Original Problems (12)

№ 34 Themis Argirakopoulos, Pierre Tritten & S.K.Balasubramanian – An interesting idea – mates to the black KoBul King in R and B – phases when rB and rR have maximum flight – squares (for the Rook – 14, and for the Bishop – 13).
Of course, it is difficult to realize. I have to mention that this problem has a lot of significant weaknesses.
At first, unpleasant is zero-position. In all genres of Chess composition such settings are bad – they mean serious compromises acceptable in case of form and content of the task. № 34 doesn’t have such grounds for the compromises. Unpleasant is also the formation of twins – positions of the white Pawns on a7 and b7 are not good because it is obviously that their promotion in Q is obligatory. Therefore, here we can’t speak about “paradoxical play” or “paradoxical contents” because the second white moves are rather primitive.
I think that a lot of improvements are possible in this problem. At first, I propose elimination of white pawns as mating pieces. Instead of them, it is possible and better to use white Queen. In this case it is not obviously that this Queen should give mates. I offer the following position, which is probably just an initial scheme for the other, better improvements:

[img[/img]

a) 1.Be7 Sxe7 (Kg6=rB)+ 2.rBe4 Qh1# (not 3.rBxh1??(Ka1=rQ – self-check!))
b) 1.Rd4 Sсxd4 (Kg6=rR) 2.rRg2 Qg1# (not 3.rRxh1??(Ka1=rQ – self-check!))

In my opinion, here the play is difficult and indeed has paradoxical nature – both black half moves in every phase are surprising, white mates on g1/h1 are also unexpected. But I repeat that this is only an educational position – it gives the ideas for the further development.