[Retros] fairy retros

[afretro]

Dear retro friends,
Thank you for sharing your views in connection with my message regarding fairy retros (which was a reply to Per Olin’s initial post).
Bernd wrote:

> it is possible to compare the relative achievements of 

> a runner and a motorcyclist in one competition

I guess that grounds can be suggested for comparing just about anything with anything else. For example sportspersons can be ranked together with performers based on popularity and/or amount of money earned in a year, etc. I hope we all can agree at least on the following two points:
1. Ranking things of a similar nature is more objective than ranking highly dissimilar things.
2. A clear criterion for comparison is better than a vague criterion.
I do not think one can “prove beyond any reasonable doubt” that some intrinsic property of retros makes it a must to judge fairy retros alongside of orthodox ones; nor can anyone prove the opposite.
Joost wrote:

> And comparing a proca retractor with a 'Last n moves?' 

> or with an illegal cluster isn't?

The current situation, when all sorts of retros are most often judged “under one heading,” is historically substantiated and in my view happens to be motivated by convenience considerations, since retrograde analysis does have “too many” varieties. Therefore, “incomparable problems” will inevitable have to be judged “side by side.” On the other hand, sometimes judges do separate SPGs from other retros, etc, just like Circe and/or Madrasi problems are sometimes separated from “Other fairy types” in the “general fairy section.” Nowadays, helpmates are typically subdivided into h#2, h#3, and h#n; some kind of “universally accepted” subdivision of retroanalysis will probably occur at some point in the future. Anyway, in chess composition things go their natural ways.
Nicolas wrote:

> Generally speaking, a fairy retro deals with some impossible orthodox achievement, eg a Schnoebelen Queen.

Fairy conditions are also used to break “absolute” retro records; for example the record for uncaptured promoted pieces in orthodox retroanalysis is 4, the record for e.p. captures is 3, etc. Suppose someone makes a classical-style retro with 4 e.p. captures, but that problem is placed low in an informal tourney just because the same tourney includes a retro showing 8 e.p. captures with the help of some straightforward fairy means.
The way things stand, classical-style retroanalysis seems to be on the verge of collapse. Yet I do not believe that this situation can be attributed to a hopeless exhaustion of orthodox retro ideas. I am sure there are still quite a few nuances to be discovered there and not all of the eventual orthodox retro records have been set.
Yours,
Andrey