Mat Plus

SACRIFICES OF PROMOTED WHITE PIECES IN HELPMATE

by Gabor Cseh (1974-2001)

(From Mat Plus No.13-14, Spring/Summer 1997, p.1) 


INTRODUCTION

First of all the title means: promoted in the play, not before the play. It's rather a motif than a theme. A motif which cannot be shown in a pure helpmate-twomover, because there is no reasoning of an exact white promotion. The article is divided into three parts, because the point is the motivation for the promotion and the sacrifice of the promoted piece.

PART ONE: BLACK MATE OR STALEMATE AVOIDANCE

The earliest example I found is from 1928. by Gyula Neukomm (No.1). It shows the sacrifice of a promoted queen and the mate is given by a second promoted queen. The problem is not as easy to solve as some of those which follow, but experienced solver knows that 1.e3 is impossible because of no black move order.

1. Gy. Neukomm
Tijdschrift 1928
13p3P3Pp9pP2p3ppp5rrp1P1P1k1K






h#9 6+11
1.g5 b7 2.g4 b8Q 3.g3 Qg3: 4.e3 Qg6 5.fg6 f7 6.g5 f8Q 7.g4 Qf5 8.g3 Qc2: 9.Rb1+ Qb1:#

In 1993. the Danish Chess Problem Club announced a theme tourney for one-phase helpmates showing at least two white promotions. We can find problems from the award in Branko Koludrovic's article "Four promotions in helpmate" in Mat Plus No.6-7, but these cannot be in this article because of the lack of our motif. Here are some other problems from the award, starting with my own first problem with the motif (No.2). At that time I didn't know of the Neukomm's problem and found this kind of composing and solving very interesting. Especially in this first part of the article most of the problems had yo be composed and solved by their authors. No.3 is another double white queen promotion problem, where the first queen is captured in the play. After the closing date of the DSK's tourney I found No.4 which shows an additional WS promotion. At the end of 1995 I came to the position of No.5 and I couldn't beleive that one of my dreams came true! Three WQ promotions with sacrifice of the first two and in addition a black knight promotion. It seemed to me that was the only possible position featuring three WQ promotions plus one black promotion, but I was wrong. A year later I found Nos.6 & 7 with additional BR and BB promotions. There must be at least one position in which there are two black besides the three WQ promotions, but that is only waiting for somebody to find it!

2. G. Cseh
9.hm DSK 57.TT 1994
9p1p4P2P2p4P2P10ppp4p1p5kbK






h#9 5+10
1.b6 a7 2.b5 a8Q 3.b4 Qa3 4.b2+ Qb2:+ 5.cb2+ Kd2 6.c1R Ke3 7.Rc7 dc7 8.Bc2 c8Q 9.b1B Qh8#
3. M. Henrych
5.cm DSK 57.TT 1994
6K5p2P16p6PPp1pPp2kPpP1P2sbB






h#8 9+9
1.e6 h8Q 2.e5 Qg7 3.e4 Qg2 4.fg2 h5 5.g1B h6 6.Bh2 h7 7.Be5 h8Q 9.Bb2: Qb2:#
4. G. Cseh
sp.cm Diagrammes 1994
13p1Pp1P2P11PP5ppp2pP1k1p2P2bbK






h#10 8+10
1.a5 h8S 2.ab4 Sg6 3.fg6 f7 4.g5 f8Q 5.g4 Qb4: 6.b2+ Qb2:+ 7.cb2+ Kd2 8.c1R c7 9.Rc3 c8Q 10.Rc4: Qc4:#
5. G. Cseh
The Problemist 1996
4B4Pp2P2p3Q3P1P1P6p1P5Pp4pp1p1P1brkbK






h#13 11+11
*1... Ba4 2.c6 Bc2: 3.Kc2: Qc4#
1.c6 Qd5 2.cd5 Bb5 3.ab5 f8Q 4.b4 Qf5 5.b3 Qe4 6.de4 b8Q 7.ed3 Qb4 8.d2+ Qd2:+ 9.ed2+ Kf2 10.e1S e6 11.Be2 e7 12.Kd1 e8Q 13.Rc1 Qe2:#
6. G. Cseh
original
10PP10P3pP2Pp7p5p1Pp1pp1p2rbrkbK1s






h#10 7+14
1.c4 d8Q 2.c3 Qd6 3.Sg3+ Qg3: 4.hg3 c8Q 5.h4 Qg4 6.g2+ Qg2: 7.fg2+ Kg2: 8.f1R g7 9.Rf8 gf8Q 10.Ke2 Qf3#
7. G. Cseh
original
9P1p2P1P10PRP3P2p7p1Ppppp1p2PrkbbK1s






h#10 10+13
1.d6 g8Q 2.de5 Qg4 3.Sf3+ Qf3: 4.ef3 b8Q 5.e4 Qf4 6.f2+ Qf2: 7.ef2+ Kf2: 8.Bd2 a7 9.Kc1 a8Q 10.b1B Qa3#

Let's take a step further! The absolute record number of sacrifices is three, shown in No.8. Yes, it is the famous four WS promotion problem, which can also be a direct mate in 10 with e5 BP on e4. No.9 shows only two WS promotions (both subsequently captured), but what an interesting play! A promoted WQ mates in this one.

 
8. D. H. Hersom

Fairy Chess Review 1936
K8p1p1p1PkP1P1P2Bp2p4Pp7P3P5P






h#10 10+7
1.e4 h8S 2.e3 Sg6 3.fg6 f7 4.g5 f8S 5.g4 Se6 6.de6 d7 7.e5 d8S 8.e4 Sc6 9.bc6 b7 10.c5 b8S#
 
9. I. Telkes

1.pr Magyar Sakkvilág 1943
13p1p4pP1P4P7Ppsp5pbr4rp1k5Ksq






h#15 5+14
1.Sf6: ef6 2.Rd2 e5 3.Rd6 ed6 4.e5 d7 5.e4 d8S 6.e3 Se6 7.fe6 f7 8.e5 f8S 9.e4 Sg6 10.hg6 h7 11.g5 h8Q 12.g4 Qb2 13.e2+ Qe2: 14.e3 Qf3: 15.Qg2 Qg2:#
10. T. Legendi
& Á. Molnár

2.hm Magyar Sakkélet 1961
Bk6bP1p1pPP1s1P1P7p8p7pb6p7K






h#7 7+10
1.f4 h8S 2.f3 Sg6 3.fg6 g8B 4.g5 Be6 5.de6 d7 6.Kc7 b8R 8.e5 d8Q#

No.10 is one of the best helpmates ever composed, honoured only by a 2nd Hon. Mention... It shows white AUW in one phase, "accidentally" in this order: SBRQ! I must use the quotation marks with the word "accidentally", because once one of my chess problem friends told me: "Nothing happens accidentally on the chess board!" This problem is an unrepeatable achievement, all with the help of Molnar's great idea: the mating black battery for a careless white promotion.

To sacrifice a WR or WB is much harder than to sacrifice a WS or WQ! No.11 shows only one promoted WR sacrifice, but what a play! Black also promotes two times. In the mating position there is a BR on b1 but that's not the one which is there in the diagram position. In this one the WR makes two moves and after that disappears from the board, so this WR moves like a WQ, since the queen is the piece which must move two times before it is captured, as we have seen in earlier problems. Cartainly, it is not necessary to move two times with a promoted WR or WB. Two promoted WRs are captured in No.12. We can change nothing in the 21 piece arrangement of this work. Using similar matrix it was possible to capture a WR and a WB in one phase (No.13), with the BK's tempo-switchback manoeuvre in the end. In fact the capture of the WB is also part of the tempo manoeuvre.

11. M. Caillaud
2.pr DSK 57.TT 1994
9P4p4p2P8p7P2pP1p2ppP1pP2krb1K






h#8 7+11
1.d5 b8R 2.d4 Rb2: 3.Be3+ Rb1:+ 4.ab1B fe3 5.Ba2 Kf2 6.Bf7 gf7 7.e1R f8Q 8.Rb1 Qa3#
12. G. Cseh
original
9Bp3PpPpP4P4P3pp1p4bk1P4rspP2P3K






h#8 W–› 10+11
1... g8R 2.b5 Rg6 3.hg6 a7 4.g5 a8R 5.g4 Ra4: 6.g3 Ra3:+ 7.Ra3: Bc8 8.Sa4 Be6#
13. G. Cseh
Probleemblad 1996
8p5Pp7PPp6pp1p4bk1P2P1rspP4s1K






h#10 W–› 7+12
1... g8R 2.a6 Rg6 3.hg6 h7 4.g5 h8B 5.g4 Bd4: 6.Sc4+ Bb2 7.Sb6 ab6 8.Rb2: b7 9.Ka2 b8Q 10.Kb3 Qg8#

I am still working on the maybe impossible three WR promotion helpmate, but the three WB promotions also seemed impossible for many years. In 1996. I found No.14, and half a year later No.15: a great fortune after a lot of work. In the latter only one promoted WB is captured, but there are no promoted pieces in the diagram position. These last four problems all use a black battery which gives mate to white if white promotes to queen!

14. G. Cseh
Thema Danicum 1996
k7Pp2p2P1P2P1P2p1p7Pp1Pp4K1br1P3rrq6bb






h#8 9+14
1.b4 h8B 2.b3 Bf6 3.ef6 e7 4.f5 e8B 5.fg4 Bc6 6.bc6 g7 7.c5 g8B 8.c4 Bd5:#
15. G. Cseh
Thema Danicum 1997
12PP2p4P2Pp11P1P3p1ppp1PpPk1p3BbrsK






h#8 10+12
1.b4 e8B 2.b3 Bb5 3.ab5 f8B 4.b4 Bc5 5.f2+ Bf2: 6.Kf3 f7 7.Re8 fe8B 8.Ke2 Bh5#
16. G. Cseh
The Problemist 1997
S10PP2p4p4P2P6p2pP3p2pb3P1psk5K1s






h#10 8+11
1.h6 d8Q 2.h5 Qd5 3.Sh4:+ Qg2+ 4.Sg2: e8B 5.h4 Bc6 6.Sf4+ Bg2 7.Sd5 b6 8.Sc7 b7 8.Sa8: ba8Q 9.Bg2:+ Qg2:#

In No.16 there is a strange promotion order: QBQ. It is the only helpmate up to date, I guess, in which two promoted white pieces are captured on the same square in one phase. The mate is also on g2, the BS and BB also move onto that square, so everything happens on g2! Without WPd7 it is a helpmate in 7. This WP is in the way of the WB on e8. We saw this anticipatory line-opening also in the previous problem.

Problem No.17 must be in this part of the article, although there is a free BB! The aim of this BB is to block e1, but since Ke2: would give mate to white, a WQ promotes on c8 and prevents it reaching just in time to be captured on e1. After that the WB's mate is possible. No.18 shows something similar, but with WS promotion and mate by another promoted WS. The main difference between the two problems is the black battery. In No.17 it is a king-battery, in No.18 it is a knight-battery, where the BK captures WS on d6, so BK once opens the battery, once moves into the battery.

In this first part of the article most of the problems are rather technical exercises than real helpmates. In real helpmates black has opportunities on every move. Here we have seen only forced black moves, since black's other moves are checkmates to white. But I don't want to spend more time on analyzing in how many percent these helpmates are true helpmates. And I hope you also don't want it!

17. Gy. Bakcsi &
J. Korponai

3.pr Magyar Sakkélet 1962
4B5P8p15p3bp1pPp3P1P1Ppp3K1krrb






h#4 7+12
1.Bd8 c8Q 2.Ba5 Qc3: 3.Ke2:+ Qe1+ 4.Be1: Bh5#
18. U. Heinonen
2.cm DSK 57.TT 1994
1r1b4pPkrpP2s1psp8p5K22q






h#3 3+12
1.Rc8 bc8S 2.Se8+ Sd6 3.Kd6: fe8S#

PART TWO: WHITE TEMPO MOVES OR MANOEUVRES BY THE PROMOTED PIECES

Now, here come a real helpmates! In No.19 white makes two pure tempo moves and then the promoted WS is captured! This composition is worth of deeper analysis. Why is BPc3 on the board? The mate is imaginable with a WB promotion on h8, which WB captures the BB on the second move. It's only possible on d4 or f6, but the WB on d4 or f6 closes BR's way to f7. The BB's move to e5 is forbidden because of mating WK. No.20 shows it with WB promotion. A WS here would give check on the second move, or would make d6 or f6 unblocked, so white must use a bishop just because white has to move. In both problems white is stalemated in the basic position, but it can be forgiven!

 
19. Gy. Páros

1–2.pr Magyar Sakkvilág 1945
RK3k1bPb2p2P11s3q1r8p






h#3 4+8
1.Bg7 h8S 2.Rf4 Sf7 3.Rf7: Kb7:#
20. Gy. Neukomm &
F. Kovács

Magyar Sakkvilág 1949
b3s7Pp3sSbkr3p3p12p4p2P2q1prB5K






h#3 5+14
1.Sg7 e8B 2.Ra2 Bd7+ 3.Sd7: Ba2:#
 
21. A. Kárpáti

1.pr Die Schwalbe 104.TT 1953
6S5bppPp4rbpK1p2krsP19p






h#3 4+12
1.e1S h8S 2.Bh7 Sg6 3.Kg6: Se7:#

No.21 is another great classic. It seems that white does not have to do anything: 1.Bh7:? 2.Kg6 Se7:#. But what to move first? White makes a tempo manoeuvre, not two tempo moves, because the second white move is not a tempo. Additionally black makes a tempo promotion on his first move!

Nowadays, forty years later, composers know that one variation is not enough, so it had to be doubled. No.22 shows 2+2 white tempos, as does the No.23. In No.24 white's second moves are not tempo moves. The problem ends with ideal mates, with same mating positions after different play, just like in No.23 (Black moves: AB-BA). The only problem with these problems is the repeated mating move in each case.

 
22. C. Jonsson

Springaren 1995
2kss3Pb3p2p4p5p7b1pR7pB6P8K






h#3 W–› 021111 5+11
1... a8S 2.Sc6 Sc7 3.Sc7: Rg8#
1... a8B 2.Sc7 Bb7:+ 3.Sb7: Rg8#
 
23. Á. Molnár

The Problemist 1997
S1s4K1p2Pr3P2kPq5b1P1b5P






h#3 W–› 021111 7+7
1... e8S 2.Bd7 Sd6 3.Sd6: Sc7#
1... e8B 2.Sd6 Bd7+ 3.Bd7: Sc7#
24. Á. Molnár &
G. Cseh

original
K2sq3BPk1s4pp






h#3 W–› 021111 3+6
1... b8S 2.Sc8 Sd7 3.Qd7: Bb8#
1... b8R 2.Qd7 Rc8+ 3.Sc8: Bb8#

No.25 is one of the most interesting problems featuring our motif. The BK walks onto f6, then 4.g8S gives mate. But white can't find three moves until the fourth, so must use an extreme maneuver: promotes a knight which moves to f6 to unpin WP on g6. This second WP gives the mate on g8, while the first is captured. Hard to beleive it's sound, but there is no mate with two WQ's. For example: BQ on d7, BK on e7, WQ's on f8 & g8 is not a mate, since f5 is a BR. That must be a rook anyway, to prevent the WK tempo triangle. A fresh, modern composition.

25. Gy. Bakcsi & L. Zoltán
1.pr DSK 57.TT 1994
10s2pP3s1q1PK3ppr3k1p






h#4 3+9
1.Kc5 g8S 2.Kd6 Sf6 3.Ke7 g7 4.Kf6: g8S#

PART THREE: BLACK PIECES IN THE WAY...

1. BLACK PIECE IN THE WAY OF
BLACK KING

Again we have to go back to the first half of this century to find No.26. The BK is on h1, the South-East bottom of that black box. White must make BK's way to g2, but it's not good with WB, because BPd7 will always be in the way of the WQ's mate from a8. So, the promoted WQ breaks the black box, while a BQ promotes and moves to e4 and then WB captures her. Look at the d4 WP: it is on the board because of the avoidance of the BP's way to d4 (allowing WQ's mate from a8) and it also determines the BQ's way to e4! Clever and spectacular!

26. D. Elekes &
G. Schweig

1.pr Tijdschrift v.d. NSB 1942
11p1P13B7P7p1pppp2p1prb1s1K1srk






h#4 4+14
1.a1Q f8Q 2.Qd4: Qf3: 3.Qe4 Qg2:+ 4.Kg2: Be4:#

No.27 is a symmetrical one and features the Zilahi-theme. The next two feature one WR and one WB promotion and sacrifice. In No.28 the mating piece is a promoting WQ, while in No.29 the mates are given by a WB and a WR. Therefore the second must be a helpmate in three and a half, since a promoting mating move cannot be shown with R or B.

27. T. Garai
1–2.pr Sinfonie
Scahcchistiche 1987/89

9PP5pppr5qr6k4K17s






h#3 211111 3+8
1.Qa5 c8S 2.Kb5 Sb6: 3.Kb6: b8Q#
1.Rd5 b8S 2.Kc5 Sc6: 3.Kc6: c8Q#
 
28. C. J. Feather

Hatchings 1995
r3r1s2K1p1PP4Pk3p1P






h#3 W–› b) WPg7–›c7 5+6
a) 1... fg8R 2.Kf7 Re8: 3.Ke8: g8Q#
b) 1... fe8B 2.Ra6 Bd7:+ 3.Kd7: c8Q#
 
29. G. Cseh

Mat Plus 1996
5K4s1PP5s6p5ppP1pP3b2Pp3k3P2b






h#4 W–› b) BKb2–›c2 7+10
a) 1... e8B 2.Ka3 Ba4: 3.Sce8 fe8R 4.Ka4: Ra8#
b) 1... e8R 2.Kd3 Re4: 3.Sde8 fe8B 4.Ke4: Bg6#

No.30 is a top helpmate. It also belongs to the smaller group of problems, in which a promoted piece does not mate. Black must block h3 and we can see a set play with the capture of the WB on h7 by the BR, with the WQ's mate. But black has no tempo move, so he captures the WB on h7, while white does the same with the promoted WQ, as in the set play, and now the WB mates. It is another Zilahi, as well as a helpmate in 4 with free WQ and WB on the board! Don't forget that it is all with the setplay, which is much harder than twinning or twin-solutions.

 
30. F. Abdurahmanović

Schach-Echo 1975
2s5rP5B2p7p2P4p7p3p3p2ppbsQK2bqk






h#4* 5+15
*1... bc8Q 2.Rh7: Qc6: 3.Rh3 Qg2:+ 4.Kg2: Qb7#
1.cb1B bc8Q 2.Bf5: Qc6: 3.Bh3 Qg2:+ 4.Kg2: Be4#
31. D. Elekes &
T. Kardos

1.pr Arbejder Skak 1948
5b1s4pPpP4Pr2pp4spkpp3p3p3P1K1P7r3q






h#4 6+16
1.Sf7: h8Q 2.Rb1 Qh7 3.Rb3 Qd3 4.cd3 cb3#
 
32. G. Cseh

original
5sk3pp1pPp7PP8p2pK4pp6RR






h#3 W–› 021111 6+10
1... gf8S 2.dc2 Se6 3.de6 Rd8#
1... gf8B 2.cd2 Bd6 3.cd6 Rc8#

2. BLACK PIECE IN THE WAY OF THE MATE

A WP mates in No.31 on b3. To make it possible white have to stop BP's control over b3. A WQ does the lion's share of the work again, sacrifices herself on d3.

Another symmetrical problem, No.32, shows a capture of a WS and a WB. The motivation is line-opening.

33. G. Cseh
original
4s2s4P1pP3pbp1R3rkq1pK






h#3 4+10
1.Bg8 hg8S 2.Ke6 Sf6: 3.Sf6: e8Q#
34. G. Cseh
original
4qb1s4Ps1Kp5p3k3p8S






h#4 W–› 3+8
1... ef8R 2.Kd6 Rh8: 3.Ke7 Rf8 4.Kf8: Sg6:#
35. G. Cseh
4–5.hm Martin 1992/93
3r1q5spkPK4pbr3P1p1pb6p4p2s10B






h#3 W–› 021111 4+14
1... gf8S 2.Sf5 Se6: 3.Ke6: Ba2#
1... g8R 2.d2 Rg6: 3.Bg6:+ Bg6:#

Nos.33 & 34 are just ideas which must be doubled in the future!

No.35 combines motivations. It belongs to both groups in this third part of the article.

I beleive, it is clear that there is still so much to do, and hope you are goning to compose many precious problems for this motif if you feel the need. I myself spent a lot of time on searching for problems featuring the motif and it was worth of working. Now if I see a problem with this motif, it's like the smell of Dune on the coast of the river. The number of opportunities is endless. There are so many problems yet unknown. We are goning to find these positios on the board!


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