[Retros] Stuttgarter Zeitung: Christmas Contest

[Jens Guballa]

Dear retro friends,

the traditional chess solving contest of the "Stuttgarter Zeitung" has
been published last Saturday.

Here is my translated summary of the chess column by Harald Keilhack:

<translation source="Stuttgarter Zeitung" originalAuthor="Harald
Keilhack" translator="JG">

Among the senders of correct solutions for problem A and B the following
prices are drawn by lot:
  - a Falk navigation system E30
  - an Apple i-Pod "nano" 4GB
  - a Panasonic micro wave "NN-K125M"

Take care, that after the retraction, the removal or addition of a chess
man a legal position occurs, and take care which side has the move,
respectively can have the move. If black has no last move - as the case
may be - he might checkmate.

For the retractor problems B and E each party decides by itself if and
by the case which chess man is uncaptured.

In addition please check if more than one solution exists.

Have fun solving and commenting!

A: Werner Keym
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

| Q |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   | K |   |   |   |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   | p |   |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   |   |   | R |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   |   | k |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   | R |   | N |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   |   |   |   | N |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
[Q7/1K6/8/3p4/6R1/5k2/4R1N1/7N] 
Remove a chess man. Then checkmate in two moves. (6+2-1)


B: Günther Weeth
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   | k |   |   | r |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   | K | p | R |   |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   |   |   |   | p |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   | N | P |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
[4k2r/1KpR4/7p/4NP2/8/8/8/8]
White retracts his last move and instead checkmates in two moves. (4+4)


And now for the experts three additional problems. 
For E, it is important to keep the initiative by clever uncaptures with
retroanalytic constraints.

All senders of correct solutions will be published and they receive a
book price.

C: Günther Weeth / Werner Keym
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   |   | K |   | k |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   |   |   |   | p |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   | P |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   |   | P | P |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
[5K1k/7p/4P3/5PP1/8/8/8/8]
Add a pawn and an additional chess man, so that the last move giving
check is unique. One solution is given: +bPd5, +wBa1. Unique last move
was e5-e6+. (4+4+2)

D: Günther Weeth
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

| n |   |   |   | n |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

| B |   | p | p |   | Q | p | p |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

| p | p |   | P |   | P | B |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   | K | p | P |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   | N | k |   |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   | R | P |   | P |   | P |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   | b |   |   | R |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
[n3n3/B1pp1Qpp/pp1P1PB1/3KpP2/8/2Nk4/2RP1P1P/1b2R3]
Add a black knight or bishop (JG: in German it is called "Leichtfigur", 
= light piece?), then checkmate in two moves. (13+11+1)
 

E: Günther Weeth / Werner Keym
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   | k | b | K | Q |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   | p | R | p |   | p | r |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

| p |   |   | p |   |   |   | P |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

| P | p | P |   |   | p |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   | P |   |   |   |   |   | P |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   | P | P | P |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

|   |   |   |   |   | B |   |   |

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
[4kbKQ/2pRp1pr/p2p3P/PpP2p2/8/1P5P/4PPP1/5B2]
White and black retract as less moves as possible, whereas black tries
to defend, then checkmate in one move. (12+10)

Send your solutions until 15. of January latest (post stamp) to:

Stuttgarter Zeitung (Schach)
Postfach 106032
70049 Stuttgart
Germany

</translation>

Enjoy the contest. I wish you a Merry Christmas and all the best for the
year 2009.


Best regards
Jens