[Retros] Christmas Contest 2003 of Stuttgarter Zeitung (solutions)

[Jens Guballa]

Hi,

in the todays issue of the Stuttgarter Zeitung the names of the senders
with correct solutions (positions C) - E)) were published. 

Here is the summarized translation:

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76 solver took part in the expert contest (position C) - E)), 24 of them
solved them all correctly:

Kurt Lorenz, Erich Marquefant (Marbach)
Dietmar Fauth, Norbert Geissler (Munich)
Hans Bergmann (Aalen)
Ulrich Knöpp (Darmstadt)
Gabriele Bauers (Hamburg)
Rudolf Eilenberger (Dossenheim)
Mario Richter (Berlin)
Karl Roscher (Neckargemünd)
Günter Lauinger (Ravensburg)
Theodor Burian (Weil der Stadt)
Jens Guballa (Tamm)
Martin Pfleiderer (Korntal)
Nils Empacher, Bernd-Martin Schuh, Klaus Bernhardt, Thomas Lutzius, Rolf
Schreiber (all Stuttgart)
Pedro Quaresma (Portugal)
Henrik Juel (Danemark)
Hannu Lehto, Hannu Harkola (Finland)
Andrey Frolkin (Ukraine)

44 times C) and D) was solved correctly, 40 people found the correct
move Rh2xRh1 in position E), but only in 34 cases the retro analysis was
acceptable. 


Position E:

White prevents black from castling by retracting 1. Rh2xRh1.
"The bRh1 has promoted on g1, the pawn passed the squares g3, h2, g1 and
captured 3 pieces. The bNg1 could not have promoted (not enough pieces
left to capture) and he was coming via f3 to g1. That happened when the
pawn was still on f2. The wQ must have been captured before by a knight,
so that the king can step to d1.

The last move must have been d6-d5 (or the rook a8 or the black king
moved, but then the castling is obviously not allowed anymore). Before
this pawn must have captured a piece on d6. This piece must have been
the Pa2, he must have captured 3 pieces. But as both black bishops are
still trapped on their initial squares only the black rook, knight and
queen could have been captured. Therefore the black king must have moved
to release the queen from the 8th rank and so black may not castle
anymore." (Summarized solution by T. Burian)

To be counted as a correct solution the following items must have been
mentioned:

  - Releasing the position in the lower right courner
  - White queen captured on d1
  - Pa2 captured by pawn d5
  - Contradiction: black may castle <-> locked pieces (black bishops and
    queen)

If other pieces are de-captured on h1, it cannot be proven that the
queen was captured on d1.


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So far the Chirstmas Contest 2003 by Harald Keilhack.



Best regards,
Jens