Good old times 14

1.Qg4! th. 2.Sb3 Qc3#
1...Qxd4 2.e8B Se6#
1...Bxd4 2.e8S Sd7#
1...Qc3+ 2.Sc4 Qxc4#
1...Sc3 2.Sf4 Se4#

There are two ttacking tries: 1.e8B? with idea of checkmate Se6# - but there is Sd3 with paralysis on f4, and 1.e8S? with idea of checkmate Sd7# - but there is again Sd3 with paralysis on e5. Therefore White has to prepare other threat by precise move of queen and only after placing black liner mover on d4 the main idea works. The paralyses by Sd3 preventing the mates are suddenly illegal due to selfchecks from d4.

The play has very Madrasi feeling.

1.Rd6? th. 2.Rb6 axb6#
1...Rd4 2.cxd4 Qc6 3.Qb2+ Qg2 4.Rb6 axb6#
1...Re6!

1.Bxc5? th. 2.Bb6 axb6#
1...Bxf2 2.Rd4 Bxd4 3.cxd4 ~ 4.Bb6 axb6#
1...Be7!

1.Sd7! th. 2.Sb6 axb6#
1...Sf6 2.Qb2+ Qh2,Qg2 3.Bxc5 th. 4.Bb6 axb6#
1...Se5 2.Qxc5+ Qg1 3.Rd6 th. 4.Rb6+ axb6#

There is only one checkmate throughout, but the play is fine, with good analogy in two variations.

White just needs to put something to b6 so that Pa7 has to check in an indefensible way. A quick attack employing Sb8 is easily parried by Sg4, but then it turns each move of Sg4 closes vital black line. 1...Sf6 cuts Bh4-e7, other way of defending c5 by bB is then disabled by creating paralysis line Qb2-Qh2. 1...Se5 cuts Re4-e6, and move 3...Rd4 is then disabled by paralysis line Qc5-Qg1.

This problem would be probably quite successful in the 23rd TT CCM that was dedicated to tries in fairy problems.

1.Gh6! th. 2.Rxb2+ Bxb2#
1...Zxd5 2.Bf2 b1N#
1...b4 2.Ge2+ b1CA#
1...bxa5 2.Nd2 b1GI#
1...Bxe4 2.Gg2+ b1G#
1...GIe3 2.Gd2+ b1Z#

The quintet of variations works in a unified way. The threat with capture of pinned pawn uses that squares c4, c5, d5, e4 and e3 are inaccessible for wK. That is the core of defences as they make additional flights for wK. At the same time they allow White to unpin Pb2 by interference on the 2nd rank. It results in battery checks by pawn promoting to five possible fairy pieces.

1.Sa4! th. 2.Sb2 Rxg1(Bc1)#
1...Gf2 2.Bxf2(Gf1) Gf3#
1...Ge3 2.Bxe3(Ge1) Ge4#
1...Gd4 2.Bxd4(Gd1) Gd5#
1...Nd4 2.Bxd4(Nd1) Nf5#
1...Gc5 2.Bxc5(Gc1) Gc6#
1...Nb6 2.Bxb6(Nb1) Ne7#
(1...Nh5 2.Rg3+ Nxg3#)

Circe combined with fairy pieces offers many unusual combinations. Here it works as follows.

After the key White threats cutting the line c1-a3, preventing black selfcheck by rebirth after Rxg1(Bc1).

Black defends against the threat by cutting the line a7-g1 as Ba7 would no longer guard checking Rg1.

But as all line closings are done by black fairy pieces, White exploits the possibility Circe self-unpin of Bg1 by rebirth. In fact this is a kind of dentist theme as after rebirth of black fairy piece there is suddenly a black battery on the 1st rank. And it can give mate by double check.

Six analogous variations are a good result. Note double use of square d4 for interference by two different fairy pieces.

1.dxc7!
1...nQh2 2.nQc2 nQg6 3.c8B+ Kxc8(Bf1) 4.nQg1 nQa7 5.nQa8+ nQxf3(f2)#
1...nQb8 2.cxb8B(nQd8)+ nQh4+ 3.Kd1 nQb4 4.nQf4 nQxb8(Bc1) 5.nQh8 nQxc3(c2)#

Although Maximummer condition is nowadays used quite a lot, only few modern selfmates in this genre are as interesting as this fivemover. Both Black and White have only neutral queen besides pawns, so that White can steer her to two chameleon echo mates. Circe is well used too, for rebirths of blocking bishops and checkmating neutral pawns that cannot move away.

It can be compared to the problems from the 17th TT CCM that was dedicated to problems with mates by neutral pieces.

1.Re6 2.Sf4 3.Sb3 4.Kc3 5.b6 6.bxc7 7.c8S 8.Sa7 9.Sb5 10.Kc4 11.Sd4 12.Sd5 13.Re8 14.c6+ Qxc6#

The position after the 13th move of solutions is almost the same as the diagram one. The important difference is a transformation of Pb5 into Sb5, as this allows final checkmate enforcing. Altogether we see here switchbacks by Re8, Sd5, Sd4 and round trip with promotion by Pb5. The mechanism for passing the relay is a well known pin-unpin mechanism as in as in the 25th TT CCM.

1.b8R 2.Rh8 3.c8B 4.c7 5.d8S 6.Be6 7.Bg8 8.Sf7 9.c8Q 10.Qf5 11.d4 12.d5 13.d6 14.d7 15.d8R 16.Rd3 17.Qh5+ Kxh5=

Well constructed seriesmoves shows five promotions by five white pawns as the only white units present at the diagram (except wK, obviously). Pins and unpins are used again in the style of 25th TT CCM.

1.Kxb2? 2.Kxb1=

1.Kb3 2.Kc4 3.Kd5 4.Gc6 5.Kc4 6.Kb3 7.Kxb2 8.Kb3 9.Kc4 10.Gc3 11.Kb3 12.Ka2 13.Ka1 Sxc3=

Less usual stipulation of series reflex stalemate works in five pieces thanks to the absence of bK that need not be stalemated. There is a reflex try failing due to lack of possible move fo bG. Therefore White has to provide the hurdle for him first and only then bB can be removed. Logical content in seriesmovers has still a lot of potential.