Selfmates with active white king 4


This time I've selected a few fairy selfmates with a key played by a white King.
Oswaldo Faria
HM Feenschach 1962

1...Kf6+ 2.Kb2 Kf5#
1...Ke7+ 2.Ka3 Kd7#

1.Kc4! zz
1...Kf6+ 2.Kd4 Kf5#
1...Ke7+ 2.Kc5 Kd7#

The key changes two variations. Of course, minimummer condition limits black movements, wBa2 prevents the bK from the return to its original square and forces mates by royal batteries.









s#2 (7+11)
Minimummer

Karol Mlynka
2nd-5th Comm Problemista 1990

1.Kb2! zz
1...Gc5 2.Bxc5 Ga2#
1...Ga2 2.Kxa2 Gc5#
1...Gc2 2.Kxc2 Gb2#

White forces mates by diagram half-battery by capture of grashopper that has just opened the half-battery.









s#2 (11+7)
5+2 grasshopper

Janusz Skrzek
2nd Comm Wola Gulowska 1996

1.Qxd4? th. 2.Qe4+ S6xe4#
1...Ge1!

1.Bxd4? th. 2.Qe4+ A S6xe4#
1...Ge1 a 2.Qf5+ B S6e4#
1...Gf4!

1.Kxd4! th. 2.Qf5+ B S6e4#
1...Ge1 a 2.Qe4+ A S6xe4#

The position of of wK with regard to the Gh4 determines possible continuation in 2nd move of White. If they are placed on the same orthogonal line, white cannot play to e4 directly, but Qf5 forces double-mate by battery + antibattery knight move. If they are on the different lines, white plays to e4 directly as queen cannot end up at f5, as there would be quard on bishop line.









s#2 (11+15)
2+2 grasshopper

Bernhard Rehm
1st Prize Die Schwalbe 1955

1...f5 2.Rb8 Qxb8 3.Rg5 Qh2#

1.Kh3! f5 2.Ra8 Qxa8 3.Rg3 Qh1#

Model mates are echoed with help of the key by wK, that translates set mate one row down.









s#3 (5+4)
Maximummer

Peter Kahl
Feenschach 1954

1...Rc4+ 2.Kb6 Rxc6+ 3.Ka5 Ra6+ 4.Kb4 Ra4#

1.Kb6! Ra6+ 2.Kc5 Rxc6+ 3.Kb4 Rc4+ 4.Ka5 Ra4#

Oh yes, there is a round trip in set play by bR, and in the solution there is it again, but this time in the other direction.









s#4 (7+6)
Ultraschachzwang

Heinz Zander
2nd Comm Der Schnatterer 1974

1.Ke3! e4 2.e8=R e5 3.Rxe5(e7) e6 4.Reb5 e5 5.Kxe4(e7) e6 6.Rd1 Rxe2#

Not so unusual use of Circe for manoeuvres with pawns. White captures black ones providing tempo moves to Black, slowly improving his position and finally blocks a queen rebirth square allowing mating move.









s#6 (6+7)
Circe

Comments to Juraj Lörinc.
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