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Mat Plus #2-96
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Mat Plus Informal Tourney: Helpmates 1996
Judge: Borislav Gađanski

Problems were devided in two sections: twomovers and moremovers.

HELPMATE TWOMOVERS

There were 26 originals publinshed in 1996, 23 in Original Problems column and 3 elsewhere. The average quality was very high, though with not any real masterpiece. When the quality is similar, without obvious favorites, it is not easy to reach the decision. Almost all achievments are commendable, and I propose following ranking:


Fadil Abdurahmanović
1.Pr Mat Plus 1996
10p5RqB3pr3P3Qp1RSk5p7P12K






h#2 2111 8+7
1st Prize: No.234 by Fadil Abdurahmanovic (Bosnia and Hercegovina).
This problem has been inspired by the article Capture of white battery pieces by the same black unit (ivko Janevski, Mat Plus 10/1996). In one phase (solution) Black Queen captures both front, and in another both rear pieces from white batteries. The mate in either case is delivered by the same White Rook. A complex conception realized in a light position without twins. A mastership characteristic to the greatest helpmate composer. 1.Qd4: Rc3: 2.Qd5: Ra4:#, 1.Qc6: Se2+ 2.Qc4: Re6#.

Árpád Molnár
2.Pr Mat Plus 1996
r3k3P2p1b2qp1p3Prp1B1spp6Pbp5BpP2PP7K2R






h#2 b) BSd6 10+15
2nd Prize: No.179 by Arpad Molnar (Hungary).
The position (a) is legal only if the White Pawn was promoted on f8 vie f7. It meens that the Black King has moved and therefore cannot castle. Likewise, the position (b) is legal only of the Black Pawn was promoted on f1 via f2, and consequently the White Castle is impossible. By alternate exclusion of castlings the uniqueness of the solutions is reached. Analogous retro-motives and pin mates in both phases! a) 1.Kf8 0-0! 2.Be8 Bd6:#, b) 1.0-0-0 Kf2 2.Kc7 Rc1#.

Živko Janevski
3.Pr Mat Plus 1996
b2r1qB4pp7r1P5bk4KRsP8p8p5R






h#2 b) WPg6–›c5
c) WPg6–›d2
6+11
3rd Prize: No.237 by Živko Janevski (Macedonia).
Cyclic square vacation by sacrifices. Cyclic change of functions of white and black pieces, Cyclic Zilahi. Black self-interference. a) 1.Sf6 Be6:+ 2.Ke6: f5#, b) 1.Rc6 fe5 2.Ke5: Rd5#, c) 1.Bf6 Re4: 2.Ke4: Bh7#.

Milomir Babić
4.Pr Mat Plus 1996
R4s3sbrp3PPk1B2K3p1P4S






h#2 3111 7+7
4th Prize: 10/96 p.396 by Milomir Babic (Yugoslavia).
Out of three black pieces, one arrives to d6 while another is captured by White releasing the square for the Black King. Similar idea as in previous problem, but without cyclic functions of white pieces. Additional detail, arrival of three different pieces to the same square and the realization in three solutions, makes the strong impression. 1.Sd6 Bd7:+ 2.Kd7: Se5#, 1.Bd6 ab7 2.Kb7: Bd5:#, 1.Rd6 bc7 2.Kc7: Rc8#.

Franz Pachl
5.Pr Mat Plus 1996
15B1r4S3p2q2RS1rk1p5pss2K1p






h#2 b) WKb2–›h6 5+10
5th Prize: No.173 by Franz Pachl (Germany).
The twinning method is completely in the function of the idea. Two attempts of activating the masked battery fail due to the pinning of one of Knights. The corrective play eliminates the pinned Knight (with check!), which makes possible the openings of lines a4-f4 and h7-d3. a) 1.Rd~ Sb~? 2.Kd3 Sf4#, 1.Rdb4:+ Rb4:+ 2.Kd3 Sf4#; b) 1.Q~ Sg~? 2.Kf4 Sd3#, 1.Qg6:+ Bg6:+ 2.Kf4 Sd3#.

Victor Chepizhny
6.Pr Mat Plus 1996
2K6S6q8P3p2P3sr2B1k1P3B3r7Sb






h#2 2111
b)BQa6–›h7
8+7
6th Prize: No.176 by Victor Chepizhny (Russia).
Another successful achievement with logical tries. The paradoxicality is expressed in the fact that what is harmful in (a) becomes useful in (b). I agree with the Marjan Kovacevics opinion that the paradox would be even greater by adding of WSg3 and twinning by b) a6. a) 1.Qb5: Sd6! 2.Sd2!(Rd2?) Sb5#, 1.Qa4: Sc5! 2.Rd2! (Sd2?) Sa4#; b) 1.Sd2! Sc5! 2.Ra4: Sa4:#, 1.Rd2 Sd6! 2.Bb5: Sb5:#.

Živko Janevski
1.HM Mat Plus 1996
3R7s6p3p3pk7p2Bp5s15K1Q






h#2 2111 4+8
1st Hon. Mention: No.171 by Živko Janevski (Macedonia).
Total or complex change of the pin line where all three pieces from the pinning system are relocated to new lines. 1.Kd6 Qh2+ 2.Se5 Rd7:#, 1.Ke4 Re8+ 2.Se5 Qf3:#.

Mihajlo Milanović
2.HM Mat Plus 1996
1r5b4p12B4s4S2k8R10K3s






h#2 b) BKg4–›e4
c) BKg4–›b4
4+6
2nd Hon. Mention: No.170 by Mihajlo Milanovic (Yugoslavia).
Cyclic change of functions of 3 white pieces (capture, guard, mate) with cyclic change of black captures: BS:WR, BR:WB, BB:WS. Cyclic Zilahi with model mates in light position, but with radical twinning. a) 1.S1h3: Be2+ 2.Kh4 Sf5# (A/b, B), b) 1.Bd4: Rf3 2.e5 Bc6# (B/c, C), c) 1.Rb5: Sc2+ 2.Ka4 Ra3# (C/a, A).

Tode Ilievski
3.HM Mat Plus 1996
7q20bs5Rb7Pk1B3Psp2K1S1rr






h#2 2111 6+9
3rd Hon. Mention: No.232 by Tode Ilievski (Macedonia)
.Mixed captures with double reciprocal change of functions of white (Sc1, Rd4) and black (Be4, Se2) thematic pieces. Uniform mechanism with unpinnings, sacrifices and model mates. 1.Bb1 Se2: 2.Ke2: Bg4#, 1.Sc3 Re4: 2.Ke4: Bg2#.

Nikola Stolev
4.HM Mat Plus 1996
3R2B1K1pr8rP5qb3p7S1k1S7pP






h#2 2111 7+8
4th Hon. Mention: No.175 by Nikola Stolev (Macedonia).
Critical moves of the Black Queen along lateral and diagonal lines. Double indirect half-pin with one common piece for both systems. 1.Qd2 Sb5+ 2.Kd3 Bh7#, 1.Qa2 Sb1+ 2.Kb3 Rb8#.

Jean Hayman
5.HM Mat Plus 1996
9ppr4bpk6p4r1q3S2K2BpP2p2R3BP2R4Q






h#2 2111 9+11
5th Hon. Mention: No.240 by Jean Hayman (Israel).
Reciprocal captures of rear pieces from white batteries, motivated by possible captures of these pieces by Black Pawns. 1.Qc2: Sf6+ 2.Qg2: Be5#, 1.Rg2: Bb4+ 2.Rc2: Sd6#.

Colin Sydenham
6.HM Mat Plus 1996
1B14p3S3pk1p11r3sSK






h#2 Duplex 4+6
6th Hon. Mention: No.169 by Colin Sydenham (Great Britain).
Duplex with perfect ortho-diagonal echo play, activity of all pieces in both solutions and model mates. 1.Ra4 Ba7 2.Sb4 Sd4#, 1.Bg3 Rh2 2.Sf4 Se5#.

Slobodan Šaletić
Com. Mat Plus 1996
24K2s12Sp7kpR4q1s1b






h#2 2111 3+7
No.168 by Slobodan Šaletic (Yugoslavia).
Double successive unpins of white pieces. 1.Kc3 Rd4 2.Qb2 Sb5#, 1.Sc3 Rd1 2.Sa2 Sc4#.

Zoran Gavrilovski
Com. Mat Plus 1996
1b2b5pr5p8r1p3K4kP4qpp4Q6BRss






h#2 b) BKf4–›b7 5+13
No.177 by Zoran Gavrilovski (Macedonia).
Harmonous and complex strategy realized by radical twinning removal of the Black King. a) 1.Rcd5 Qc6 2.Ke4 Rc4#, b) 1.Qd6 Qg6 2.Kc6 Be4#.

Valery Barsukov
Com. Mat Plus 1996
1b1K10p5S1s5k2r2Pp3SB2s16r






h#2 2111 5+8
No.231 by Valery Barsukov (Russia).
A King move opens two black lines, which are subsequently closed by arrival of black piece to the square vacated by the Monarch. Accurate determination and model mates. 1.Ke4 Bc1 2.Se5 Sc5#, 1.Kf6 Sg5 2.Se5 Be7#.

György Bakcsi
Com. Mat Plus 1996
15b24pPPpr3RppkSS2BB5K






h#2 b) WSf2–›g2 8+7
No.233 by Gyorgy Bakcsi (Hungary).
Removals of Black Pawns from second and White Pawns from third rank is realized by capture of White Bishops on the first and captures of promoted Black Knights on the third rank. a) 1.cb1S Bb2: 2.Sc3: Bc3:#, b) 1.ba1S Bc2: 2.Sb3: Bb3:#.

HELPMATE MOREMOVERS

In 1996 there were 17 helpmate moremovers of a good quality, It was not hard to select the first prize, which made the ranking of remaining problems easier.


Gábor Cseh
1.Pr Mat Plus 1996
5K4s1PP5s6p5ppP1pP3b2Pp3k3P2b






h#4 W–› b) BKb2–›c2 7+10
1st Prize: No.183 by Gabor Cseh (Hungary).
Reciprocal minor promotions on the same square. Kniest theme (captures of the black piece on the square where the Black King will be mates), Zilahi effect and differentiation of the sacrifices on e8. Top-class composition. a) 1... e8B 2.Ka3 Ba4: 3.Sce8 fe8:R 4.Ka4: Ra8#, b) 1... e8R 2.Kd3 Re4: 3.Sde8 fe8:B 4.Ke4: Bg6#.

Tode Ilievski
2.Pr Mat Plus 1996
rsK4bp1B1p3P1p1p3R3P3P9k






h#4 0111...
b) WPa6–›c5
6+8
>b>2nd Prize: No.203 by Tode Ilievski (Macedonia).
Two round-trips without captures. a) 1... Bd6 2.Kd4 Bc5+ 3.Ke5: Bb6+ 4.Kd6 Bc7#, b) 1... Ra6 2.Kb4 Rb6+ 3.Ka5 Rb5+ 4.Ka6 Ra5#.

Chris Feather
1.HM Mat Plus 1996
2bKB19rs3p7k13p2R3b






h#3 211111 3+7
1st Hon. Mention: No.181 by Chris Feather (Great Britain).
Annihilation with switchback and model mates. 1.Kf3 Rd2: 2.f4 Rg2 3.Be3 Bc6#, 1.Ke5 Bb5: 2.Kf6 Be8 3.Re5 Rg6#.


György Sunyog
2.HM Mat Plus 1996
20p7P6k2K9SbpP6B






h#3 311111 5+4
2nd Hon. Mention: No.245 by Gyorgy Sunyog (Yugoslavia).
Complete cycle of white moves (ABC-BCA-CAB) with model mates in very economical presentation. 1.Kd5 Bb2: 2.c1R d3 3.Rc5 Sb4#, 1.Ke4 Sb4 2.Bd4 Bb2 3.Be3 d3#, 1.Ba3 d3 2.Bd6 Sb4 3.Ke5: Bb2#.

Svetislav Janićijević
Com. Mat Plus 1996
3K1R2B17s1b2r6s3p2bP5k3S






h#3 b) WSa1–›h3 5+7
No.201 by Svetislav Janicijevic (Yugoslavia).
Double Cheney-Loyd combination with double gate openings and self-blocks. a) 1.Sd3 Bg1 2.Be4 Rf2+ 3.Ke3 Sc2#, b) 1.Bg2 Rf1 2.Se4 Bf2 3.Kf3 Sg1#.

György Bakcsi &
Lászlo Zoltán

Com. Mat Plus 1996
k17p1p3p3p2pP3p7P1pp4P1P6B1K






h#8 6+9
No. 204 by Gyorgy Bakcsi & Laszlo Zoltan (Hungary).
An 8-mover with an unexpected play, 1.hg2+ Kg1 2.gf1R+ Kg2 3.Rb1 Kh3 4.Rb5 ab5 5.g2 bc6 6.g1R c7 7.Rb1 c8Q+ 8.Rb8 Qa6#.

Zrenjanin, June 2006
Borislav Gađanski


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