Original Fairy problems
JF-2021-II:
01.07.2021 - 31.12.2021
No. 1634 Daniel Papack
Germany
original - 24.07.2021
Greetings to Seetharaman Kalyan
white Ke4 Bf2c8 Pc5d5
black Rb1g8 Bb5 Pd6 Se7d7 Ka7
h#2 2 solutions 5+7
Take & Make
Take & Make
Solution: (click to show/hide)
This is a new motivation for the underpronotion mates. Promotion to queen on W2 move gives too many flight squares for the black king. And promotion to knight gives an unwanted flight to the King. The logical question is: Why must white promote at all, why not just move the WP away firing the battery? The wonderful answer is –promoting and moving to b8/a8 is the only way to block the flight square b8/a8!
Excellent original idea and a perfect execution with an additional knight promotion in each phase. 👍👏
There are a few more subtleties here (just remember who the composer is!).
The flight b8 can be easily taken care of (1.Sb8 c6+), but a8 remains free.
Both a8 and b8 can be handled with 1.Sg6 Ba6 2.Sb6 cxb6->c8=Q+, but 3.Rxc8->c5! defends (that’s the main reason for Rg8).
So we must “block” a8+b8 with promoted white pieces, either Ba8+Sb8 (guard c6 against both KxB and KxS) or Sa8+Bb8 (guard c7 against both KxS and KxB). White Q or R promotions adjacent to the bK are not good in T&M, of course. So Black must sacrifice first on c6 and then on b6 (not the other way around because of a premature check from Bf2).
1.Bc6 opens Rb1-b6 so both Rb1 and Sd7 guard the mating line, so we need a double check by b8=B; therefore Sa8 + Bb8 are the correct promotions.
1.Sc6 does not allow a B promotion on b8 because of the same check (but one move too early), so Sb8 + Ba8 are the correct promotions.
Lovely logic in a Meredith position.
Thanks Widlert. You have looked deeper into the position. Indeed very subtle logic for such a light postionm 😀