h5 lO.exf5 centre point of the board. Queens 2.c4 f5 3.exf5 dxc4 4.Qe2 Kd7
are restricted to single-step movss
11.g4 12.flxgss.p.f pure [TGP]
5.Nf3 Nc6 6.Nc3 Nf6 ?.Ndl Ne8
Mate by PxP ep direct, bn c, f imitating or imitable by the 8.b3 96 9.8a3 Bh6 10.d4 e5
files |l}Yrl These files take one opposulg King Accordlng to I l.f5 *eSe,p.$ ITRD S*atford
Dawson's manuscript notebooks
mors pab of moves.
Express I iii 1930J
his
examples published in l929l3}
b-file: l.d4 2.e4 3.Na3 4.b3
5-7.Kb2 8-l0.Qd6 (or s-g.Qfil wsre composed in 1918.
For other games including this
Mate in I t4l l.e3 d6 2.54 b5 tlpe of imitative play
l0.Bb5) ll.exds 12.c4 l3,d5xc5
sso under
3.Qe2 Kd7 4.Qd3 Ke5 for 5.Qf5$
s.p.f pure mate [CDL]
Nerv Kings and New Pawns.
l.f3 c6 2.d4 e5 3"Qd2 Ke7 4.Qe3
page 16
Mate by
S}}ITI{ETIC GAIvIES
3.4 MAXIMUMMING
3.5 SERIESPLAY
Each player makes his longest
legal move; when K is in check the
longest move to anrrul the check;
if
there are equal long moves any is
chosen (i,e. the most helpful). Only
Ns movs initially as N move is ./S
utrereas P double step is 2 {4.
:
Mate (bv Q) tsl 1.Na3A.{c3
N#h6 2.Nb5 lcle4 Ng4 3.Nd6t
In
3.6 NEW OPENING AITRAYS
progressive chess
as
normally played White begins with
one move: then Black plays two,
White three and so on. However in
these examples the first player has
a longer series at his disposal. For
the lenglh we count the
single
moves instead of move-pairs.
Serieshelp B-mnte i.e. White
exd6 4.Nflh3 Qh4 5.Ng5 Qx fzt plrys a series of movss so that
[E. Bonsdortr ard I. Makihovi llta Black can mate in one move tSl
Ssnomat 31 xii 1960J 16 rvays.
1.e4 2.f4 3-4.95 5-8.Kf5 for d6*
Mate by R tlUrl l.l.lf/h3 Nf6 [T. R. Dawson British Chess
2.I.{g5 Nd5/e/94 3.Nxh7 4.Nxff, Magazine x 1944. Dawson states
Rxh2 5.Ne/96 RhS 6.R*h8$ [E. that the problem "From the game
Bonsdorff Scltach und Zahl t97U
affay White plays I consecutive
Mate by N IsY"l Solved by moves so that Black may mate in
moving only lfiIights, see $2.1"
one with a Bishop" was proposed
Mate by B [6Yzl l.Nflh3 Nc6 by G. R. Reichehn in Brentano's
2.Ng5 Nd4 3.Nc/a3 Nxe2 4.Nb5 Magazine i 1882 p.455, but no
Nfil
5.Qh5 Nxh5 6.8c4
.B"fff
NfiX
This move is tength -/18,
whereas 00 is length 4 = rlte.
[P. Wong Variaftt Chess l99U
Mate by P [19] 1.Nf3 Nf6
2.Nh4 Ng4 3.Ng6 Nxf2 4.Nxf8
Nh3 5"Nc3 NgS 6.Na4 Nf3t 7.Y\fz
Ng5 I.Nb6 Nh3t 9.gxh3 Nc6
t0.Nxc8 (this capture of the B is
just to give the knight something to
do instead of rnarking time) Ne5
ll.Nb6 Ngat l2.Kg3 Nf6 l3,Nd5
l.Ihsf 14.Kh4 Nf6 15.N*f6f exf6
l6.Ne6 RfB (deliberately losing the
rietttto castle) 17.Ng5 RhB l8.Irle4
h5 (00 which would be a longer
mwe is now illegal since R moved)
19.Ng3 g5t IGPJ original ix 199SJ
7
Is there a more sub'tle solution?
solution rvas published.
*
Philidor (Game starts with Ks
and Ps only, 0n the usual squares)
Mate of lone K no promotions
ILTYrl l.a4 e5 2.b3 e4 3.h3 e3
4.fxe3 b5 5.Kf2 Ke? 6.Kg3 Ke6
7.Kh4 KeS I.Khs Ke4 9.axb5 c5
10.b6 95 t l.Kh6 d5 12.93 f5
l3.Kxh? 94 l4.hxg4 fit tS.gxfi[
d4 l6.b xa7 c4 l7.b xc4 d3
l8.c*d3f [Proposed C. D. Locock
in 19, solved in I S by
E. N. Frankenstein, BCM x 19091
%ffiW*
l
Serieshelp B-move mate [101
l.e3 2-3.Bxb7 4.8e4 5.d4 6-7.8c3
8.Qd2 9-l0.Kd3 for Ba6f or
reflect for WKe3 ITRD BCM xtr
*
Queen Odds One player has
no queen initially.
Mate by F^B l4Yrl No BQ.
1.d4
e6 ldl c6 3.dxe6 Kd8
Serieshelp B-move mate, K
4.exd7
Kc7 5.d8^B$ [CnL M&nnot in centre files I U I.e3
2-3.Q*bl 4.Qxc,7 5.Qc5 6,a4 7.b4 chester Weekly Times 28 xii 1912J
Pure mirror mate t5] No WQ.
8-ll"Kbs for Ba6f l.h4 2-4.Rxd7
1.c3
96 z.Kdl c5 3.KcZ QcT
5.h5 6.f4 7 -l0.Kg5 I .Rx a7t for
B*e7l I -2.h5 3-5.Rxd7 6.f3 4.Kd3 Qg3t 5.Ke4 Nf6$
re441
7-9.Kh4 10.g3 I l.Rxe?t for
BxeT$ L-1.fxe7 5.exd8^B/NI 6.g4
7.h3 8-l0.KhZ l1.Bg2 for Bd6l
l.b3 2-3.Bxe? 4-5.Bxa7 6.8e3
7.Nc3 8.Qbl 9-1l.KbZ for Ba3f
ITRD BCMrciLe44l
lThite plays a series of moYes
so that Black can then play I
series leaving 6-tupled Black
pavns
in
rook-file [40
+
15]
lVhite plays all men except K into
the d6-h6-h2 triangle, promoting
abc pawns, b xa7 xb8, cxb7xa8"
Black captures all 15 White men
with his pawns. Compare $2.4.
[Proposed by C. D. Locock BCM
xii 1942 in 57 moves but reduced
to 55 by J. A. Lewis BCM li 1943J
page 17
[C,D.Locock Morning Post 19091
Pure mirror mate, by the
handicapped side 16'/rl No WQ
l.g3 96 2.8h3 Bh6 3.Nc3 KfB
4.b3 Kg7 5"8a3 Kf6 6.8*e7t Ke5
?.NBf tc.D.Locock 19121
Mrte
preceded
by
castles
check [8J No WQ l.fit Nf6 2.Nf3
e5 3.e4 e*fi[ 4.e3 fxe3 5.8c4
N*94 6.B"f7t (xff 7.Ng5t Q*gs
8.oof Nf2t [cDL 1e121
Selfmate in 2 by double check
UA%l No BQ 1.e4 a5 2.d4 Ra6
3.b4 Rf6 4.8a3 e6 5"Nh3 B*b4t
6.Nc3 b6 7.KdZ Ke7 8.Kd3 Kd6
9.g3 Kc6 l0.Ne2 Kbs tl.d5 for
11...Rf3f 12.Kd4 Bc3f 13.N*c3f
lc"D.Locock BCM 19121
SYNTI_IETIC GAIvIES
{'
Bishops
AII on White i.e.
interchange bllcI and f8/g8 in the
opening position"
Occupy all white squares
tlzl
17 finales, many move orders. The
apparent finale with white Ne2,
Nf3, Bb5,
Kfl,
black Qc4 fails
since BQ's only route is via h4 and
its path is blocked by Pe4 rvhich
has
to movs to let out WB-bs
before BQ-c4. BQ positions: c8(4),
b5(3), f5(3), d7(2r, d5(2), g4(2r,
ca(1) [T.R.Dawson Pittsburgh
Gazette Times 19 xii
l9l2l
*
AII Men Guarded The only
affangement of the pieces on the
back rank in which
all
16 men ars
initially guarded is in the ssquence
NQRBBRKN. If both players use
this sequence, with Ks in g-file:
Mate 12Y,1 1.Ng3 2.Nf5
*
Scorpion (K + GrasshopFer);
i.e. 'Scorpion Chess' also knovm
as 'Sting'.
Move reversal tz7rl l.Kc3/g3
Na6/c6lf6lh6 2.Kb4 {h1 Nb8/g8
3.Kel. Not Kd3. check. I \eays.
IGPJ LeTel
Mate [2%1 L.e4 Ke6 2.Qh5 Qe8
3.Qesf IGPJ lees] 1.e4 e5 2.Qh5
Ke7 3.Q*e5* [Ian
RichardsonJ
l eesl
Mate of K by K [3Yi] l.Kc3
3.N*e7* (8 ways) I.c3lc4 Z.BIZ
NIf6
2..f4 Nc6 3.f5 Ne4t 4.Kxh8*
3.8*h7f (395 ways) IGPJ Chess
IGPJ le7el l.e4 Ke6 z.Qhs Qes
Notes 19831
3.Nc3 a6 4.e5f tC. C. L. Sells
19801 l.a4 Kc6 2.Ra3 Kb6 3.d3
Kxbl 4.Qd2*
[J. D. Beasley 19301
PART 4
VARIANT PIBCES
1.Nh3 Nh6 2.Nfit Nf5 3.Kc3 Nc6
4"K*hBf tC. C. Frankiss l9SSl
4.I NEW KTNGS
4.Qh5++* [Ian Richardson 19981
Mate of K by K, imitative I6Yrl
1.f3 2.e3 3.Kc3 4.Kb3 s.Kff 6,e4
7.Kf5f or 1.c3 2.d3 3.Kg3 4.Qel
5.Kc7 6 d4 7.Kc5$ [cPJ lee8l
Mate by triple check t7l l.e4
e5 2.Qh5 Qf6 3.Qxh7 af5 4.Qh6
96 5.Kg3 Bxh6 6.Kh4 Kd8 7.e3
Be5* IGPJ leesl l.e4 h5 2.Qxh5
Rxh5 3.g3 96 4.f4 Bh6 5.d3 Bg5
6.Ke5f Kh8 7.8e3 Bf6f [Ian
Richardson 19981
+
Capturable
King (as in
Losing Chess)
Four-fold quadrupled pawns
[27] Most Black moves are
obliquely imitative. l.e4 d5 2.8c4
Bf5 3,exf5 dxc4 4.KeZ Kd7
5-6"Kg4 Kbs 7 .a4 hS 8.axb5 h*g4
9.Nc3 Nf6 l0.Ne4 Nd5 I I.Nf6
Nc3 12.dxc3 exffi 13-l4.Rb6 Rg3
l5.h*g3 axb6 l6-17.Rg6 Rb3
18.c*b3 f*96 l9.Bg5 Bb4 20.cxb4
l.e4 f5 2.Qe2 c6 3.exF[ a6
f*95 2l.Nf3 Nc6 22.Nd4 Ne5 *
23.Nc6 Nf3 24.gxf3 bxc6 25,Qds
Qd6 26.Qc5 Qf4 27. gxfil bxc5
[Proposed by H. R. Neale Fairy
Chess Review viii 1943 in 28,
solved in 27 by T. R. Dawson,
R. J. French, S. H. Hall, and
J. G .Ingraml
Flying King (K in check may
be tranferred, 'fly', to
unchecked square
any
or capture any
undefended opposing man)
lllate lgYrl I.h3 96 2.Nf3 e5
3.Rgl Ne7 4,d3 Nd5 5.8e3 Nb4
6.Kd2 c6 7.b3 N8a6 8.Qcl RgB
e.Qbz Ke7 l0.Q*e5* IGPJ l970sJ
page 18
4.2 NEW QUEENS
"1.
Amazon {Q + Kniehfl
Mate tzl 1.e3 Qc6 7.BgZ
Q*g2f l.Qc3 Qc6 2.Qd5 Qxc2f
1.e3 Qc6 2.Qe2 QxaZI Q6 rvays)
[E.Bonsdorff FIDE Tourney 1963J
Move reversal [2%] 1.Qc3/e3
N/+- 2.Qe3/c3 Nb8Ng8/Qd8 Qdl
(12 ways) [K. Fabel Helsingin
Sanomat L8 x 196U
*
Empress (R + Ituieht)
Mate IL'AI l.R+Nc3 a6 2.R+N
*c7* (12 ways) [E. Bonsdorff
FIDE Tourney 1963J
tr.
Lion {L hops over
one man to
any distance, along Q-lines)
Move reversal tr7t/tl l.Lb3 Ld3
(,2 ways) similar
with BL d4 or 95 are stopped since
WLa4 or h5 checks BK
zLR Ld8 3.Ldl
*
Grasshapper (G hops over
to first cell beyond, along
one man
Q-lines)
Mate
171 1.h314
G*gl* (3
Gb6 2.F.h2l3
r,vays) tE. Bonsdorff
FIDE Torrrney 19631
Move revers al [at/z] 1.Gd3 Gb6
2.Gd8 Na6 3,Gb8 Gd8 4.Gd6 NbB
Gdl or 1.Gd3 Gb6 2.Nc3 Na6
3.Gb3 GdB 4,Nbl NbB 5.Gdl or
1.Gd3 Nf6 2.Nc3 Nds 3.Gd6 Nf6
4.Nbl NgB s.Gdl [GPJ xii re7el
*
Nightrider
(see new knights)
Mate LlYrl
l.NRb5NRe3
z.NR(xlc?$ [C.C.L.Sells 1982]
SYbITFIETIC
.F
Shi-Queen (moves like Q but
hops over first squere
in
the
movs-line)
Move reversal ITYrl W Ski-Q
triangulates {ll routes) while
Black makes switchback (7 rvays)
total 76 ways, e.g. 1"Qd6 Qb6
2.Qd3 QdB 3.Qd1; 1Qd5 Qd6
2.Qb3 td3tf3 Qds 3.Qd1. I.Qb3
Na6 2.Qd3/f3 Nb8 3 Qdl [cPJ 26
xii
19791
4.3 NEWKNIGHTS
*
Camel ({ 1, 3}-mover)
Mate UYrl l.Cc4 Cf5 Z.C*Cf
(15 ways) [8. Bonsdorff SomrnerZebra ({2,
3}
-mover}
Mate IL'AI l.Zd3 d5 z.Zss| (15
rvays) [8. Bonsdorff Sommerlosungs tournier 19641
+
2.Gd4$
(12 ways) [E. Bonsdorff Sornmerlosungs tournier 19611
.1. Nightrider
(a rider, like rook
or bishop, but along lines of knight
moves)
Pin Mate [3] 1.NRglxd7 NRbS
xd7 z"NRtrlxe7 QxeT 3.g3 NRdTf3l [GPJ Gsmes Castle 19321
4.4 NEWPAWNS
+
Side-Step Pawns (may move
as if
17.Nc3 Nf6 l8.It{e4 Nd5
l9.Nf3 Nc3 20.Nd4 Nbl 21.95 d5
22.8c8 f5 23"Nf6t KfI 24.Ngs
Nd? 25.Nc6 Ne5 26.Nb8 Rh3
27.e4
Ngl
Nf3t 28.Ke2 Rhl
30.Kd4
29.Kd3
b4 31.8a3 Bfl
32.Ra6 b3 33.Ra8 Kg6 34.c4 bz
35.Qa4 lfts 36.Kc5 Bh6 37.e5
Kg4 38.e6 Kf3 39.e*fl e5 40.96
h3 4l.Kc6 Qh4 42.Kd7 KeZ 43.fit
Qel 44.KdB d4 45.Qe8 Kdl
46.8f8 d3 47 .a6 d*c2 48,d4 e4
49.f*e5 Bcl 50.d5 c5 51.97 ctd4
52.a7 hZ 53-55.c7 n 56-57 "d7 e2
58-59.e7 dZ [after T. R. Dawson
Norwich Mercury 2l xii 1910. (In
the original the 59 moves and 4
making
!\'ere specified, but the 'blocked
and unable to move' condition was
not. I have modified the move
order slightly so that this extra
condition is observed.)I
*
Giraffe ({ 1. 4}-mover}
Mate tL'Al 1.Gh5 h6
di4gonally,
14.b*a5 g*h4 15.8h3 Ba6 16.b7
gZ
imaginary capfures each maximum
Iosungs tournier 1964J
.1.
GAI\,.TES
an
imaginary capture, when blocked
and unable to capture normally"
Rotate opening position 18000
with fewest imaginary captures
[59] Imaginary captures are shown
by n instead of x. Play is obliquely
imitative 1-18 and 52-59. 1.a4 h5
Z.aS h4 3.g4 b5 4.Ra3 Rh6 5.Rh3
Ra6 6.a*b6 h*93 7.F&8 Ral
8-l l.h7 aZ l2.Rh6 Ra3 t3.b4 95
Rwersible Pawns (may move
backwards as if retracting a
forward move; thus double step
backr,vards is possible from 4th
rank, but move back to first rank is
13.Ke8 Qdl 14"Qd8 {7 15.n d7
16.d2 IGPJ 6 ix 1998, after CDL
BCM 1945 (the original
used
special QPs that could move aside
allor,r'ing solution in ltl moves)J
Interchange Ks & interchange
Qs, moving only one reversible
pawn of each side t24l 1.e4 96
2.Bg? Bg7 3.8c6 Bc3 4-6.Kf3 Kf6
7-8 Qh3 Qh6 e.Ke4 Bb4 10.Qc3t
Ke5 I LQgT Qh3 12.QfB Qfl
l3.Qd8 Kh4 14,NAt Kh3 l5.Kf4
Kg2 16.Kg5 Nf6 17.Kh6 Qdl
18.Ngl Kfl 19.Kg7 Ne8 20.KfB
Kel 21.Ke8 (this solves the
orthodox problem; if all other
officers are required to be at home,
continue:) 2L...8c3 22.BgZ Bg7
23.Bfl BfB (and with revorsible
pawns we finish:) 24.92 g7 [after
M. E. M. Jago BCM iv 19451
4.5 MULTIPLENEW PIECES
*
Ahenhead's Gsme The pawns
become Berolina pawns (P), which
move diagonally one step (or two
from the pawn rank) and capture
directly forward one step. The
qucens, rooks and bishops become
Leos (L), Paos or Canrrons (C) and
not allowed)
Interchange K and a of each
colour, reversible QP tsl Black Vaos (V), which move like queens
imitares White l.d3 Z.K;ilZ 3.Qel rook and bishop respectively but
4.Kdl 5.d2 ICDL BCM 1e451
capture by acting through one
Interchange K and a of each intervening ilran of either colour.
colour, reversible BP [10] Black The knights become Maos (M),
imitates White 1.c3 2.Qb3 3-5.Kd3 which make a knight move in two
6-7.Qel 8-9.Kd1 I0.cZ ICDL steps, the first along rank or file,
the second diagonally, and the
BCM 1e451
Interchange K and a of each intervening cell must be clear.
colour, reYersible NP p3l Black tslnthetic games in &is variant
imitates White 1.b3 2.8a3 3.Nc3 were proposed by Major
4.Qbl 5-7.Kbz 8.Qel e-10.Kdl J. Akenhead in Fairy Chess
l l.Bcl l2.Nbt 13.b2 ICDL BCM Review iv 1947 and proved
popular with the solversl
1e451
Interchange Ks & interchange
Qs, reversible Ps USY.I l.d3 d5
2.Qd2 Qd6 3.Qb4 f6 4.Qb5t Kf?
5.f3 Qb4t 6.Kn Ke6 7.Qd7t Ke5
8.Kg3 Kd4 9.KP[ Qdzt l0.Kf5
Ke3 I l.Ke6 KfZ l2.Kf7 Kel
page 19
Mate (by
L or C) 121 1.b2-d4
Lxd4 2.Cxa7* t*glf
tJAl
I.hz-fll e7-d6lc5 2.f2-93 Lh4*
l.h2-g3lf4 b7-a6 2.Vxa6 C*hl*
l.a2-c4 C"al 2.c4-d1 C*clf (d5
stops 3.Lxd?l) [TRDI
SIT{TFIETIC GAh{ES
Mate by Vao [2%1 L,e2*4
d7-e6 2.YeZ h7-f5 3.1/h51 (e6
stops 3.ff-e6/d5) l.e2g4* d7-e6
2.Vd3 g7-h6- 3.Vg6$ tJAl
Mate by Pawn l3Yzl l.c2-e4
d7-f5 2.b244 KdT 3.Vb2 Ke6
4.d4-e5 ITRDI l.d2-f1 ,.. 2.f4-g5
f7-h5 3.Lxh5 h7-ff 4.g5-g1 {*fS
sp!) * tW.H. Reillyl
Mate by PxP, not ep t4l 1.f2h4 f/-hl 2.K{2 h7-ff 3.K93 fil-g4t
4.Kh3 h5 xh4f [D. Nixon] l.f2-e3
e7-g5 2.1{f2
Lf6 3.Kg3 d7-f5
4.e2-g4 g5xg4$ IGPI 19SU
Mate by P-moveo on g-file t4l
1.f?-e3 ff-h5 2.Kf2 L*d2t 3.Kg3
b7-a6 4.92-f3 h5-94* tJAl
Mate by P-move from home
t4l l.f2-e3 h7-g6 2.1<fZ g6-f5
3.I{93 f5-e4t 4"Kh3 g7 -h6 or
fl-hs* tH"D.Benjaminl
Mate by Mao I4Yrl l.b2-a3
Lxd2 2.Mc3 d7-e6 3.Me4 Ld7
4.Ld5 fl-96 5.Mf6* IJAI l"b2-a3
d7-f5 2.Mc3 td3 3.Md5 Lbs
;1.Vxb5 ff-94 5.M*c7* with
Mate by fi)O with Ks close as
possible t6l l.d2+4 d7+5 2.Kd2
Vxb4 3.Kd3 Ld4 4.Kxd4 Ve6
s.Kd5 Md? 6.Kd6 0o0f
lH. D. BenjaminJ
Mate by P^Vao [6Yrl l.e2-g4
Dennison Nixon gave another
soluton, to the following position:
fl<,6 2.94-f5 Kf? 3.f2-g3 KS6
4.92-t$ Kh5 5.f5-96 e6-f5 6,g6-f7
h?-g6 7.fl*8"V* [TRD]
Mate by m with Ks close as
possible t?l 1.d244 e7-d6 Z.Kdz
Vxb4 3.Ke3 {1*6 4.Kfi1
Le7
5.Kfl5 LfT 5.Vg5 Me? 7.Kf6 00f
lD. Nixonl
Mate with 4 checks ITYrl 1.g2h3 e7-d6 2.Lxd6 Vxh3 3.Lfi[ Vg4
4"Mf3 Ke? 5.b2-a3 Kf6 6.Mc3
Kg5 7.Me4 d7-f5 8.Lg3$ tJAl
Stalemate l9Yrl I "dz-fil a7-c5
2.Cxa8 h7-g6 3.C*h8
4.e2*4 g7-f6 5.c4xc5
6.fi[-e5 Mc6 7.Vg5 Mb8!
c7-d6
b7-a6
S.Lhs
I
Stalemate officers, capturing
the 8 Ps [12] 1.b2-c3 Lxd? 2.Vbz
Cxa2 3.c3*4 CxcZ 4.Ca3 C*e2
5.Val Lxf2 6.Mc3 C*gZ 7 "Lcl
LaZ 8.Mdl Cb2 9.Mf3 C*h2
l0,Cgl Chl 1l.Mdz Lbl l2.Cc3
Vxb4 tH.D. Benjandnl
Mc6 9.W5- 8 pin [J.G. IngramJ
di ITRDI 1.b2-a3 e7-c5
2.Mc3 fi-ds 3.Me4 ... 4.Cxh7
5.Mf6* tH D. Benlaminl
Mate by P^Pao t4Yrl I "aZ or
e2-c4 b7-d5 2"c445 a7-bd 3.b5-c6
Va6 4.c6-b7 Ca7 5.b7-c8^C* tJAl
antipin at
l.c2-a4 b7-d1 2.a445 Mc6
3.b5-a6 d7-e6 4.a647 Vd?
5.b7-c8^C* [TRDI
Mate by frl l4Yrl Lg2-e4 f7*6
2.hdh3 KfI 3.Vg2 Kf6 4.Mg5 Kf5
5.00f ITRDI
Mate by mm tsl l.Lxd7 Lxd2
2.Lxb7 Ld7 3.Lb4 Ma6 4.Kdl
VbT 5.Lel 000* (antipin at d2, d3,
d4) [rRD]
PART 5
Stalemate, no captures
l.a2-b3 g7-b6 2.Ca5
|llYrj
d?-bs
3.d244 b5-a4 4.Ld4 Ve6 5.L97
Md7 6.Ce5 c7d6 7.b244 a7-c5
VARIANT RUTES
5.I NEWBOARDS
* Alice Chess. A second board
is
used, initially empty. A move
l2.Vb5=
nurst be legal on the board on
which it is made. After a move on
one board the moved piece is
transferred to the corresponding
8.Vg5 Ca5 9.e2-gab7-a6 10.g4-tr5
Lc7 t Lh5-g6 Lc6
[I. AkenheadJ
Mate by PxP ep direct t5l
l.h2-g3 e7g5 2.Ch3 Cxh3 3.f2-e3
Pl-f3
("g4 s.p.)f ITRDI the single move
e2-f3 could also be played.
cell, which must be vacant, otr the
Le7 4.Kf2 g5-f4 5.e2-94
other board.
Mate fT'Al 1.e4 d6 2.8c4 Qxdz
3.8b5* (3.."Kd8 is illegal
Mate by P^Mao ISYtl 1.e2-c4
ff-e6 2.c4-d5 e6-f5 3.d5-e6 KfI
move
through check 3 . . .c6lf.{c6lt{d7 {Bd7
do not interpose since they transfer
4.Lf3f Ke6 5.e6-f7 C*h2
to the second board 3..Qd7 is
6.f7*f8^M$ ITRDI
blocked by Pd6 on second board.)
page 20
S\}ITI{ETIC GAMES
Perpetual check I}Yrl Loyd's
orthodox solution still n,orks!
Perpetual checkr ro K moy€
t3l (actual game, G. Jelliss v
A. Kustrin AISE Grand Prix 1995)
I.g4 d6 7.BgZ Q*dZ 3.Qd? Q*g2
and now 4.Qb5t KdS 5.Qb6t Kd7
6.Qb5t etc (6...Ke6? ?.Qfs*).
Mate-just-in-time I4'/r1 (actual
gams, G. Cornacchini v G. Jelliss,
AISE Grand Prix, 1996) l.e4 h5
2,8e7 Rh4 3.Bxh5 Rxe4t 4.Kfl
d5 5.Qe2 (threat Qbs*) Bh3l
[.,o1d's irnitative mates in 3'/, do
not work in Alice chess.
.1. Moebius Chess The a and h
files are joined after a 180o tr,vist to
form a 'Moebius Band'. A normal
twist',
which can only be done by
capfures, reappears as an 'upside
down pawn' moving and capturing
in the opposite direction to usual.
These rules wsrs introduced in
Chessics issue 10, 1980, where the
follou'ing syrthetic gamss \t'ere
pawrn that passes 'round the
proposed.
Mate t2l orthodox Fool's mate,
but also 1.fi b6 2..g4 Bc8-h4f
Mate by KB ITY'I 1.g3 f6
2.Nb 1xh7 95 3.8fl-a5f {via h5)
Mate by R or Mateo all moyes
captures lzYzl I.Nbl xh7 Ng8 xaT
l5.Kg5 Be6 l6.f"g7 Nxh7t
5.2 NEW CAPTURE RULES
*
17.Kg6
Anryodean Chess A
man
captured is replaced on the slluare
a (4,4) leap away unless that
square is occupied. In the rexinclusive version, K is not in check
unless its antipode is occupied,
other than by the checking piece.
[GPJ Chessics 19?6]
Mate lSYrl l.a4 a5 2.b3 f6 3.e3
ss 4.Qh5* [cPJ]
Reflect the opening position
top to bottom [35] 1"a3 a6 2.e3
e6 3 Qh5 Qh4 4.Qh7 {d3) Qhz
(d6) 5.Qe7 (c3) Qgz {c6) 6.Qfi
(b3) Qn ft6) 7Rh8 {Rd4} Qd2
(h6) 8.Kdl Qdl (Khs) e,h7 Qcl
(Be5) 10.8h6 Qbl Nfs) 1l.Qe8
{Ka4) d2 l2.Qc8 Gea) Qal (ReS)
13.Re6 {a2} Kbs 14.8b5 (Kfl}
QbZ (f6) 15.Re8 Qc2 (s6) 16.Qb7
(fJ) fz 17.Rb8 Nf4) Nh3 l8.Ra8
(Rea) Re3 (a7l 19.Kh4 Rel
20.Qc7 (e3) Nel (I{c5} 21.Na6
(e2) Ral 22.Nb8 Kel 23.8a6 Bh3
24.8c8 Bfl 25.b7 Rh4 (Kds)
26.Ke8 Rhl 27.QdT (h3) hz
28.Qd8 sZ 2e.d7 Ba3 (e7) 30.BfB
Bcl 3l.Nh6 Qdl
32.Ng8 Nca)
Na3 33.c7 Nbl 34.ff bZ 35.gT cZ
[proposed, G.P.Jelliss Chessics 7,
p.7, 1976: solved,
F.H.Johnson
Chessics 10, p. 10, 1980J
2.Ra1 xh$ Nxc 1 3.RxfSf
Mate by N, or Pin mate I}Yrl
l.Ral xh8 Nfb 2.Na3 - 3.Na3 *g7f + Free Capture Chess Men
Discovered rnate t3] I.Nf3 capture allies as well as enemies.
Stalemate lgYrl l.Rxa2 B*97
Ng8xu 2.Ne5 Nxfl 3.Rh2 N*Mf
(check from Ra8)
2.Rxa7 BxhS 3.Rxa8
Mate by P t4l 1"e3 e5 ?.KeZ
Qh4 3.Kd3 Qh5 4.Nc3 e4* (Q
4.Rxb8 KxdT 5.Rxb? KxeT 6.d4
Kxff 7.Rx a7l K*gB 8.Rxs8t
KxhT e.Qd3t Kg7 l0.Qf5 - IGPJ
Chessics 12, p. 14, 1981.|
guards c4, d4, e4).
Mate by upside-down pawn [6J
1.f:1 c5 Z.KfiZ d6 3.Kg3 4.Nh3
a7xh3 5.Kh4 Qast 6.Kg5 h3-h4*
Stalemate
destruction
KxdB
with
[19]
maximum
l.Kxdl RxaT
2.Kxcl Rxa2 3.Kxd2 Rxal
4.Kxe} NxdT 5.Kxfl R*blf
6.K*92 Rxb2 7.K*gl Rxc2
8.Kxhl RxcT 9.Kxh2 RxbT lO.f:+
I 1.fxeS Qf6 12.exf6 NxfB
e5
13.Kg3
Rxff
14.Kfi1
page 2 I
RxhT
B*flt
:
l8.Kxh7 B*g8t
19.Kh8 Kff but cannot WP also
be eliminated? IGPJ Chessics 12,
p. 14,
198 U
Stalemate with minimum
destruction pAY{ 1.d4 d5 z.f:t e5
3.f5 e4 4.h4 Nf6 5.h5 fNdT 6"h5
Nc5 V.h"g7 Be7 8.a4 Bf6 9.a5
Kd7 l0.Bfi[ Re8 I 1"g8"Q Re5
r2.a6 Kd6 l3.P&6 b5 l4.Qd2 Bd7
l5.Qb4 Qc8 16,Nc3 Qb7 17.axb7
Nc6 l8.Ra6 aReS 19.b8^Q e3
zO.QfBf Re7 2l.bQd8 2 captures,
6 pieces pinned [GPJ Chessics l?,
p" 14, l98ll
* Oppo-surrender Chess. What
would normally be a capfure-move
results in loss of the piece that
rnoves instead of the piece moved
to. Normal captures do not occur.
Stalemate UZYII l.e4 h6 Z"e5 f6
3.e6 d7xe6 {i.e. Pd7 surrenders to
Pe6) 4.a4 a5 5.8a6 b7xa6 6.fl1
Ra8xa6 7.fS Nb8xa6 8.h4 Bc8xa6
(or e6) 9.h5 QdB xS/ l0.Bb7 Kf/
l1.Bc6 Kg6 l2.Qga Kh7 13.Qg6
(Black surrender of his K to Qg6 is
of course illegal) IGPJ Chessics
12,p. 13. l98U
S$ITI{ETIC GAMES
.1" Auto-suffender Chess A man
may self-destruct b""* making a
capture-type move
to a
square
occupied by an allied man. Normal
capfures do not occur.
Stalemate with
minirnum
destruction I}SYii 1.d4 e5 2.f4 c5
3.94 b5 4.d5 e4 5.f5 c4 6.gi b4
7.e6 b3 8.Bfit a5 9.Bc? a4 10.d6
a3
11.Nc3 Qgs 12.Qd4 Be7
l3.Rdl Qcl 14.Qb6 Qal ls.Rbl
Sf6 l6.Nd5 00 17.h4 c3 18.h5 e3
l9.Rh4 Bb? 20.Ra4 Nc6 21.Nf3
fRbS 22.Ne5 BdS 23.Ne7 Na?
Bhl 25.892 Rb? 26.5N-c6
Nc8 27.Nb8 Kh8 28.Ra7 NgS
79.f6 = {self-destruction by K is
24.h6
illegal) IGPJ Chessics 12, p.13,
lesll
*
OppuCancellation Chess
(also known as Kamikaze Chess,
Rex Inclusive) A piece that
captures vanishes along with the
captured piece. The rule applies
also to the kings, thus capture by a
king is illegal since
it
would
be
selfdestruction.
Stnlemnte with maximum
lzlt4l l,a4 a5 2.b4 b5
3.axbS {both pawns disappear}
destruction
axb4 4.c4 c5 5" d4 d5 6.cxd5 cxd4
7.Nh3 Nh6 8.Bxh6 Bxh3 9.RxaB
Q"dt 10.e4 e5 I l.fil f5 12.94 95
13.Iria3 Na6 14.Bxa6 Bxa3 l.Kfz
5.3 MISCELLANEOUS
1.e314
95 2.Qh5-4 f6 3.Qh6-5f
I.e3l4 c5 2.8a6-5 d6 3.8b6-5f
* Auto-coexistente Chess A {3...Qd7-8 or 3...Nc6-7 are pulled
player may have more than ons back by gravrty, r,vhile 3...8d7 or
piece on a square, and riders may 3...Nd? ars illegal because the
pass through occupied squares. second part of move is blocked by
Only single pieces can be captured.
Pure Mate
t3l 1.Kd2 (double
piece dZ immune from capture by
QdB) tsh6 2.Kc3 Q/hRcBt 3.Kb4
4.hR/Qb8f (4.8b5 does not stop
the check, and 4.b4 is not allowed,
since Ps enter occupied cells only
by diagonal move) [C.M.B.Ty{or
Chessics
Qd8) IGPJ Vsriant Chess 19971,
*
Madrasi Chess Like
pieces
paralyse each other.
Triple check mste. I6tAl I.Nc3
Nh6 2.Nd5 f6 3.N*f6t Ne4 4.h3
Kfl/ 5.d4 Kg6 6.Qd3f Khs
?.h*g4tf tf
[Ian Richardson
l6lvii/le98l
111
* Dyn*mo Chess There are no
normal capfures, instead men move
or are pushed or pulled off the
board. Each mot's consists of tw'o
parts, a nonnal move and a push or
*
pull of & man of either colour.
Series Auto-Tag Chess A
'tag' an allied man, by
moving to its squars, ffid the
tagged man rnust then move in the
same turn of play. This move may
also be a tag movs. Pawns tag by
Either part-move can bs null, E
their diagonal capture
indicates a move ovsr the edge, findicates n0 push or pull.
Line-pieces can act at a distance.
Par,vns push enemies diagonally but
allies fomard. A piece may move
voluntarily or bs pushed or pulled
ovsr the board edge by its own
[C.M.B.T1'lor Chessics l93
side. [H.Kltiver and P" Kahl t963]
Mate fq l.c3 Qd4/d7-d3 2.{3
Qd4-f2 /a7 -e3fi [Fabio Dulcich 24
viii 19981 l.Ner*21e2*3 QdS-b6/
c7E Z"Ke llf2-93 Qb6-f2 /a7-e3l
IGPJ 2
ix leesl
nrim may
move"
tl
Normal Mate UYrl l.Nc3 Qe8Kd7-Pds 2. P(d2)c3-Ndl -Q*d5*
Fairy Mate lTYz or l l single
movesJ 1.Qe2-Pe3 Qc?-Pc6 2.8e2Qh5 Kf8-Bg?-Pg5 3.8h5- QxfT*
(if BQ does not move from back
row Black e$capes the mate by
3. . .Qf8-Kg7-Bf8-Q xff !) ICMBT]
+
Evidentty the exarnples
in these
lster sections barely begin to
an impression on the vasf
Grwitational Chess A piece, potential o"f the subject. There trre
after making a nornal move, is endless fressures fhere waiting fo
make
*
pulled back one square towards its
own baseline. Capfure may-
be
found by diligent prospectors.
be
made on the normal move and the
gravitational move, or both. If the
Please send new results {or old
results overlooked in compiling the
gravitational part of the move is
present collection)
blocked however the u'hole move is
Kings and Pav-rns are
Kf7 l6.exff gxfil l7"Rel Rg8 prevented.
orthodox. [Carlos Nafarrate
I S.RxeS R*g4 l9.Kf3 Kg6 20.Kfl[
19841
feenschach
Khs zl.Kfs h6 22.h4 [cPJ
Mate I?Yrl l.e3l4 h6/5 2.Qga-3
Chessics 12, p. 13, 19S U
f6 3.Qxg7-g6$ (not 2...f5 as
3...Nf6-7 stops the check)
[J.D.Beasley Yariant Chess 1997J
page 22
to the address
bslow, for inclusion in a second
edition, or for consideration in
Vsrisnt Che ss mag aztne
"
Spj nsw @ i'ttlw* r td,
cui?1