Note: In these solutions, those moves that
were required are given in bold type. All else is given for the
sake of completeness and for the interest of solvers. The symbol
'S' is used for knight and threats are given in parentheses.
1. E. J. Polglase
The Field , 1913
Mate in 2
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1.Be4! () (5)
1...Kxe4 2.Rxf4#
1...Sa~ 2.Q(x)b4#
1...dxe4 2.Qd7#
1...B~ 2.Rxd5#
1...Se~ 2.Rxd5#
2. Robin C. O. Matthews
The Problemist , 1949
Mate in 3
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1.fxg6! (1)
(2.Rxd7+ Bxd7 3.Qxd7#) (1)
1...c6 2.Rxc8 & 3.Bc7# (1)
1...Rc6 2.Bb4+ Rc5 3.Bxc5# (½)
1...e6 2.Qxg5 & 3.Qe7# (1)
1...Re6 2.Qg3+ Re5 3.Qxe5# (½)
3. Cecil A. L. Bull
British Chess Magazine , 1890
Mate in 3
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1.Qc2! (1)
(2.Qxc4+ Kxe5 3.Sd7# (½)
1...c3 2.Qb3+ Kxe5 3.Sd7# (1)
c4 3.Qb5#
1...f4 2.e4+ Bxe4 3.Qxe4# (1)
Kxe5,Kd4 3.Qc3#
1...dxe5 2.Qd2+ Kc6 3.Qd7# (½)
1...Kxe5 2.f4+ Kd5 3.Qg2# (1)
Kf6 3.Qc3#
4. Fedor Davidenko
1st Prize, 64 , 2003
Mate in 4
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1.Rh6! (½)
(2.Sxc5+ Rxc5 3.Bxf5+ Kxf5 4.Qg6#) (½)
1...Sg3 2.Sg5+ Qxg5 3.Qxe5+ Kxe5 4.Re6# (½)
1...Bc8 2.Qxd5+ Kxd5 3.Sc7+ Sxc7,Ke4 4.Bc6# (½)
1...Qf6 2.Rxf6 (3.Sg5#)
Rxc2 3.Sxc5+ Rxc5 4.Bxf5# (½)
Bf4 3.Sxc5+ Rxc5 4.Bxf5# (½)
OR 3.Sg5+ Bxg5 4.Bxf5#
1...Qxe6 2.Qxe6 (3.Qxf5#)
Sg3 3.Qxe5+ Kxe5 4.Re6# (½)
d4 3.Bc6+ Bxc6 4.Qxc6# (½)
OR 3.Qc6+ Bxc6 4.Bxc6#
1...Qg7+ 2.Sxg7 (3.Bxf5#)
Sg3 3.Qxe5+ Kxe5 4.Re6# (½)
Bc8 3.Qxd5+ Kxd5 4.Bc6# (½)
5. Nikolai Karlin & Oleg Pervakov
4th Prize, Russian Federation Victory-50 JT, 1995 (v)
Black to play White to win
Show solution
1...Rf7! (i) 2.gxf7+ (1)
2...Kf8 (ii) 3.b7 (½)
3...Kxf7 (iii) 4.Kh1! (iv) (1)
4...h2! (v) 5.b8B! (vi) (1)
5...Ke8 (vii) 6.Ba7 (viii) (½)
6...Bf7 7.Bg1! (ix) (½)
7...Bh5 8.Bxh2 1–0 (½)
(i)
1...h2+ 2.Kg2 Bf1+ 3.Kh1 Rf7 4.Ne4 Be2 5.gxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxg3 Bf3+ 7.Kxh2 Kxf6 8.c4 1-0
(ii)
2...Kxf7 3.b7 h2+ 4.Kh1 g2+ 5.Kxh2 Kxf6 6.b8Q 1-0
(iii)
3...h2+ 4.Kg2 Kxf7 5.Kh1 Kxf6 6.b8Q 1-0
(iv)
4.b8Q? h2+ 5.Kg2 Bd5+ 6.Nxd5 (6.Kxg3 h1Q 7.Nxd5 Qf3+ 8.Kxf3 =) 6...h1Q+ 7.Kxh1 g2+ 8.Kh2 g1Q+ 9.Kxg1 =; 4.b8B?? Kg8 5.Ba7 Bf7 6.Kf1 h2 7.Kg2 Bh5 8.Bd4 Kf8 9.Be5 Bf3+ 10.Kxf3 h1Q+ 11.Kxg3 Qf1 0-1
(v)
4...Bf1 5.b8Q Bg2+ 6.Kg1 Bf3 7.Qh8! h2+ 8.Qxh2 gxh2+ 9.Kxh2 Bg4 10.Nd5 Bxf5 11.c4 Be4 12.Kg3 Bh1 13.Kf4 Ke6 14.Kg5 Kf7 15.Nc7 Bg2 16.c5 Bf3 17.Nxa6 1-0
(vi)
5.b8Q? Bd5+! 6.Nxd5 g2+ 7.Kxg2 h1Q+ 8.Kxh1 =; 5.Kg2 Bf1+ 6.Kh1 Bc4 7.b8B is a time-wasting technical dual that transposes into the main line and carries equivalent points.
(vii)
5...Kf8 6.Ba7 Bf7 7.Bg1 Bh5 8.Bxh2 1-0 and 5...Kg8 6.Ba7 Bf7 7.Bg1 Bh5 8.Bxh2 1-0 are equivalent to the main line and carry the same points. 5...Kxf6 6.Ne4+ Kxf5 7.Nxg3+ Ke5 8.Kxh2 1-0; 5...g2+ 6.Kxg2 h1Q+ 7.Kxh1 Kxf6 8.Ne4+ Kxf5 9.Nc5 Bd5+ 10.Kg1 Bc6 11.Bc7 1-0; 5...Bf1 6.Ne4 Be2 7.Nxg3 Bd1 8.c4 Bb3 9.c5 Bd5+ 10.Kxh2 Kxf6 11.Kh3 1-0
(viii)
6.Kg2? Bf7 7.Ba7 Bh5 8.Bd4 Kf8 9.f7 Bf3+ 10.Kxf3 h1Q+ 11.Kxg3 Qf1 0-1
(ix)
7.Bd4? Bh5 8.Kg2 Kf8 9.Be5 Bf3+ 10.Kxf3 h1Q+ 11.Kxg3 Qf1 0-1
6. Andrey Selivanov & Vladimir Zheltonozhko
1/3 Place, Match: Zapad - Vostok, 2000
Selfmate in 3
Show solution
1.Qh2! (1)
(2.Kh3+ Kf3 3.Rg3+ hxg3#) (1)
1...h3+ 2.Kh1+ Kf3 3.Qg2+ hxg2# (1½)
1...Kxd2 2.Kf1+ Kd1 3.Qe2+ Qxe2# (1½)
7. Ivan Soroka
2nd HM., Borodavkin-40 JT, 2010
Selfmate in 7
Show solution
1.f7! (1)
(2.Rxa4+ Kg5 3.Qh6+ Kf5 4.Rxc6+ Ke5 5.Ra5+ Kd4 6.Qf4+ Kd3 7.Rc2 bxc2#) (1)
1...Bb5 2.Rh6+ Ke5 3.Qh2+ Kd5 4.Rg5+ Kd4 5.Rh4+ Kd3 6.Bf5+ Ke3 7.Qe2+ Bxe2# (1)
Kc4 5.Rh4+ Kd3 6.Bf5+ Ke3 7.Qe2+ Bxe2# (1)
1...c5 2.Rge4+ Kg5 3.R4e5+ Kf4 4.Rf6+ Kxe5 5.Qe6+ Kd4 6.Rf4+ Kd3 7.Qxb3+ Bxb3# (1)
8. Steven Dowd & Mirko Degenkolbe
Schach , 2009
Helpmate in 7 2 solutions
Show solution
1.Ba7 Rb1 2.Bc5 Ra1 3.Bxa3 bxa3 4.Kg4 Bb2 5.Kf3 Bxd4 6.Ke2 Re1+ 7.Kxd2 Bc3# 2½
1.h3 Rb1 2.h2 Ra1 3.h1=Q Rb1 4.Qxc1 Ra1 5.Qxd2 Rg1 6.Qxb2+ Kxb2 7.d2 Rh3# 2½