Die Schwalbe

12 problem(s) found in 8057 milliseconds (displaying 12 problem(s)). [COMMENTDATE>=20200919 AND NOT K='Hilfsrückzüger' AND K='Dummybauer' AND NOT CPLUS ] [download as LaTeX]

1 - P0008793
Andrej N. Kornilow
Shakhmaty v SSSR 1978
P0008793
(15+8)
#1.5
a) 1. "Ta1-d1+?" ... Td4 2. Txd4# (Completing the illegal castling!)
b) 1. "xc5ep+?" ... Tb5 2. Txb5# (Completing the illegal e.p.!)
c) 1. "xe8=S+?" ... e6 2. Sf6# (Completing the illegal promotion!)

0) 1. Sxe7+! Lxe7 2. f8=B# (Truncating the promotion move!)
play all play one stop play next play all
n in directmate stipulation #n means that White has n moves to do the job. With n=1.5, therefore, one of the White moves is fractional, so we know we are in the realm of jokes, ho ho!

If White's first move is the fractional one, there are three retro tries which attempt to complete: castling, ep & promotion. However all are illegal:
castling: 8 white pawns, so wTa5 came from h1, dislodging wK.
ep: retracting sBc5 to c7 means wLb8 is promoted, but 8 white pawns.
promotion: white made 7 pawn captures, while sBgh were waylaid.

So we consider that White's second move was the fractional one, by omitting the replacement of wBf8 by an officer.
Henrik Juel: Completing the key isn't legal, 1.'Rd1'/'-bPc5'/'e8S'+, but omitting the promotion in the mating move is, 1.Sxe7+ Bxe7 2.'f8'#. Excellent joke. (2003-09-19)
James Malcom: A very witty joke Valladao! (2020-09-24)
A.Buchanan: Really like this joke (2020-09-25)
Henrik Juel: To see the illegality of completing 1.fxe8=S+?, note the captures:
Black captured fxDe, so [Pg7,h7] were captured on their files, while the other six missing black men were captured by white pawns
The illegality of completing 1.0-0-0,bxc6ep? is rather obvious (2020-09-26)
James Malcom: And for those you don't find it obvious: If the White king hasn't moved, then where did wRa5, and wBb8 if bPb5 has just done a double-step, come from? Neither can be promoted pieces, as White still has all eight pawns. Trying to finish castling and en passant therefore both produce illegal positions and thus cannot be the solution. (2020-09-26)
Henrik Juel: Continuing beating the dead horse...
How does the white player actually perform an entire move?
1.0-0-0+: Ke1-c1 and Ta1-d1
1.bxc6ep+: Pb5-c6 and remove sPc5
1.fxe8=S+: remove sYe8 and Pf7-e8 and replace wPe8 with wSe8 (three fractional actions)
2.f8=Y#: Pf7-f8 and replace wPf8 with wYf8
So a marginally better stipulation might be: 'White to move mates in less than 2 moves' (2020-09-26)
A.Buchanan: Hurray I've got the animation working! I agree with Henrik's stipulation. There is a dummy pawn on f8, but not by the Dummy Pawn rule. Instead it's the joke that does it. If Dummy Rule applied, the move would be full length! :) (2022-02-09)
more ...
comment
Keywords: En passant, Start a move but do not finish it, Castling, Promotion (S,B), Valladao Task (half!), Joke (End move, Start move), Dummy Pawn (not! Start move), Complete an unfinished move, waylaid (sBgh)
Genre: Retro, 2#
FEN: 1B1N1bB1/p2ppP2/2P5/R1pk1N2/1r2p3/1P2P1P1/4PP1P/R1K5
Reprints: (III) Quartz 4 1997
Input: Gerd Wilts, 1997-06-21
Last update: A.Buchanan, 2023-04-08 more...
2 - P1372578
Henry John Clinton Andrews
293 Chess Player's Chronicle , p. 234, 1879
P1372578
(5+6)
Remis
1. Sf7! Txf7 2. Ka8 Txc7 3. b8=B! ... Patt
play all play one stop play next play all
Alfred Pfeiffer: Bis 1904 war nach den Regeln eine "Umwandlung" in Dummy-Bauer erlaubt.

1862 British Chess Association rule:
"Code of Laws of the British Chess Association" In that code, Law XIII said, "When a pawn has reached the eighth square, the player has the option of selecting a piece, whether such piece has previously been lost or not, whose names and powers it shall then assume, or of deciding that it shall remain a pawn."

Die Umwandlung in Dummy-Bauer wure erst 1904 offiziell abgeschafft. Daher würde ich bei Aufgaben aus jener Epoche nicht von "Scherzaufgaben" oder "Umwandlungsscherzen" sprechen. (2020-02-12)
James Malcom: While you are correct, it is the best possible classification for them in the modern era in my opinion. We shall speak of them as such, but shall we at least classify them as such? (2020-02-12)
Mario Richter: Alfred is only partially correct: this strange Law XIII was only valid in the British Chess Association - many other countries had rule sets without allowing dummy pawns (e.g. Germany, Russia, France, to name a few). Or to put it with the words of the 'Philadelphia Times' 03.01.1886 p.7: "the 'Dummy pawn' code of 1862 ... , has never, outside of a very limited circle, received any recognition."
I have nothing against the classification as "joke" and "joke promotion", since we're classifiying the problems from a today's perspective.
In an alternative for is to be found, Daniel VanArsdale, in his Web-article about Loyd's dummy pawn problem (P1265742) uses the term "Liberated promotion" (s. a href="http://www.silcom.com/~barnowl/Sam_Loyd%27s_Dummy_Promotion.html"http://www.silcom.com/~barnowl/Sam_Loyd%27s_Dummy_Promotion.html/a) (2020-02-12)
A.Buchanan: Mario, thanks for the link to VanArsdale's sympathetic article. You allow that a Dummy Pawn problem can be a joke, but so could *anything*, so you conceded nothing. We can do much better than this to respect the diversity of our history, our present and our future. Key idea: there is nothing about "today's perspective" that warrants special treatment.

Different rule sets, different generations of FIDE Laws, different Codex editions, different individuals across time and space are in fundamental disagreement about relatively minor aspects of the rules and problem conventions. A random example today is that the problem world silently ignores the USCF Laws. Is this fair? Probably not. Because their assumptions disagree with one another, not all problems can be "orthodox". But to say that the punishment for losing a theological debate is to be banished to the realms of fairy or joke is too great. It makes a completely unnecessary and cruel zero-sum game of the business.

I think there is merit in moving beyond these secondary squabbles to find a "canonical" set of problem chess rules (1) as a foundation for fairy chess (2) a basis for programming, especially retro conventions and (3) a more comprehensible world for newcomers who are increasingly attracted to our hobby. How to do this without theological acrimony? This canonical set should involve a minimum of imposition: it should based on be a careful but not over-literal reading of the FIDE Laws and Codex today, and grounded in a formal specification language to avoid ambiguity. I've got a plan for this and have shared the first pseudo-code draft with some people already. If you are interested, please get in touch.

So what about problems that don't fit? As a principle, I propose that all problems which were for some group or at some time completely legal and orthodox can *never* lose that status. They are in a special immortal class: "Golden Age". They are neither joke nor fairy, neither illegal nor unsound. They are both orthodox and unorthodox. And we record carefully how each such problem class differs from the canon. We make sure they never become unintelligible. Some are historical but many are being composed today, and there is no shame attached to them. They light up the evolutionary journey of our hobby, and in their rarity they are in some ways more interesting than the vast number of orthodox problems which may be forgotten more quickly.

If a Golden Age problem is submitted to a tourney today, then the "genre" would probably be fairy or retro, but of course this classification is the coarsest level of roll-up for tourney purposes only, and does not mean that the nature of the problem is necessarily fairy or retro.

Dummy Pawn was enjoyed by some, including World Champion Wilhelm Steinitz, and excited wrath among others, including World Champion wannabe Howard Staunton. Now that the dust of controversy from the 1800s has settled, its value today is (1) as a fresh, fecund and paradoxical design space and (2) as a relatively uncontroversial poster-child prototype for Golden Age as a mechanism to allow us all to better agree to disagree. (2022-02-08)
comment
Keywords: Dummy Pawn, Golden Age (Dummy Pawn)
Genre: Studies
FEN: 1K5N/pPP3rr/8/6p1/8/4p1k1/4P3/8
Reprints: (14) MatPlus.net Forum 13/5/2020
Input: James Malcom, 2020-02-11
Last update: A.Buchanan, 2023-08-04 more...
3 - P1375084
Edward Nathan Frankenstein
4 British Chess Magazine , p. 21, 1883
P1375084
(4+3)
Add one Black man, and White mates in three moves
(+sBd1, dann) 1. Kf5 Kd3 2. De4+ Kd2 3. Lh6#
play all play one stop play next play all
Add a black pawn on d1, then ...
Henrik Juel: After the addition of sPd1, C+ Popeye 4.61 (2022-01-26)
Henrik Juel: Other variations
1... Kc4/Ke3 2.Dc2+/Lb4 (2022-01-26)
comment
Keywords: Dummy Pawn, Golden Age (Dummy Pawn), Add pieces (b)
Genre: 3#, Retro
FEN: 5B2/8/6K1/1p6/3k4/6p1/1P4Q1/8
Input: James Malcom, 2020-04-27
Last update: A.Buchanan, 2023-08-04 more...
4 - P1381700
A. H. Bobbins
154 American Chess Magazine Vol. 1, p. 443, 12/1897
P1381700
(6+3)
=2 durch Schwarz

Black forces a draw in two moves
1. ... c1=wL!
2. Sb1 axb1=wL! Patt
2. Db1+ axb1=B! Patt
play all play one stop play next play all
James Malcom: I've added in the solution now. (2020-11-11)
comment
Keywords: Joke promotion, under-promotion key, konsekutive Umwandlungen 2 (LL, Lb), Dummy Pawn, Golden Age (Dummy Pawn)
Genre: Fairies
FEN: 8/P7/8/5B2/8/K1NQ4/pPp5/k7
Input: James Malcom, 2020-11-10
Last update: A.Buchanan, 2023-08-04 more...
5 - P1381916
James Malcom
PDB Website 14/11/2020
P1381916
(13+9)
s#11
(-:
1. h8=T+! Sh6 2. exd8=K! b3 3. a8=sS! b2 4. b8=sL! La7 5. e4 Lb8 6. e5 La7 7. e6 Lb8 8. e7 La7 9. e8=B! Lb8 10. Ta4 La7 11. Txa7 g4#
play all play one stop play next play all
A rather... complicated "joke."
A.Buchanan: If one allows promotion to sB (and there seems no reason to disallow it since promotion to pawn, king and foreign units are allowed) then the problem is cooked. There is no universally agreed notion of how a pawn can move if it starts on the first rank. Does it get a double hop, and if so on which rank? But the problem is unsound in any case. (2022-02-10)
James Malcom: That is if, yes. But I don't think this problem ought to be left as is: a demonstration of the levels of absurdity and tomfoolery old rules used to allow. Promotion to a piece of another color and dummies were loopholes, yes, but promotion to a black pawn was never included, not even implicitly. All pawns are pieces, but not all pieces are pawns. (2022-02-10)
more ...
comment
Keywords: Joke promotion (Ksl), Dummy Pawn, konsekutive Umwandlungen 5 (TKslB), under-promotion key (T), Excelsior white, Golden Age (Dummy Pawn), Illegal position (no wK), Joke
Genre: s#, Fairies
Computer test: Difficult to test at the moment because no engine allows both normal and adversarial promotion.
FEN: 2Rr2n1/PPpBP2P/1pP5/1N4pk/1p4Rb/6pP/4P1P1/1Q6
Input: James Malcom, 2020-11-14
Last update: A.Buchanan, 2023-12-11 more...
6 - P1395492
Heinz Brixi
Deutsches Wochenschach , p. 241, 28/9/1919
P1395492
(6+6)
#4
1. Lxh8!
1. ... Ka2 2. Dg7 Kb1 3. b3,b4 ... 4. Db2#
2. ... Kb3 3. Df7+,Dg8+ Ka4 4. Dc4#
2. ... a4 3. Dg1 Kb3 4. Dg8#
1. ... a4 2. Dxe4 Ka2 3. Dh1 Kb3 4. Dd5#
2. Dg7 Ka2 3. b3,b4 ... 4. Db2#
play all play one stop play next play all
Source: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hn43p1&view=1up&seq=9&skin=2021

From https://www.yacpdb.org/#477486: "In his essay 'Spielschach und Kunstschach' (p. 241f.) Brixi shows this position to demonstrate that sometimes composers must expend a lot of material to make an idea possible - an effort that could be avoided in his example by using a simple black 'dead' pawn at a1 as block for the black king."
Henrik Juel: double threat 2.Dd5,Df7 and several duals (2021-11-07)
A.Buchanan: Interesting to note this early recognition of the siren lure of dropping a dummy pawn as a static blocker! (2021-11-08)
more ...
comment
Keywords: Dummy Pawn (in diagram), Loyd-Turton (LD), Golden Age (Dummy Pawn)
Genre: n#
FEN: 7n/1Q6/8/p7/4p3/P1BpP3/1P1K4/pk6
Input: James Malcom, 2021-11-06
Last update: A.Buchanan, 2023-08-04 more...
7 - P1398987
Ado Kraemer
Andrew Buchanan

PDB Website 10/02/2022
AK, correction AB
P1398987
(2+8)
#3
(-:
hint rot13.com:qrynl pubvpr bs cebzbgrq havg
1. "b8..."
1. ... g2 "...=S!" 2. Sd7 g3 3. Sf6#
1. ... h2 "...=D!" 2. Df8 Th3 3. Dxh6#
play all play one stop play next play all
If White were prescient, they could choose which unit to promote to, based on knowledge of Black's next move. As it is, White plays 1.b8, then only chooses the promotion officer when Black's response is known.
Supersedes the dualized and inexact P1373527
White waits for Black to move before selecting the promoted unit.
Under this joke, a dummy pawn exists ephemerally, but not via the Dummy Pawn rule.
Position comfortably legal.
Henrik Juel: Andrew, how does one decode the rot13 hint? (2022-02-10)
Henrik Juel: Never mind, Andrew; write the english alphabet in two rows and code/decode between rows
abcdefghijklm
nopqrstuvwxyz
so the gobbledygook translates to
delay choice of promoted unit (2022-02-10)
Henrik Juel: ... the rows should be written with a fixed font, of course, but I do not know how to accomplish this in a PDB comment (2022-02-10)
A.Buchanan: Hi Henrik: got to rot13.com and put the text in the input box, read it from the output box. Because 13=26/2, this works for both encryption and decryption.
Trying to do this for new jokes to create a level playing field. If you want a hint as to the silly trick, but would still enjoy solving the chess afterwards, then check out the rot13. (2022-02-10)
A.Buchanan: The real challenge is getting animation to work properly in this site. (2022-02-10)
more ...
comment
Keywords: Joke (delayed promotion), Minimal, Dummy Pawn (not! Delayed promo)
Genre: Fairies
FEN: 8/1P5K/6pp/6pk/6pr/6pp/8/8
Input: A.Buchanan, 2022-02-10
Last update: A.Buchanan, 2023-05-21 more...
8 - P1407267
Heinrich Friedrich Ludwig Meyer
C1 Detroit Free Press 23/06/1878
P1407267
(5+9)
#4
1. Dh7!
play all play one stop play next play all
more ...
comment
Keywords: Dummy Pawn (in diagram), Golden Age (Dummy Pawn)
FEN: 4b3/2R1N1n1/8/4p1p1/1N1k2r1/4p1r1/7Q/2Kp4
Input: James Malcom, 2023-01-14
Last update: A.Buchanan, 2023-08-04 more...
9 - P1410177
James Malcom
PDB Website 6/6/2023
P1410177
(13+6)
s#5
(-:
1. cxd8=B+ Kd6 2. e8=B+ Ke6 3. Lc4+ Kxf6 4. Le7+ Kxg6 5. g8=B Txh3#
play all play one stop play next play all
Improvement in move number and economy over P1379580.
SCHRECKE: Here is a s#7 with 4 dummy pawns: QnRn1B1K/P1P1P1P1/k1N5/3p2p1/2PPB1P1/8/4p1pR/4Nbrr
1. axb8=B+! Kb6 2. Da7+ Kxc6 3. cxd8=B+ Kd6 4. e8=B+ Ke6 5. Lxd5+ Kf6 6. Le7+ Kg6 7. g8=B Txh2#
Who makes it better? (2023-06-07)
James Malcom: Wonderfully done. I had an illegal scheme for four I never realized, but now it is done: 1RrRq1BK/pP1P1PP1/Pk2N1N1/p3p1p1/p2PP1P1/3Q3p/6pr/6Bb

I see no improvements to yours, yet. (2023-06-07)
comment
Keywords: Dummy Pawn (x3), Golden Age (Dummy Pawn), Construction record
Genre: s#
Computer test: Popeye 4.69
FEN: 2Rn1B1K/2P1P1P1/P1k2NN1/6p1/6P1/7R/6pr/5BQb
Input: James Malcom, 2023-06-06
Last update: A.Buchanan, 2023-08-04 more...
10 - P1410859
Michael Schreckenbach
James Malcom

PDB Website 07/06/2023
P1410859
(15+10)
s#7
1. axb8=B+! Kb6 2. Da7+ Kxc6 3. cxd8=B+ Kd6 4. e8=B+ Ke6 5. Lxd5+ Kf6 6. Le7+ Kg6 7. g8=B Txh2#
play all play one stop play next play all
Commented on P1410177
SCHRECKE: Dear James, the authors should be Malcolm/Schreckenbach. (2023-07-11)
James Malcom: Done. (2023-07-12)
comment
Keywords: Dummy Pawn (x4), Construction record
Genre: s#
Computer test: Popeye 4.69
FEN: QnRn1B1K/P1P1P1P1/k1N5/3p2p1/2PPB1P1/8/4p1pR/4Nbrr
Input: James Malcom, 2023-07-11
Last update: James Malcom, 2023-07-12 more...
11 - P1411297
James Malcom
Andrew Buchanan

OP020 The Hopper Magazine I02 25/6/2022
P1411297
(9+9)
r#6 Dummy Pawn Rule
SCHRECKE: C+, popeye 4.87
1. Da6! droht 2. f4 h1=D,L#
1. ... h1=B! 2. bxa8=B! g4!
3. f4 droht 4. Lxd2 droht 5. Le1 fxe1D,T#
3. ... f1=B! 4. e8=B! d1=B!
5. Le1 Sc2 6. Lb1 Te3# (2023-09-09)
comment
Keywords: Dummy Pawn, Golden Age (Dummy Pawn)
Genre: r#, Fairies
FEN: n7/1P2P3/7Q/Br4p1/2kPK3/1r3PP1/B2p1p1p/n7
Input: Miguel Ambrona, 2023-07-27
Last update: James Malcom, 2023-09-09 more...
12 - P1411367
Michael Schreckenbach
PDB Website 28/07/2023
P1411367
(9+7)
S#2 (-:
SCHRECKE: C+, popeye 4.87
1. f7! (Zugzwang)
1. ... Txa8 2. bxa8
1. ... Tb8 2. cxb8
1. ... Tc8 2. bxc8
1. ... Td8 2. cxd8
1. ... Te8 2. fxe8
1. ... Tg8 2. fxg8 (2023-07-29)
SCHRECKE: Hi Andrew, thanks for the diagram. (2023-07-29)
comment
Keywords: Dummy Pawn, Golden Age (Dummy Pawn)
Genre: s#
FEN: R4r1k/pPP3R1/rp3PKn/p5PQ/P7/8/8/8
Input: A.Buchanan, 2023-07-29
Last update: A.Buchanan, 2023-07-29 more...
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The problems of this query have been registered by the following contributors:

Gerd Wilts (1)
James Malcom (8)
A.Buchanan (2)
Miguel Ambrona (1)