Forward FIDEs Problem 1

       a     b     c     d     e     f     g     h
    +=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+
    |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
8   |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
    +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+   Ralph Betza
    |     |     |     |  fB |     |     |     |     |   March 1997
7   |     |     |     |  bN |     |     |     |     |
    +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
    |     |     |     |  fN |     |     |     |     |
6   |     |     |     |  bB |     |     |     |     |
    +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
    |     |     |     | frlR|     |     |     |     |
5   |  *k |     |  *p |  bK |     |     |     |     |
    +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
    |     |     |     |  fB |     |     |     |     |
4   |   P |     |     |  bN |     |     |     |     |
    +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
    |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
3   |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
    +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
    |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
2   |     |     |   K |     |     |     |     |     |
    +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
    |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
1   |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
    +=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+
8/3(fBbN)4/3(fNbB)4/k1p(frlRbK)4/P2(fBbN)4/8/2K5/8
2#
This problem is a simple mate in two (White must find the best move, and then give checkmate with his second move).

In this problem, which uses only half the board, White has a King on c2, a Pa4, and four pieces from the Forward FIDEs: a fBbN on d7, a fNbB on d6, a frlRbK on d5, and another fBbN on d4. Black has only a Ka5 and Pc5.

Solution

You should try to find the solution yourself. It might not be easy because there are many good tries.

Because it's considered impolite to tell you the answer before you've had a chance to try, but on the other hand I don't want to have a separate page for the solution, you'll need to scroll down a while here:

















































































  1. (fBbN)d7:c5  Ka5-b4 2. (fBbN)c5-b6 mate
                  Ka5-a6 2. (fBbN)c5-d3 mate
  1. (fbbN)d4:c5? Ka5-a6
This lightweight problem has two variations, and both of the mates are pretty; also, one of the tries is interesting.

This may be a fairly good problem, although to my unsophisticated taste it seems to lack excitement.

This one was composed by the retrograde method: first I got the idea of the mating position on the first line, then I worked backwards from there to get the position before Black's move, then I retracted a white move to get the position you see.

The move 2. (fBbN)c5-d3 mate was hard for me to see.


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