Take&Make: Having captured, a unit must immediately, as part of its move, play a non-capturing move in imitation of the captured unit from the capture-square. If no such move is available, the capture is illegal. Promotion by capture occurs only when a pawn arrives on the promotion rank as the result of a take&make move. Checks are as in normal chess: after the notional capture of the checked K, the checking unit does not move away from the King’s square.
No.1287Jacques Rotenberg Israel original – 11.03.2018
Very beautiful idea. Those who read my comments know that I am very fond of tempo moves, especially when they are non-standard and unexpected.
Unfortunately, white pawns have no physical ability to promote, and this somewhat diminishes the paradox. Also, the lack of black diagonal pieces does not allow captures on all four possible squares. Maybe, it is better to keep two only two pieces for capture (with kind of exchange) and leave the squares for possible direct promotion empty as a false track.
Jacques Rotenberg
March 12, 2018 13:51
“…Unfortunately, white pawns have no physical ability to promote…”
not exact, for example
1.Qa3? cxb8=Q(Qa8) 2.Qc5 b8=Q+ does not work because of 3.Bb7
The two pawns may promote
an even more specific try :
1.Bh3? cxb8=Q(Qc8) 2.Qa5 b8=Q+ 3.Bxc8->b7!
Seetharaman
March 12, 2018 16:20
Both pawns reach 8th rank during play, but cannot promote because black king will escape! Beautiful use of T&M as defence for black. The might of the lowly pawn. Loved it!
Georgy Evseev
March 13, 2018 08:32
Of course, it is possible to promote pawns in two moves. But I wanted to emphasize that lack of ability to promote in diagram position works against the paradox.
True. Pawns with more freedom would have been much more paradoxical.
Luce Sebastien
March 14, 2018 03:32
Dear Jacques,
it seems that the nice idea of diag.1287
can be done in 12 pieces :
S.L.
h‡2 (3+9) C+
2.1.1…
Take & Make
1.Qg5 gxh5(g4) 2.Kh4 fxe5(g3)‡
1.Kf3 fxe5(f4) 2.Ke4 gxh5(f3)‡
Pawn reaching eighth rank and not promoting is the idea of Jacques. You missed it.
Luce Sebastien
March 14, 2018 03:49
I forgot the position !
White : Kc4 Pf4g4
Black : Kg3 Qh4 Re3 Be5h5 Sa6 Pc6f5h3
Jacques Rotenberg
March 14, 2018 18:11
You are right Sebastien, there is a way to build it in 12, and to keep the pawns on the 7th rank
White : Kc7 Pf7g7
Black : Kg6 Qh7 Ra8e6 Be8h8 Sf8 Pb7h6
would you mind, if we replace the problem with this with the two names JR+SL ?
Moreover the pawns have an apparent better freedom that should please Georgy
Jacques Rotenberg
March 14, 2018 18:27
in fact, it is possible even in 11
White : Kc7 Pf7g7
Black : Kg6 Qe8 Rf8e6 Bh8h7 Pb7h6
Luce Sebastien
March 14, 2018 20:33
Dear Jacques,
very nice construction in 11 pieces ! If you want to add my name to the position, it would be a pleasure, but it is not a necessity.
By the way I want to tell you that you impressed me a lot two times when I begun chess composition in 2012. I haven’t Winchloe at this time and I succeeded to improve one of your old record of number of crossed checks in an orthodox #n (using Fritz on ChessBase to do it !).
But you improved just after the record. Congratulations !
In another occasion you wrote me by mail about one of my very problem an h#n with indian theme, and you sent me an incredible number of “variations” on the theme. Congratulations again !
From this time (2012) I produced a lot (among 1000 problems published…) and maybe you will be interested to exchange positions or ideas with me mainly on fairies or series movers, my fields of predilection. Here is again my mail if you lost it. luceechecs@gmail.com
Best
Sebastien
Georgy Evseev
March 16, 2018 08:26
If one wants to please Georgy (very suspicious idea, if you ask me), then he should propose something like this:
white Kf8 Bf4a6 Pc7b7
black Kc5 Qe6 Rf1b5 Ba8d8 Pg7
This is very nice with more mobility for the white pawns. I would anytime prefer this version, but Jacques has a point about model mates. It is probably a difficult decision.
Jacques Rotenberg
March 16, 2018 16:01
Well done Georgy, but the fact that the mates are no more models, to my mind, it is too high a price.
for polemic side of your post :
“…If one wants to please Georgy (very suspicious idea, if you ask me),…”.
You can be sure that when I compose a problem, I try to please everybody, as far as possible.
Andrew Buchanan
March 16, 2018 18:28
Beautiful idea, Jacques. Here’s a 10-piece version, which you probably considered: 4brnb/1pK2PP1/4r1k1/8/8/8/8/8 h#2 Both mates are models, but the promotion squares in the diagram are all covered .
very well done Andrew!
I missed it!
The “free” king is a nice feature!
Perhaps possible even with 9 ?
White : Kc7 Pf7g7
Black : Kg6 Qf3 Rf8e6 Be8h8
a)
b)f8->g8
what do you think ?
Andrew Buchanan
March 18, 2018 02:42
Thanks for your kind words, Jacques.
The composition is trying to have a third Black move but there is no clear way to add a third White move. So twinning is a great idea. This lightens and opens up the position a bit, allowing for White promotions. The only possible downside is that it makes the problem a bit more symmetrical. But the RN asymmetry in the 10 piece diagram was already illusory – it might equally have been RR. So I think your twinning works here.
Very beautiful idea. Those who read my comments know that I am very fond of tempo moves, especially when they are non-standard and unexpected.
Unfortunately, white pawns have no physical ability to promote, and this somewhat diminishes the paradox. Also, the lack of black diagonal pieces does not allow captures on all four possible squares. Maybe, it is better to keep two only two pieces for capture (with kind of exchange) and leave the squares for possible direct promotion empty as a false track.
“…Unfortunately, white pawns have no physical ability to promote…”
not exact, for example
1.Qa3? cxb8=Q(Qa8) 2.Qc5 b8=Q+ does not work because of 3.Bb7
The two pawns may promote
an even more specific try :
1.Bh3? cxb8=Q(Qc8) 2.Qa5 b8=Q+ 3.Bxc8->b7!
Both pawns reach 8th rank during play, but cannot promote because black king will escape! Beautiful use of T&M as defence for black. The might of the lowly pawn. Loved it!
Of course, it is possible to promote pawns in two moves. But I wanted to emphasize that lack of ability to promote in diagram position works against the paradox.
True. Pawns with more freedom would have been much more paradoxical.
Dear Jacques,
it seems that the nice idea of diag.1287
can be done in 12 pieces :
S.L.
h‡2 (3+9) C+
2.1.1…
Take & Make
1.Qg5 gxh5(g4) 2.Kh4 fxe5(g3)‡
1.Kf3 fxe5(f4) 2.Ke4 gxh5(f3)‡
What do you think about it ?
Pawn reaching eighth rank and not promoting is the idea of Jacques. You missed it.
I forgot the position !
White : Kc4 Pf4g4
Black : Kg3 Qh4 Re3 Be5h5 Sa6 Pc6f5h3
You are right Sebastien, there is a way to build it in 12, and to keep the pawns on the 7th rank
White : Kc7 Pf7g7
Black : Kg6 Qh7 Ra8e6 Be8h8 Sf8 Pb7h6
would you mind, if we replace the problem with this with the two names JR+SL ?
Moreover the pawns have an apparent better freedom that should please Georgy
in fact, it is possible even in 11
White : Kc7 Pf7g7
Black : Kg6 Qe8 Rf8e6 Bh8h7 Pb7h6
Dear Jacques,
very nice construction in 11 pieces ! If you want to add my name to the position, it would be a pleasure, but it is not a necessity.
By the way I want to tell you that you impressed me a lot two times when I begun chess composition in 2012. I haven’t Winchloe at this time and I succeeded to improve one of your old record of number of crossed checks in an orthodox #n (using Fritz on ChessBase to do it !).
But you improved just after the record. Congratulations !
In another occasion you wrote me by mail about one of my very problem an h#n with indian theme, and you sent me an incredible number of “variations” on the theme. Congratulations again !
From this time (2012) I produced a lot (among 1000 problems published…) and maybe you will be interested to exchange positions or ideas with me mainly on fairies or series movers, my fields of predilection. Here is again my mail if you lost it. luceechecs@gmail.com
Best
Sebastien
If one wants to please Georgy (very suspicious idea, if you ask me), then he should propose something like this:
white Kf8 Bf4a6 Pc7b7
black Kc5 Qe6 Rf1b5 Ba8d8 Pg7
This is very nice with more mobility for the white pawns. I would anytime prefer this version, but Jacques has a point about model mates. It is probably a difficult decision.
Well done Georgy, but the fact that the mates are no more models, to my mind, it is too high a price.
for polemic side of your post :
“…If one wants to please Georgy (very suspicious idea, if you ask me),…”.
You can be sure that when I compose a problem, I try to please everybody, as far as possible.
Beautiful idea, Jacques. Here’s a 10-piece version, which you probably considered: 4brnb/1pK2PP1/4r1k1/8/8/8/8/8 h#2 Both mates are models, but the promotion squares in the diagram are all covered .
very well done Andrew!
I missed it!
The “free” king is a nice feature!
Perhaps possible even with 9 ?
White : Kc7 Pf7g7
Black : Kg6 Qf3 Rf8e6 Be8h8
a)
b)f8->g8
what do you think ?
Thanks for your kind words, Jacques.
The composition is trying to have a third Black move but there is no clear way to add a third White move. So twinning is a great idea. This lightens and opens up the position a bit, allowing for White promotions. The only possible downside is that it makes the problem a bit more symmetrical. But the RN asymmetry in the 10 piece diagram was already illusory – it might equally have been RR. So I think your twinning works here.