A couple of ,,Wenigsteiner” to enjoy for beginners and masters
Andreas Thoma
Dedicated to Julia
I want to thank Julia for the friendly way, she handles all the problems, we bother her with. Though I do not know whether she is a “proca-fan”, I hope she likes one or the other.
The author presents a selection (PDF) of 15 Proca Retractors with Anticirce Cheylan condition, each using not more than 4 pieces on the board. Please, see the first page with diagrams only if you would like to try solving. The second page gives some hints, and the third page presents the solutions.
Published with the gratitude to Andreas! (Julia)
See the definitions of Proca Retractor and Anticirce Cheylan.
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.
Anti-Circe (Cheylan): After a capture the capturing piece (Ks included) must immediately be removed to its game array square (necessarily vacant, else the capture is illegal). Captures on the rebirth square are not allowed. Game array squares are determined as in Circe: 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.
Solution of 3 (corrected): 1.Kb7 Kb7×La8→e1 Dc8-b8+ 2.Kc6-b7 Db7-c8/Lb7-a8 3.Se8-d6 & forward: 1.Kc6-d7#