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No.653, 654, 655 |
Original Problems, Julia’s Fairies – 2014 (III): September – December →Previous ; →Next ; →List 2014(III) Please send your original fairy problems to: julia@juliasfairies.com |
No.653, 654, 655 by Chris Feather – Three nice neutral miniatures representing Phantom Chess condition. Unusual batteries, unusual checks, unusual notations 🙂 Enjoy! (JV)
Definitions:
Phantom Chess: Any unit except a king may move either normally (from its current square) or as though from its Circe rebirth square if the latter is vacant.
Circe: Captured units (not Ks) reappear on their game-array squares, of the same colour in the case of pieces, on the file of capture in the case of pawns, and on the promotion square of the file of capture in the case of fairy pieces. If the rebirth square is occupied the capture is normal.
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No.653 Chris Feather |
Solutions: (click to show/hide) |
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white kg3
black kb6
neutral pa2a7
h#2,5 b) Pa7→b7 (1+1+2n) |
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No.654 Chris Feather |
Solutions: (click to show/hide) |
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white kb3
black ke1
neutral pa2h7
h#2 b) Kb3→a3 (1+1+2n) |
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No.655 Chris Feather |
Solutions: (click to show/hide) |
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white kh1
black kc6 ph2
neutral pc4g6
h#4 3 solutions (1+2+2n) |
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Feather at his inventive best as always ! Yes. the mates in the first problem and the mate in Part-b of 654 are definitely battery mates, though the arrival of the checking piece and the depature of the battery piece is simultaneous !
These three problems with “phamtom” checks or “phamtom” control of squares, realised in a very economical way,
are really beautiful ! Congratulations Chris !
In No.653(a), 2…nRf1 allows 3.Ka6, because the bKa6 is not in check from the nBa8 (which can no longer move via f1). Then 3…Rh6 (moving via h1) is a triple-check, with the nBa8 giving check via f1 and the nRh6 giving check along the 6th rank and also via a1! In the mate the nR guards a5, a7 and b6, while the nB guards b7 and b5. Note that 3…nRf6? is not mate, because of 4.nRf1!
In the mate in No.653(b), the nR gives check via a1 and also guards a6, a4, b6 and b5. Note that 3…nBc3? is not mate, because of 4.nBa1!
The wK is not needed, but if it is on the board then it must be on g3!
In the mate in No.654(a), the nQ gives check via d1. Note that the wK is not in check, because when Black has the move the nQ goes via d8, not d1! In (b), the nS must move (via g1) to h3, because 2…nSb3? 3.nSa1!, 1…nSf3+?, 3.nSxh2! and 2…nSe2? 3.nSc1!.
Note also that in the third solution of 655, we cannot guard e5+e7 with a nR on e3 or e4, which is perfectly playable, because of 4.nRxc8! via h8 or a8.