Helpmate in 3 by G Paros 1933 Il Problema

Reproduced from the early collection of helpmates "Conspiracy" by Alain White, one of his Christmas series books.

This three-move helpmate shows great strategy culminating in a model mate. Every move is thematic. The Black queen prepares to flight-block her King, and has to take the scenic route e2, g4. There is a departure effect right on move 1, as The White King arrives on d5, a square formerly in check. Note moreover that the White knight is now pinned. On the next black move, Black arrives on g4. It is now time for the White king to perform a anticipatory unpin of the white knight. He goes to Kc4. Why does the white king not go to e6, the other available square? Because that is reserved for the mating piece. On Black's last move, the Black King arrives on f4 for his model mate. This horizontally unpins the White Knight, a nice effect. Se6 is a beautiful model mate. The whole thing works like a Swiss watch. The order of the moves is forced, and there is harmonious interaction between the white and black moves, and nice economy.

Roi accule aux angles

This problem of Sam Loyd is reproduced from Alain White's first Christmas book "Roi accule aux angles". I am not providing the solution of the two-mover puzzle this time. To solve it, there are two approaches. One is to note the name of the composer. Sam Loyd has the reputation of a great prankster. The last move you are likely to think of will be the key. Obviously, I solved this problem at a glance. Clue: Despite the overwhelming force available to white, his forces are tripping in each other's path. You need grand open spaces to mate, even to mate a king in a corner!

Rg2? is an interesting try but it fails. Black has two moves both of which defend against Qh8 mate and the threat of discovery by the king. 1..Qa8! keeps the defense of h8 and eyes the queen on a1, Notably 2.bxa8=Q is not even check with the rook on g2.... 1...Qc8 also works (since Her Royal Highness can interpose on c1)

The above should clue you to the key.

an ECHO in a study

The above is a White to play and draw problem created by Prokop. Please do not ask me about the dull R+2P vs R+P endgame draw if Black underpromotes. In the interest of art, let us have him be greedy to succumb to the quick stalemate.

Notice the two variations ending in Qxc4 and Qxc5. You may click on the last moves in the two variations. Notice how almost the entire position is shifted down one rank. This is called an ECHO in the field of chess composition.

In the famous Christmas Series of Alain White, one edition is devoted to Echoes. "It is natural that the echo has spread from the direct (mate in #n) problems to every other class of artistic chess creation. ....Up to recently only traces of the echo idea were apparent in the end game study. It is particularly the merit of F.J.Prokop that we have some brilliant examples also in this field. In his hands many a study gains quite an exceptional character which has neither predecessors nor any tradition in chess literature." Indeed, up until then, artists such as Havel produced echoes in orthodox n-mover form.

Subtle timing and strategy in long helpmate

Chris J Feather, a master of the helpmate, and a vocal critic of weak compositions, has nothing but praise for the strategy in this long helpmate by Babesi composed in 1955. "The best face of the long helpmate.", he writes in Black to Play - a monograph on helpmates, "Some subtle timing and a more dynamic use of the closed corner than in most such problems. The word 'miracle' used by one solver is hardly out of place. Goodness knows how many hours the genial and charming composer spent on this, but Alybadix" (a computer program to check soundness of fairy compositions) " needed 9 hours, 38 minutes, 3 seconds (with a 80486/33 processor).

Indeed, note how the Black king munches a White pawn creating tempi for the white pawn behind it, as it goes to b4, note how the white knight takes on g4 to create a spare move for white, as black's promoted rook is wheeled into place, and note the precise clockwork timing of everything, and I have passed over mentioning the first bishop underpromotion.