My works 222 - 229

1.Kb5? th. 2.GIef2# A
1...GIc6, GId5, GIc5
2.-, GIgf2# C, GIbf2# B
1...GId7! 1.Kc7? th. 2.GIbf2# B
1...GIc6, GId5, GIc5
2.GIgf2# C, -, GIef2# A
1...RLc4! 1.Kb7! th. 2.GIgf2# C
1...GIc6, GId5, GIc5
2.GIbf2# B, GIef2# A, -

As I already remarked in the comment to my other problem from this JT, I was trying to produce some extensions of classical carousel theme. If not entirely new, the more in artistical form. Here I succeeded with the help of Michal Dragoun who has very good sense of art brought from helpmates. Although he didn't do much of the work over the problem, without him it wouldn't be surely so unified.

What we have here? Classical carousel change in variations. Moreover, the mate missing in variations of the phase reappears as threat (thus giving 3x le Grand). Also the motivation is interesting enough, in every variation we have Isajev theme. To show it six times in one problem - it alone wouldn't be bad. And all mates are by antibattery on the same square. And... variations imitate in fact fight of two troops of giraffes... So I have every reason to love this twomover...

Personal rating: A.

1.c4? A zz
1...Lxc2-c1 a, Lxe2-e1 b, Lxd2-d1 c, RLxc4-b4 d, Lxc4-d3 e
2.-, d4# B, e4# C, RLxf5-f6# D, RLxd3-c3#E
1...Lxc4-b3!

1.e4? C zz
1...Lxc2-c1 a, Lxe2-e1 b, Lxd2-d1 c, RLxe4-d4 f, Lxe4-d3 g
2.d4# B, -, e4# A, RLxf5-f6# D, RLxd3-c3#E
1...Lxe4-e3!

1.d4! B zz
1...Lxc2-c1 a, Lxe2-e1 b, Lxd2-d1 c, RLxd4-c4 h, Lxd4-d3 i
2.e4# C, c4# A, -, RLxf5-f6# D, RLxd3-c3#E

And another record extension of carousel change. Here the mate missing in variation appears as the key (thus giving 3x Salazar). Furthermore, in every phase there are two mates D, E as answers to different defences, thus there is three-phase transference of two other mates here. Together it is theme from group Z-34-95, surely something new.

The mechanism itself isn't so complicated. Carousel part uses the known ability of locust to clear the line by capture without staying on the line. This allows activation of white third battery by two white and only one black move. Pure transference part uses lateral locust battery that can be fired only after providing suitable hurdle for jump (2.RLxd3-c3#) or after opening the line of jump (2.RLxf5-f6#), the defences are simply changed by variable food provided for different black locusts.

Personal rating: A.

1.Ke6? th. 2.Qxa8+ Rxb6#
1...b1Q 2.Se3+ Rxe3#
1...Rxh4 2.e4+ Rxe4#
1...Se7!

1.Kc6! th. 2.Qxa8+ Rxb6#
1...b1Q 2.Sc3+ Rxc3#
1...Rxh4 2.c4+ Rxc4#

Motivation is the same in both phases: the key paralyses both kings, brings wK to the 6th row and threats Madrasi specifical threat. In 1...b1Q variation black defends by paralysis of wQ, however this unpins his rook and mate on 3rd row follows. 1...Rxh4 unparalyses Bf2, but brings black rook to 4th row - and the mate follows. The differentiation between phases is done by changing position of wK.

Personal rating: C.

1.LIb6! (th. 2.Kb4 Wa5 3.Kc5 ~ 4.LIe3#) 1...Wa5 2.Kb4 (anyway, but it won't be so simple) 2...Wa6! (so black wazir is hidden far enough to prevent short continuation, now White wants to force bW to enter b5, but how?) 3.LIb3! Wa5 4.Kb5 Wa6 5.Ka5 Wb6 6.Kb4!! Wb5+ 7.Kc5 Wb6 8.Kc4 Wb5 9.LIb6 (and it is the same position as if 2...Wb5 3.Kc4 was played) ~ 10.Kc5 ~ 11.LIe3#

Short variations:
7...Wb4 8.LIb6 ~ 9.LIe3#
4...Wa4 5.LIb6 ~ 6.Kc6#
2...Wb5 3.Kc4 ~ 4.Kc5 ~ 5.LIe3#
1...Wb4 2.Ka4 Wb3 3.Kb5 ~ 4.Kc6# (2...Wb5 3.Kb4 Wa5 4.Kc5 ~ 5.LIe3#, 3...Wc5 4.LIe3#)
1...Wc5 2.LIe3#

From the short variations is easily seen that black wazir walks through mine field, on the other hand, white must play very precisely too, otherwise he wouldn't be able to mate so soon...

Personal rating: C.

Intention:
1.Ka7 (virtual mate Qxb7) 2.Kb8 3.Kc8 4.b8R(virtual mate Qd7,Be6) 5.Ra8 (virtual mate Qxb7) 6.Rxa6 7.Re6 8.Rxe5 9.Rd5 (virtual mate Qc7) 10.Rxd8 11.fxe7 (virtual mate Ba6) 12.e8B 13.Bd7 14.Bh3 15.Rg5 16.Rxg2 17.Rg1 18.Rd1 19.Rd3 20.Bf1 21.h3 (antizugzwang - after any white move black has no mating move) 22.Rxd4 23.Rxf4#

Cook found by Michel Caillaud:
1.Ka7 ... 3.Kc8 4.b8Q 5.Qxe5 6.Qe6 7.Qxa6 8.Qa5 9.Qxd8 10.fxe7 11.e8B 12.Bd7 13.exd4 (virtual mate Ba6) 14.d5 15.h3 (antiblocus) 16.d6 17.Qe8 18.Qe1 19.Bg4#

Not very successful try to compose "series direct reflexmate non-stop". It is very strange genre, but nevertheless there are people able to solve such problems...

Personal rating: D.

1.Qc2+! Kd5 2.Qd3+ Ke5 3.Qe4+ Kf6 4.Qxe2! Kg5 5.Qd2+ Kf6 6.Qd8+ Ke5 7.Qd6+ Kf6 8.Bb6! ... 12.Ra7! ... 16.Ka6! ... 20.Ba5! Kg5 21.Qd2+ Kf6 22.Qd8+ Ke5 23.Sd3+ Ke4 24.Qd4+ Kf3 25.Qf2+ Ke4 26.Qe3 Kd5 27.Qd4+ Kc6 28.Qc4+ Bxc4#

After longer time I tried again to compose the selfmate. Main reason was that I wanted to participate in JT Chlubna-50. But in the version sent there, there was found dual and I removed it only at the price of adding two pawns on h-file.

Strange enough, in 1998 was traditional Springaren Summer Tourney announced for problems with exactly 13 units in the diagram position. So I looked into my papers with unpublished problems and found two older problems including this selfmate. I sent it there and it did very well, bringing me some honourable mention.

The idea is rather good, in my view. Systematical movement in the middle part is probably well known, but I added prelude with putting bK to the cage and finale with mate. I would like to stress that all white pieces on a-file are used in prelude on their initial squares, thus their cyclical exchange of places isn't so pointless as it could have been without that prologue. Personal rating: B.

1.Se2 LIg8 2.LIcc3 Kd5#

1.Se4 Kb5 2.LIgc3 LIb7#

Incindentally shortly before announcement of Springaren Summer Tourney I was working together with excellent composer Ludo Lehen over set of schemes showing lions in h#2. One of finished positions had exactly 13 units in the diagram. It went into award so-so... Personal rating: C.

1.c1Q 2.Qe1 3.Qxe5 4.Qxd6 5.Qxf4 6.Qxf2 7.Qg1 g4#

1.c1B 2.Bb2 3.Bxe5 4.Bxf4 5.Bxg3 6.Bxf2 7.Bg1 d7#

This series helpmate was the only entry for the tourney that was composed especially for it. It took some time to arrange everything the way it is now. Of course, I didn't want to have any units having no function. E.g. Bb1 prevents 2.Qa1 in the first solution.

By the way, I remember that I composed this problem during my trip to Vienna. I spent there a week in August 1998, learning at a seminaire about banking supervision. It was interesting, not boring - I didn't compose at lectures, only in the evening. Personal rating: C.