Award of 15th TT Chess Composition Microweb - orthodox section - C 30.9.2004

First, I would like to thank Juraj Lörinc for inviting me as a judge of this tourney. I was curious after the announcement, what can be done in orthodox helpmates in five solutions. I knew some splendid examples (from the HX2 field e. g. very early five-fold switchback problem of B. Lindgren, PDB 500059, very famous A. Molnar´s five-fold Zilahi, PDB 521048 with version under Nr. 539272, twinless five-fold cycle of white moves of M. Herzberg, PDB 521633, to quote only some of them). But thinking about common possibilities, I was a little bit incredulous. With five solutions is sure possible to incorporate some strategic elements into the problem content, but not very deep ones. Odd number of solutions is not very pleasant for realization of some orthogonal-diagonal analogy. So - maybe something in HOTF form with one extra solution? (Finally was not presented between the problems.) Or some geometrical themes with one added phase? (This case was sent.) But in general in my opinion the announced "theme" was quite hard and result is not so successful as in other Microweb thematic tourneys, at least in the orthodox section.

For judgement I received 15 anonymized problems. My ranking is as follows:

...

Michal Dragoun
Praha, 28. 10. 2004
Christer Jonsson
Prize (orthodox section)
15th TT Chess Composition Microweb C 30.9.2004
H12

1...Sd5 2.Rc1 Rxc1 3.cxd5 Rc8#
1...Se6 2.Rd1 Rxd1 3.dxe6 Rd8#
1...Sd3 2.Re1 Rxe1 3.exd3 Re8#
1...Sg6 2.Rf1 Rxf1 3.fxg6 Rf8#
1...Sh3 2.Rg1 Rxg1 3.gxh3 Rg8#

Task with five-fold sacrifice of wS to make free line for own Rook. Sacrifices of bR are a little bit weaker, but they are inherent part of whole content. Once seen it makes somewhat mechanical impression, but still it is considerable achievement. (Line opening by capture of white pieces is shown in PDB 527485, but this one is much better.)









h#2,5 (5+11)
5.1.1.1.1
Sven Trommler
1st HM (orthodox section)
15th TT Chess Composition Microweb C 30.9.2004
H8

a) 1.Kf3 Sd1 2.Bg2 Sg5#
b) 1.Ke4 Sc2 2.Bf3 Sc3#
c) 1.Kd5 Sb3 2.Be4 Sb4#
d) 1.Kc6 Sd7 2.Bd5 Sa5#
e) 1.Kb7 Se4 2.Bc6 Sec5#

Funny idea with march of bK and bB on the long white diagonal and repeated thematic twinning. Pity that in E is wB not used for mate, but I see no simple way to avoid it.









h#2 (8+9)
b)-e) final position of a)-d) with
mating piece moved to b4, a5, f8, g3 respectively
Michael McDowell
2nd HM (orthodox section)
15th TT Chess Composition Microweb C 30.9.2004
H6

1.Ra3 Bxa3 2.Kxe5 Bb2#
1.Rc3+ Kxc3 2.Kxe5 Kc4#
1.Rd1 Rxd1 2.Kxf5 Rf1#
1.Rd4+ Sxd4+ 2.Kxe5 Sf5#
1.Rf3 Sxf3+ 2.Kxf5 Se5#

In fact there are only two different mates created by battery transformation with switchback or by unguard of front battery piece by move of the rear one and its switchback again. One pair of such solutions is very well known and here I consider as a flaw the odd, not even number of solution on two thematic lines. (With six similar solutions, but only with two first moves problem of S. N. Tkachenko, 7861 Springaren 1994 can be quoted - 507449 in PDB, but without source). But on the other hand I have to appreciate capture of black Rook on different squares in all solutions.









h#2 (7+5)
5.1.1.1
Next two problems show known ideas in (I hope) partly new mechanisms:
Jan Kovalic
Special HM e.a. (orthodox section)
15th TT Chess Composition Microweb C 30.9.2004
H10

1.Bxf6 Qh8 2.Be7 Qxe5#
1.Rxf5 Qh5 2.Rxf6 Qxe5#
1.fxg3 Qh2 2.g2 Qxe5#
1.Rxe3 Qe1 2.Rxf3 Qxe5#
1.dxc3 Qa1 2.c2 Qxe5#

Five-fold many ways theme can be inspired by the article of Chris Feather in Orbit, where J. Kiss´ PDB 549206 was reproduced. Although H10 is similar, I see next steps in the development of the idea in two moves of all thematic black pieces and all five different W1 by the wQ.









h#2 (9+11)
5.1.1.1
Evgeny Bourd
Special Hm e.a. (orthodox section)
15th TT Chess Composition Microweb C 30.9.2004
H11

1.Sxc3 Sxd5+ 2.Ke4 Sxc3#
1.Sxc5 Sd7+ 2.Ke4 Sxc5#
1.Sxd6 Se8+ 2.Ke4 Sxd6#
1.Sxg5 Sh7+ 2.Ke4 Sxg5#
1.Sxf2 Sg4+ 2.Ke4 Sxf2#

Five-fold Siers-Rössel is in HX2 no novelty too (even six-fold realizations exist: PDB 527508, 503513, 530515, 535005, 535448 with various additional effects in B1). Differences are in motivation of B1: M. Nieroba (PDB 505819) has more ambitious line closing in B1, but with underused wB, H. Zajic (PDB 505880) unpin of thematic wS, I. Avramenko (PDB 505890) direct unguard, S. Januarta (PDB 530488) block. So maybe unblock for mating move is new in this combination, but not very exciting.









h#2 (10+6)
5.1.1.1
Frank Richter
1st Comm (orthodox section)
15th TT Chess Composition Microweb C 30.9.2004
H7

1.Rg2 Bh3 2.Rxg5 Rxg5#
1.Rf2 d4 2.Rxf4 Rxf4#
1.Re2 Kxc7 2.Rxe5 Rxe5#
1.Se8 Kd8 2.Sxf6 Rxf6#
1.Be4 dxe4 2.gxf5 Bxf5#

Four square unblocks for wR are combined with its capture. White Rook is not used in mates, but whole economy of this presentation is very good.









h#2 (8+6)
5.1.1.1
Frank Richter
2nd Comm (orthodox section)
15th TT Chess Composition Microweb C 30.9.2004
H1

1.Bh8 Bf5 2.Kg8 Be6#
1.c5 Be4 2.Bd5 Bxd5#
1.b4 Bd3 2.Sb5 Bc4#
1.Sb1 Bxc2 2.a3 Bb3#
1.c1=R Bb1 2.Sc2 Ba2#

Five mates by wB on the same diagonal. Maybe the first realization, but motivation is not very unified. Moreover there is problem with mates from six different squares of the same diagonal from both sides of black King, where is unfortunately three times repeated the same black move (PDB 505728).









h#2 (3+10)
5.1.1.1
Here are my notes to not awarded problems:

H2 (Ke8 - Ka8)
Five different Rook mates on the same line with line opening in B2 is shown in problem of B. Lyris + N. Siotis (PDB 502047) where unpin in B1 is more interesting. Even more similar is J. Csak´s PDB 565896 with the same motivation in the first move and line-opening mostly together with line-closing in B2.

H3 (Kf8 - Kh8)
Idea (with unhappy idle wB) was shown in H. Moser´s PDB 505058. And moreover H3 has illegal setting... (BTW: in the meantime task with seven mates on the same line was presented: V. Bunka + V. Kotesovec, Šachová skladba 85/2004.)

H4 (Kf7 - Kd4)
Five different blocks with some additional elements presented in solution pairs: Somov mates after 1.e5 and 1.Sc2, battery mates in 1.Qd6 and 1.Be2 solutions. But whole has no deeper idea, blocks by five different pieces were already shown even on the same square (I consider problem of R. Vieira, PDB 530479 for the best one).

H5 (Ka4 - Ke4)
Some geometrical effects in the play, but no other interesting aspects in the solutions.

H9 (Kd4 - Kb6)
Five different King´s moves from the battery line are present e. g. in J. C. van Gool´s PDB 502995. Here five various captures of bR are added, but white economy is too poor for my taste (as in comparison problem too...). A little bit better economy was achieved in problems with six solutions (PDB 502981, 503985, 503988).

H13 (Kh2 - Ke6)
Five model mates including two echos. But only cumulation of model mates is not my taste and moreover a lot of moves is repeated here (especially bad in the case of 2...Bxe4).

H14 (Kc1 - Kd6)
Again five model mates, but without connecting link between single solutions.

H15 (Kb8 - Ke2)
Five echo mates by promoted white Queens. But I am not convinced by time economy of this problem: two moves of all white pawns are boring and partly similar settings were realized in HX2 form too by J. Mintz (PDB 541793) and S. N. Tkachenko (PDB 538782) where black pawns have a role of the chessboard border.

Comments to Juraj Lörinc.
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