Solution to chess problem number 9

The theme of this problem is one of black correction. After black plays a move, with say a rook, and lets in a certain white mate black can try another square for this piece in an effort to prevent the first mate thereby "correcting" the move. However, the second move lets in another different mate. These corrections can give rise to patterns of play with some linkages between the first and the second types of mates. In the present problem the pattern in ABBA although other problems have illustrated different patterns. In the present simple case the pattern is also woven in with another problem theme of half-pin mates. For this theme the two rooks on the 5th rank are involved for if one of them moves (after the key white move) then the other becomes fully pinned and unable to move. The key move also sets up a complete block problem the idea of which is described in problem 7 and some earlier problems in this collection).

Key move 1. Rb5 no threat.

1...R(d5) at random 2. Be4 mate (mate type A).

1...R(d5) d4 2. Nxd4 mate (mate type B).

1...R(e5) random 2. Nd4 mate (mate type B).

1...R(e5) e4 2. Bxe4 mate (mate type A).

Other mates not connected with the main theme are 1...Bf4 2. Rxf4 mate, 1...Bg5 2. Rxg5 mate, 1...Ng3+ 2. Nxg3 mate and 1..Rxb5 2. Nd4 mate.

This must have been a difficult matrix to work upon since the first version of the problem was composed in 1966 and only corrected in 1973.

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