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No.520 |
Original Problems, Julia’s Fairies – 2014 (I): January – April →Previous ; →Next ; →List 2014(I) Please send your original fairy problems to: julia@juliasfairies.com |
No.520 by Cornel Pacurar – A perfect three-phase play with a surprising construction of only 5 pieces! (JV)
Definitions:
Anti-Kings: A king is in check if he is not attacked. Mate occurs when a king is not attacked and his side has no move which exposes him to attack. (Of course kings may not be captured.)
Grasshopper 2(G2): As Grasshopper but moves not to the square immediately beyond the jumped unit but to the next square on the same line.
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No.520 Cornel Pacurar
Canada
original-25.03.2014
Dedicated to Eric Huber
 hs#6,5* 2 solutions (2+3)Anti-Kings Grasshopper-2: e3, f3, h4 Solutions: (click to show/hide)
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Echo mates. In each solution the kings stay close to each other for a while (keeping each other under attack) but then they separate, with each one being attacked only by an opposing G2. The bK is then unable to move, and one black G2 is also unable to move, because it is a hurdle for the white G2 which is attacking the bK. Black’s only option is to move the remaining G2, which is the only piece that had been attacking the wK.
The use of grasshopper-2 pieces is inspired (with ordinary grasshoppers the kings would finish too close to each other). The two real solutions are chameleon echoes, but they are very similar and after the first 4 moves they are equivalent.
Thanks to Cornel for the kind dedication of his Tanagra.
Of course the two solutions of the real play have similar/equivalent moves, but that is obviously intentional and enhances the contrast with the solution of the apparent play.
The zugzwang position ending each solution is a nice find: the bK and bG-2 are both immobilized by an Anti-King pin due to the special properties of the G-2 in Anti-Kings.