No.619.1 (KW)

No.619.1 by Klaus Wenda – Proca Retractor; the improved version to No.619 (was cooked and had been disqualified in the Retro-Award 2013-14). The problem will participate in the current competition Retro and PG problems 2015-2016. (JV)

Definitions:

The -8 & #1 stipulation means: retract 8 moves and then the White (forward) mating move.

Defensive Retractor: In Defensive Retractors, White and Black retract (take back) a given number of moves (-n moves), in order to reach a position in which a forward stipulation (e.g. #1, s#1) is met. Given a choice, Black will retract those moves that avoid or delay White’s goal. Unless otherwise stated, Black may defend by mating White through a forward move, if such an opportunity exists after one of Black’s retractions.
The different kinds of Defensive Retractors only differ in the way uncaptures are handled, of course only legal uncaptures are allowed:

• In Proca Retractors the retracting side decides, if and what man was uncaptured.
• In Hoeg Retractors the opposite side decides, if and what man was uncaptured.
• In Klan Retractors always White decides, if and what man was uncaptured.
• In Pacific Retractors there are no uncaptures at all.

Anti-Circe: After a capture the capturing piece (Ks included) must immediately be removed to its game array square (necessarily vacant, else the capture is illegal). R, B & S go to the square of the same colour as the capture; Ps stay on the file of capture; fairy pieces go to the promotion square of the file of capture.

Anti-Circe without FD (explanation by the author): the abbreviation FD means Forward Defence. Should Black be able to reach the aim of the play forward (#1, s#1) earlier than White the w attack is refuted. Sometimes such Forward Defences are, like here, unavoidable in a scheme. In those cases it´s a valid convention that the author – as it is done here – expressively excludes a FD already in the stipulation of a defensive retractor.