The Munich Theme - Narayanan's Problem Corner

Narayanan's Problem corner

The Siers battery

White batteries are inherent part of many chess problems and some more-move themes like Siers and Rossel revolve around battery play by white. What is a battery? A two piece formation of white aimed at the black king- a rear piece which is essentially a line piece and a frontal piece the removal of which discovers checks to the black king. When white rook is the rear piece and white knight the frontal piece then it is customary to call it R+N battery.In the first diagram below the formation of Wba3 and WNb2 is a B+N batery. In Siers battery, discovered check of the frontal piece dislocates the black king and the same piece delivers mate to the black king on a different square.

Let us have a look at a lucid example by the inventor himself. The key 1.Ba6!! waits for things to happen.After random moves of BN at f5, the battery opens up with 2.Nc4! driving the king to d1 followed by mate 3.Ne3 (as BNf5 has lost control of e3). Similarly the other variations are 1.Bh4 2.Na4, Kd1 3.Nc3; 1.Bd2 2.Nd3, Kd1 3.Nf2 1.Nh2 2.Rxe1, Kd2 3.Bb4 mate.The last variation is not Siers but provides by-play.

T.Siers
Rosselspringe im Schachproblem 1948

Mate in THREE moves

The next one is an interesting Siers in four-mover.Here also
the key 1.Bd5 ! puts black in zugzwang.After 1.Kd4 2.Nc4+, Kd3 3.Bf3, Kxc4 4. Be2 mate. 1.f3 2. Bc4, Kd4 3.Nd3+, Kxc4 4.Ne5 mate (if 3.Ke4 4.Re5). The second variation is a real Siers ending with a mate by the frontal piece.

Mate in FOUR moves

wKc1, Rb5, Ba1, a2, Nb2, Pa4/bKc3, Pa5, b6, c2, f4, f5 (6+6) Mate in three moves

The problem below is due to further experimenting by one of the greatest grandmasters of chess problems of modern times ,Valentin Rudenko. The captures on d5 are so conspicuous that the set continuations for these cannot be missed. In the diagram if 1.aRxd5 2.Nb5 followed by battery mate. 1.hRxd5 2.Be5 again followed by batery mate. 1.Bxd5 2.Nc4 followed by
3.Nd6.

Valentin Rudenko
I prize, Themes 64, 1981

Mate in THREE moves

After the key 1.Qd6! the threat is 2.Bxf2 followed by battery mate.Now after the captures of d5, Siers battery mates follow. The king is forced into a different line of pins after capture of WB at d4. 1.aRxd5 2.Nxc3, Kxd4 3.Nb5; 1.hRxd5 2.Nf3+, Kxd4 3.Nf5; 1.Bxd5 2.Nc1+, Kxd4 3.Nb3 mate. A masterpiece in spite of heavy material.

A Siers battery for solving.
Uri Avner
3 Prize, Spain 1957

Mate in THREE moves.

Solutions to problem by A.Kraemer in Obstruction in more-movers :

1.Kf7 !! (threatens 2.Qxg7) 1...Rh7 2.Kf8 (now threatens 3.Qf7 followed by 4.Qg8!) Bh6 (now 3.Qf7 is met by g6+) 3.Ke7 ! with inevitable 4.Qe8! (Note the Seeberger block at g8 ).

- C G S Narayanan

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Glossary

Symbol	Meaning
+	Check
#	Checkmate
x	Capture
!	Good Move
!!	Excellent Move
?	Bad move
??	Blunder
!?	Interesting Move
?!	Dubious Move
1-0	White Wins
0-1	Black Wins
1/2	Draw
Twoer	Mate in Two Moves

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About the author

C G S Narayanan, an international composer of repute, has been composing Chess problems for the past thirty years. He has won several awards for his compositions in International composing tourneys and he has an output of over 300 problems to his credit. He is the second Indian to win the prestigious Brian Harley Award for the best two-mover composed by a subject of British Commonwealth twice in 1977 and 1991. He has been editing THE HINDU Chess problem column from 1982 onwards, after S K Narasimhan. He has captained the Indian team in the World Chess Compositions Tournaments held by FIDE.

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