When Black sees stars! - Narayanan's Problem Corner

Narayanan's Problem Corner

When Black sees stars! 10-Jan-2003

Star-flights, the four diagonal moves of the black king, are as old as the hills but the variety of changed mates after these flights and the combination with other themes still add charm to this worn out theme. A novice composer usually starts trying out a star-flight problem and is thrilled to find a sound setting which provides four different mates for the four king moves, little realising that this has been experimented threadbare in miniatures for more than a century. The following two-mover is an old and most elegant one I know with just six pieces with mate after each flight a model mate. Incidentally I must define 'model mate' here as one in which each square in the black king's field is guarded only once, with the exception of white king and pawns.

Dr. Antal Miskoclzy
Magyar Sakkujsag,1911

Mate in two moves

The waiting key 1.g4! grants two more flights to the already existing flights.
1.Kf4 2.Qf5; 1.Kh4 2.Be7; 1.Kf6 2.Qe7; 1.Kh6 2.Be3

The second problem lends a modern touch to this theme. The pawn at c7 contributes to an interesting 'Allumwandlung', the four different promotions of a white pawn. To start with 1.c8=Q? is stalemate!. The try 1.c8=R? is defeated by 1..Ke6!. Try 1.c8=B? fails to 1.Kc6! But not 1.Kc4 2.Be6. Another try 1.c8=N! is refuted by 1.Kc4 Not 1.Kc6 2.Qd6 and not 1.Ke6 2.Qf5. After the key 1.Ne4 ! waiting, the theme turns into 'Star-flight'.

F.Abdurahmanovic
Mate in two moves

WKg8, Qf8, Rb3, Bh8, Ng3, Pc7 / bKd5 (6+1)

1.Kxe4 2.Qf3 ; 1.Kc4 2.Qf7 ; 1.Kc6 2.Qd6 ; 1.Ke6 2.Qf7 mate. A rare combination of Star-flight and 'Allumwandlung' in a miniature.

The next problem delightfully changes all the four mates of a star-flight in a miniature albeit with a checking key.

wKe4, Qa3, Rd7, Bc7, Na8 / bKb7, Pa5 (5+2)

Marcin Banaszek
3 Hon.Mention, the Problemist 1994-II

Mate in two

Try 1.Qb3+? 1.Ka6 2.Qb6 ; 1.Kxa8 2.Qb8 ; 1.Kc8 2.Rd8 ; 1.Kc6 2.Qd5 mate.
But 1.Ka7! Key 1.Bd6 !! 1.Ka6 2.Qd3 ; 1.Kxa8 2.Qxa5 ; 1.Kc8 2.Nb6 ; 1.Kc6 2.Qa4 mate.

The distinct feature of this problem, according to the judge, is the striking contrast between the short-range and long range white queen mates in the two phases. A remarkable find!. The last problem is a twin. Each part is a two-mover. After solving the diagram, shift WP from a5 to b4 and solve again for (b). Place the WP back at a5 and now shift WK from b3 to b4 and solve for (c). You might find eleven distinct mates overall for the K-flights.

Here is a Josef Kricheli for solving

C.G.S.Narayanan
BCM, 1977
Mate in two moves

WKb3, Qa4, Rf1, Bd3, Nc6, Ne8, Pa5 / bKd7 (7+1)

- C G S Narayanan

The author offers an issue of a chess magazine as prize for the first correct solution received through e-mail for the study given for solving along with 'Exciting ways to draw' either to chathurangam or to cgsnarayanan@hotmail.com

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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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