[Retros] Traditional Christmas Contest of "Stuttgarter Zeitung"

[Jens Guballa]

Dear retro fans,

the resolution for the Christmas Context of last year has been
published, see also
http://www.kaniaverlag.de/htm/Sonstige%20Berichte.html (in German,
contains some additional feedback that I omit in the translation).


50 out of 76 senders took part in the drawing (problem A and B solved
acceptably). Here are the winners:

1st prize (Apple I-Pod touch): Rolf Heimerdinger (Bad Ditzenbach)
2nd prize (Falk-Navigationssystem): Hellmut Klevenow (Berlin)
3rd prize (Philips Blu-ray-Player): Bernd Schwarzkopf (Neuss)


Solution for A:

Three solutions: 
wPg7 and 1.g8=Q#
wRb8 and 0... Kf7 1. Ke5#
sBc4 and 1.K:c4 Bf7# or 1.Ke5 Rb5#


Solution for B:

Eleven solutions:
Illegal pawn structures with +bPc6, +bPd5, +bPd7, +bPe6.
Illegal check with +bBb8, +wRd7, +wRh8, +wQh8.
Illegal bishop positions with +bBa8, +bBg8
And finally: +bPh6 and the white king cannot reach a7 via g7.


Solution for C:

Three solutions:
a) c5-c6+ and previously Rb7-b5+
b) d5:c6 e.p., previously c7-c5 d4-d5+ Rb7-b5+.
c) Ke3:Pf3!, previously e4:f3+ e.p. f2-f4 Rg5-b5+


Solution for D:

+wPg5 and not only checkmate in three moves (1. b7/1.B:b4/1.g8=Q/R+),
but also checkmate in two: 1. g5:f6 e.p. 0-0-0 2. a8=Q#.
Valladao, second presentation in a #2 problem (first presentation:
Werner Keym, feenschach 2010).

The obvious +wPd6? or +wPf6? and 1. g8=Q+ result in illegal positions.
But there is an elegant alternative to play a wP to f6: +wPg5, and black
must have moved in way that white have a move to execute previously.

Only f7-f5 enables such a move for white (Pf6:Qg7). Out of
consideration: Ph6:Qg7, f4/h4:Qg5 (Pg7 cannot get back to g2), e5-e6 (d-
and e-pawns cannot pass each other anymore). Other moves like Ph5:g4 or
c6:b5 are not possible (retro analysis).


Solution for E:

Captures and promotions: the white pawns a, b and d have captured the
missing four black pieces (h-pawn captures black's g-pawn, d-pawn
captures black's c-pawn) and promoted to bishops on b8,g8 a8/c8 (or
twice on c8). Black h-pawn promoted to a bishop on h1, the g-pawn pawn
captured the rook: Pg4:Rf3 (before the white pawn advanced to g6). What
happened to the white e-pawn remains unclear at that moment.

Therefore the following last moves are out of consideration: a6:b5,
g4:Rf3, Ka1:Ra2, Ka1-a2 (previously g7:h8=Q+).

Resolution of the position:
1... Kb3-a2 2. Bb1-c2+ Kc4-b3 3. Bc2-d3+ Kd5-c4 4. Bd3-e4+ Ke6-d5 5.
Be4-f5+ and now: Kd5:Pe6!!. Now back to the roots: 6. Bf5-e4+ Kc4-d5 7.
Be4-d3+ Kb3-c4 8. Bd3-c2+ Ka2-b3 9. Bc2-b2+ Ka1-a2 10. e5-e6!

In total 55 solver took part in the expert contest (C through E), 14 of
them solved the puzzles correcly and receive a book price:
Silvio Baier (Dresden), Gerson Berlinger (Bad Friedrichshall), Dietmar
Fauth, Norbert Geissler (Munich), Jens Guballa (Tamm), Hannu Harkola,
Olli Heimo (Helsinki), Henrik Juel (Kokkedal/Danemark), Kurt Lorenz
(Marbach), Thomas Lutzius (Stuttgart), Paul Meier (Backnang), Mario
richter (Berlin), Rolf Sandau (Oberstenfeld), Ronald Schäfer (Aalen).

Ten solvers failed by a penny: Randolf Eilenberger, Nils Empacher,
Markus Knapp, Martin Kummer, Hannu Lehto, Dietrich Noffke, Karl Roscher,
Rolf Schreiber, Bernd-Martin Schuh, Bernd Schwarzkopf.

Generally depending on the perspective of the solvers the puzzles have
been considered as hard, highlight was puzzle D, but anyway solved
correctly by 22 retro fans.


Best regards,
Jens