Solving Contest 2009-01-25, ISC categ2 round1

From ISC 2009 we present the problems of the 1st Round of the 2nd Category (easy problems, four per round) for you to practise. (No Greek solver chose this category). It is always worthwhile to put your abilities to the test.

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Problems for solving. (The solutions are at the end of this post).

	(Problem 306) W. A. Shinkman, 1885, Mate in 2. #2 (10 + 2)
[R1B4k/8/3P3S/5K2/3R3P/3P4/2P5/Q6q]

	(Problem 307) H. W. Bettmann, Good Companions, 1923 Mate in 2. #2 (6 + 5)
[br1s4/BkP2s2/2R5/3R4/8/K2B4/8/8]

	(Problem 308) F. Sackmann, 1913, White plays and wins. + (5 + 6)
[7k/8/5PpK/Pp1P2pp/3P4/8/5p2/8]

	(Problem 309) B. Larsson, Second Prize ex aequo, Problem 5. TT 1954, Selfmate in 2. s#2 (5 + 4)
[5Q2/8/8/3S3S/4pBp1/5k2/5p2/5K2]

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The solutions of the problems
With bold writing we include the Points, 5 points for each complete solution.


(Problem 306) W. A. Shinkman, (1885), #2

Try : [1 Rd4-g4+? Qxa1!]

There are two batteries (Rook-Queen and Bishop-Rook) and the black Queen oversees the pieces that can threaten her King, but this overloads her. Meanwhile the white King, since there are unprovided checks (like 1...Qf3+) in the initial position, closes the flights of the bK.

Key : 1 Kg6! (5) ( > 2 Bb7#)
1...Qxa8 2 Rd4-a4#
1...Qc6 2 Rd4-c4#
1...Qd5 2 Rxd5#
1...Qe4+ 2 Rxe4#
1...Qf3 2 Rf4#
1...Qg2+ 2 Rg4#
1...Qxa1 2 Ba6#
1...Qe1 2 Be6#
1...Qf1 2 Bf5#
1...Qg1+ 2 Bg4#
1...Qxh4 2 Rxh4#
1...Qh3? 2 Bxh3,g4,f5,e6,d7# / Rd4-~#


(Problem 307) H. W. Bettmann, (Good Companions, 1923), #2

Tries : [1 c8=Q+? Rxc8!], [1 cxb8=Q+? Kxc6!], [1 Rb6+? Kxc7!].

Key : 1 Rd7! (5) ( > 2 c8=Q# / c8=R# / cxd8=S# / cxb8=S#)
1...Kc8 2 cxd8=Q# / cxd8=R#
1...Rc8 2 cxd8=S#
1...Sxc6 2 cxb8=Q# / cxb8=R#
1...Kxc6 2 cxb8=S#
1...Se6 2 c8=Q#
1...Kxa7 2 c8=S#
1...Se5 2 c8=Q# / cxd8=S#


(Problem 308) F. Sackmann, (1913), +

Black is the first to queen a pawn, but the situation is very difficult.

Key : 1 a6! (1) f1=Q 2 a7
2...Qa1 3 f7 Qa3 4 d6 (1) Qf3 5 d5 Qxf7 6 a8=Q+ Qg8 7 Qa1+ (1) Qg7 8 Qxg7#
2...Kg8 3 a8=Q+ Kf7 4 Qa7,b7+ (1) Kxf6 5 Qg7+ Kf5 6 Qf7+ (1) Ke4 7 Qxf1 +- (or, with reversal of moves, 1 a6! Kg8 2 a7 f1=Q 3 a8=Q+ etc).


(Problem 309) B. Larsson, (Problem 5. TT 1954, Second Prize ex aequo), s#2

Tries : [1 Qa3+? / Qa8? / Qc8? / Sg3? / Sh5-f6? e3!], [1 Qb4? / Se3? g3!].

Key : 1 Sd5-f6! (zz)
1...g3 2 Qa8 (2.5) g2#
1...e3 2 Bg3 (2.5) e2#

Symmetric position with asymmetric solution.